Start and Run a Gift Shop: 2nd edition: What You Need to Do to Turn Your Idea into Reality (How to Books Small Business Start-ups)

Easy to read and certainly one or two useful tips in it, but to be honest, nothing more than common sense for the most part. I also got the feeling that the author was 'running out of steam' towards the end of the book, resorting to such things as how to book an airline ticket if you want to source stock from abroad! Do I really want to be told how to book an airline ticket in a book about starting up a shop? I would recommend to an out and out beginner or someone considering whether or not a shop is right for them, or even for someone interested in reading a story about a person who opened a few shops, but probably not for anyone at a higher level than that.

Thank you

Well written with really helpful advice for the novice. Anyone looking to start up a Gift Shop with little or no experience would do well to buy this book. Thank you Val Clark!

A very personal account from an experienced tradeBut its only one perspective on the businessA range of writers would have been a better overview

A concise and easy to follow book. Great examples. Lots of practical help and ideas. Good to use as a point of reference.

Firstly this book is cringingly out of date. It would have been useful in the late nineties of early part of 2000 but is embarrassingly out of touch with today's market. Go to Bali and buy wooden carved masks, or crystals or joss sticks. Hmm perhaps not so in demand today.. The website example she has (of what was her own shop) ia so old fashioned is still in an html old frame website.Secondly, the author appears to have gone bust or something (so you might not want to follow the advice) her shop no longer exists and there is no trace of her current business. I'm a speaker for the princes trust and tell all the young people to only take advice from those that have achieved what you want to achieve. When I can't quantify whether or not this woman has had her house repossessed for a failed gift shop I find it hard to trust the advice.On the plus side there were a few bits of useful information which were valid. But the one thing that is a burning question for me is how much stock I should buy to open with wasn't answered and is still my burning question. I just wish that there was a book to replace this one that was more current. Well there's an idea maybe if our gift shop works I'll write one in a few years :) but then again I might be bust but I'll have fun seeing if it works out.

Don't judge this book by its cover.I bought this as a book - kindle was not available at that time - and it's appearance isn't inspiring. Cover graphic and font are cheap looking and old fashioned. On the inside though it's a whole different matter. For a complete novice like me this book is full of valuable detail. Tips for negotiating on your lease, how to lay out the shop, how to price your stock, how to recruit staff, what words to use to upsell to your customer - even how to set up the tray in the till.My only niggle is that it is a bit out of date - it talks about 2010 being in the future for instance so VAT is 17.5% and £2 coins are a novelty. Updated and more contemporary Internet resources would be useful.Having said all this I am buying the Kindle version too so I can share all these gems with my daughter (and business partner) - I don't want to part with my book.

what can I say It is what it says no nonsense to the point easy to answer your questions re :how to start ans run a gift shop wonderful not like some books hype to be??at long last.I am enjoying every part in this book and living the dreamregardsMarianne x