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.

Gino Santarossa

I feel the biggest challenges a realtor faces is the amount of competition this industry has no matter what area in the world there’s always tons of realtors. Being that everyone you know either friend or family I’m sure knows a realtor so I feel that the only way to distance yourself from the pact is to give people information that I’m sure they can find online but it’s best it comes from you the realtor instead. Presenting interesting tidbits about real estate such as the market report in a certain area, laws, rules and regulations, funding etc can help future buyer or sellers understand the process a lot easier. All in all making yourself the industry expert can distance you on the end from the pact. Read more>>

Vicky Keisler

The skincare industry faces intense competition in a saturated market dominated by industry giants with substantial profit margins offering similar products. Additionally, niche organic brands and medical spas provide cutting-edge treatments using advanced devices available only through doctors and physicians. This crowded landscape makes it challenging to stand out without a significant financial investment. Read more>>

Casey Mccaughn

It’s very difficult to support yourself in Southern California as an artist. The cost of living is high, there’s a lot of competition and most artistic jobs barely pay minimum wage. To sell your artwork in such a way that it’s profitable you really need to be able to attract a high end market and be able to have a conversation with the people who are willing to pay for art at its whole value. To sell through a gallery or a website like Etsy you have to be prepared that they are going to take a large percentage of the asking price. Read more>>

Alison Chandler

The profit margin on Pet Food Industry is slim, it is not the normal 100% mark-up like everyday retail products. Therefore we have to sell a lot of pet food to make a profit. We do have traditional mark-up on hard goods and this is where we see most of our profit. But when the economy is slow it hurts our bottom line as people will traditionally skip the toys and accessories. Read more>>

Julie Tyree

Profitability presents an issue because no one NEEDS cookies. It’s a luxury item. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand the process or the time involved in creating an order from start to finish which results in a lot of sticker shock. Custom cookies are everywhere and have vast pricing to match. A large company can make custom cookies quicker by means of employees and advanced machinery. When someone sees an iced sugar cookie at a local store, they have that price point in their head. When I give them pricing (which is absolutely fair) some are alarmed. Profit margins are slim primarily because of the number of orders received. Every week is different. Like many small businesses, it ebbs and flows. It’s an uphill battle. Read more>>