s/o Post homeschooling life thread

[Jyniffrec]

Someone on the other thread mentioned the idea of opening a homeschool shop on the side. How feasible would it be to do that if one lives in a large homeschool community? Dh has said for years that he thinks I should open a book shop but I have resisted the idea so far. However, a homeschool shop is a whole different can of worms.

 

Thoughts? What would it take? Does anyone have any experience doing this?

[Ellie]

If you have money to invest, and also do not need income from the store, it could work.

 

I know that there are successful homeschool stores, but they have a great deal of competition from on-line sellers like CBD and Rainbow Resources, who can buy huge amounts of books and get the lowest prices and can then sell them cheaply.

 

At homeschool conventions, some exhibitors have complained that shoppers spend time at their booths looking at all their materials, then go buy on-line. :glare: Could be a problem for you, as well.

[angela in ohio]

If you have money to invest, and also do not need income from the store, it could work.

 

I know that there are successful homeschool stores, but they have a great deal of competition from on-line sellers like CBD and Rainbow Resources, who can buy huge amounts of books and get the lowest prices and can then sell them cheaply.

 

At homeschool conventions, some exhibitors have complained that shoppers spend time at their booths looking at all their materials, then go buy on-line. :glare: Could be a problem for you, as well.

 

Yep. I think it would be a fine hobby, but I wouldn't expect to make a living unless you diversified (renting out classroom space, maybe, or offering classes yourself.) And even then... who knows...

 

Four homeschool stores have come and gone within an hour or so drive of my home. They just can't compete with RR, CBD, and Amazon, and most people don't value their service enough to not just go home and order what they saw for $2 less at RR.

 

One even had a consulting business for some years, but really the internet makes that less necessary. People can do their research online.

[Jyniffrec]

You both make valid points. We have a used bookstore here (McKays) that I spend a lot of time in. I know their prices very well and know that they over price on some things. They have a huge section on homeschooling but they also don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out what homeschoolers want/need. They also often reject sought after books because they have religious content. I had planned on concentrating on used books. This is all just a pipe dream right now, anyway, though. Something to think about when my youngest is nearly out of school, 15 years from now.

[StephanieZ]

I'd stay away from retail that can be competed with online.

 

Exception: If this were a hobby . . . and income not a big issue . . .

 

If you have a LOT of homeschoolers in your area, I wonder if a good living could be made by having a used materials store? I know a LOT of EX-homeschoolers who have thousands in curricula in boxes, and refuse, even with my urging, to go to the trouble to resell any of it. One friend hs'ed for 15 years, now is totally DONE, and has boxes of Saxon math, Apologia science, and gobs of other very resaleable stuff. I am sure that if there were a convenient place to simply box it up, make an appointment, and get a check for it, she'd get rid of it in a heartbeat. I'd imagine that if you could pay say 15-25% of new price to the person, then resell it for, say 50-70% of retail, you might be able to make a nice business, and provide a nice service.

 

You could possibly sell a small selection of new stuff for fun and/or convenience, but I am sure it'd be very hard to compete with online.

 

If you can avoid having employees, your business will be much simpler. Employees are a headache. :)

[Jyniffrec]

I'd stay away from retail that can be competed with online.

 

Exception: If this were a hobby . . . and income not a big issue . . .

 

If you have a LOT of homeschoolers in your area, I wonder if a good living could be made by having a used materials store? I know a LOT of EX-homeschoolers who have thousands in curricula in boxes, and refuse, even with my urging, to go to the trouble to resell any of it. One friend hs'ed for 15 years, now is totally DONE, and has boxes of Saxon math, Apologia science, and gobs of other very resaleable stuff. I am sure that if there were a convenient place to simply box it up, make an appointment, and get a check for it, she'd get rid of it in a heartbeat. I'd imagine that if you could pay say 15-25% of new price to the person, then resell it for, say 50-70% of retail, you might be able to make a nice business, and provide a nice service.

 

You could possibly sell a small selection of new stuff for fun and/or convenience, but I am sure it'd be very hard to compete with online.

 

If you can avoid having employees, your business will be much simpler. Employees are a headache. :)

 

This is the direction I was thinking in. Also, people would rather not drive all the way to the used bookstore about 25 minutes from here in order to sell their books. I realize it would have to be used. I think it may work especially since shipping costs are getting so high and people seem more reluctant to sell online.

 

This would certainly be a hobby store. I would not expect to get rich, I would just like to stay interested in my job. :001_smile:

[bethben]

There's this one in TX that's been open a few years : http://www.the-book-cover.com/

 

I've thought about the whole homeschool bookstore knowing that people would want to buy cheaper somewhere else. Now, I don't know if this would work, but I wonder if curriculum suppliers such as sonlight, abeka, even smaller companies would pay a store a "rental" fee to have their stuff displayed in the store. It would be like a curriculum fair only you don't have to stock merchandise and people can just look before buying.

 

I would also for sure have consignment with an online option to move more material faster.

 

Beth

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I thought about this too! We live in a huge metro area with TONS of homeschoolers! Our only HS store just closed last year, she (the owner) just couldn't compete with the internet. She said the same thing, that people would come in, look at her stuff, ask her questions, etc. and then leave to purchase the stuff online. It was SUCH a great store :(

 

To be fair though, her store was like 45 minutes from the major metro area... the people who live there are used to a lower cost of living and getting things cheap. She would have done better off down here where people are willing to pay more and a larger clientele.

