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.

Matt Ryan

It’s easy to look at the cost of something and forget everything else that’s included in that – For us it’s boat leases, insurance, storage, repairs, payroll for licensed captains and support, and much more. It’s unique in that others like to constantly ask small businesses to discount when that doesn’t happen to larger business that can actually afford to do so. Read more>>

The Makeupology Sarah & Elsie

The biggest challenge to profitability in the makeup industry, especially for traveling makeup artists (TMAs) is the competition and undercutting of prices. With the rise of social media and DIY makeup tutorials, many people believe they can do their own makeup for special events. Or they are willing to hire less knowledgeable artists at a discount price. This makes it difficult for us to charge what we are worth or make a decent profit. Read more>>

Hope Boyd

The hot topic for the past few years has been artificial intelligence (AI). This has eased the load for many businesses, especially those in the creative field, who need help but do not have the budget to hire more staff. Read more>>

Eric Benner

Entering into the film industry or content creation market is not for the faint-hearted. Being a videographer, photographer, & video editor I have learned over the years that you have to constantly and consistently be learning to stay up to date with the technology and trends. It is a fun and engaging craft, but can be difficult at times to keep it going as a career. There is a lot of competition so you need to keep up with promotion, content, and growing your skills. The key to be profitable in this industry is to always be valued and realize what your time is worth. For myself, I realized that learning multiple skills, focusing on quality, and exceptional time management increased my value. Work hard and keep learning to get better at your craft and you will be successful. Read more>>

Waliyah McCrary

In the world of crafting social media content, a big challenge is keeping up with the content creation whirlwind. Social media trends change faster than we can finish our morning coffee! Trying to establish and keep a connection with your audience is a continuous challenge in the rapidly evolving social media landscape. Read more>>

Dalel Snider

When it comes to a small business, like Los Angeles Floral Couture, profitability can vary depending on several factors.

One of our biggest challenges is the myth that one can create and design their floral arrangements for their event to save money. Read more>>

Liz Banfield

A flood of amateur and semi-professionals has caused a devaluation of the craft of professional photography. It seems that everyone is a photographer these days. And it looks easy from the outside! Proving it’s worth and charging enough to make a living can be a huge challenge. Read more>>