Congratulations—you are in for a wild ride. A bookstore manager should be responsible for:

- Hiring and supervision of employees
- Cleanliness of the store
- Ordering of products
- Overseeing customer care
- Educating and training staff
- Implementing policies and procedures
- Preparing operating budget
- Supervising inventory controls
- Implementing a marketing plan
- Spiritual leadership.

There are many other things I could add to the list—such as chief housekeeper, gift-wrapper extraordinaire, imprinter, master of all types of repairs and general all-around good guy—but no one can do everything!

I'd encourage you to make use of the seminars and classes that are offered in our industry. The Gathering is a great place to start. There you'll be able to meet and learn from some great store managers who have been doing this for a long time. You also will be given materials that will help you with many of your questions.

Got a question for Betty Bookstore? Write to her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..