It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very threshold of their career. They were introduced to the broom, and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. I notice we have janitors and janitresses now in offices, and our young men unfortunately miss that salutary branch of business education. But if by chance the professional sweeper is absent any morning, the boy who has the genius of the future partner in him will not hesitate to try his hand at the broom. The other day a fond fashionable mother in Michigan asked a young man whether he had ever seen a lady sweep in a room so grandly as her Priscilla. He said no, he never had ,and the mother was gratified beyond measure, but then said he ,after a pause, “What I should like to see her do is sweep out a room” It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.
Assuming that you have all obtained employment and are fairly started, my advice to you is “aim high”. I would not give a fig for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk, or foreman, or general manager in any concern, no matter how extensive. Say to yourself ，“My place is at the top.” Be king in your dreams.
And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret: concentrate your energy, thought, and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.
The concerns which fail are those which have scattered their capital, which means that they have scattered their brains also. They have investments in this, or that, or the other, here there, and everywhere. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” is all wrong. I tell you to “put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.” Look round you and take notice, men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets，which break most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head, which is apt to tumble and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.
To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest; never enter a bar room; do not touch liquor, or if at all only at meals; never speculate; never indorse beyond your surplus cash fund; make the firm’s interest yours; break orders always to save owners; concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket; expenditure always within revenue; lastly, be not impatient, for as Emerson says, “no one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourselves.”
年輕人應該從頭學起，擔當最基層的職務，這是件好事。匹茲堡有許多大企業家在創業之初都肩負過重任。他們與掃帚結伴，以清掃辦公室度過了企業生涯的最初時光。我注意到現在的辦公室都配備了工友，這使我們的年輕人不幸丟掉了這個有益的企業教育的一個內容。不過，如果哪一天早晨清掃工碰巧沒來，某位具有未來合伙人氣質的青年就會毫不猶豫試著拿起掃帚。有一天，以為溺愛孩子的，時髦的密歇根母親問一位男青年，是否見過像她的女兒普里希拉那樣的年輕女郎如此瀟灑地在房間里進行打掃。男青年說從未見過，那位母親高興的樂不可支。但男青年頓了頓又說: “我想看到的是她能在室外進行打掃”。如果有必要，新來者在辦公室外進行打掃并沒有什么損失。我本人就曾經是打掃人之一。
假設你們都已就業了，并干的相當出色，我對你們的忠告是要“胸懷大志”。對那些尚未把自己看成是某重要公司的合伙人或領導人的年輕人，我會不屑一顧。你們在思想上一刻也不要滿足于充當任何企業的首席職員，領班或總經理，不管這家企業的規模有多大。你們要對自己說:“我的位置在最高處”你們要夢寐以求登峰造極。
獲得成功的首要條件喝最大秘訣是：把精力和財力完全集中于所干的事業上。一旦開始干那一行，就要決心干出個名堂，要出類拔萃，要點點滴滴地改進，要采用最好的機器，要盡力通曉這一行。
失敗的企業是那些分散了資力，因而意味著分散了精力的企業。他們向這件事投資，又向那件事投資，在這里投資，又在哪里投資，方方面面都有投資。“別把所有的雞蛋放進一個籃子”之說大錯特錯。我告訴你們，“要把所有的雞蛋放在一個籃子，然后照管好那只籃子。”注意走位并留點神，能這樣做的人往往不會失敗。管好并提好那只籃子很容易。在我們的國家，想多提籃子的人打碎的雞蛋也多。有三只籃子的人就得把一只籃子頂在頭上，這樣很容易摔倒。美國企業家的一個錯誤就是缺少集中。
我把所說的話歸納如下：要志在頂峰，千萬不要涉足酒吧，不要沾酒，或者僅在用餐時喝點酒；千萬不要投機，簽署支付的款項時，千萬不要超過盈余的現金儲備，把公司的利益當成自己的利益，取消訂貨的目的永遠在于挽救貨主，集中精力，把所有的雞蛋放進一個籃子，支出永遠小于收入，最后不要失去耐心，因為正如愛默生所說，“除了你自己以外，沒有人能哄騙你離開最后的成功。”