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It's less about "how many books?" and more about "how much per day?"
There's a minimum amount "to keep the lights on" and then how much to turn a profit.
Generally speaking new books carry a profit margin of 30-40%.
So $600 a month for rent. Utilities (electricity, internet, insurance, security system) probably another $150.
Figure a 30 day month that means doing $25 a day just to keep the lights on.
I have to replace the stock sold with more stock. So 60-70% goes back into maintaining the supply.
So $25@30% means sales of x@100%, solve for X. 25*100 = 2500 / 30 = $83.33 a day just to keep the lights on. $25@40% = $62.50 a day.
If an average transaction is $20, that's 4 or 5 sales a day just to keep the lights on, with a little bit extra, figure 1 to 2 books per transaction?
Now, that being said... To recoup the total costs, $600 for fixtures, $350 for a Point of Sale, a certain percentage of each transaction to handle credit card processing (generally 2.5% + a transaction fee that can be as high as $0.10). That's $950 + $0.60 per transaction I have to make back before there's any money left over.
Let's say I do 5 transactions a day, $100 a day.
$100@30%
83.33 - Keep the lights on.
$16.67
$0.60*5 - $3 a day transaction fees.
$13.67
I have startup costs of $950, not counting domain registration, creating the LLC, etc. I'm ball parking this to keep it simple. ๐
$950 / $13.67 = 69.5 days before I make back the money on the fixtures and machinery needed to run the business.
$100@40%
62.50 - Keep the lights on.
$37.50
$3 a day transaction fees.
$34.50
27.5 days to make up the money on the fixtures and machinery.
Now, I haven't paid ME yet, and I have a mortgage, health insurance, and I need to eat too...
So let's say to personally survive I need $5,000 a month.
$166.66 a day. @30% that means an extra $555.55 a day. 27 transactions a day pays ME. So figure on $671.55 a day pays me, the transaction fees, and keeps the lights on. 34 transactions a day.
$166.66 @40% that means $415 a day. 21 transactions a day pays ME. $527.60 a day pays me, the transaction fees, and keeps the lights on. 27 transactions a day.
Doesn't count advertising, taxes, the domain and email costs, the business license and such, one time costs that I'll likely just eat. But you get the idea.
If I hit 35 transactions a day at $20 per, I'm golden.
Space can be open 8 AM to 8 PM, 3 sales an hour? Every day? Seems feasible. Would be working myself to death, but that's life in startup!
Maybe throw in a coffee shop and some evening events. Not much reason to go to any retail establishment these days.
The space I'm looking at is part of an international market hall.
Think Mall Food Court only without the mall. My shop would be between a Cuban bakery and a jewelry store.