Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-15
Secret of Success in Business.

A neighbor of ours, who has been in pros
porous business for over twenty years, aud has
accumulated handsome fortune, remarked to
us recently in front of his show window
where he had arranged his goods in most at
tractive style: Il take as much pains to make
my place attractive now as | did the first
month after commenced business; and though
| do not care straw for the receipts of this
or any other day, and could retire from bust
ness without Inconvenience, still, l feel as if
must do as good business as possible and
am as anxious to please my customers as
when l was not worth hundred dollars"
Our neighbor is known far and near as one
of the most successful of businessmen in the
city. He has the best of everything in his line;
he is courteous in his manners, liberal and lust
in his dealings, hence he has right to his
share of patronage; but his ambition and
sense of obligation to serve and please the
public is doubtless the great secret of his sue
cess. He is not above his business but attends
to it promptly, complacently, courteOusly, and
earnestly; and though he could live without
the custom of either agreeable or disagree
able people, by doing half a business or no
business at all, still he never fails to bow,
and smile, and utter pleasant remark, and
''Thank you, sir" when you pay for what
you have bought; and you leave his premises
with pleasant sensations, and always expect
on returning to be greeted with smile OF
welcome. Nor do you ever find in this place
an apparent greediness after great bargains.
You ask for what you wish, are not urged to
buy, and one price only is named. If you
happen to have smooth shillings or badly
worn quarters, they are taken without any
words or sour looks, and when you give good
money you always get as good change as the
money which you give. If you pay gold they
return you gold, if possible, and in all their
transactions you never see disposition TO
take the advantage either in giving you worse
goods than you buy, or charging more for
goods than you contract to pay, either in
fact or indirectly, by taking advantage of
you in making change. He is honest,
kind and obliging People have an idea
that such man deserves success; they
feel complacent in transacting business with
him, and he has only to be attentive, polite,
and just, and his success is certain. Let
young men remember that it is not good pol
icy to be too independent too proud, still, sharp
in their replies, or sharp in their bargains, if
they would succeed in business. Do not en-
ploy Self-Esteem, Firmness and Combative-
ness in such a manner that they shall over
shadow Benevolence, Veneration, Conscien-
tiousness, Adhesiveness and Appropriateness.
If you cheat a man penny, or stick for it
too closely even when ii Is really due, it may
be at your cost to the tune of u thousand dol
lars. If you give an unkind reply, it may
cost you a customer and the patronage of all
his friends; indeed, single inadvertency. or
discourtesy, os meanness, or perhaps even
Justice. if you clamOr for it too sternly in lit
tie matters, may ruin your prospects and
break up your business, for
"a pebble in the streamlet scant
Hath turned the course OF many river;
A dew drop on the baby plant
Hath warped the giant oak forever. "