By making your word as good as your bond, you are seizing an opportunity
to build up your credit, and without credit you can not hope to win in
the battle of life.
Pay your debts and meet all your obligations as promptly as you can, and
if you can not on the specified day, come out squarely and give the
reasons why.
Be frank and open with the man you owe, and while he expects you to meet
your engagements according to the express letter of your contract, he
recognizes the fact that in every business transaction there are
accidents that prevent it.
There are always modifications of contracts, because human nature makes
mistakes. The best of men do this, but they come out in a manly fashion
and admit it.
It is said that business is hard, and knows no yielding; that when a man
promises to do a thing, he MUST do it whether he can or not. This is
nonsense, business is like every other department of life, it hinges
upon humane principles.
If, however, you have not established your credit, you must do so, and
you must keep it up. You can not begin your credit by begging for delay
the very first engagement you make to pay. That is always a bad
beginning, in fact, it is no beginning at all.
Business men watch your progress, and if you have shown yourself
capable, honorable, and prompt for a reasonable time, they are always
ready to help you out in the time of adversity or bad luck.
It is policy to do this, and you may as well adopt the following idea
also: “A man may be down today and up tomorrow. If he is down today and
has credit of good repute, he will get up tomorrow through help extended
to him. Otherwise he will be left where he falls.”