Temple of the Moon Books
Business Plan
Prepared: January 2026
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Website: templeofthemoonbooks.com
Status: Operational (soft launch)
Executive Summary
Temple of the Moon Books is a specialty e-commerce retailer serving the metaphysical, occult, and spiritual practice market. Based in Kansas City, we combine online retail with free local delivery service to build a loyal regional customer base while serving national demand.
Key Differentiator: A proprietary correspondence-based product discovery system that allows customers to shop by magical intent, planetary association, or elemental correspondence rather than traditional product categories.
Current Status:
- 698 products live and available for purchase
- Functional checkout with PayPal integration
- Automated inventory management system
- Free local delivery program operational
Market Analysis
Industry Overview
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US Psychic Services Market | $2.2 billion | IBISWorld |
| Annual Growth Rate | 5.5% CAGR | IBISWorld |
| Books/Supplies Segment | ~40% of market | Industry estimate |
Growth Drivers:
- Increasing interest in alternative spirituality (20% of Americans identify as “spiritual but not religious”)
- Social media normalization of witchcraft and occult practices
- Younger demographics seeking meaning outside traditional religion
- Growing diversity of spiritual practices in mainstream culture
Kansas City Market
Population: 2.2 million (metro area)
Target Demographics: Adults 18-55, spiritual practitioners, collectors, gift buyers
Competition Analysis:
| Competitor | Type | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Aquarius (Westport) | Local shop | Limited inventory, no delivery |
| Amazon | National | No curation, no expertise |
| Etsy sellers | Fragmented | Inconsistent quality, no unified experience |
| Azure Green (direct) | Wholesale only | Not retail, no curation |
Opportunity: Kansas City is underserved. Low competition allows us to establish brand dominance before market saturation.
Products & Services
Product Lines
| Category | Products | Avg. Price | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Books | Occult, esoteric, instructional | $15-45 | 40-60% |
| Candles | Ritual, spell, devotional | $5-25 | 35-50% |
| Incense | Sticks, cones, resins | $3-20 | 40-55% |
| Oils | Anointing, ritual, aromatherapy | $8-30 | 40-50% |
| Tools | Athames, chalices, altar supplies | $15-100 | 35-45% |
| Stones & Amulets | Crystals, talismans, jewelry | $5-75 | 40-55% |
Fulfillment Model
Hybrid Inventory Approach:
- In-house stock: Curated book collection, high-margin specialty items
- Wholesale/drop-ship: Azure Green catalog (largest occult wholesaler in US)
This model minimizes upfront inventory investment while maintaining product availability.
Local Delivery Program
Service Area: Kansas City Metro (150+ ZIP codes)
Cost to Customer: Free (minimum order $25)
Schedule: 2-3 delivery runs per week
Purpose: Build customer loyalty, reduce shipping costs, create community touchpoint
Marketing Strategy
Brand Positioning
Tone: Knowledgeable, refined, welcoming - not theatrical or “spooky”
Target: Serious practitioners and curious beginners
Visual Identity: Victorian gothic meets modern minimalism (purple/grey palette)
Customer Acquisition Channels
| Channel | Strategy | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| SEO/Content | Blog posts on correspondences, rituals, book reviews | Ongoing |
| Local Events | Metaphysical fairs, workshops, community gatherings | Q2 2026 |
| Social Media | Instagram (visual), TikTok (education) | Ongoing |
| Email Marketing | Moon phase newsletters, seasonal promotions | Ongoing |
| Word of Mouth | Local delivery builds relationships | Ongoing |
Content Calendar
- New/Full Moon: Ritual recommendations, corresponding products
- Sabbats (8/year): Seasonal content, curated collections
- Weekly: Correspondence deep-dives, book reviews
- Monthly: Newsletter with exclusive offers
Financial Projections
Startup Costs (Completed)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Website Development | $0 (built in-house) |
| Domain & Hosting | $50/year |
| Initial Inventory | $500 (books from existing collection) |
| Photography Equipment | $150 |
| Total Invested | ~$700 |
Revenue Projections
| Period | Monthly Orders | Avg. Order | Monthly Revenue | Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (Q1-Q2) | 20-40 | $40 | $800-1,600 | - |
| Year 1 (Q3-Q4) | 50-80 | $45 | $2,250-3,600 | $18,000-30,000 |
| Year 2 | 100-150 | $50 | $5,000-7,500 | $60,000-90,000 |
| Year 3 | 200-300 | $55 | $11,000-16,500 | $130,000-200,000 |
Cost Structure
| Expense | % of Revenue |
|---|---|
| Cost of Goods Sold | 45-55% |
| Payment Processing | 3% |
| Shipping/Delivery | 5-8% |
| Marketing | 5-10% |
| Software/Tools | 2% |
| Gross Margin | 25-40% |
Break-Even Analysis
Monthly Fixed Costs: ~15-20
Break-Even Point: 10-15 orders/month
Already exceeding break-even in soft launch phase.
Operations
Order Fulfillment Workflow
- Order received → automatic notification
- Payment captured (PayPal)
- Inventory check (in-house vs. wholesale)
- Fulfillment routing:
- In-house: pick, pack, ship (USPS)
- Wholesale: place supplier order, receive, repackage, ship
- Local: batch for delivery run
- Tracking notification to customer
Technology Stack
- E-commerce: Custom Next.js application
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Payments: PayPal (Stripe planned)
- Hosting: Vercel + Hostinger VPS
- Inventory: Custom admin dashboard
Supplier Relationships
Primary: Azure Green (wholesale account established)
Secondary: Direct publisher relationships (planned)
Future: Additional wholesalers for expanded product lines
Growth Strategy
Phase 1: Foundation (Current - Q2 2026)
- Complete product catalog expansion (target: 1,500 SKUs)
- Build email subscriber base (target: 500)
- Establish local delivery reputation
- Create content library (target: 50 blog posts)
Phase 2: Expansion (Q3 2026 - Q4 2026)
- Launch educational content/courses
- Explore physical pop-up or market presence
- Evaluate expansion to secondary markets
- Target: $5,000/month revenue
Phase 3: Scale (2027)
- Potential physical retail/event space
- Expanded fulfillment operations
- Multiple market presence
- Target: $10,000+/month revenue
Management Team
Shadow - Founder, Technology & Operations
- Background in software development and systems architecture
- Manages e-commerce platform, fulfillment systems, financial operations
[Position Open] - Community & Creative Director
- Role: Brand voice, content creation, community building, events
- Seeking: Practitioner with authentic presence and creative skills
Funding & Investment
Current Status: Self-funded, profitable at current scale
Use of Additional Capital (if applicable):
- Inventory expansion for faster fulfillment
- Marketing acceleration
- Physical space evaluation
- Event programming
Not Seeking: Traditional debt financing or equity dilution for operations
Risk Assessment
| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low initial demand | Medium | Medium | Low overhead, content-first approach |
| Supplier issues | Low | High | Multiple supplier relationships |
| Platform dependency | Low | Medium | Own website, build email list |
| Competition entry | Medium | Medium | First-mover advantage, community focus |
Conclusion
Temple of the Moon Books addresses an underserved market in Kansas City with a differentiated product discovery experience and community-focused approach. The business is already operational with minimal capital investment and a clear path to profitability.
We’re building more than a store - we’re building a hub for practitioners and seekers in the Kansas City region and beyond.
Contact:
Temple of the Moon Books
Kansas City, Missouri
templeofthemoonbooks.com
contact@templeofthemoonbooks.com