DH said, "yes, dear". So, MN, I'd like your opinion...

[PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife]

I think I have just figured out what to do with myself now I have no job - I want to open a 2nd-hand bookstore-cake/coffee shop - with a large area for littlies to play. I'm thinking "women's-y" kind of books - chicklit, romances, self-help, crime-thrillers (feel free to suggest what you'd read here).

Ignore, for a moment, that what I know about running a business could be written on the back of a grape.

Is this a good idea? Or do mums with littlies just not have time to read?

sounds like a great idea to me. would definately use something like this if it was in my area

Yes, but I read normal books, not 'womens-y' whatever that is!?

Go to the railway station bookshop (can't remember what the proper name is) in Alnwick; that might be a good model for what you want. Can't imagine they make any money though!

nice idea but might be hard to make it profitable? If you could get premises with a spare room you could hire it out for parties / Monkey Music type classes?

I'd love it if it was near me!! I like to read aristocratic women's history btw! Lots and lots of bios on Marie Antoinette etc. I also read romances though! Hate chic lit.

whereabouts in the country are you? I am in north essex.

it will be lovely

but you will make no money

I know 2 second hand bookshop owners who did it for nothing for years and then packed up because they needed to at least pay their rent

yes, dear.

As a Mum I'd say fab I'd love to go there but as a business proposition I'm not sure how viable it would be.

I'm not sure how much profit there is in second hand books and your competition would be with charities.

I would suspect that you will get lots of Mums meeting up during the week nursing a coffee. Great as a social venue, not so good as a profit making venue. Also what sort of insurance would you need if you are offering a play area ?

I don't mean to rain on your parade because I think it could work, but you need to think about what you can sell and what profit margins you need to make a profit.

Sounds like you might have been watching too many Hugh Grant films...

Could you get a job in a bookshop/cafe first and research your market a bit?

I hear you WilfSell, I'm like that too - just thinking that a lot of 2nd-hand bookstores I've been in that do everything, end up with a lot of dull stock that sits there for a very long time. Was just thinking, I could do without transport, boats, sport, most history sections, 1001 funniest joke books, etc. dykwim?

where is Alnwick??

thanks B1977, will file that idea away...

lol puppymonkey, that is almost certainly my problem

glad some ppl here have sensible contributions, I was entertaining visions of Colin Firth bringing his child in. Except, you know, I'd be opening it in Australia...

I've always wanted to run a 2nd hand bookshop with a cafe.

you could do it. problem is, bookshops are closing down all the time - you may need to find clever ways to bring in custom (eg flog stuff on amazon too as second income, have debate evenings etc). you may also do a lot of work and end up with effectively less than minimum wage.

don't stick to women-sy books though - that would put me off. part of the point in going to such a place would be to find people who think (unlike the teletubbies)

Alnwick is in Northumberland and is a lovely twee touristy town, semi-posh, semi-not but like hay-on-Wye, imagine they make cash from the tourists mostly. It also has a fab castle and the amazing gardens as well as all the other castles nearby so lots of passing trade...

Did you rule out the other things? (I used to be someone else on your project management/academic admin jobs thread!)

don't like the thought of small children in a bookshop/cafe

like the thought of bookshop/cafe with no littlies though

bookshops to me are sacrosant and should be revered in peace and quiet ... yes with a decent coffee and cake and a sleeping bairn .. big no with a horde of screeching brats other people's children

also I'm a chick .. and don't do chicklit, definitely not romance or self-help..

bloody hard to make money out of it I'd have thought

Is it a charity you want to run or a business?

First of all please thoroughly research costs, overheads, profit you could hope to make etc. Books have a very small profit margin. You'd need quite a lot of staff too and that is expensive. You'd be paying rent or a mortgage and probably have to do the place up not to mention stocking it to start with. You need to be in just the right place on a busy street or you will make half, or less, the money you need to make it viable.
Not trying to put you off but I've been doing this (retail) for over 15 years and it's not easy. [massive understatement - it has ruined our 'family life', we never go anywhere or do anything together]

How old are your DC? Are you prepared to work every day, morning and afternoons and Saturdays? All through the summer too and over holidays?

Nice idea but please take a reality check!
Maybe talk to people doing the same thing in other towns (so you are not possible competition and they won't mind telling you how it works).
Good luck!

you've watched that 'ellen' show haven't you

This sounds brilliant. I would go somewhere like this if I could.
I think that you would need to be making most of your money from the drinks and food, with the books as more of a prop that you might make a little bit of money from.
Kids area would need to be separate from the books.

Ah, and if it's second hand books you'll need to go to auctions and make a lot of mistakes before you learn to buy wisely.

Cute baby by the way.

I am hoping to begin a new career soon. I have bought two books:

'What colour is your parachute'
and
'Get a job you'll love'

Both are really about discovering what you do best and finding a job that really fits you.

For example, I see from your profile that you like to do crafty things. How about setting up a workshop where people can do courses in that sort of thing? You could incorporate book-selling etc into that too.

thanks shitemum, I needed that!

wilfsell, who WERE you?!? Haven't ruled out other things, per se, just... got no ideas. Well, that's not true. The only idea I manage to like for more than an hour at a time is to write. I know, I know. I have a genius for profitless plans...

haven't seen Ellen, no. It's just books and cakes are the only things I'm any good at.

thanks shitemum - it's true I like to do craft, but I'm pretty rubbish at it...

I've got that parachute book. struggle with it though. Can't really get my head around being/doing anything else than an academic. Even though I'm not sure I want to do that anymore.

Are you 'doing' it methodically??

Sorry, I am rather jaded!

WCIYP only arrived yesterday and i'd started the other one first. I am just sort of reading through them first and then hoping to get the time to do the exercises [hahahahha, hahahaha, hahahahaha]

I think it might be a good idea to look at your local demographics and also what is already on offer.

You'll make money on the coffee and cake, but no money in 2nd hand books.

I used to love 2nd hand book shops, but have not used them since new books got so cheap. Most I know have now closed.

This was always my dream as a wee girl. Maybe a coffee shop/book club/ mum's hang out and think of something that you can make more profit on - 2nd hand baby clothes perhaps, nick nackery stuff like gingham rabbits and painted tins and scented candles

P.S. Am curious - do you actually need to work, I mean do you need the money?

shitemum - I've just typed an enormous list of things I don't miss about spain for you.

yeah, me too, I only get two baby-free hours a day and seem to spend them on MN. Or novelising.

Demographics, definitely. Funny, have been away from home so long I no longer know the obvious suburb iykwim.

can I ask what sort of retail you're in?