Bettie's Pages is a mission driven indie bookstore that was founded in February 2020. Yup. 2020!
What started as a day-dream at a job I hated has turned into something beyond my wildest dreams. I get to curate a store and create a space that is welcoming to people who normally never get to see themselves on the shelf. As a woman, LGBTQIA, veteran owned business I am not afraid of standing up for my community, and I'm blown away every day by the impact we've made.
If you want to know what our customers think of us... well we asked them to describe Bettie's Pages in a few words and this is what we got:
Having a physical location in a small town in a conservative area has been amazing. We get to use books as both a mirror for those of us who live here, who've never felt seen.
They also provide a window into the larger world out there for all of us to learn and grow!
Beyond the walls of this physical space, the power of the internet has made this little bookstore a force that has impacted lives across the country! By raising awareness about banned books, hand curating mystery boxes to introduce folks to diverse books, and always utilizing my platform to educate and share great books, my community has grown to something much bigger than I could have ever hoped.
When I opened in 2020, I self funded every aspect of our business and have continued to do so as we've grown. We utilize some revolving lines of credit for day-to-day operating expenses, but otherwise have not had any major investments or funding.
But now I have a pretty exciting opportunity to grow!
I LOVE our current space, it's quirky and gorgeous! And I love being a part of downtown.
But it has some pretty unfortunate negatives. The biggest one being a lack of accessibility!
Currently for our customers to enter the store they have to step up 2 times and make a hard 90 degree turn. This makes it difficult for people with strollers, wheelchairs, or just general mobility issues to even get in the door.
Diversity isn't actually diverse if we don't include disability. We can't make structural changes to our current space. And while we have added a temporary ramp to our back door... that's not a real solution!
The real estate market is wild, and there isn't usually a lot of inventory, but currently there is a spot a few minutes down the road that would be 400 sq ft bigger AND make us completely accessible!
Margins at bookstores are not huge, I will never make enough money to take a rocket to outer space. Honestly, I wouldn't want to make that kind of money anyways. But we are incredibly lucky to have always been self funded and sustaining.
Funding this campaign allows us the ability to build out the new space, move, increase our inventory, cover our costs for any downtime. And most importantly, doesn't leave the store burdened with expensive debt (interest rates y'all!)
This allows me to continue to do what we do best... get great books into the hands of folks who most need them!
If you only know one thing about us, I think that the most important thing is how I often describe Bettie's Pages to others! This is a space that my 12 year old self desperately needed, a space that is safe enough to be authentic, curious, and welcomed.
And now we can make it easier for EVERYONE to access this space!
Plus we've got some pretty cool options for a thank-you!
❤️Nicole
