Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Charles Chatmon, Owner of Chatmon's Books, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I own and operate an online bookstore. It started out as a mobile bookstore inside a farmer’s market in the city of Vallejo, California, in 2008, before it transitioned into an online store in 2011 to today. Readers should support the online bookstore because of our high-quality titles, interesting tales, and informative literature.

Tell us about yourself

I live in the city of Los Angeles, California. My background includes running a local book expo, being an author who has written four books and being an educator. I was motivated to run the mobile bookstore due to the fact the city did not have a bookstore to call its own, plus the residents were hungry for a bookstore. Every week, I would operate the mobile bookstore selling titles from under my tent. Hard work and dedication to the things you love motivate me in my daily life, and it’s something I enjoy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Serving the literary community as a bookseller, executive director of a book expo, and an author are the accomplishments I enjoy the most.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Finding supportive readers and inventory to draw them in is a challenge. When I ran the mobile bookstore, there were interested readers who would come to visit, but the titles we had in stock didn’t match their literary tastes, which changed constantly.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I would suggest that anyone starting a business is to save enough money as possible for resources and create enough promotional material (cards, flyers, etc.) to draw attention to their business. Developing a good online presence, including if you operate an online business, is important.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Running your own business is fun, but it does take lots of dedication and hard work to make it a long-lasting endeavor. If you focus on growing your business consistently, good results will occur.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.chatmonsbooks.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwZD2-MrdTUwrJpdTUnzdzQ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chatmonsbooks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatmon's-books/


If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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