Profits differ from net income, and no where is there clearer than for small business owner-operators, artists, and creatives. Just because you have a certain amount of money left over after covering expenses doesn’t mean you’ve made profits. Why? Because you have to factor in the cost of your labor and the risk you took and so after factoring that in, millions of small businesses and artists and creatives are operating with little to no profit. However, it doesn’t have to be this way and so we wanted to create a space where sharp entrepreneurs and creatives could come together and discuss the challenges to profitability and potential solutions. If you have something valuable to add to this conversation that can help others achieve profitability, please reach out to us as we want to get your ideas in front of our readers.

Susan Sands

There are countless ways to approach becoming an author and countless factors involved in “success” and measuring success. If you ask an author at any point in her career if she’s content with where she is, the answer will overwhelmingly be no. Read more>>

Amanda Beckler

I feel like some think that our cookies are just cookies. They may think our prices are too high and not worth it. There is a lot of time and energy that go into each of our cookies. Each of our cookies are hand decorated, created by our hearts and inspired by our clients. We offer a variety of designs per order to create a story based on their requests. Read more>>

Karmisha Superville

Planning and organizing events can be an exciting experience, but it also brings a challenges to profitability. In any business especially black owned enterprises it is the very present challenge of access to opportunities without barriers and obstacles to ascertain these opportunities. Read more>>

Mike Anthony

The most significant challenge to profitability in the photography and videography industry is the pervasive issue known as the “race to the bottom.” This phenomenon sees independent photographers and videographers constantly lowering their prices to outdo their competitors, often to the detriment of their own livelihoods and the industry as a whole. Read more>>

Anna Swenson

Travel agents face various challenges that can impact their profitability. Some of the challenges I have seen include people booking their vacations on their own, economics downturns and uncertainties impacting people’s willingness to spend on travel, and the challenge of standing out and attracting new clients. Read more>>

John Andrews

Retail is going through a turbulent season of change. Shoppers want products and services on demand but have been trained to bear only some of the costs. As a result, already thin retail margins are non-existent in Ecommerce. How will retail survive and thrive in the future? Read more>>

Mary Maney

Running a rental business can be lucrative, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some common challenges that may affect the profitability of a rental business: Maintenance Costs Regular maintenance and repairs Asset Depreciation Read more>>

Taniya Ahmed

The biggest challenge for profitability in the cafe/coffee/food industry is that there are several moving parts and complex issues. Being in an industry with a failure rate of 90% is already challenging, but making a profit is highly stressful. Read more>>

Beau Larson

So much of the video production industry in my particular genre is driven by “passion” and passion projects. From time to time, there are the commercial projects that pay well. Sometimes they allow and encourage creative thought. Ways to think and create something “out of the box”. Read more>>

Dario Lewczyk

In my opinion, though video and photography may seem like a great place to make money with so many so-called influencers posting their lavish lifestyles and large followings, that people would be jumping head over heels to work with you on your project ideas but the reality is much more complicated. Read more>>

Kim Nguyen

I know that profitability in the hospitality industry can be difficult due to various factors such as food costs, labor expenses, and competition. Often times, restaurants struggling to balance quality ingredients and prices, while maintaining staff and adapting to changing consumer preferences. Read more>>

Kierston Armstrong

When starting a small business, you must be prepared for ups and downs—that goes for everyone. I have learned through experience that you really do put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into anything that becomes whatever the definition of success is for that person. Read more>>

Nikki Moore

Many photographers (and other creatives who find themselves running creative businesses based on passion) don’t realize how much their business skills, or lack of them, will impact their success. We may fantasize about the pure creative energy that will fuel us to success and an endless line of clients, eager for our unique and undefinable creative spirit! Read more>>