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.

Erik ” Macray” Rhea

Well like with alot of people with a small business; practicing and executing my craft is a completely separate skill from running a business centered around that craft. I’m not only the craftsman and manufacturer building the product, I also source all the materials, organize the workshop, box and ship the online orders, do all the financials, design and run the website, facebook, instagram, google sites and all of the marketing online and in person. I develop new products, do market research, stay informed on tax liabilities and business structure and structure everything so that I can pay not just myself but keep the business paying for itself as well. Read more>>

Wyatt Corder

Pursuing a career in music can not be the most profitable venture all of the time haha. For example, we poured most of the money we had in our band fund into recording our new album, “Built to Last” and we most likely will not see a return on that investment because there’s no money in streaming and most people don’t buy physical copies of albums anymore. As a band, we combat this by doing private and corporate events that typically pay well, and show our music to a new clientele, creating a chain reaction for potential future gigs. Our brass band also works as a freelance horn section for shows and in the studio. Music is a ruthless and ever-changing industry, so I have found that pivoting to different opportunities and challenging yourself to take on a variety of gigs/roles has helped with our longevity. Read more>>

Matias Gutknecht

The restaurant industry faces significant challenges, making profitability harder to achieve, especially in cities like Denver, where the convergence of numerous factors severely strains restaurants. The average profit margin in the restaurant industry hovers around just 5%. This means that for every dollar a restaurant makes, only 5 cents is profit. This slim margin leaves little room for error or unexpected costs, and even slight increases in operating expenses can push a restaurant from profitability into the red. Maintaining profitability has become even more challenging with rising costs in nearly every category. Read more>>

Scarlett Li

My industry’s biggest challenge to profitability lies in the misalignment between market preferences for certain artistic styles or formats and my own creative vision as a creator. This disconnect can lead to both financial struggles and internal mental conflicts. For example, as an artist, I often strive to create deeply personal, innovative, or unconventional work. However, the market may favour trends that are more commercial or immediately accessible, such as popular aesthetics or familiar formats. Catering entirely to market demands could compromise my artistic integrity while sticking solely to my creative ideals might result in limited sales or audience engagement. Read more>>

Bradley Horton

“It’s beautiful and beyond my expectations!” “Just as pictured, and higher quality than I expected.” “This cutting board is so much better than I expected.” “I custom ordered this board, and it far exceeded my expectations. It is beautiful, and the craftsmanship is unbelievable!” Nothing motivates me to strive for better than receiving reviews like these. I take great pride in ensuring that nothing leaves my shop without passing multiple inspections—even if it means taking extra time to fix an issue that others might overlook. This process can sometimes be time-consuming and costly, but shipping something I’m not 100% satisfied with is simply not an option. Read more>>

Stephanie Mendes

I find that many people like to express themselves through the clothes that they wear. Finding garments that are well made, comfortable and unique is a challenge to many, and having custom clothing made is not usually the first solution that comes to mind. It takes time to make a custom garment from the conceptualization, the fitting, sourcing the fabrics, and the sewing and garment construction process. All of this takes attention to detail, time and money, as well as knowledge and experience on the part of the designer. Finding a way to make a profit is difficult when clients are not in the position to pay for all of this or have the time to commit to the process. It takes a plan to make it profitable, including marketing, advertising and finding the clientele that fits the demographic of the service of a custom clothier like myself.  Read more>>