Have you ever had a friend look at a business and randomly throw out numbers that made it seem like that business owner must be making serious bank? We’ve experienced that many times, and know from conversations with operators and owners in those industries that their real profitability is often far, far less. The reason is often that there are unique challenges to profitability in almost every industry and so we wanted to create a space for entrepreneurs from across industries and markets to discuss the challenges to profitability in their industries.

Fred Addison

The biggest challenge to profitability in my industry is insurance cost along with fuel cost. Insurance for your vehicle no matter if it is a cargo/sprinter van, box truck or semi is a huge challenge to obtain and maintain profitability in my industry. All states are different; however, the cost of insurance to operate a vehicle over the road is a huge expense. Read more>>

Shantonya Scott

In the real estate industry, you’ll hear the phrase, “you eat what you kill”, meaning, you only make a profit when you close a deal, and all the steps leading up to the closing are essential to your client’s experience and your success. The biggest challenge to profitability for realtors is discipline and consistency. Without discipline you’re unable to be consistent and being consistent help grow a successful and profitable business. Read more>>

Blake Stine

I would have to say that the biggest challenge to profitability in my industry lately has been this ever increasing inflation. It’s definitely making things a bit more challenging for me personally, as well as just about everyone I’ve spoken with that operate in food. I think eggs are at this point up 49.1% last I checked, and they’re a staple when it comes to making a huge variety of dishes. Read more>>

Amanda Nguyen

The biggest challenge to profitability in the bakery industry is pricing and saturation. Being a baker in an oversaturated market is very difficult to build and grow your business. There are many Cottage Food Law bakers that charge differently and commercial stores that are able to charge at a lower price due to having a higher production advantage. On top of that, pricing plays a huge part in gaining clientele. Read more>>

Erica Dickman-Wilkes

For me, the biggest challenge is competition and the greeting card industry becoming more saturated. When COVID began and people found themselves spending more time at home, some people chose to get more creative with their time. Some joined this area of the market to foster their creativity while making additional income with art. More challenging, were the ones who came out of the woodwork and chose to copy my ideas, presenting them as their own. Read more>>

Cris Burl

As an independent published author, the biggest challenge so far is getting my work to grow with popularity. The world of writing is a large one and I, along with many other independent authors, tend to get lost in the growing business. I find that I personally tend to be more popular and sell more books by attending signings and author conventions, however the costs to travel and attend these shows can be a loss compared to the amount of books being sold. Read more>>