Celebrating International Women's Day by Spotlighting Female-Owned Business, A Little Bookish
March 8, 2021
People around the globe are helping to create a more inclusive world by celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women on International Women’s Day — Monday, March 8.
To celebrate at TVFCU, we are highlighting one of our many female-owned TVFCU business members. A Little Bookish is a mobile bookshop in the Ooltewah area and is owned by Miranda Atkins.
Miranda has long wanted to open a bookshop and gained inspiration while reading a book called “The Bookshop on the Corner” by Jenny Colgan. In the book, the main character is a librarian and loses funding for her library. During a planning session, the character says she has always wanted to open a bookshop. It struck a chord with Miranda, and she talked to her husband who encouraged her to pursue her dream of opening an independent bookstore.
While seeking business counsel from Co.Lab, Miranda learned about TVFCU’s Idea Leap Loan Initiative for emerging business. Soon, she got an Idea Leap Loan and opened a brick and mortar bookshop in a shopping center on Old Lee Highway in Ooltewah in fall 2018.
The event-based bookshop was thriving in the growing Ooltewah-Collegedale community that previously did not have a bookstore. Miranda hosted adult book clubs and story time activities for children. However, with the onset of the pandemic, she realized she needed to pivot. In the early days of the pandemic, she did porch delivers to buyers in the Ooltewah area. This led to an idea for a mobile bookshop.
“Our main mission is to bring the books to the people,” said Miranda. “We can do that without the space.”
She purchased an old potato chip truck that had been renovated into a clothing boutique. Once she added a few bookshelves, she was ready. And for all those who are wondering, Miranda secures the books with bungee cords before traveling.
“It is so fun to meet other book people and book kids,” said Miranda. “I absolutely love it.”
The mobile bookshop has been on the road since mid-January and has visited an array of businesses and neighborhoods from Cleveland to Chattanooga. Hear more of Miranda’s story here.
If you are interested in hosting A Little Bookish bookmobile shop, please contact Miranda at [email protected].
Learn More about A Little Bookish: Online https://alittlebookish.com/ or find them on Facebook https://facebook.com/alittlebookishshop/