How a Company Can Succeed Without Making a Profit - SmartAsset Blog (2024)

How a Company Can Succeed Without Making a Profit - SmartAsset Blog (1)

While it may seem like a company should have to make a profit in order to be considered successful, that’s not always the case. Take Amazon, for example. Although it was founded back in 1994, Amazon didn’t actually make a profit until 2001. But the company has been a major online retailer for years. Read on to find out how businesses can succeed even when they’re not profitable.

Why Amazon Is Considered Successful

In spite of its lack of profits, Amazon’s stock continues to rise. Although Amazonhas a very low profit margin, it tends to make a lot of revenue.

Amazon has some profitable businesses, but the money made from them is typically used as investments to fund other Amazon businesses and ventures. The companyinvests its profits in new lines of business and uses them to expand. In short, Amazon seems to value growth over profits.

But Amazon’s strategy may be beginning to pay off – literally. Amazon just posted its fourth profitable quarter in a row and its largest quarterly profit ever. The first quarter of 2016 was very profitable for the company.

For that quarter, analyst estimates projected a profit of 58 cents per share on revenue of $27.98 billion. Amazon pulled in a net income of$513 million, or a profit of $1.07 per share, on revenue of $29.1 billion. That was a 28% increase from the same period in 2015.

Shares went up more than 12% in after-hours trading after Amazon beat analyst estimates, as well as its own estimates. Some investors believed that Amazon was overpriced because profit traditionally has not affected the share price of Amazon’s stock.

How Did Amazon Last for So Many Years?

How a Company Can Succeed Without Making a Profit - SmartAsset Blog (2)

Amazon’s stock price is a reflection of investors’ expectations. Investors expected Amazon to be successful, so they bought Amazon’s stock. They were investing in Amazon’s revenue growth – not its profits.

Essentially, Amazon sold the value of its future potential for 20 years. The company promised investors that if they waited long enough, Amazon would eventually become profitable.

Jeff Bezos and his team convinced investors that Amazonwas pioneering – which it was. The company ran on promises and little else. It has actually started turning a profit and it looks like the company will continue to make money.

Amazon has never paid its investors dividends. And even though the company has finally begun to profit from its services, it might never begin to pay dividends. In order to pay dividends, the company would have to adjust its focus and its business model.

Bottom Line

How a Company Can Succeed Without Making a Profit - SmartAsset Blog (3)

A company can get by on high revenues and low or non-existent profits if investors believe that it will become profitable in the future. Amazon is just one example of a company that did that by focusing on growth and revenue rather than profit. Instead of putting all of its energy into making money, it put effort into making its customers happy and expanding its business.

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How a Company Can Succeed Without Making a Profit - SmartAsset Blog (2024)

FAQs

How can a company succeed without making a profit? ›

A company can get by on high revenues and low or non-existent profits if investors believe that it will become profitable in the future. Amazon is just one example of a company that did that by focusing on growth and revenue rather than profit.

How can a company survive when it isn't making profit? ›

No business can survive for a significant amount of time without making a profit, though measuring a company's profitability, both current and future, is critical in evaluating the company. Although a company can use financing to sustain itself financially for a time, it is ultimately a liability, not an asset.

How did Amazon survive without making a profit? ›

Essentially, Amazon sold the value of its future potential for 20 years. The company promised investors that if they waited long enough, Amazon would eventually become profitable. Jeff Bezos and his team convinced investors that Amazon was pioneering – which it was. The company ran on promises and little else.

What happens if a business does not make a profit? ›

If you don't show that your business is starting to make a profit, then the IRS can prohibit you from claiming your business losses on your taxes. After you claim a loss for three of the five years, the IRS will classify your business as a hobby.

What company has never made a profit? ›

Reddit has never turned a profit in nearly 20 years, but it just filed to go public anyway | CNN Business.

How long did Amazon go without making a profit? ›

This can come at a hefty price. Amazon, one of today's biggest multinational companies dominating the e-commerce industry, only turned its first profit nine years after being founded.

Why do firms stay in business if they make no profit? ›

Why Do Competitive Firms Stay in Business If They Make Zero Profit? Profit equals total revenue minus total cost. Total cost includes all the opportunity costs of the firm. In the zero-profit equilibrium, the firm's revenue compensates the owners for the time and money they expend to keep the business going.

Why do firms stay in a business even if they are earning a zero profit? ›

Answer and Explanation:

The firms stay in business even after economic profit is zero because of the presence of positive accounting profit. Economic profit is equal to total revenue minus total cost and if the total cost is equal to total revenue then economic profit becomes zero.

How long before Amazon made a profit? ›

Jeff Bezos finally turned a profit in 2003, which was nine years after being founded and seven years after going public. Bezos was able to turn things around for Amazon by laying off one-seventh of Amazon's work force and closing some distribution centers.

Has Amazon ever recorded a profit? ›

Fourth-quarter net revenue rose 36% to $1.95B, the company said. Amazon.com Inc.'s net revenue and net profit both grew healthily in its fourth quarter and helped the online retailer close 2003 with a profit, a first for the company, it announced yesterday. Net revenue in the fourth quarter, which ended Dec.

What is the secret behind Amazon success? ›

Jeff Bezos has openly shared his 'secret' to Amazon success is “obsessive compulsive focus on the customer”. Is Jeff Bezos revealing the truth behind his success? Yes, I believe he is. Steve Jobs contributed to Apple's success by doing the same thing — obsessively focus on customer experience.

Why is Amazon's profit margin so low? ›

Amazon undercuts competition to gain market share and the low margins in the industry also seemingly serve to deter the entry of newer players into the market. The majority of products sold by Amazon are procured from vendors for resale, which increases the inventory and fulfillment costs.

How many years can an LLC show a loss? ›

How Many Years Can You Claim a Loss With an LLC? As an LLC, you want to be careful to try not to report losses for more than two years. Otherwise, the IRS may decide to classify your business as a hobby rather than an actual business. If this happens, you can't deduct your business expenses for tax purposes.

Does a business pay taxes if they don't make a profit? ›

If you were actively engaged in your trade or business but didn't receive income, then you should file and claim your expenses.

Has Amazon never turned a profit? ›

For the year 2022, Amazon recorded a net loss of $2.722 billion on revenue of $513.98 billion, meaning the company was not profitable in 2022. The company's profit experienced a sharp decline from its record net income of $33 billion in 2021, ending its 6-year streak of profitability.

Can a startup succeed without funding? ›

Of course! Later stage venture capital is highly desirable for many companies. While early-stage funding can limit your growth potential (if you even have access to it), waiting to turn to an angel investor or VC later on with a proven business model is likely to be successful.

Can a business be successful without a business plan? ›

A good business plan not only helps entrepreneurs focus on the specific steps necessary for them to make business ideas succeed, but it also helps them to achieve short-term and long-term objectives. Benjamin Franklin once said, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." (Benjamin Franklin).

How does a company determine if it made a profit or not? ›

A way to determine if your business is profitable is to prepare a profit and loss statement. This will show you how much profit your business in making. Using profitability ratios, such as gross and net profit margin, helps business owners measure profitability and plan for future growth.

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