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.

Aleks Antonío

Photography has become somewhat of a “trendy job” more than a way to tell visual stories. That being said, one of the biggest challenges I have seen is being able to keep up with the many trends we see in social media. Clients often hire a photographer that can duplicate a trend and not so much one that can capture moments and tell stories.
As we all see the algorithms change so rapidly per social media platform and the trends we see in each niche staying relevant and profitable becomes a harder task to keep up with. Read more>>

Darren Tompkins

This is a great question. When I came up with the concept for Headlock I had a friend who told me I was crazy. The hot sauce industry (just go to any festival) is a crowded market and everyone wants cheap product. That turned out to be true as we researched what we were seeing on the shelves. Grocery stores are flooded with hot sauces that are mostly made from vinegar, salt and capsicum extract. They sell their product by utilizing gimmicky names and crazy labels. Read more>>

Henry Adeleye

The biggest challenge to profitability in our industry right now is inflation, both in ingredients and labor. The costs of goods have increased substantially in the past year. And the cost of labor has gone up in concert both to adjust for inflation and as the job market opened up post-Covid. The easy answer to this is to just raise prices, but keeping in mind that there is only so much customers are willing to pay for non-essential goods also plays a role and limits how much prices can be raised to achieve that profitability. Read more>>

Jennifer Bryant

The biggest challenge to profitability in my industry would definitely have to be the big box store competitors. Over the past couple of years when going to some of my regular stores, I would wander down the isles and frequently come across Macrame items. These items, of course are mass produced and come with a price tag that typically reflects this. With this comes the group of people who don’t understand why macrame artists like myself charge the prices we do. Read more>>