Part 6 (1/2)
”Aye, probably, but tell them that it's only until the business is on its feet and then ye'll do better for them.”
”Very well, so much for salaries. What about rent? I can't cut that down, can I?”
”No, that's an item ye canna reduce unless the landlord will give it, so leave that for the time being.
”Taxes and insurance ye had also better leave as they are at present.”
”I have placed advertising at $300.00, I said.”
”Ye can reduce that, of course, and ye can save something there.”
”No, _sir_!” I exclaimed. ”That's one item I certainly will not cut a penny!”
My firmness so surprised him that he said never a word more about it, but went on to the next item.
”General expenses,” he commented. ”These are 'way too high. Ye'll doobtless find waste rampant among your help and will hae to adopt stringent measures to prevent it. Most retail stores are neglectful o'
this item--they're careless and waste and misuse supplies. They no' seem to consider what kind of twine, paper, and such things are best and most economical for their particular needs, but buy in a haphazard manner whatever is offered tae them. Ye want to exercise the same care in buying supplies that ye do in buying goods.”
”All right,” I said. ”We'll make a drive at that item of expense and try to put it where it belongs.”
”Deleevery expenses,” continued Jock, ”are lighter in this town than the general average. Ye'll probably save something here, but if ye cultivate the better cla.s.s trade, which that mon Simpson did'na do, the present low delivery cost will rise.
”'Depreciation.' This item depends on yourself, how ye buy and how ye keep the stock.
”Heat and light expenses are verra low at preesent, but the store looks glower an' gloomy after dusk. Ye may want to improve that. People will always gravitate to the well-lighted shop.
”And bad debts,” he concluded, pursing his lips--”that's an item ye'll hae to watch carefully. I should advise ye tae ha' some deefinite system of giving credit and some plan of encouraging cash business. At present your charrge sales are far too numerous for your pocketbook to carry.”
Well, that's the gist of what was said. The upshot was that I determined to keep each item as near the estimate as possible, and (this was Betty's suggestion) if any one item proved to be less than the estimate, this should be saved and not spent to help some other lame dog of expense over the stile.
CHAPTER VIII
A WEDDING AND A CONVENTION
Barlow sent a copy of _Hardware Times_ over to me, in which he had marked an item about the State Convention the next week. I showed it to Betty and remarked:
”Of course I can't afford to go, because it comes the same day as we get married, and you remember, Betty, we agreed that we would not have our honeymoon until we had 'turned the corner'.”
But to my surprise, she urged me to go. She said I might learn a whole lot there by meeting other hardware men and the new ideas I would get would help me very much under present conditions. So Betty and I decided to go to the Convention--and also make it our honeymoon. I telephoned Barlow and thanked him for sending the notice to me.
The salary adjustment I left until I should return. Even Jock agreed to that.
It was mighty nice of Barlow to send me that notice--and he a compet.i.tor of mine--or rather, I was a compet.i.tor of his, I guess!
Thirteen may be an unlucky number for some folks, but it sure was the lucky day for me, for on that day Betty and I were married. It was a quiet little home wedding. No one was there but mother, the two girls, and a cousin of Betty's from Hartford. Everything went off splendidly.
We went on the 12:30 train. Barlow went ahead of us on the 9:30. I extracted a promise from him before he left that he wouldn't tell anybody that we were just married, because if they did know they would tease the life out of us. He never let it out, and Betty and I had the time of our lives.