Founded in 1955, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. By encouraging high standards of professional competence and conduct, MSA helps retail professionals at cultural institutions better serve their organizations and the public. MSA supports museum stores through annual meetings, regional chapters, networking, and professional resources.

• Chapter 1: The Big Idea: Writing the Business Plan Chapter 2: How to Get There from Here: Timeline from Business Plan to Opening Festivities Chapter 3: From the Ground Up: Store Design and Visual Merchandising Chapter 4: Mission-Related Merchandise: Understanding UBIT Chapter 5: The Goods: Planning, Selecting and Purchasing Chapter 6: More Than a Transaction: Selecting the Point of Sale System Chapter 7: Thwarting Thieves: Store Security Chapter 8: Fun with Numbers: Financial and Inventory Procedures Chapter 9: Get the Word Out: Marketing the Store Chapter 10: Good Help is Hard to Find: Staffing Issues Chapter 11: The Customer is Always Right: Customer Service Basics Chapter 12: Satellite Locations: Opening the Off-Site Store Chapter 13: E-commerce Options: Opening an Online Store Suggested Reading Terms and Definitions

Founded in 1955, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. By encouraging high standards of professional competence and conduct, MSA helps retail professionals at cultural institutions better serve their organizations and the public. MSA supports museum stores through annual meetings, regional chapters, networking, and professional resources.

• Chapter 1: The Big Idea: Writing the Business Plan Chapter 2: How to Get There from Here: Timeline from Business Plan to Opening Festivities Chapter 3: From the Ground Up: Store Design and Visual Merchandising Chapter 4: Mission-Related Merchandise: Understanding UBIT Chapter 5: The Goods: Planning, Selecting and Purchasing Chapter 6: More Than a Transaction: Selecting the Point of Sale System Chapter 7: Thwarting Thieves: Store Security Chapter 8: Fun with Numbers: Financial and Inventory Procedures Chapter 9: Get the Word Out: Marketing the Store Chapter 10: Good Help is Hard to Find: Staffing Issues Chapter 11: The Customer is Always Right: Customer Service Basics Chapter 12: Satellite Locations: Opening the Off-Site Store Chapter 13: E-commerce Options: Opening an Online Store Suggested Reading Terms and Definitions

Founded in 1955, the Museum Store Association is a nonprofit, international association organized to advance the success of cultural commerce and of the professionals engaged in it. By encouraging high standards of professional competence and conduct, MSA helps retail professionals at cultural institutions better serve their organizations and the public. MSA supports museum stores through annual meetings, regional chapters, networking, and professional resources.

• Chapter 1: The Big Idea: Writing the Business Plan Chapter 2: How to Get There from Here: Timeline from Business Plan to Opening Festivities Chapter 3: From the Ground Up: Store Design and Visual Merchandising Chapter 4: Mission-Related Merchandise: Understanding UBIT Chapter 5: The Goods: Planning, Selecting and Purchasing Chapter 6: More Than a Transaction: Selecting the Point of Sale System Chapter 7: Thwarting Thieves: Store Security Chapter 8: Fun with Numbers: Financial and Inventory Procedures Chapter 9: Get the Word Out: Marketing the Store Chapter 10: Good Help is Hard to Find: Staffing Issues Chapter 11: The Customer is Always Right: Customer Service Basics Chapter 12: Satellite Locations: Opening the Off-Site Store Chapter 13: E-commerce Options: Opening an Online Store Suggested Reading Terms and Definitions