Book shop business is lucrative, everyone reads. Although many people are too lazy to read, others prefer to read online than reading hard copy. No matter how advance technology is, it definitely cannot completely take the place of books. even online stores such as amazon, Publishdrive, ibooks, Smashwords. Draft2Digital, Create Space, Kobo etc people still buy paperback. It is believed that in this part of the world people don’t read, an adage says, ‘if you want to hide a thing from a Nigeria, put it inside a book’ This is because they book may never be opened. There is so much awareness going on regarding book reading. We have some NGO’s in regards to this, such as; Nigeria Reads. I am where I am today because of the time I invested in reading while growing up, I encourage people to invest in this business idea it is very important. Statistics has shown that most of the books sold in the country are mainly educational books.
The population of Nigeria is high and the statistics of students is equally high. They will use exercise books, textbooks, novels, map etc in School. With the advent of internet you can decide to sale online only, it is not necessarily until you have a physical shop but the latter pays more fore now.
I have seen a man who is into books selling and he is living very comfortable. He has built a house, owns a car, his children attend the best schools. There are different ways to start book shop business; you can sell
- Old books
- Children and student books
- Christian books/Religious books.
- Stationery
- Exercises books only etc
Requirements for Starting a Book shop Business In Nigeria
1. Source fo Capital
Money is very important when it comes to starting a book shop business because you need money to buy books. To make the shop look appealing you have to stack it with plenty books. Also you will want to buy different variations of the books so customers can have choices. In case you are wondering how much is needed to start bookshop business, then I will say it depends on the scale you are starting with. 500,000 thousand and above is ideal for a start.
2. Get a Shop
Establish your shop in a place you can easily be located. For instance if you are selling Christian books; establish it close to a mega church or where churches are concentrated. And when you are dealing on exercise/textbooks, situate your shop in a school environment. Market is another good place to set up your book shop business.
3. Set Up Your Shop
Construct shelves, show glass and counter, it will help you to arrange your books very well, arrange the books in category for easy surfing. When customers come, they will know where to search for the book they need. Show glass make bookshop look attractive and make some people hungry to read. The way you arrange your book shop can make someone buy more than plan.
Write a Book Shop Business Plan
Like any other business, book shop business needs a plan. In your plan you will include SWOT, MARKET TREND, FINANCIAL PROJECTION etc.
Identify where to buy Books on Wholesale
Lagos State is one place you can buy books from dealers in large quantities. There are very many bookshops that sell all the books both local and foreign. There are some books you can order directly from the source (outside Nigeria) but the cost of getting them down to Nigeria will increase the price of the book tremendously that is why it is best to buy from dealers in Nigeria. You can order books from online bookshops check Jumia, Konga etc. you will see a good number of them.
Carve a Niche
Just like I said, chose the type of book shop business you want to go into. The reason you have to chose a niche is because buyers will easily identify you. Whenever people need what you are selling, they won’t hesitate to come knowing well the books will be available for purchase. In case of referral you stand a chance.
Advertise
Take your business online, check the internet the number of book shops on google will baffle you. I remember when I was looking for ‘Akin The Drummer Boy’ to buy, I couldn’t find it in any of the book shop close to me, I had to go online. So advertise your business on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media. In your physical store don,t hesitate to put a sign post so you can easily be located.
Why You Should Start a Book Shop In Nigeria
- The population of students in Nigeria is high, religious organizations are also many this means you are going to be making money from overturn in the business.
- Statistics of people doing the business are not many, meaning there is room to grow and expand.
- It is lucrative. Hardly will you not see a household that has not bought books in one way or the other whether it is textbooks, exercise books etc.
- There are many ways to run the business, either online or physical store.
- Books are not perishable, they can stay for many years except for natural disaster or carelessness.
Is Bookshop Business Profitable
Yes, book shop business is very profitable, judging from what I have observed and seen from my sister’s shop. She added the sales of exercise books to her provision business. The profit is from 30% and above. Assuming you bought a book #300 and you sold it #500, tell me is the business profitable or not?
Conclusion
Book shop business is very profitable, anyone can start it even without training. Locate a good place and establish your bookstore there. You can import books from UK or USA or buy from dealers in Nigeria.
