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.

Victoria Kaer

The biggest issue that creatives face is getting noticed. The industry is flooded with authors or graphic designers struggling to get their work seen.

As an author, self publishing had made it extremely easy and cost effective for authors to publish but having your work found is difficult with the slew of books out there. If you don’t have the capital to advertise or do trade shows it’s very hard to get the word out about your book/s. I’ve been in the industry since 2010 and am still relatively unknown. Read more>>

Christine Straley

Mi Farm Co-op is a food hub in Traverse City, MI. We provide an important service for our local farmers – we help remove the barriers to selling and delivering their goods. We work with local restaurants, schools, and chefs as well as offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription where folks get access to over 25 farmers products. We offer multiple growers in one box and one invoice. By doing the marketing/selling and the delivery of goods farmers have more time to focus on what’s important – growing good food. Read more>>

Maria Ragland

One of the biggest challenges to profitability in the nail and skin care industry is balancing affordability for clients while maintaining high-quality products and services. Many consumers expect competitive pricing, but professional-grade products, continued education, and compliance with state regulations come at a significant cost. Read more>>

Deborah Parker Wong

There are a lot of misconceptions about the wine industry. While my professional activities can look and even sound like they are handsomely paid, as a freelance journalist I’ve been making the same per word rate for about the last ten years. While I have senior titles like global wine editor and national editor for print and digital publications, journalism is just one of my many professional activities which include teaching and consulting. Thankfully, I haven’t had to rely solely on income from this skill. I began writing on a part-time basis when I entered the wine industry, and it has absolutely helped me build influence and, most importantly, to learn on the job. The perks that come with being a journalist won’t pay a mortgage but I’ve been able to strike a work/life balance that’s both enriching and rewarding. Read more>>

Alex Koch

One of the biggest hurdles in running a profitable recording studio is managing overhead costs while dealing with fluctuating income. Maintaining high-end equipment, keeping up with software updates, and covering rent and utilities all add up—meanwhile, client demand can be unpredictable. Read more>>