Sophomore CEO Scouts Books for Online Business

Lindbergh High School sophomore Chris Rezabek makes a habit of shopping local used book sales, but he isn’t amassing volumes for his personal library, he’s reselling the books online and building a small business from the ground up.

Since November, 16-year-old Chris, of Fenton, has sold more than 650 used books on Amazon.com, as founder and CEO of his online store, www.stlbookscout.com. On Feb. 5, STLbookscout became officially incorporated as an LLC in the state of Missouri.

His business gained traction when he enrolled in Michelle Stortzum’s entrepreneurship course at Lindbergh High School and learned how to write a business plan, fill out financial statements and increase marketing through customized Facebook and Google ads.

Stortzum gives all of her students $10 to start their businesses at the beginning of the semester, and the students pay it back when their startups make a profit. In addition, students are charged a 30 percent tax on all profits, and at the end of the semester, the most profitable group chooses a local charity to benefit from the students’ financial successes. Businesses range from lawn services to logo sweatpant sales, and most customers originate in the school environment.

Chris has offered discounts to LHS teachers and students through book buy-back programs, and his sales have expanded beyond the high school world, including transactions with customers in South Africa, Australia and Europe. He hasn’t issued himself a paycheck yet, but reinvests all his profits into marketing, shipping supplies and new inventory.

To shop Christopher’s online store, visit www.stlbookscout.com, or www.amazon.com/shops/rezabek.