ABSTRACT
Entrepreneurs, by and large, are idea people, devising new concepts and next-generation ventures, and creating potential markets. With such an intent focus on what could be, however, they may not pay enough attention to what is-meaning, the hard measures of current performance. Although many start-ups are not profitable initially, for such is the nature of the beast, profitability is the difference between an idea and a viable, sustainable business. It doesn’t matter how much a business appears to be growing with new stores, increased head count, or even higher sales. At the end of the day, profitability is the differentiator between an interesting concept and a business capable of going to the next level.
