Progress and Achievements of the Colored People / Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success

by Kelly Miller; Joseph R. Gay

Build Up Your Credit

By making your word as good as your bond, you are seizing an opportunity to build up your credit, and without credit you can not hope to win in the battle of life.

Pay your debts and meet all your obligations as promptly as you can, and if you can not on the specified day, come out squarely and give the reasons why.

Be frank and open with the man you owe, and while he expects you to meet your engagements according to the express letter of your contract, he recognizes the fact that in every business transaction there are accidents that prevent it.

There are always modifications of contracts, because human nature makes mistakes. The best of men do this, but they come out in a manly fashion and admit it.

It is said that business is hard, and knows no yielding; that when a man promises to do a thing, he MUST do it whether he can or not. This is nonsense, business is like every other department of life, it hinges upon humane principles.

If, however, you have not established your credit, you must do so, and you must keep it up. You can not begin your credit by begging for delay the very first engagement you make to pay. That is always a bad beginning, in fact, it is no beginning at all.

Business men watch your progress, and if you have shown yourself capable, honorable, and prompt for a reasonable time, they are always ready to help you out in the time of adversity or bad luck.

It is policy to do this, and you may as well adopt the following idea also: “A man may be down today and up tomorrow. If he is down today and has credit of good repute, he will get up tomorrow through help extended to him. Otherwise he will be left where he falls.”