Short Summary

Paper Bark Birch is an up-and-coming children’s bookstore in Cedar Park, Texas. 

When we were growing up, the accepted research told us that children’s worlds expanded slowly – it was accepted that kids wouldn't have even a simple worldview until fifth or sixth grade.

Our own children are challenging that research now, asking to visit far-flung locations such as Dubai, Tokyo, Sydney, and Paris.

Increased children’s content on streaming platforms and internet access to anywhere in the world has broadened our children’s horizons to a level we’ve never seen before. Far from being intimidated by geography, time changes, cultural differences, and language barriers, our kids are embracing global inclusion.

Our goal at Paper Bark Birch is to take our small footprint and make a big impact by fostering children’s natural inclination to learn and celebrate each other. We encourage diversity and inclusion by sourcing children’s folklore from around the world. We promote education and curiosity by incorporating multiple learning styles – auditory and visual through regular story time in a beautiful and engaging environment, and kinesthetic through cozy nooks and collaborative corners. As we grow, we intend to encourage reading/writing with an illustration station that allows kids to put pen and paper, and eventually graphic design to their own stories, and then have them printed and bound to keep.

Alone, we could open a bookstore – tiny, with a small selection and lofty goals.

Together with your help, we can stock the shelves and include all of the experiential opportunities, collaborative space, and community engagement that we’ve described.

What We Need & What You Get

It will cost $53,000 to get this store up and running. We have reached into our own pockets, and are hoping through Indiegogo to bridge the difference. 

• $30,000 buys inventory - books for all ages and stages of young readers from babies to teens, educational toys,  greeting cards and gift wrap, and a few other fun things thrown in.
• $23,000 covers the buildout and move-in at our location - this is everything from paint to utilities. We need furniture, bookcases, and a safe place for littles to play.
  • $6,500 brings our podcasting studio and illustration stations to life. We will sound-dampen the room, have recording equipment and Dell Precision Workstations.  We'll make the room do double the work by kitting it out with a team table and chairs for collaborative learning and group projects.
  • $1,000 sets up our cafe with self-brew coffees, teas, and tasty treats. We'll need cabinetry, cold and hot cases, and serving equipment.
• There are tons of ways to support Paper Bark Birch and enjoy swag and memberships to boot. Check out the perks to the right for details. 
• No matter what, we are doing this. The rate at which we can do it is where we need your help.  If something specifically catches your heart, let us know. We're happy to designate your support to whatever brought you to us.

The Impact

Paper Bark Birch is a place to relax, let your littles explore, and know that they're getting something good to feed their imaginations, right here in the neighborhood.

• Our focus on children’s literature, specifically, is what allows us to go deep with their learning styles, range of interests, and age-appropriate activities.
• PBB has brought together a team that stretches across entrepreneurship, non-profit, and corporate experience. We have the knowledge to build a beautiful and sustainable practice that will enable children in our community to come together for fun, fantasy, collaboration, and imagination for years to come.
• Our leadership team puts hours of thought and consideration into each business decision, from the most effective way to invest each dollar to which publishers will bring in books that encourage and excite. We are committed to each other, our community, and our mission: to broaden children’s horizons through literature.
• PBB is opening this year. Your support means the difference between 100 books and 1000. Your investment allows us to add digital media (graphic design and podcasting), blending traditional and modern communication. More than anything else, you being part of the PBB family means we can do a whole lot more, a whole lot faster. We are so thankful for you being here, and hope to see you in the store soon!

Risks & Challenges

Opening a store is a big commitment. Not just financial, but also time and emotional investments. How did we discern whether we could do this? We looked at the numbers.

• Cedar Park has 83,000 residents, 24,000 of whom are still school age, 12,000 of which are under 10 years old. Leander has over 55,000 residents as of the last numbers shown by their Chamber of Commerce, in 2018.
• The book industry drives $8M annually.
• There are ~2500 independent bookstores, making up $480,000,000 of that revenue.
• This averages to $192,000/year per bookstore.
• Startup will run ~$53,000, closer to $65,000 by the time we build out all of our offerings. We can expect to spend a minimum of $60,000 to replenish inventory throughout the year.
• Staff will be the next big leap we make, hopefully by early 2024. 
• And our emotional investment? You'll see the fruit of that when you see John, Maddie, and Gigi around the store.

We are small, only 11,00 square feet. We focus specifically on children’s books, so that we can offer the best experience and selection, separating PBB from big box stores and online distributors. Every dollar will count. Every dollar will be invested back into the store to ensure we keep new titles, bring in great authors, and constantly grow in what we give back to you. 

Other Ways You Can Help

Support isn't just financial. As we said earlier, time and emotional investment are huge as well. Here are a few things that we can't put a price on, that would significantly help us get this project rolling:

• SHOW UP! Nothing matters more than seeing your face. Come by often, drop by when your in town, pop in to say hello. 
• Social media - Follow us! Comment on stuff! Add photos! Seriously, it can be so easy to skip posting to Facebook after a long day of work. An active community helps keep us pumping.
• Tell your friends! We drive by signs every day, and get flyers and mass marketing all the time. The best recommendation comes from someone you know, so please tell people we are here!