WHY MEN FAIL IN BUSINESS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 7 April 1908, Page 3

WHY MEN FAIL IN BUSINESS

SOME SURPRISING FIGURES. \ Who do men fail? Is it inexperience | incompetency, competition, neglect or \ fraud? If you put this question to a hundred men, ninetey-nine will prob- \ ably answer differently, or if they agree upon any one, thing it will be j incompetency, inexperience or neglect. It all^ depends upon the man and his own experience. The banker will talk of speculation and extravagance, the conservative "merchant of fraud and rascality in business methods, and so on. As a matter of fact, such statements are little more than reckless assertions ' based upon an inadequate understanding of facts. j If (says the Scotsman) we take trustworthy statistics, we can reach ! a much clearer comprehension of the important question. Classifying the 1 causes of failures we have the follow- ' ing approximately correct reasons why ' men fail in business : — ; . ' Per cent.. Lack of capital 31,5 I Incoir potency 255 Specific or local causes... 15.$ Fraud 10 g Inexperience 4.1 Unwise credits 3.2 Neglect 37 Failures oi others, 2.1 Competition ... 1.4 Extravagance 1,3' Speculation 1,2 I An examination of these figures im- ! mediately shatters many of our preconceived notions about failures. Few would question the high percentage of failures due to incompetency, but the first item on the list furnishes food for thought. Lack of sufficient capital is responsible for nearly one-third of the total failures, and yet it is a cause not assigned by one business man out of ten approached. . The figures are reassuring, however, and give new faith in humanity. We were inclined to believe that speculation and extravagance of living were ' leading factors in the failures of firms and individuals ; but they were placed at the end of the list, and do not \ greatly affect the business community j as a whole. Competition likewise does not make business life and success half so uncertain and hazardous as the average person has been led to believe. PARASITIC DISEASES OF STOCK.— At this season young animals are more or less affected by parasitic diseases, i causing scour and general weakening of 1 the system. "Vermocme" is unequalled ' for all internal parasitic . diseases ot stock. Prepared by the A, and. P.. Food jCo., Ltd. Obtainable from Barm-by and ' Cole, Hawera. — Advt.