More than 45 retailers from around the nation attended the first Parable Financial Boot Camp Sept. 22-23 in Chicago. The two-day training seminar provided a platform for retailers to gain better understanding of financial issues and risks facing independent booksellers.

Using real-life case studies, Steve Abercrombie, president of Business Resource Services, showed attendees how two companies that looked like they were nearly out of business were able to make a turnaround and thrive. Abercrombie encouraged Parable store owners to “dig deep” to find out how to run a more profitable business using industry-specific ratios to guide a store's decisions.

“The theme of the seminar was 'Managing and Financing Independent Business.' It represents a subject of extremely high relevance to our quest for strengthening the financial foundation of our member and franchise stores, especially under the increasing challenges and competitions in today's retail industry,” said Steve Adams, Parable franchise operations director and organizer of the workshop. “Clearly, the financial needs of the independent Christian retailer have become more demanding.”

The Boot Camp was free to Parable member and franchise stores. The company is working on a similar seminar for March 22-23 in Atlanta.

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