Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-04-05
BUSINESS: THE WoEG Of .a
NEGRO BUSINESS LEAGUES

W. r. PETTIFoRD, PRESIDENT ALA.
BAMA PENNY SAVINGS BANK,
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.
(Reprinted from Sparks" Birming.
y ham,
1t ia to be regretted that we do
not have live. active. regular meet
ings In the local leagues throughout
the country. and yet 1t is true to say
that our leagues live at a dying rate.
We are forced to the conclusion that
there isn't but one good reason why
We do not have regular, monthly well.
attended meetings Of the league, and
that Is. we do not understand its real
purpose. Now let us see.
In the first place, the purpose Of the
league is to educate ourselves In the
best business methods. In our league
meeting We should have intelligent
discussions of the best methods OF
buying and selling our products OF our
goods because no man can succeed
we'll In business unless he knows how
to buy goods to suit his customers, as
we'll as to buy them at such a price
as to sell them at profit. This re-
quires great deal OF Information con-
corning the methods OF the wholesale
houses and jobbers, as we'll as to be
master of the quality OF goods offered
for sale.
II Is an easy matter to purchase a
lot Of goods and have them be refused
by your customers because of the
quality as well as the price in con-
trast with the goods offered by others.
1t takes a great deal Of thought and
study and natural adaptation to sell
our goods when they class up with
others both in quality and price. In
many cases the purchaser relies large
ly on the description and recommen-
dalton OF the goods by the seller, and
II he Is not equal to the case his goods
are often left in his store regardless
OF their merit and price. But Is should
be remembered by all the people who
are Offering goods for sale that the
league is schoolroom where they
are to obtain all Of this information
by private study and public discussion,
and the sooner our business men will
learn that this part Of their work Is
as important as getting a stock OF
goods and Offering them for sale, the
sooner they will reach point in
business where they will be profitable
to themselves and their community.
Another important matter in the
success Of the business is the way the
stock Of the goods should be kept A
person may have large stock OF we'll
selected, high-class goods, but II they
are not attractively kept in clean
places the sale will be poor. And this
part Of the work furnishes employ
ment for intelligent and Interested
clerks all Of the time, because it is
often that when an article Is properly
adjusted on the shelves it greatly aids
the clerks in its sale.
We also can be much protited. by
discussing the various difficulties in
successful collections. For after a
party has succeeded in all Of his work
up to this point, IL he fails to know
how to collect his bills and not offend
his customers, he Is still in danger OF
going out of business. And how profit
able would discussion of this kind be
among a large number at the league
who have varied experience In this
part of the work. In the National Me-
telligence to give correct instruction
on these points, but not the time to 60
into details Of this kind.
If there Is one thing more impor-
tant In the work of the league than
another would say that 1t Is the edu-
cation of public sentiment to the
point where the mass of the people,
as we'll as the leaders, would not only
see that 1t is helpful to race elevation
for them to give their trade to negro
business men and women, but also to
the point where they will be ashamed
and chagrined when it is learned that
they are not doing it. Public senti-
ment Is great judge, which stands
behind the people, SO to speak, and
executes its laws. | went into bank
recently where there was colored
woman preparing to make a deposit,
but when she saw me enter the door
she turned her back on me to keep me
from seeing her pass book In her
hand. She was ashamed for me to
know that she was depositing in a
bank other than that of negroes. This
Is the way the mass of white people
feel about depositing money in negro
banks, and this Is the point to which
we must educate our people. The rea-
son this education Is necessary is that
the aggregation Of the money owned
by the negroes Is necessary. Being
excluded from assimilation in business
on the base OF merit, we have got to
build a business peculiar to ourselves
for its employment and It's profit.
A RUSHING BUSINESS.