Chapter 009: Start-up Capital

"Young man, are you lecturing me?" Tuttle said, his words clearly tinged with displeasure

"It is a matter concerning the livelihood of both of you in the future," Joseph said

On that calendar, there is a line that reads

He also added a clause in the contract: "Only tenants who pay their rent on time for the current year will be eligible for the renewal discount for the second year"

"5 cents is the interest on 1 dollar for one year" This statement moved Tuttle, making him wonder if he had lost the earnest spirit he had when he first started his business

In recent days, I have been listening to the story your brother read, and it truly sent chills down my spine, especially those terrifying and wicked schemes. However, Scott, I noticed that when you heard those parts, you were not only unafraid but even your eyes sparkled, as if you were eager to get involved yourself.

"Father, Mother, I truly do not intend to become a shoemaker; I hope to open my own factory and engage in large-scale business," said George.

"So, how much do you plan to offer him as a weekly salary?" Tuttle asked

One of the most commonly used tactics by debt collection agencies is to create various sensational stories to tarnish the reputation of the debtor company, forcing it to choose to repay the debt honestly in order to avoid greater losses

No! Mr. Tuttle, please do not misunderstand my meaning

"Hewitt, do you think we should end that little guy's probation period early and make him a permanent employee next month?" Tuttle said to Hewitt in the office

"You are an old customer, so we shouldn't be too particular about it," Tuttle replied casually to Rockefeller

A new employee with a talent for debt collection has suddenly appeared in the company, and naturally, as the boss, Hewitt thought of assigning this task to him

The boss issued an order, and Rockefeller certainly had to comply

Therefore, the time he leaves our company largely depends on when he can establish his own network of relationships and when he can secure sufficient startup capital. Tuttle straightforwardly laid out all his ideas.

"Alright, it's time for the elder brother to read to everyone." After dinner, watching their mother tidy up the dishes and turn on the lights, the family gathered around the table, and Schogger expressed his eagerness.

... ...

However, both your mother and I feel that you probably will not be content to become a shoemaker

Well, let's start by giving him a weekly salary of 5 dollars... Hewitt thought for a moment and then said: "Tuttle, what if one day this guy really comes into some money and shows exceptional ability? Can we just bring him in as a partner..."

Hmm! Carol nodded seriously

In later generations, in addition to litigating in court, hiring debt collection agencies has also become a common method for resolving corporate debt disputes

"However, Scogee, do you know? Your mother and I are not at all worried about Carol's future, but we are quite concerned about yours." Joseph continued, "Carol will surely become a good shoemaker in the future, but you may not necessarily be one."

"Are you saying that other companies will come to undermine us?" Hewitt had not fully grasped the meaning of his partner.

Rockefeller did not immediately begin the collection process; instead, he took a few days to gather information from those tenants who had paid their rent on time, roughly sorting out the relationships and designing a process. He then started to discuss the rental contracts with the tenants one by one

Furthermore, 5 cents is the interest on 1 dollar for one year

"Indeed, his capability is worth this price," Tuttle said. "However, my friend, you must understand that we have reduced his trial period by nearly two months, which already amounts to a considerable sum, several dozen dollars.

Of course, if you are willing to honestly work as a shoemaker, you will surely excel at it, even better than Carroll

Carol, do not speak up for your brother

I have heard that some individuals, such as that Daly, are looking to undermine us" Hewitt replied

"Business is business, and friendship is friendship; it will not harm our feelings," Rockefeller said calmly

Moreover, the level of force can be well controlled; I can gradually increase the pressure on them, thus avoiding a complete fallout. " John D. Rockefeller said this while nodding his head

He is still very young and capable, and during the process of running his business, he will surely gradually establish his own network of relationships. Moreover, given the current favorable economic conditions, as long as there is initial capital, the difficulty of starting his own business is not very high.

"Oh, right away," Carol said as she opened the borrowed copy of "Old Goriot" (this book was selected by Scott) and prepared to begin reading aloud to everyone

No, what I mean is that he is not someone who would honestly work as an employee. A person who only thinks about being an employee might also be diligent and hardworking, but he would not be proactive like him. Therefore, I believe that as long as there is an opportunity, he will definitely start his own business.

Over time, instances of rent arrears and evasion began to emerge, causing Hewitt considerable distress

However, collecting 5 cents specifically for a single occasion is neither cost-effective nor conducive to maintaining good relationships

"What is it?" said Schrodinger, as he raised his head to look at his father, noticing that his expression was quite serious, which made him become serious as well

Later, after purchasing dozens of houses, Hewitt found himself unable to collect the rent, even with company employees dispatched, they were overwhelmed.

