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.

Ariann Johnson

The biggest challenge I have faced with trying to increase my profit in my business is the time of year. Not everyone is always looking to have a custom charcuterie board on just any given weeknight. Some people are also going to try and go out to make their own board rather than order a board from me. The cost of cheese also has increased in the last year which can make it difficult to stick to my set prices. I have noticed over the years that holidays, or special occasions are were my business thrives. From October to February there is holiday after holiday and people are always looking for an easy but delicious appetizer. That is where I come in, I’m happy to create a custom charcuterie board that will fit everyone needs and that will have a little holiday flare. Read more>>

Stella Diver Wynters

The biggest challenge with profitability in my industry is that there are too many drag entertainers in my industry who want to be full time entertainers. With the over saturation of entertainers it means less jobs for all of us. The best advice I can give any new or seasoned entertainers that are building a brand is perfect your brand and your look. Start reaching out to bars and restaurants that might benefit from having entertainment like drag but only if they can benefit from it as much as you can benefit from it. Read more>>

Steven Manack

So as everyone knows there are 1,000,001 general contractor or roofers. So being personal with our clients and giving a quality products as far as the best materials a great price. Read more>>

Brandon Lessard

As an actor, my biggest obstacle to profitability is simply staying employed. I read an article from 2019, back when I was still in college, that unemployment rates for actors are 90%, and that only 2% of actors can make a living. Everyone wants to be an actor because of what they see on TV. They see glamorous movie stars, red carpet-premieres, and trails of fans and think that’s what I want to be. That is not the majority of actors. Very few jobs are actually going to pay you the amount of money to live comfortably for years to come. Most jobs are going to pay you just enough to get by. That wouldn’t be an issue if I filmed everyday, but that’s not the reality of the industry. Read more>>

Adam Brand

The biggest challenge to profitability in our industry is competing with cheap overseas factories. While we produce high-quality, handmade flowers in New York, many clients are drawn to cheaper options, even if they sacrifice quality. For example, we once created hundreds of flowers for a major event with strict quality standards. The labor and materials were costly, and although the end result was beautiful, the profit was minimal. Competing against lower-quality, mass-produced alternatives makes it tough to maintain both quality and profitability. Read more>>