Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-11-05
Failures In Business.

DN' ," Atht AANl6 81 s'''N
too. Not one trader in four holds on and
keeps his head above water. Probably
there are ten failures in manufacturing to
one success. Only now and then me-
chanic wins. And professional life has its
full share of failures. Thus IL has been.
Is there no other way? Are the great
majority of young men entering active life
in this decade to prove failures also? Can
not the present learn the needed lessons
from the past and so make better record
for the future?
A little inquiry into tho CAUSES of fail
ures may he useful
Some failures are Unavoidable and with
out fault. Health fails. the fire destroys,
II flood comes, and the wisest and most
diligent are overtaken by unforeseen ca
lamnity.
But many failures have their visible and
avoidable causes.
Unftness for the work undertaken is
fruitful of failures. Good mechanics and
good farmers have been spoiled to make
very poor merchants and professional
men. Adaptation TO a work is ndispensi-
BILE to success. A man needs q passion for
his work And in the multitudinous and
yet multiplying divisions of labor it would
seem that every man might find his own
kind of work. Contentment and zest and
even enthusiasm are elements of the need
ed adaptation.
Many rush into business for which they
have no adequate preparation. There are
few kinds of work that do not need consd-
cradle and very careful study. Half learn
ed trades will bankrupt. A man that has
not learned his business will almost inev-
itably fail. Many kinds of work look
simple and easy, but trying them soon
shows that there is "a great deal TO every
thing Merchants turn farmers and
firmers turn merchants and ministers
turn to business and young men unlertrht
almost every thing with overweenin9
confidence.
An unwilingness TO work leads to fail
ure>. There is some drudgcry in every
kind of business and if n man would sue.
coed he must 90 his full share of that
drudgery. A man that elects 10 do only
the more congcnial part of what belongs
10 him will find himself Il failure.
An undue haste to be rich is runous.
Many who were doing well have risked
more in order to do better and have thus
lost all. 1t takes lifetime to achieve the
best success. Men need to settle down 10
u lifework with the idea Of working
lifetime. No outside speculations, no
scheming, no lottery business, should
tliverlRa man from his chosen lifework
That work should suffice to employ all
talents and energies, and it should be the
mans one employment. Stepping aside,
running risks, changing II sure business
for an uncertain employment, choosing
ten per ctM uncertainties instead of four
per cent securities will sooner or later ruin
almost any man financially.
Competition in style of dress and dwell
ing is the cause Of many failure. The
mechanic wishes to stand even with the
manufacturer. Men of small incomes
aspire to appear like the rich. And so it
is that instead of saving and adding to
capital many are spending all and by debt
morgagng many future years. No mai
succeeds unless he can come to own his
business and 10 own business the means
must be earned and Sarcd. And TO SAFE
any thing many things must be dispensed
with. A simple and more honest style Of
living for few or many years is necessary
in order to success.
NegIccting business insures failure. Sue
cess cannot be purchased. 1t can be Work-
ed out. No man may expect to succeed if
he is much away from his place and work,
The man who is first ut his work and
last from it and keeps eye and hand upon
all his work Will win.
Foolish and bad ways of spending mon
ey cause failures. Men cannot eat then
cake and keep it too The money that
goes for tobacco and beer and cheap shows
and poor literature and for lust is making
and keeping millions poor who might hav,
means and INCREASE" The margins OF
! profits must be small. Fortunes are moi
obtained at jump. They must grow and
like all sure growths they must be slow
And the sum of twenty. five dollars charg
ed from one side to the other of years
accounts will make all the difference be
tween failure and success. And there are
few wages earning men, few young bust
ness men, that are not putting this sum or
the wrong side every year and many are
putting hundreds n year on the wrong
side.
Two clerks may stand at the sam,
counter, two mechanics may work at thu
same trade, two traders may begin will
equal capitals, two farmers may take lik,
farms, and one of each two will fail an,
the other succeed just by their diffeIen
habits of spend ng money.
There comes close and difficult plac,
in every business now and then. Ever,
man has need now and then of an cxtri
sum OF money to pay an unexpected bill
TO replace an unforeseen loss, to Hue O,
during time Of sickness or time whel
work fails or business is dull, and then i
is that the money spent foolishly ,woul,
save a man-would save his credit ant
keep him out of debt and enable him I,
make good investment. People tina
will not be wise and prudent in goo,
times must see hardships in hard times.
Bad partnerships are ruinous. To sue
coed together two or more men need TO b.
remarkably well agreed. Some are no
adapted to partnership. They must g
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