In the new contract, Rockefeller strictly stipulated the timing for the payment of rent

As a result, Rockefeller has once again successfully retrieved the money

In my opinion, you are your brother's insurance

I believe they would never be willing to compromise their reputation for such a small amount of money," said Schott to John Rockefeller

Captain Daley, who had been subdued, actually held a great admiration for Rockefeller, even directly inquiring whether Rockefeller would be willing to come work for him

A good approach; by doing this, we need not fear that they will not yield

"Stuart, you are a clever child. In terms of intelligence, although your brother is not considered foolish, when compared to you, he seems like a complete dullard." Joseph slightly furrowed his brows

In this era, due to the imperfections of the commercial system, greater emphasis was placed on business reputation. At that time, an entrepreneur could have any kind of bad reputation, whether it be greed, ferocity, or even brutality; none of these were issues. However, it was unacceptable for them to have a reputation for lacking business integrity

Mr. Tuttle, you see, Maus Company owes us 5 cents, which should be recovered by the end of the month according to the contract

If you are determined to engage in significant business ventures, you must be particularly cautious... Our family is not exactly wealthy... Consequently, this shop will be left to Carol in the future. As for you, I have some savings, approximately 4,000 dollars. Although the shop is given to your brother, this sum cannot be entirely given to you.

... ...

With such a provision in place, tenants will find it easier to pay their rent.

Later, according to John D. Rockefeller, within a month, he helped the company identify over sixty dollars in accounting issues and recovered more than one hundred dollars in debts. Additionally, he assisted his boss, Hewitt, in collecting rent—this was not part of the company's business, but rather a personal matter for the boss. However, since the boss approached you, how could you refuse to help

In the beginning, when there were one or two sets, or three to five sets, he either collected them himself or temporarily sent someone to collect them, which was not a difficult task

Moreover, if such a salary can truly retain him, it would be quite advantageous. However, Hewitt, do you really think he will honestly stay with our company for the long term

Thus, he wrote this sentence on his desk calendar to encourage himself

Well, Scott, please tell us if our perspective is correct

This condition is quite attractive, as the economic development in Cleveland at that time was favorable, with a significant floating population, making it not so easy to rent houses.

That old fool Daili is really something! Tatel muttered under his breath, casually tossing the pencil in his hand onto the desk, where it rolled slightly and bumped into the desk calendar

Shigao raised his eyes to look at his brother. He saw that Carol laughed when their father called him a "fool," seemingly unfazed by the insult, and instead appeared pleased that his younger brother was very clever

Therefore, I know that you will not be content to simply be a shoemaker.

His eyes were also drawn to the calendar by the rolling pencil

In the future, if you are going to engage in business, I can give you 2,000 US dollars in advance, and the rest will be left to your brother

Very good

Thus, after organizing the accounts at the company every day, Hewitt's carriage would take Rockefeller out to collect rents, engaging in the activities of Muren Zhi.

If they are unwilling to pay, you should linger at the entrance of their company and inform every passerby that the company is in debt and has not repaid it

Ah. Joseph's words were somewhat unexpected for Scott, leaving him feeling a bit caught off guard. After thinking it over, he felt that there was no need to hide such matters from his parents and older brother, so he decided to speak the truth

Once such a reputation is established, he will encounter various problems in the business arena, whether it be in extending credit or in financing, he will face numerous difficulties

Hewitt has a particular fondness for purchasing houses and then renting them out

Every five cents is important, as it represents the interest earned from depositing one dollar in the bank for a full year

I knew it would be like this. Joseph shook his head, This is certainly good, but the risks are also significant

Certainly, there are indeed stubborn tenants who default on their rent payments

"Wait a moment," Old Joseph spoke, "I have some matters to discuss with you, my brothers."

Rockefeller was once commissioned to negotiate with Captain Daly, and as a result, he fulfilled his mission by subduing Captain Daly and completing the task

Therefore, in that era, once a contract was signed, the cost of breaching it would often be very high

What do you think about 6 dollars a week? I know that such a figure might be a bit high for a newcomer, but this little guy is more capable than most of the veteran employees, and everyone can see that. I don't think the veteran employees would have any complaints about it," Hewitt said after a moment of thought.

Your brother may become wealthy, but he may also go bankrupt. If your brother goes bankrupt in the future, I hope your door will always be open to him. Old Joseph said, "Of course, if you become rich, you must not forget your elder brother"

"Dad, this is not fair!" Krol said

Both bosses were very satisfied with Rockefeller's performance, and they found that some of their business partners, even those who had just been financially affected by Rockefeller, had praised their new associate in front of them, sincerely commending their discernment in choosing talent

Indeed, that little fellow is quite capable, and our company truly needs to retain him

Captain Daly has been a long-standing client of the company. He operates a shipping company and has extensive economic dealings with Tuttle and Hewitt's firms, which, of course, has led to numerous entanglements regarding debts

This sentence was written here by Tartel a few days ago, and the reason for writing this passage was a conversation he had with Rockefeller

Mr. Tuttle, it cannot exceed this month; if it is postponed to next month, our accounts will become chaotic

To deal with these individuals, Rockefeller resorted to his old tactics, blocking their doorways and informing every passerby that so-and-so was in arrears on their rent.

Here, I can only remind you that although you are clever, those who drown in water are often those who can swim

I simply feel that it is my responsibility to report the debts of other companies to you