"Going Out of Business" with Style, Grace and Elegance by Cliff Ennico on Creators.com

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"For the past two decades, my husband and I have run a bookstore in our town. Well, we lasted as long as we could, but between Borders and Barnes & Noble both opening outlets in our area within the past five years, we've seen our customers slowly dwindling away, to the point that we've decided to call it quits when our lease expires later this year.

While we have a 'bookstore cat' we're going to keep, everything else must go. What's the best way to go about handling a 'going out of business' sale?"

I hate to read e-mails like this, but sadly, they are becoming more and more frequent. Nonetheless, life goes on, and there is a right way and a wrong way for a business like this to shut up shop.

Let's start with the wrong way: The biggest mistake this reader could make is to advertise a "going out of business" sale a month or two before her lease expires. What would happen is that all of the local "used book" dealers (many of whom sell exclusively on eBay and Amazon) would show up at her door on Day One of the sale, clean out all of the good stuff for pennies on the dollar, and leave her with a half-empty store and inventory she can't even give away.

Here's the right way to run a liquidation sale:

First, let the landlord know you won't be renewing the lease. Many retail leases require at least 90 to 180 days prior notice of non-renewal so the landlord has sufficient time to find a new tenant for the space. Fail to give notice in a timely fashion and you may end up paying penalties to the landlord.

Then, post a notice on your business website (I'm assuming this reader has one), letting them know the business will shut down on such-and-such a date, and offering a "progressive" going-out-of-business sale as follows:

— 10 percent off retail during the first month;

— 25 percent off retail during the second month;

— 50 percent off retail thereafter.

This will encourage a more even distribution of customers during the sale — some will show up early to grab the best stuff, while others will wait until later on to get the better bargains.

If you wish, you can send e-mail or "snail mail" messages to your most frequent and loyal customers offering them an additional 10 percent off if they bring a copy of the message with them. That will guarantee your "best stuff" ends up in the right hands — the people who have supported you all this time.

Then, remove some of your best merchandise off the shelf.

That's right — you read that correctly.

Take some of your most popular titles and put them in a storage area somewhere.

Many people will assume that the good stuff will be "cherry picked" during the first week of your sale. Prove them wrong. Every week, take a few items from your "hidden goodies" pile and sprinkle them randomly throughout the store in places where customers can easily see them. People will soon realize that you are spreading your merchandise out throughout the sale, and that will bring them back time after time to check out the new stuff you've put out.

When people make offers to buy your bookshelves, racks and other "trade fixtures," don't let them carry these items off of the premises when they pay for them. Instead, put a "sold" sticker on the shelves and racks they buy, and leave them in place until the sale is over. Each night, spread your remaining books evenly throughout the shelves — that will entice customers to shop longer and make your store look more "full," giving the appearance that there are still great bargains to be had.

When there's only a week or two left in the sale, do the following:

— Run an ad in your local newspaper announcing your "going out of business" sale for the first time — that will alert the local used book dealers, bulk purchasers and other "bottom feeders," and they will come by with their boxes and pickup trucks and clean out most of your remaining inventory (you can even offer an extreme discount, such as "$25 per box, no questions asked").

— Alert the people who bought your bookshelves, racks and trade fixtures that it's time for them to pick up their purchases.

— Ask your local library to send volunteers to your store on the last day of the sale to pick up whatever's left over for their annual used book sale — be sure to get a receipt for these so you can take a charitable deduction on your final business tax return.

Lastly, have your local newspaper send a photographer out to document your last day in business. It won't be a fun day for you, but I think it's important to let your community know that yet another small family business has bitten the dust, and an era come to an end.

Cliff Ennico (crennico@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com.

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