--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the foundation and development of a…" description: "\"In the foundation and development of a successful enterprise there must be a single-minded pursuit of financial profit.\" — C. Northcote Parkinson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/c-northcote-parkinson-16739_business_in-the-foundation-and-development-of-a-s_94274.jpg" --- # In the foundation and development of a successful… ![“In the foundation and development of a successful enterprise there must be a single-minded pursuit of financial profit.” quote by C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/c-northcote-parkinson-16739_business_in-the-foundation-and-development-of-a-s_94274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/c-northcote-parkinson-16739_business_in-the-foundation-and-development-of-a-s_94274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/c-northcote-parkinson-16739_business_in-the-foundation-and-development-of-a-s_94274.jpg) > “In the foundation and development of a successful enterprise there must be a single-minded pursuit of financial profit.” [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Profit focus is essential for building a thriving business. **In simple terms:** Profit drives enterprise success. Key Takeaway Financial aim is foundational. Themes business profitability strategy Mood direct pragmatic Type max advice When to use this quote - startup fundraising - corporate planning - growth hacking Key Concepts entrepreneurship Practical Applications - business model development - financial forecasting Questions to Reflect On - Is profit the only metric of success? - How does profit focus affect culture? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Development Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development-successful-1161936/) [Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise/) [Enterprise Single](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise-single-1161935/) [Finance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finance/) [Financial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial/) [Financial Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial-profit-1161934/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Single Minded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-minded-1013724/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-enterprise-423656/) ## Related quotes > [The Chinese government since 1979 has been very successful in economic development, and successful enough, simply by surviving, in the realm of political development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-chinese-government-since-1979-has-been-very-successful-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are seeing some challenges and some changes in American business, American enterprise, but the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is a reminder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-are-seeing-some-challenges-and-some-changes-in-american-business/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I have always believed you cannot run a successful enterprise from behind a desk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-gerstner/i-have-always-believed-you-cannot-run-a-successful-enterprise-from/) [Lou Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-gerstner/) > [“The true inner meaning of success is to be successful at the enterprise of living. A”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/the-true-inner-meaning-of-success-is-to-be-successful-at-the/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“If you want to have a successful enterprise, you clearly define what you’re trying to accomplish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosettabooks/if-you-want-to-have-a-successful-enterprise-you-clearly-define-what/) [RosettaBooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosettabooks/) > [“Every successful enterprise requires three men – a dreamer, a businessman, and a son-of-a-bitch!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcarthur/every-successful-enterprise-requires-three-men-a-dreamer-a/) [Peter McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcarthur/) > [“This was a success in itself, but it came with an added and unexpected benefit: The act of thinking about the problem and responding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/this-was-a-success-in-itself-but-it-came-with-an-added-and-unexpected/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [Behind every successful enterprise, there is a supporting wife and surprised in-laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cook/behind-every-successful-enterprise-there-is-a-supporting-wife-and/) [Scott Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cook/) > [Every successful enterprise has a very clear strategic purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/every-successful-enterprise-has-a-very-clear-strategic-purpose/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [I'm no Kenneth Branagh or Ben Stiller. I'm not that single-minded, 'I'm producing it, directing it, and starring in it' kind of person; that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hollander/i-m-no-kenneth-branagh-or-ben-stiller-i-m-not-that-single-minded-i-m/) [Tom Hollander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hollander/) > [Whenever you do any one thing intensely over a period of time you have to give up other lives you could be living. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/whenever-you-do-any-one-thing-intensely-over-a-period-of-time-you/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [You must be single minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/you-must-be-single-minded-drive-for-the-one-thing-on-which-you-have/) [George S. Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-s-patton/) > ['Bad Taste' was - it was, in many respects, my sort of, my, I guess, my single-minded desire to want to break into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/bad-taste-was-it-was-in-many-respects-my-sort-of-my-i-guess-my-single/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [I was single-minded and I had tunnel vision. Now it's time for a change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-ashford/i-was-single-minded-and-i-had-tunnel-vision-now-it-s-time-for-a-change/) [Evelyn Ashford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-ashford/) > [I am amazed when people say I am single-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-van-gaal/i-am-amazed-when-people-say-i-am-single-minded/) [Louis van Gaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-van-gaal/) ## More by C. Northcote Parkinson > [The mind reels at the multiplication of books intended to justify the author's promotion from assistant to associate professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/the-mind-reels-at-the-multiplication-of-books-intended-to-justify-the/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Parkinson's First Law: Work expands to fill the time available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/parkinson-s-first-law-work-expands-to-fill-the-time-available/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Expenditures rise to meet income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/expenditures-rise-to-meet-income/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Time spent on any item of the agenda will be in inverse proportion to the sum involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/time-spent-on-any-item-of-the-agenda-will-be-in-inverse-proportion-to/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [It is the busiest man who has time to spare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/it-is-the-busiest-man-who-has-time-to-spare/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [It is now well known, however, that men enter local politics solely as a result of being unhappily married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/it-is-now-well-known-however-that-men-enter-local-politics-solely-as/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Administrators make work for each other so that they can multiply the number of their subordinates and enhance their prestige.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/administrators-make-work-for-each-other-so-that-they-can-multiply-the/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [People of great ability do not emerge, as a rule, from the happiest background. So far as my own observation goes, I would conclude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/people-of-great-ability-do-not-emerge-as-a-rule-from-the-happiest/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [No king or minister could have instructed Newton to discover the law of gravity, for they did not know and could not know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/no-king-or-minister-could-have-instructed-newton-to-discover-the-law/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [A committee grows organically, flourishes and blossoms, sunlit on top and shady beneath, until it dies, scattering the seeds from which other committees will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/a-committee-grows-organically-flourishes-and-blossoms-sunlit-on-top/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Deliberative bodies become decreasingly effective after they pass five to eight members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/deliberative-bodies-become-decreasingly-effective-after-they-pass/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Perfection of planned layout is achieved only by institutions on the point of collapse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/perfection-of-planned-layout-is-achieved-only-by-institutions-on-the/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Parkinson's Law is a purely scientific discovery, inapplicable except in theory to the politics of the day. It is not the business of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/parkinson-s-law-is-a-purely-scientific-discovery-inapplicable-except/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/work-expands-so-as-to-fill-the-time-available-for-its-completion/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) > [The basic quality for the diplomat is not intelligence but loyalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-northcote-parkinson/the-basic-quality-for-the-diplomat-is-not-intelligence-but-loyalty/) [C. Northcote Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) [Explore all 39 C. Northcote Parkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-northcote-parkinson/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the foundation and development of a successful enterprise there must be a single-minded pursuit of financial profit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. 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