Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-02-18
ON BUILDING UP A
RETAIL BUSINESS
Successful Merchant Tells How
He Did 1t From Small Be
ginning
GIVES ADVERTISING
CREDIT FOR SUCCESS
Thinks Wisconsin a Favored State and
Predicts Coed Future For Lady
smith

Whether the address of Fred =
Mann at the gymnasium Saturday
night was an inspiration to business
methods and business success. we can
not say. but that it was intensely in
teroSling was plainly evident. anC
reasoning from that fact. it is Saft
conclusion that it reached the mark
Mr. Mann is Il retail merchant Ol
Devils Lake. \. d.. who has gained a
reputation over the Northwest as q
successful business man III the retail
mercantile line. so much so that he has
been invited to address numerous gath
cringS Of people interested in merchan-
diSinZ His address here Saturday
night was not intended as IA speech
hlt plain business talk. Endowed
with a good voice and having acquired
a vast fund of information along his
line of cndeayor he had the closest
attention Of his audience from the be-
ginning to the end of his address. not
only from the business people. but
from everyone present.
The speaker was secured to come
here by members of the Chamber of
Commerce. and during the afternoon
preceding the address. he met quite Il
number Of the business men of the city
at their places of business, being accom-
panied by j. H. McCOriSOn, president
of the Chamber Of Commerce. and G.
j. Drogne.
Wisconsin Comparatively Prosperous
lie congratulated Ladysmith on hay-
ing such Il magnificent school building.
which he said would be a credit to Il
much larger town. And he felt that
the people of Wisconsin. as Il whole.
are fortunate in enjoying business con
dti0nS which ut the present time are
advantages denied to many states, 0W-
ing to the nature of our industries and
tle abnormal condition of business
prevailing in the country at this time.
Mn Mann spends his vacations travel
ing around and observing how others
40 business and picking up ideas that
may he helpful to himself and whiclI
he is glad to pass along. He does this.
instead Of spending his spare time
during the winter in California or
Florida. and enjoys it more, he said
After il trip through Colorado Kansas
and Nebraska. he found that Wisconsin
is much better off in Il business way
than those states are.
The speaker asserted that RuSk
county received Il wonderful lot Of adj
ycrtiSing from last years land clearing
campaign and he commended in the
highest terms the entertainment and
banquet given to the farmers Of the
county at the close of the campaign
He said that business men should cul-
tivatc the friendship and good will OF
tho farmers and cooperate with them
At Devils Lake. he said. they have al
old time calico ball or similar jOllifi
cation annually in which farmers an(
business people join and have good
sociable time. in which friendship ant
good feeling is prompted Work witt
the farmers and push for good roads
is the advice he gave.
Mr.. Mann does not think much OF
Townlcy. the NonPartisan League
leader. and the state socialism whicl
he breaches and which has proven Sucl
a dismal failure in North Dakota.
Modest Start i'm Business
When Mr.. Mann engaged III business
as a young man he had capital o
$125. He had been clerking for Il mer
chant for $3S month and the future
did not look bright. so when friend
ly commercial traveller advised him t.
90 into business for himself, tellin:
him that his character and reputation
would he sufficient credit to enable hin
to buy stock. Mann took the advice ant
bought a stock Of groceries amounting
10 81 800 and started III business Il
Devils Lake in small building Oppo
site that of his old employer, a frien
advancing the money necessary to pa
thr freight bill on his stock of goods
That is the way Mann started int
business, and he built up Il busines
from that small beginning to a volum
amounting to $G50.000 in one year.
Mr.. Mann said that he gives credi
keeping faith with his customers. Bt
inc alive to conditions and anticipatin
the future helped his business over til
rough spots in the road to success. Fl
said that the merchant who was nc
foresightcd enough before the declil
in prices must now take his losses d
he took his profits during the perio
Of Skyr0cketing prices. He antic
rated the decline i'll October last an
commenced putting on sales He gay
rcwsuapcr advertising the create
credit for building up business. thoue
he uses much advertising matter in IL
way of catalogues, circulars and circ
lar letters.
Giving him six weeks to live as