Bart Carithers took over as owner of Next Page Books (formerly New Bo Books) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last December 1 "at the height of the holiday shopping season," the Gazette reported, adding that this year the owner and his part-time employee "are much better prepared for the holiday shopping season. But he admits he still is learning."
"That was a hectic time to step into this role because it's our busiest month of the year," Carithers said. "I was trapped behind the counter selling books as fast as I could.... My taking ownership happened very quickly, but it was the best decision I've ever made.... I had never managed, let alone owned, a retail business in the past, so this was a steep learning curve. But there is nothing else I'd want to be doing. Even after a year, there's not a day that goes by that I don't learn something new. And I appreciate and value that."