The Elbert County tribune., 1908-01-16
TOO MANY STORES
CONDITIONS SOMETIMES FOUND
IN NEWER SECTIONS.
IS A POOR BUSINESS POLICY
Good Judgment in Amount of Trade
storekeeper Can Control 10
Great Essential to
Success.

There is such q thing as OVERRIDING
business. There are numerous illus
trations of this condition in the newer
sections of the west Towns are built
up before the country is fairly settled.
and there is little besides the town
trade to support the business concerns.
There will be several general stores 10
supply what one good store should
look after
This is poor policy. There are GER
tain conditions that indicate whether
there is room in a town or commu-
nifty for business concern. 1t is a
well-known fact that the people ra-
quire just so much food, so much
clothing, so much this and that essen
tial to living. and while one family or
person may consume more than an
other certain person, when the average
is made 1t will be found that each
spends SO much during the year. This
being the case, 1t is an easy matter
for the man contemplating establish
ing a store to estimate about the
amount of trade that he can safely
hope to control. If he oyersteps the
limit, lie is sure to meet with disaster.
Where there are more stores than is
justified some dealer must conduct an
unDrofitable business. 1t is generally
tho one who has poor business ability.
The experienced and the capable al
ways win, but 1t is seldom that the
astute and careful merchant seeks a
location in an overworked field.
Where there are too many business
M in fa haa n
complaints of dull business. The field
is generally made an overdone one by
the classes which may be rightly
called 'pikers" or small-caliber mer-
chants, who see one storekeeper in
place doing fairly well, and conclude
that there is chance for themselves
to make little easy money. The re-
suit is poor business for all, and
eventually failure. 1t is poor judg-
ment in matters of this kind that runs
up the list of general store failures
above the average in other lines.
1t is important that the one looking
for good location for a store of any
kind, pick out a field where there is
need of the class of business estab-
lishment that he contemplates start
ing, and where there shall be patron
age enough to make the undertaking
success. Unless this matter be care
fully investigated, one runs a risk
In new country the towns are gen
orally built up first, and the agricultur-
al section settled up in i gradual way
Settlers are not always wealthy
class, and are not the most liberal
buyers. Still they must have neces-
stiles supplied, and here is where the
new town storekeeper gets his princi-
pal business. A store is always sue
cessful in a thickly populated com
munity, II the management is such as
to draw trade. In the large city all
that is essential for success is capital
and brains to rightly conduct the bust
ness undertaken, for there is always a
large mass of people to do the buying,
and they will turn their trade to the
merchant that throws out the proper
inducements to them, and satisfies
them the best. In the country, or
small town, things are different and
business must be conducted on a diff
ferent basis. Where there is not popu-
latfon enough to. consume any great
amount of goods, it would be fool
hardy to try to build up a great busi-
ness, for trade is regulated entirely
by the wants of the people. and their
wants are according to their customs,
their success and tastes.