-----------------------+------------------------------------------------- |Gross receipts of Negro business enterprises. -----------------------+---------+---------+---------+-----+-----+------- | $5,000 | $10,000 | | | | Class of | to | to | $15,000 | | | establishment. | $9,999 | $14,999.| above. | | | +----+----+----+----+----+----+ | | |1907|1908|1907|1908|1907|1908| A | B |Totals. -----------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+------- 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 -----------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-------
The full showing of classified gross receipts of the 309 establishments is given in Table XXV (p. 115).
Measured, then, by valuation of tools, fixtures, _etc._, by merchandise on hand, and by gross receipts in 1907 and 1908, Negro enterprises with a small command of capital and credit do a comparatively large gross amount of retail business.
The severest test of a business enterprise is its relation to the community, both the commercial houses with which it deals and the consuming public to whom it sells. With the former a firm must establish credit, with the latter it must build up confidence. Credit is established by the prompt payment of bills, the length of time a firm has been in operation allowing time to make a good reputation and its business methods in dealing with its suppliers. The confidence of customers is secured by the care and accuracy with which orders are filled, the length of time the firm has been in a certain locality and patrons have dealt with it and by the whims and prejudices of the community or locality.