SAMUEL G. MCMEEN, _President, Columbus Railway and Light Company, Columbus._

"I have been looking for something of this kind for some time past and am more than pleased that this should be brought to my attention."

R. C. NORBERG, _General Sales Manager, Willard Storage Battery Company, Cleveland._

"The exceedingly interesting manner in which the subjects are treated was an agreeable surprise to me. I became so absorbed in the reading that I am reluctant to lay it down when bed-time or meal-time arrives."

V. J. FAETH, _General Manager, Winterroth & Co., Piano Merchants, New York City._

The unqualified indors.e.m.e.nts of these successful executives, and the fact that a large number of men in almost every nationally known organization are enrolled, prove conclusively that there is a great need for training in business fundamentals. Wherever the wheel of business turns--the need is great. It is a matter to be reckoned with by every man and concern in business.

Chapter IV

A PERSONAL PROBLEM

How is it possible that the Modern Business Course and Service should be helpful alike to the grizzled executive and to the young man who has not yet made his mark in business? Why is it that in a great many organizations our list of subscribers begins with the president, includes practically all the officers and department heads, and ends with a selected group of men who as yet are in subordinate positions?

The answer is simple. The main problem of every business man is the problem of developing himself. It makes no difference how great or how small a man's position may be, the only way to enlarge his influence and his income is first to enlarge himself. The greatest business men in the country are quickest to accept and apply this truth.

It may sometimes appear as though a man becomes a bigger business man by being promoted into a bigger job. The truth is just the reverse. The big job naturally gravitates to the well-trained, capable man. If the job proves too large for the man, it doesn't take long for it to shrivel until it becomes a perfect fit.

On the other hand, a man who really becomes bigger than his job simply grows out of it and into another; or he enlarges the job and its rewards to fit his measure.

Where do you belong?

You are a member of one or the other of these two groups:

(1) those who have "arrived"

(2) those who are on their way toward success.

There is, to be sure, a third group which unfortunately const.i.tutes an overwhelming majority, the group made up of purposeless drifters who have no special ambitions and usually little native ability. To this group the Inst.i.tute has nothing to offer.

They might refuse indignantly to sign a contract to work for the next ten years at the same salary they are now receiving. Yet the end of the ten-year period will find most of them in the same position, or only a trifle ahead.

Find _your_ place and salary on this chart

+------------------+ | PRESIDENT | | OR | | GENERAL MANAGER | |$15,000 to $30,000| +---------+--------+ | +-------------------+---------+---------+-------------------+ | | | | +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ | VICE-PRESIDENT | | VICE-PRESIDENT | | COMPTROLLER | | TREAS. & SEC'Y | | IN CHARGE OF | | IN CHARGE OF | | IN CHARGE OF | | IN CHARGE OF | | PRODUCTION | | MARKETING | | ACCOUNTS | | FINANCE | |$8,000 to $15,000| |$8,000 to $15,000| |$8,000 to $15,000| |$8,000 to $15,000| +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ | | | | Above this line are men who understand the fundamentals underlying all departments of business =============================================================================== Below are the $1,800 and $4,000 men who by systematically training themselves can climb higher | | | | +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ | _Staff of_ | | _Staff of_ | | _Staff of_ | | _Staff of_ | | COST DEPARTMENT | |SALES ADVERTISING| | ACCOUNTING AND | | CREDIT AND | | FACTORY AND | | CORRESPONDENCE | | STATISTICAL | | INSURANCE | | OFFICE FORCE | | AND | | DEPARTMENTS | | FINANCE AND | | | | TRANSPORTATION | | | | INVESTMENT | | | | DEPT'S | | | | DEPARTMENTS | +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+ +--------+--------+

For there is only one power in the world that can lift a man, and that is the power of added knowledge and training.

For years the Alexander Hamilton Inst.i.tute has specialized in one thing; it has only one Course; its sole business is to take men who know one department of business, and by adding to their equipment a knowledge of the other fundamentals shown on the chart on the preceding page, to fit them for higher positions.

If you already have reached a business position of large responsibility, that surely does not mean that you have stopped growing. The boundless opportunities that are open to all are beckoning you on. No noteworthy business man attains his full development until he is well past middle age. In fact, the man of real power never appears to have reached his limit. Your real achievements are still ahead of you. As you look over the pages following, you will see that the brainiest executives in the country are using the Modern Business Course and Service as equipment for still bigger undertakings.

If you are still trudging in the ranks, or if you have advanced only part way toward your goal, you will be keenly interested in the comments of those who have found the Modern Business Course and Service an immense help in hastening their progress. These men are rapidly forging ahead.

They are setting a faster and faster pace. Unless you are able to keep up with them, you must drift to the rear.

Because the young men of this generation are getting a better training than has been available in previous generations, the standards of business ability have risen and will continue to rise. Yesterday, a man of limited experience and training was often able to force his way into an executive position; today, it is much more difficult to do so; tomorrow, it will be impossible.

The business leaders of a few short years from now will be the men who today are preparing themselves for the duties of leadership.

Your gains

You may ask: "_What can the Inst.i.tute do for me?_"

The answer to your question is outlined in the "Chart of the Modern Business Course and Service" which is printed on page 49. That Chart shows how the organized knowledge about business principles and business practice which has been collected and cla.s.sified by the Alexander Hamilton Inst.i.tute is transmitted to subscribers through the eight features of the Course and Service--Text, Talks, Lectures, Problems, Monthly Letters, Financial and Trade Reviews, Reports, and Service.

_In what ways can a business man cash in on this knowledge?_ A great many direct and practical benefits that naturally follow the use of the Modern Business Course and Service might be cited. Seven of the most important are shown in the Chart on the following page.

The most obvious and direct benefit consists in a BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SOUND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES.

The other benefits shown on the Chart are:

ABILITY TO PLAN EFFECTIVELY

INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN HANDLING BIG DEALS

ABILITY TO MAKE QUICKER AND MORE ACCURATE DECISIONS

MORE LEISURE FOR RECREATION AND CONSTRUCTIVE THOUGHT

INCREASED ABILITY TO HANDLE MEN

INSURANCE AGAINST MISTAKES.

The inevitable results of these gains in personal power and efficiency are LARGER INCOME AND A GREATER SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

_Chart of the Modern Business Course and Service_

ORGANIZED BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE Collected and cla.s.sified by ALEXANDER HAMILTON INSt.i.tUTE ORGANIZATION (Advisory Council, Staff and Special Lecturers) Transmitted to Subscribers thru

REPORTS LECTURES TALKS TEXTS PROBLEMS SERVICE MONTHLY LETTERS

This knowledge a.s.similated by The Wide-Awake Business Man results in

BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF BUSINESS PRINCIPLES ABILITY TO PLAN MORE EFFECTIVELY INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN HANDLING BIG PROBLEMS QUICKER AND MORE ACCURATE DECISIONS MORE TIME FOR CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING GREATER ABILITY TO HANDLE MEN KNOWLEDGE THAT PREVENTS MISTAKES

LARGER INCOME and GREATER SUCCESS IN BUSINESS ]