Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Merrick.
Hi Beth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a Florida native and specifically a resident of Clermont for 18 years. I love the community and being a part of everything we have to offer around the historical downtown area. The idea for the book shop was always one of those “what if” or “someday” type ideas. I was on furlough for several months from my previous career and started thinking about Plan B ideas. We decided to take the leap and make it happen! That’s when I created Sunshine Book Co!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have to admit, we’ve been very fortunate and pretty smooth. A lot of people probably thought we were crazy starting a business in the middle of the pandemic! Probably the biggest obstacle was finding the location. We looked at many other sites around town but luckily didn’t rush into anything. We truly stumbled across our current location by chance. God always has a plan-we just need to trust. Our patience led us to the absolutely perfect spot we’re in now, and we love our beautiful, charming home.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a true local, independent bookstore. We are fortunate to be a part of our historic downtown community. We offer a diverse variety of genres and authors, everything from new releases to classics to local authors. We host a book club, storytime, and other author events.
What are your plans for the future?
We’re looking forward to setting up a book club for teens soon. Each month we celebrate different literary events, so check out our website to keep up with all the fun!
Contact Info:
- Email: sunshinebookcompany@gmail.com
- Website: sunshinebookco.com
- Instagram: @sunshinebookco
- Facebook: SunshineBookCo
- Twitter: @sunshinebookco
