Business Quote by Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth
““Sometimes a business has to lose money in its infancy. But that's only okay if there's a path to profitability and a clear vision of a profitable business model. A loss is only acceptable if it's a present investment into future profit.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Business Strategy Podcast, 2021
Early-stage businesses may incur losses, but only if they have a clear path to profitability and a solid vision for a sustainable model.
In simple terms: Losses are okay when they’re strategic investments toward future profit.
Key Takeaway
Invest wisely with a profit plan.
Themes
business
finance
strategy
Mood
cautious
optimistic
Type
advice
business
When to use this quote
- startup funding
- product development
- market entry
- scaling
- budget planning
Key Concepts
investment
growth
risk management
entrepreneurship
Questions to Reflect On
- Is your loss a strategic investment?
- How will you measure progress toward profitability?
A Different Perspective
Not all losses lead to profit; mismanagement can worsen deficits.
![“[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, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
