Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-10
Mind Your Own Business,
BY AN OLD MERCHANT.

| most likely 10 insure SuCCeSS III HeTCdn-
tile life, and his answer was: " Let him
mind his own business"
During my long commercial career,'
said Girard, II have noticed that no adj
vantage results from telling ones bust
ness to others, except to create Jealousy
or competition when we are fortunate.
and to crafty our enemies when we are
| otherwise"
A case in point that occurs to me is that
of merchant who was dealing largely
in certain article and making a hand
some income out of his sales. To other
dealers in the same line he said but little
about his business, but to dealers in
other branches Re was continually men
tioning his large profits and easy sales.
The article in question was one that
might work in easily IN any branch of
trade, and it was not long before some
of the dealers who heard his stories took
the subject into consideration as to
whether they could not add this depart
ment to their stock, and the next season
there were three new competitors in this
creased competition was to cut down the
profits very materially and to destroy
the trade that the first merchant had
counted upon as his own.
Competition in business is not always an
evil-indeed, it is often a positive good.
| have known men who were glad to
assist young men to open store, just
that there might be competition, and
that purchasers would not feel that they
had to buy in one place. Competition
does not always mean a lowering in
prices. The man who cuts down prices,
thinking he can sell all the goods by it,
is not man of sense. But competition
pushes men to greater exertions, and
they generally find that the rival, whose
opening they so much dreaded, has really
been a benefit to them.
"When was young man." said an
old merchant, II set up in the hat trade,
and took store in the city, where there
was not hat store within a quarter of a
mile of me, thinking | would do more
where there were no others; but I found
|
made was very small amount Of money.
I went down town, and, looking around,
found that two or three matters were
driving very good trade very near each
other, and passing into one store found
it's owner very talkative man. We put
our heads together, and, in the course of
a week, the store directly opposite his re-
ceived my stock in trade, and coat of
blue paint on the outside, while his re-
ceived coat of green.
"The first day did nothing but stand
at the door and look pouty at the green
store, and my friend Blake stood on his
steps looking ditto at me. AS people
came in | commenced running down the
green store, and Blake always run the
blue, SO between us both we built up a
trade that was quite respectable Peo-
pie having taken sides, and new corners
always purchasing of one or the other
we gradually grew rich, and at the end
of some dozen years we settled UP, aud |
found that opposition had made my for
tune"
In this story the "running-down" proc
ess seems to have been successful, but
l doubt if it is good one to follow. I
never cared to advertise my competitors,
and | know of no better advertisement
than to begin running them down. In
buying goods [ was often posted by fool
ish drummers when they had no inten-
ton of doing it. A man seeks your
trade, offers you prices that are salts
factory and as low as any you have had
and assures you that he will give you
bottom prices, and adds that he will al
ways meet so-and-sO and COmpany's fig
ures. This is firm with whom you had
not dealt, but you make a mental memo
randum of the name, and know that they
must be house that quote low prices or
the drummer would not have mentioned
them. You drop them a line, ask for
quotations, and find that they are ready
to give you some concessions, and your
next order is sent to them.
The merchant who does not mention
names generally holds his trade the
longest. One of the most successful
statesmen | ever knew claimed that his
success was due to the fact that he knew
no other house in his line Of goods but
his own When customer mentions
one of my competitors" said he, q
try to look as if the name was not very
familiar one, and l never acknowledge
to knowing anything about the house
except a few vague generates. My
customers say to themselves that the
other house cannot be very important
one or would know more about them,
and 1 am willing they should have that
impression"
Boosting of what you will do is as I'M
wise as to advertise your prosperity If
your plans are good ones some one else
will catch them up and be in the field in
time to divide the advantage with you.
If they are not good you may be certain
no one will point out tne errors in them,
so that you cannot possibly gain aught
by your commandments. The men
who listen well, and are not in haste to
impart their own secrets, are the ones
who generally get along in the world