Bryan Baucom
Bus. 1010
December 8, 2014
Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son
George Larimer wrote a passage entitled, “Letters from Self-Made Merchant to His Son,” which is exactly what it sounds like it would be; a merchant giving advice to his son about business. Larimer includes everything from the tiniest details to large complex issues, “Don’t overstock yourself with those four-pound fish yarns… Be slow to hire and quick to fire” (Critical Thinking, pg. 255-257).
This passage caught my eye for several reasons. First of all, the advice he gives to his son. I love how detailed the advice is. Clearly, the father is sharing everything he has learned in his time being a merchant in hopes that his son can be a successful merchant as well. Second, how direct the advice is. The father isn’t joking around and there isn’t much fluff in the letter. Third, the advice is very relevant in today’s business.
Larimer has some great advice for his son. This writing is so detailed, so informative and paints such an amazing picture of what his store looks like and how the father runs his business. A few of my favorite sentences from this piece are:
Send each of them (your salesman) a letter every day so that they won’t forget that we are making goods for which we need orders; and insist on their sending you a line every day, whether they have anything to say or not. When a fellow has to write in six times a week to the house, he uses up his explanations mighty fast, and he’s pretty apt to hustle for business to make his seventh letter interesting. (Critical Thinking, pg. 257-258).
Or in explaining how an employer-employee relationship should be, “Never learn anything about your men except from themselves. A good manager needs no detectives… Save a threat till you’re ready to act, and then you won’t need it” (Critical Thinking, pg. 257). And lastly, his simple advice about praising or reprimanding your employees, “Consider carefully before you say a hard word to a man, but never let a chance to say a good one go by. Praise … is money invested” (Critical Thinking, pg. 257). These short quotes are so detailed and direct. Just like any successful business man, this father is not wasting any time at getting to the point.
Deeper than the detailed and direct advice the father gives is the lasting influence and lasting truth the advice he shares has. The first copy of this passage was published in 1903. Understandably, some of the advice the father gives isn’t relevant today. Most merchants aren’t worried about how much lard or fish yarn to stock in their stores. Obviously, business has is not the same as it was in the early 1900s. With the invention of computers, cars, the internet, cell phones, excel spreadsheets, and stores like Costco, this fathers’ business and all mercantile stores have changed dramatically. However, a lot of the advice he gives still remains applicable today.
My wife always mentions this quote, “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected” (Unknown). I think Larimer and the father hit this thought on the head in 1903 when he said, “… Praise… is money invested” (Critical Thinking, pg. 257). This father clearly knew how important it was to maintain a positive relationship with his employees. He mentioned his employees many times in this short passage including direct statements like, “No man can ask more than he gives. A fellow who can’t take orders can’t give them. If his rules are too hard for him to mind, you can bet they are too hard for the clerks who don’t get half as much for minding them as he does” (Critical Thinking, pg. 256). The treatment of employees; including caring about their well-being, their happiness and their family situations, in large companies or even small offices needs to be at the forefront of the boss’ mind. Employees who are appreciated and viewed as an asset to the companies’ growth will be happier, more willing to work and more likely to stay at the company for a longer period of time. This father greatly understood that concept and adhered to those principles making sure his employees were always taken care of physically, mentally and emotionally. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is as important in modern business.
We could all learn a lot from Lorimer and this fathers’ advice. There are a lot of positive, time-tested ways of business that he explains in very direct and a detailed way. If modern businesses could adapt to and carry out these practices we would most likely have a much happier work force, less conflict and more profitable companies. Pierrepont’s father said is best when he said, “... In keeping track of others and their faults it is very, very important that you shouldn’t lose sight of your own. When you’re through sizing up the other fellow, it’s a good thing to step back from yourself and see how you look” (Critical Thinking, pg. 258-259).
