The United Reformed Church Bookshop
The Bookshop has provided books and other publications for a number of years acting as an independent bookseller and operating from the URC Church House. Following a recent review the Church has decided to develop the bookshop further by employing an experienced manager.
Our Visionis to create a viable, wide-ranging, efficient bookshop that provides publications that help churches to grow.
Our Missionis to promote and sell published resources for ministers and lay people in order to help develop spiritual growth in worship and day-to-day life, better understanding of the Bible and a deeper engagement with current issues from a Christian perspective.
Following consultations, it is believed there is a rich potential to grow the bookshop with careful, professional and systematic management in place whilst also addressing a growing deficit.
The Bookshop providesresources, in the form of books and publications, to churches and church leaders and a greater sense of identity for the church as well as being an important community contact point. Our unique selling point isa specialisation in Christian publicationsfrom the liberal and radical strands of theology, and providing other resources, to build up the Church and help it grow.
Although over the past two or three years there have been signs of improvement,we have reached a point where some urgent professional marketing and selling management is required.
We are looking for a manager who:
-has knowledge and previous experience of working in a Christian bookshop;
-can develop sales and marketing, and reduce the sizeable deficit to give the bookshop a future;
-will refine our target audience and develop a strategy to grow that market; and
-will seek areas of opportunity by creating regular feedback to determine the best outcomes for sales.
Although the Church believes that the bookshop has great potential it is clear thatthe growing deficit cannot be sustained. Our finance department needs to see that a serious attempt is made to reduce the deficitand there is pressure to make substantial modifications to the way the shop is organised and run. There is a finite time to turn the bookshop into a viable operation; therefore the post holder will have clearly defined tasks/objectives to achieve in the first 6 months of commencing the role.
This is an excellent opportunity for a manager to use their skills in developing a vibrant and exciting outlet.
Martin Hazell, Director of Communications
13th January 2010