chapter I—hoW to start your oWn BusIness 13chapter II—sellIng as a BusIness 27chapter III—MakIng thIngs to sell 71chapter III—MakIng thIngs to sell (Cont.)chapter IV—raIsIng thIngs to sell 107chapter V—thIngs to InVent and patent 137chapter VI—startIng a roadsIde BusIness 153chapter VII—storekeepIng as a BusIness 161chaper VIII—proMotIng a sMall BusIness 187chapter IX—sellIng thIngs By Mall 203chapter X—sellIng your serVIces 223chapter X—sellIng your serVIces (Cont.)chapter XI—payIng for a college educatIon 287chapter XII—raIsIng Money for charIty 307chapter XIII—Beyond the fIrst thousand 319
While they were not aware of it, nevertheless, both mother and daughter were the sort that are exactly suited to handle a small retail business. Both were nice looking, were immaculate in appearance, had cheerful, optimistic dispositions, were friendly. They liked meeting and talking with people. And they were not afraid of long hours or hard work. Special Corner Sells Cosmetics The exterior of the store was pale cream stucco and instead of the usual screen door, the screen and frame were painted chalk blue and the screen partially covered with lattice work also painted blue. This gave the store its name, The Blue Door. Blue awnings over the windows and blue hurricane shutters added to its distinctive appearance. The interior was a cool sea-blue color and chairs at the tables were covered with flowered cretonne slip covers.
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Convenient to the cosmetic corner were a low table, a reed settee, an end table, and a deep cushioned reed chair with a tall white screen behind it. These pieces of furniture were painted white and the cushions covered in the floral cretonne. In this corner face powders were mixed for customers and perfumes tested for their fragrance, or lipsticks examined for proper color. It was a new idea for customer and proprietor to sit down and discuss the merits of this or that product. Women who came into the shop for the first time were agreeably surprised by its charm and particularly by this cozy little corner where one could relax, smoke a cigarette and make ones purchases at leisure.
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The first year was a struggle and the second year found her almost willing to give up and go back north. There was so much work to do, so many of the sales were small items on which there was little profit, and to make matters worse, during the first two winters the tourist trade fell to an alltime low. However, when she talked it over with her mother, they agreed to try it another year. They were making a poor living but they were not yet willing to say die. The third year saw a pick-up in the winter tourist business which tided them over for another year. By this time they felt that if they could keep going at all it was better to be doing something that they liked than to be making a mediocre living up north doing monotonous clerical work in an office.
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It is now ten years since the little store was started and the last three years have seen it grow into a real business. In spite of the depression, the store did enough business to enable the owners to make a trip north each summer, to dress nicely, to save some money and to buy a coupe. To the original departments have been added a rental library, a stock of greeting cards, and some inexpensive bridge prizes and favors. During the busy season, an
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