• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

New business idea-business book exchange

By Becky McCray

Here’s another new business idea that could be adapted to any small town, or to any industry, from Steve Rucinski at Small Biz CEO:

I recently went through my shelves of books and pulled out about 100 business books that I no longer need to own but am having a hard time finding a home for them. I called my library about donating them, they weren’t accepting donations. I tried to sell some on Half.com (an Ebay business) but it was more work than it was worth, so I was wondering, are there other people with the same dilema? I am sure there are millions of books, long since read or at least being ignored on shelves around the world. How could they be recirculated and benefit the seller and the buyer?

Would a Netflix model work for business books? You subscribe, choose from a selction as many as you want, return them when you want? Would that work for used business books? They are like DVD’s in that they are usually used once, read in a few weeks and almost never looked at again. What do you think, is that model workable? Is there such a service already available that would give me a greater selection than my local small town library and be a home for used books.

I immediately thought of US libraries in the hurricane damaged-areas, so I did a quick search. The American Library Association is not collecting books, but has a fact sheet on book donation.

Local libraries in my small town accept donated books to resell at book fairs. I love these! You can’t beat a wonderful book for 50 cents!

small biz rural entrepreneurship startup ideas

  • About the Author
  • Latest by this Author
Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.

www.beckymccray.com
  • Start smaller: Any local business can be your incubator
  • Should I ask competitors before I start a business in a small town?
  • Will trendy axe throwing and escape room businesses last? More experience-based retail: the Hat Bar

May 19, 2006 Filed Under: ideas

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses. Logo with "Shop Indie Local"Move Your Money, bank local, invest localMulticolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"Save Your Town logotype

Best of Small Biz Survival

A few people shopping in an attractive retail store in refurbished downtown building.

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Three kids in a canoe

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2025 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in