Truro Christian Bookshop: Business for Sale

Phil Groom writes:

Truro Christian Bookshop is being advertised for sale at BusinessesForSale.com, asking price £50,000:

Truro Christian Bookshop: Business for Sale

Given the propensity of this sort of listing to go AWOL, I’ve converted the listing to a pdf, download/view here: Truro Christian Bookshop – Business for Sale.

The reason given for the sale is the current owner’s ill health:

I have been unwell during the course of the year and have run the bookshop without any management help. This bookshop requires a more consistent involvement than I have been able to give over the last few months. Best time to sell as we are entering the busiest period.

The business is described as having “great prospects” … which various not-so-subtle hints suggest might be improved by relocation away from the current landlords… hmmm… I wonder who they might be??

This business, a former SPCK bookshop, has traded in various forms for the last 150 years and in more recent times been aquired by a local Cornish company. Despite a downturn in the economy the business has great prospects if there are committed owners (and is probably best suited to a couple’s involement and management). Retail is more demanding than most realise and unfortunately I have been unwell over the last year and have struggled to manage the commitment on my own. There has been a need to reduce the overhead in order to reshape the future of the business and this has been quite successful, although would have probably been more successful if I had run it with a partner. We are now entering the busiest part of the year and it is the best time to take this business on. I would be more than willing to give some consultancy as part of the handover to the new owners. A separate lease would need to be negotiated with the landlord but there is also no reason why this business could not be relocated within the town to ensure a lower rental and higher profit margin – there are smaller units, and possibly cheaper units, available to let very close to the existing shop. The business has active relationships with many of the local churches who purchase church supplies and material from the bookshop.

You would be purchasing the right to the use the current name, all of the stock (we have a very fully stocked shop), equipment and consultancy to get you started. You would need to set up a limited company for yourselves (which I can help with) or should you wish to trade as sole traders this would also be an option (although I would advise against this option).

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