St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-21

| StOrekeeperS in this town make money,
and in consequence you can find almost
any day on the avenues and cross streets
| above Canal people who are willing to
sell out providing they can do so with
out much loss. There is an equal or
greater number of men who are ever
ready to jump into a business that
| promises even modest competence. |
| am the middleman-the indirect bringer
together of would-be seller and pur-
chaser. All ] have to do is to step in
and relieve the wOuld-be seller of his
| business at the lowest possible figure
| and dispose of it to the Would-he buyer
| at the highest figure. The difference is
my profit
;s.But should imagine you would find
| it difficult to always dispose of bust
ness after you had purchased it.''
''And so | would if should sell it just
| as it is when buy it, but don't. The
| first thing do after taking possession
| of a business is to renOvate and repair
it. so to speak, so that it shall be in the
most favorable light to the buyer. In
! almost every case where man wants to
sell out, his business has run GOWN and
he has become inattentive and listless.
The place has shabby dilapidated APP
pearance, and no one would care to buy
1t. My aim is to freShen it up and give
it brisk. business air, and, although |
may not be able to intuSe new life into
it, you may depend upon it that it has
every appearance of prosperity when
get through with it.
ga few economical but artistic and
effective touches will do this, and little
modest cheek will sell the place out.
For instance, bought this place out
two weeks ago. | had my eye on it for
some time, and noticed the premonitory
signs of early failure. By inquiry in
the neighborhood | learned that the
mans lent would be due in few days.
the store, and, buying a cigar, got into
an easy conversation with the prOprie-
tor, in the course of which he proposed
selling out to me. Then | obtained the
lowest price for the stock, fixtures and
business separately. The upshot was
that agreed to take the store, paying
nothing for the business, for there was
none, and cutting down the price of the
stock very materially. | appeared to
him to be about ready to make
an offer, when | inquired about
the rent. Then | told him that
should be unable to incur such
heavy expense at the start, and went
away. The following day, just before
the rent was due, | dropped in again
and the man renewed the subject. We
half of the rent. | demanded imme-
diate possession and got it. l gave my
self twenty-four hours to put on the
fancy touches. The scrubbers started
in first and were followed by cheap
whitewashers and paperhangers. The
whole stock was brushed up after the
interior had been renovated, the fresh
side of the boxes was turned outward,
the rubbish was cleaned out and a cheap
but highly cOlored OilclOth made the
place look as Spick and span as new
nickel. Then came the stocking up,
and. let me tell you, this is an art In
itself, and a great deal of the
success in this business depends upon
it. You see, you must SO arrange
that in selling out you will not only
make profit on your business, but on
your stock. Naturally, you must choose
the showiest but cheapest articles for
business like this. for a man who buys
must be green one. A great many OF
that sort will buy small cigar store
when they will touch nothing else. for
there is current opinion largely held
by certain buyers of city plants that
any one can run cigar store. Of course
make the window bloom, and fill it
chock full of gaudy cigarette pictures.
without which the ordinary cigar estab-
lishment could not be run nowadays. l
also put in a brilliant chandelier of many
burners, and always make the incomer
pay the gas bill. Then l engage an
assistant and advertise for purchaser.
can soon tell if | have caught the
right sort of chap. | talk to him
quietly and say little. Selling
business is a delicate matter. Your
place must be fixed up to suit the fancy
of certain class Of men, and if it is not,
talking does no good. Ii he likes your
efforts, let his Imagination work and
tote him on by throwing out delicate
hints about the. large profits of the bust
ness and the advantages pertaining to
it. In either case make him understand
that you are awful busy in tie daytime
and would rpefer hiiir TO call in atnight.
Things look better then, you know"
"Are not tricks sometimes resorted to
to deceive customers?o
The little man looked at the reporter
reproachfully. "You wouldn't suspect
me-" and then continued. ''but, OF
course, you wouldn't. You intended to
ask if there are not INSCRIPTIONS men
| in nv business. Am right?'
"You are,' said the reporter resign
edly.
can interesting method Of deception
! which have been told about is this:
An appointment is made with the
wOuld-be purchaser for, say, O'Clock.
Then the proprietor, putting 100 OF more
| good cigars in his pockets. calls around
| in the neignborhood and scatters then.
judiciously among the stores that are
open, intimating that he should be
| pleased to have the proprietors drop
1 ~. If hnn inn OF