 

I kinda thought about having a store where it was half HS bookstore and half coffee shop.... all warm and cozy with stone fireplaces and cozy chairs, train tables for the kiddos and desks to study at. :)

 

It would be nice..... but I don't have the gumption or the drive...... or the money ;)

[G5052]

I have friends who did mostly consignments for some time in two different locations, and it is a tough go even near a metropolitan area. They are retired, and it was a little side income and a space to do tutoring, consulting, and standardized testing. The books part was indeed getting tough. They had to have rock-bottom prices to compete, and listed some of their consignment books on eBay and Amazon. They also used to go to conventions.

 

A natural disaster took their location, and they have transferred the stock to someone who is going to make a go of it in a different area. They said that it was a natural time to close something that barely made it.

 

I also know of several small homeschool companies who are barely staying open. The owners are pursuing other employment to make ends meet while packing an occasional web order nights and weekends.

 

Frankly it makes me sad. I loved looking at things at the consignment store, and bought a lot of things there over the years. And the small guys know so much. Internet has truly changed things.

[SJ.]

I don't have experience in running a homeschool store but I definitely have experience shopping at one! We have a local store that sells educational materials in one section, unique toys in another and has a small cafe. The store also has birthday parties, educational programs and festival/activity days. I call it "the homeschool store" but I believe it is also frequented by local teachers. During the Christmas season it can be pretty crowded with people looking for that perfect gift.

 

I personally like to support local businesses even if I could save a few dollars by shopping around online. I am also a browser and love to find new things I didn't know I needed. :lol:

 

I think a key to opening this type of store is trying to diversify to attract different types of shoppers.

 

Here is the link to our local store: http://www.eschoolcrossing.com/

[Jyniffrec]

I don't have experience in running a homeschool store but I definitely have experience shopping at one! We have a local store that sells educational materials in one section, unique toys in another and has a small cafe. The store also has birthday parties, educational programs and festival/activity days. I call it "the homeschool store" but I believe it is also frequented by local teachers. During the Christmas season it can be pretty crowded with people looking for that perfect gift.

 

I personally like to support local businesses even if I could save a few dollars by shopping around online. I am also a browser and love to find new things I didn't know I needed. :lol:

 

I think a key to opening this type of store is trying to diversify to attract different types of shoppers.

 

Here is the link to our local store: http://www.eschoolcrossing.com/

 

We have a store in the large town near us that is a school supplies store (The School Box). I'm almost positive it is a chain. They carry a few of the curricula that I consider to be of high quality. I will definitely go there if I need the next book for ETC right away and don't have time to wait on it to come on the internet. I think I pay a dollar or two more for it. But whenever I go in there I think about all the other cool stuff they could have for homeschoolers. I've even had the employees ask me to help other families in the store who are just beginning to home educate since they have no idea what to tell them.

 

I guess I'm thinking of something along the lines of Half Price Books or McKays but in an old, beautiful building. The coffee shop idea with cool toys and parties sounds great, too. I can dream, right? Maybe it is one of those things that will slowly turn into something over time.

 

One of the things I really like about McKays and Half Price is that there isn't a buyer for those stores. It is very democratic - the only filters are the limitations of the people in their thinking and the people who decide whether to buy the books from the customers or not. And, at McKays anyway, books that are rejected mostly end up in a free bin outside the store. I have discovered many, many wonderful books that way.

 

As an aside, about the internet and books: Dh and I watched a documentary about how oil production will soon peak if it hasn't already. The people on the documentary were in the oil industry and were predicting a major turn around in our society. As they put it, "no more 3,000 mile caesar salads". One even said he was thinking about opening a newspaper. They said that irresponsible living and squandering of our wealth as a society was going to have to stop and that life would become more local again since there isn't anything to replace oil (they seemed to think energy replacements are pie in the sky thinking). I can't say that they are going to be right, but it has got me to thinking. If they are right, then local bookstores may become feasible again someday. Just a thought, nothing I am 100% gung ho about. ;)

 

Thanks for helping me think this through everybody.

[AuntieM]

Home schoolers (well, ok, the ones I know personally) are typically frugal and bargain-minded. If the economy is down and things are tight, they know what to cut out. I'm thinking this business - while a resource many would probably enjoy visiting - might be one that feels the pain of economic valleys more so that say a grocery store.

 

I always thought it would be great to have That Home School Place in one building that included a place for enrichment classes to meet, a book shop, and cafe where moms could wait comfortably. But if it's between more curriculum and putting food on the table, I wouldn't really have a choice.

[JennyD]

You both make valid points. We have a used bookstore here (McKays) that I spend a lot of time in. I know their prices very well and know that they over price on some things. They have a huge section on homeschooling but they also don't spend a lot of time trying to figure out what homeschoolers want/need. They also often reject sought after books because they have religious content.

 

LOL. I also spend a lot of time in McKay's and while I frequently pick up children's books there -- especially science and history -- I find the Home Education section largely useless because it is so overwhelmingly Christian. They can't win!