As it currently stands, society seems to have a negative attitude towards capitalism and profit.
Many people get the impression that business leaders have it easier than everyone else and are rolling in cash.
What if I told you that wasn’t true?
In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
As someone who personally knows multiple entrepreneurs and small business owners (and is one himself), they’re people who are willing to take massive risks and work 100 hours a week, usually all by themselves in the beginning. They work hard every single day to make sure that they can continue to grow.
When these leaders finally have a team to help them become successful, they have to support that team in addition to themselves. That means they have to provide them with long-term career paths and ensure their longevity and commitment to their work. With that comes providing their team with benefits, health insurance, paid time off, and so much more — for their team members and their families.
After all of that, a business leader can finally have whatever’s leftover from divvying up the pie in multiple different ways — including covering overheads, taxes, payroll, infrastructure, software, marketing, and so much more.
By the time it does get to the business leader, there’s barely anything left (at least off any one case or any one deal).
The bottom line is that there’s nothing wrong with turning a profit. A business should be profitable because that means it’s healthy.
Take a look at the recent waves of layoffs happening at various companies all over the world. From Google to Salesforce to Amazon to Meta, there have been layoffs at some of the most “successful” SaaS companies across all industries. Why? Because they’re not profitable, or they don’t manage their profits well.
When you’re growing a business, and particularly a small profitable business, it must be run in a way where you’re able to continue to invest in the growth of that business in the future.
For example, at Crisp, we distribute a team profit share each year. We believe that sharing in the company’s overall profit is important because performing positively in your role means you’re helping the organization grow too.
Being a good leader means that you win last and you lose first.
