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.

Sam Gustin

I believe the primary obstacle to profitability in any service-based business, particularly in home services, is the labor cost. In the lawn care industry, where profit margins are already narrow, the inclusion of labor as a variable cost presents a significant challenge. That’s why we have modified our approach to employee compensation. Read more>>

Brendan Dillon

Currently the biggest struggle for restaurants is the growing cost of goods and compounded by rising labor costs for back of the house employees. Now, more than ever, restaurant owners must diligently monitor their fluctuating costs and make significant decisions regarding menu design and planning to adapt to the current labor market. To address the wage disparity between our front-of-house and back-of-house employees, Hamlet has implemented a kitchen administration fee on our checks. Read more>>

Genesis Mayorga

I am a brand new Esthetician. I just got licensed in February 2023 and I have started from scratch. All my learning and growing as an Esthetician has came day by day. I did not choose the route to work a spa or salon under someone else. I chose to open my own studio in the city of Lakewood, CA. Listening to many Esthetician podcasts they all suggested to build your clients before moving into your studio because it very expensive and it’s hard. There’s so many expenses. Read more>>

H. L. Walsh

I would say one of the biggest challenges for a new author would be not only getting your name out there but convincing the customer to buy your book/story over the 200 others out there in the same genre. You need to find that thing which sets you apart or convinces them they will enjoy your story. I think reviews and word of mouth are a huge boon to the business since people are much more likely to buy a book after it is recommended by a friend than if I were to talk about my book to them. Read more>>

Tristen Bailey

Hi there! I am Tristen and I own TristensTrademark. I am an artist based out of Michigan! I would say the biggest challenge to profitability would be the fact we had covid pop up in 2020 & now we are in 2023 with inflation & people are just not able to live the “normal” lives we once had. So much damage has happened with these two things people are just trying to survive. People love art and art brings peace and joy, but art comes with a pretty price. Fun fact not all artists are starving ha ha.. Read more>>

Ashley Klaasen

By no means would I say being a professional photographer is going to make me a millionaire. What it does do, it allow me to capture memories for families, moments in time that will be forgotten, and little fingers and toes that will forever grow. That being said, how am I suppose to run a business, continue to grow, and be profitable in a world where the camera is one swipe away? For me, that is a million dollar question. Read more>>

Brett & Heather Johnson

In the industry of home decor, custom gifts and woodworking, it takes a lot of time to handcraft each piece. That is the most challenging part is actually including your time in the price of each item. Unfortunately, many folks do not think about the time it takes you to create the item, so they look at the price and decide to find it cheaper somewhere else. What they don’t realize is they will be giving up some quality finding a cheaper version of the item that is most likely mass produced or not made here in the U.S. Read more>>

Aaron Harris

I believe staying affordable for all of my clients is my biggest challenge. The last thing I want to do is over charge just to make more money. I like to ask “ do you have a an idea of what your comfortable spending on this project?” when speaking to future customers, just to get a feel for what I can make happen within the given budget.I truly want to help small businesses like myself , and give them top quality signage. Read more>>

Caroline Makepeace

One of the biggest challenges to profitability for influencers is that the majority of businesses see you as a free marketing channel. We’re consistently asked to create content on our channels for free in exchange for a hosted meal … or even a beer or brewery. This is going against one of the most important rules for win win relationships and negotiations – step inside the shoes of the person you’re negotiating with. What’s in it for them? why would they give their valuable time and resources to work with you for such an exchange? Read more>>

Courtney Teehan

As most people know and have also experienced themselves these past couples years, one of the biggest challenges to profitability was the huge rise in food costs. I don’t think anyone was truly prepared for what was to come. In the wedding industry, vendors are booked out months to even a year in advance to secure our couples wedding date. Read more>>

Garey Gomez

The biggest challenge to profitability in architectural photography is the volume of photos needed for social media, and the growing expectations from clients to be able to use and distribute images on an unlimited basis for free. Read more>>

Brian Obeso

There are many challenges when it comes to this topic, but it all comes from the way that economy has been, which is the same time Cheesecake Chino’s became legitimized. When I first started I was selling product so cheap just to get my name out there probably making between $10-$15 profit per cake. I luckily the ingredients were also cheaper but now that they have doubled besides all these other extra operational cost that comes with the company’s growth. Read more>>

Marvin Watts

The film industry can be extremely profitable if you play your cards right. There’s a variety of different jobs within the industry. What most people think of is the Director, cinematographer, sound guy, producers, etc. There are loads of jobs in this industry that people never even heard of. Read more>>

Ja’lia Marie

The biggest challenge to profitability in my industry is proximity.! It’s more about who you know than what you know.! You can be the absolute best and most educated at what you do, but without references and connections, no one but you will know your talents.! Your network is your net-worth.! Relationships are resources.! Read more>>