The northwestern bulletin., 1923-09-15
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THE LIFE SAVER
OF ALL BUSINESS

NrToIu the Atldnld lHuepenuentD
No man can do business with him
self. Business must be done among
people. And to do business with
others the business man must let
them know. what he has to supply
their wants, and the only way to give
them this information is through ad-
vertisement, whether it is on a large
or small scale. The manner of ad-
vertisement is fairly good index to
any business, and a very good indica-
tion of the business ability of the
man behind the enterprise.
The Negro business men must
learn to advertise their businesses If
they hope to compete with others in
the world of trade. No one can do
business in a secluded place with his
goods hidden in a house. The trad
ing public knows where to find its
wants, and where to get them with
the least effort and at the most ad-
Vantageous prices. Business must
not hope to run on sentiment, be it
what it may, or be whose business it
may.
Every form of giving information
about business is advertisement. The
extent of the advertisement sizes up
the men in the business project, and
good businessmen know this and take
advantage of the opportunity to ad-
vertise their trade everywhere possi-
BILE. 1t is easy to know the most sue
cessful businesses in any town, city
or section by the manner of adver-
tisement seen on the roadsides as
one travels. The white concerns in
every city scatter signs and other
advertisement devices throughout the
entire sections, and post all the roads
leading into the city, telling of their
businesses and advantages to be
gained by trading with them. Some
concerns spend thousands of dollars
annually in advertisement. This is a
reading age and newspaper adver-
tisement is the cheapest and most
profitable manner of getting business
before the public.
1t is deplorable business conduct
to observe everywhere one travels, by
rail or public highway, that there is
not a sign or any form of directory
to give information about Negro busi-
ness in the cities of the section. 1t is
not good business practice in this day
to try to do business, hidden away in
some obscure place in the cities or
towns, with a cracker box signboard
nailed over the door, giving the own
er's name and the kind of business
carried on inside. Negroes, like 9TH
er folks, must reach out after the
public, must tell in bold terms their
kind of business and make their
trade as attractive as any competitor
in the communities where they re-
side. Signs and all manner of ad-
vertisement tell, in large measure the
intelligence and character of the in
dividuals in the enterprises and the
manner of service and quality of
goods to be received at their places.
The business Negroes in every
place should advertise their busi-
nesses in the Negro newspapers
throughout the state. Negroes travel
about nowadays and they ought to
know where to find Negro businesses
in any place they stop. Most travel
ing Negroes spend their money at
white places because they do not
know where to find Negro places.
The travelling Negro public would be
glad to know where to find the Negro
places, so as to rest and chat with
members of their group. Strange
Negroes feel better satisfied and more
at ease to stop at Negro places while
in a town than they do roaming
around or loafing the streets. The
business men owe the public some
thing and there is no way they can
better serve it than to tell the people
where to find them.
If Negro business men in every
city and town would carry business
directory occasionally in the Negro
newspapers, so that people who ex-
pect to travel or visit certain places
could cut these directories out, they
would render the public good services
and at the same time bring much
trade and profit to their businesses.
Business concerns in New York, Chi
cago and other far-off cities carry ad-
vertisements in out-of-town newspa-
pers to give the same information
mentioned here.
Do you advertise?
If not-why not?