He knew that every man wants to stand well in the estimation of his banker, as the man who keeps his credit good can obtain bank accommodations which would otherwise be denied him, and he knew that if the account was correct, the debtor would pay it to the bank sooner than to anyone else. Therefore he was very successful in making prompt collections. In the few cases where his method failed to bring the money he was not out anything as he charged the creditor 10 cents for every draft so sent out.
PLAN No. 541. COMPILED INDEX OF LEGAL FORMS
A young lawyer in a western city added considerably to his professional fees, and at the same time aided many other lawyers to install method and system in their offices by originating an alphabetical index of court papers and other legal forms, having the name of each paper duly set out opposite a certain number following, and keeping the forms in files for that purpose, each bearing a corresponding number.
By this means it was but the work of a moment to find in the index the name and number of the paper desired, and then turn to the file containing the number. It saved a great deal of time and space.
So convenient and time-saving did this method prove to be, that he secured a copyright on it, and had a large number of the indexes printed, which he sold readily to other lawyers in his own and adjoining states for $15.00 a set.
This was a great help to a young lawyer just beginning practice. His service was nearly all profit, and he was able to give time to the lawyer to pay, but he usually obtained all the payment on delivery. This will afford more than a living to any salesman.
PLAN No. 542. WROTE A BOOK ON SHOWCARD MAKING
A successful writer of showcards, employed by a large eastern retail house, felt that in helping others to become as proficient in that line as he was himself, he could make money thereby, and he decided to write a book explaining every detail of the work in so thorough a manner that even those of only medium ability could understand and apply the principles as taught by himself.
He therefore prepared a book of seventeen chapters, treating exhaustively of every phase of showcard writing, including free-hand work, equipment, practice and principles, strokes, geometry of letters, round-writing pen practice, forms of lettering, outline, single-stroke letters, layout and spacing, ink and paints, primary and secondary colors, bronze, flitter, etc., catch-phrases, hints to card-writers, and much other valuable information.
He placed the price of his book at $1 per copy, and by advertising in trade papers all over the country he sold several thousand of them the first year.