Calculating Profit and Loss
Profit is your reward for taking business risks - it's what's left after paying all your bills. The magic formula: profit = sales revenue - total costs.
Understanding the three possible outcomes is crucial. If revenue exceeds costs, you've got profit. When they're equal, you break even. When costs are higher than revenue, you're making a loss (shown in brackets like this: (£25,000)).
Take Gnome Bargains: they spend £12,500 making 5,000 gnomes (£2.50 each). Selling them at £7 each generates £35,000 revenue, leaving £22,500 profit.
Key insight: High revenue doesn't guarantee profit - controlling costs is just as important as boosting sales!
The beauty of these calculations is their simplicity, yet they drive every major business decision you'll encounter.