What to Do When Your Business Isn’t Making Money

In this article, I want to talk about what to do if it feels like your business isn’t making money. This is something I hear often from small business owners and entrepreneurs. I’ll hear phrases like, “I’d love to invest in that, but my business just isn’t making any money,” or “Things are a bit tight right now.” So today, I’m sharing some mindset shifts—and practical tips—for those of you who resonate with this experience.

Mindset

The first and most important thing to explore is your mindset. When you say your business isn’t making money, what do you actually mean?

It can be an easy phrase to throw around, but it’s important to look at what’s really going on. Here are some possibilities:

You think you’re not making money, but you haven’t done the basic bookkeeping. Maybe you’ve checked your bank balance and felt disappointed—but you don’t actually know what your income and expenses are.Your business is generating profit, but it’s not as high as you’d like it to be. You’re in the early stages of business, and revenue hasn’t started flowing yet.

Whatever your situation—unclear, loss-making, or just lower-than-expected profit—I want to remind you of this: if your business has ever generated a single sale, that’s worth celebrating. Creating something and having someone choose to pay for it is magic. That’s entrepreneurship.

This is totally different to being an employee on a fixed salary. So don’t forget to honour the income you are bringing in. Gratitude is powerful. It shifts your energy and helps you attract more of what you want.

If you find yourself thinking, “Ugh, I only made $5,000 this month,” money isn’t exactly going to come running toward you. Shift your thinking to, “I’m so grateful for the $5,000 I earned—and I can’t wait to welcome even more.”

Every dollar that comes into your business is proof that someone, somewhere, values what you’ve created.

When You're at a Loss

Of course, I’m also a realist. Some of you have done the tracking and know that your business is operating at a loss. First of all, that’s okay—especially if you’re just starting out. It’s common to spend more than you earn in the early stages.

The key is having a plan to move toward profitability.

The problem arises when you’re consistently making unplanned losses. Eventually, you run out of cash to fund the business. So—what can you do? The good news is, there are strategies you can implement to increase your profit margin and improve your cash flow.

Treat Your Business Like a Business

The first step is getting clear on what you actually want. Many of us say we run a business, but treat it more like a hobby or side hustle—and then expect it to behave like a profitable enterprise.

A hobby is something we do in our spare time that brings us creative joy. And that’s great—if that’s your intention. But if you’re here because you want to make money from your business, let’s get real about that.

Separate Your Business and Personal Accounts

One of the first signs you’re treating your business like a hobby is when you’re mixing personal and business expenses. This is a non-negotiable: open a separate business bank account.

If I see personal and business expenses jumbled together, that screams hobby energy—and hobbies are not designed to produce consistent profit margins.

Track Your Business Expenses

I get it—nobody wants to see how much they’re spending on their business. But it’s so important. Knowing your numbers helps you understand when your business crosses from loss to profit.

Start tracking from day one, even if you aren’t making money yet. That’s part of the process. If you’re still early in your business and profits are small, a simple Excel spreadsheet will do the trick.

Inside my digital course, The Finance Fix, I include a beginner-friendly bookkeeping template that turns your numbers into your first-ever profit and loss statement. You can download it there if you need a place to start.

Know Your Profit Number

Ask yourself: what level of profit do you actually need?

Is it hobby profit—a small top-up?

Is it side hustle profit—something intentional but low-pressure?

Or is it business-level profit—enough to pay yourself reliably?

If your business is your main source of income, you need to own that—and take responsibility for earning what you need to live and thrive.

Work backwards: how many sales do you need to make? How much can you afford to spend to reach your goal?

Make sure you’re covering your personal costs first. Then, make a plan to grow your profit in a way that feels spacious and abundant—not scarce or stretched.

Final thoughts

Let’s remove “not making money” from your business vocabulary.

You’re either in your loss-making era with plans to move out of it, in your startup phase with plans to generate revenue, or you’re now tracking your numbers and learning how to make smarter financial decisions.

Celebrate the revenue you are bringing in. Feel gratitude not just for your income, but for the money you’re investing in your business too—it’s all part of growth.

And most importantly, seek support from someone who can help you make sense of your numbers and turn them into a plan.

You are the business owner. You are responsible for ensuring this business makes the profit you need it to make.

If you’re looking for a simple way to start tracking your income and expenses, don’t forget to check out my digital course, The Finance Fix.

Activity:

Take a few minutes today to journal if money feels tight in your business. What are you grateful for financially? Write down five to ten things. Gratitude changes everything.

See you in the next post—I look forward to connecting again soon.

Curious to to learn more and dive even deeper? listen to my free (and secret) podcast.