3. GROSS RECEIPTS IN 1907 AND 1908
The final and concluding item in measuring the magnitude of Negro business enterprises is the amount of gross receipts of the firms covering a given period of time. For this purpose the years 1907 and 1908 were selected, the first because the greater part of it was before the panic of 1907, the second instead of 1909 because a completed year at the time this canvass was made. A close study of the accompanying table shows that the panic had considerable effect upon the gross receipts of these firms. For example, in 1907, 32 firms had gross receipts less than $1,000; in 1908, 38 firms were in the same group; in 1907, 37 firms did a business of between $1,000 and $1,999; in 1908, 38 firms had the same fortune. And even this does not always show the falling off in gross receipts of the individual firm unless the decrease was sufficient to carry it into a lower group.
Of the total 309 Negro enterprises, 118 were established too recently to have gross receipts in 1907 and 1908, and 63 did not furnish sufficient evidence, so they are classed as doubtful and unknown. This leaves, therefore, 128 enterprises about which sufficient statements of gross receipts were secured to justify discussion. The figures for these, however, were carefully ascertained. For 115 establishments the exact figures were taken from records kept by the firms for the years 1907 and 1908, or the larger part of those years, while the other 13 are estimates based upon careful statements from proprietors and employees of their receipts for months or weeks at different seasons of the two years.
Compared with the general retail lines in New York City the magnitude of Negro business is creditable when judged by gross receipts. Of the 128 establishments, 87 in 1907 and 85 in 1908 handled a gross business of $2,999 or less; 32 firms in 1907 and 38 firms in 1908 had gross receipts between $3,000 and $10,000; and 9 firms in 1907 and 5 firms in 1908 carried on business operations which ranged in gross receipts above $10,000, four of these in 1907 and two in 1908 being $15,000 or more. Considering the amount of merchandise kept on hand and the valuation of tools and fixtures, this business showing indicates that the small amount of capital invested is handled with considerable energy and ability to carry on such an amount of gross business.
It should be noted also that out of 69 establishments in 1907, which had gross receipts less than $2,000, 14 were barber shops, 8 were coal, wood and ice dealers, 4 were employment agencies, 3 were express and moving-vans, 9 were tailors, pressers, etc., and 8 were miscellaneous—a total of 46. And in 1908, out of 76 establishments with gross receipts under $2,000, 18 were barber-shops, 8 were ice, coal and wood dealers, 4 were employment agencies, 3 were express and moving-vans, 10 were tailors and pressers, and 9 were miscellaneous—making a total of 52. The majority of the more important classes of business firms such as brokers, barber shops, grocers, printers, hotel and lodging-house keepers, restaurant and lunch-room proprietors, saloon and café firms and undertakers have gross receipts from $2,000 a year and over.
Table XXV. Gross Receipts for 1907 and 1908 of 309 Negro Business Enterprises in Manhattan.
| Class of establishment. | Gross receipts of Negro business enterprises. | |||||||||
| Less than $1000. | $1,000 to $1,999. | $2,000 to $2,999. | $3,000 to $3,999. | $4,000 to $4,999. | ||||||
| 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | |
| Barber shops | 3 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| Brokers | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Coal, wood and ice | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dressmaking and millinery | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Employment agencies | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Express and moving vans | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Printers | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
| Groceries | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 |
| Hotels and lodging houses | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pool and billiard rooms | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Restaurants and lunch rooms | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| Tailoring, pressing, etc. | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Saloons and cafés | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Undertakers | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Hairdressers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Miscellaneous | 7 | 9 | 1 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| Totals | 32 | 38 | 37 | 38 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 6 |
| Class of establishment. | Gross receipts of Negro business enterprises. | |||||||||
| $5,000 to $9,999. | $10,000 to $14,999. | $15,000 above. | Doubtful and unknown. | Established since 1907. | Totals. | |||||
| 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | 1907. | 1908. | |||||
| Barber shops | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 13 | 50 | |
| Brokers | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 16 | |
| Coal, wood and ice | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | 19 | |
| Dressmaking and millinery | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| Employment agencies | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 14 | |
| Express and moving vans | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 12 | |
| Printers | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
| Groceries | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 10 | 10 | 36 | |
| Hotels and lodging houses | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 17 | |
| Pool and billiard rooms | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
| Restaurants and lunch rooms | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 20 | 26 | |
| Tailoring, pressing, etc. | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 24 | |
| Saloons and cafés | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
| Undertakers | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 11 | |
| Hairdressers | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 10 | 24 | 48 | |
| Totals | 12 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 63 | 118 | 309 | |