Women Entrepreneurs - How Long Does it Take to Get from Start-up to Profit?

Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers about how long it takes to get from start-up to profit.

If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Q: Susan, how can I get from start-up to profit in less that one year?

A: The traditional answer is: you probably won't see sustainable profit for five years. The optimistic answer is: it takes between 2-3 years to see sustained growth profit.

For most women entrepreneurs starting up a business, the answer lies somewhere in between. And the following three points are important to keep in mind:

• When talking about the success of a start up, slow and steady has a much better chance of winning the race.
  
  
• Startups always take more time and money then expected. Once the business is up and running, plan on a one year roller-coaster adjustment period. This is the time when most new business owners throw in the towel. Don’t!
  
  
• If, however, you manage to make it past the two-year mark, what I call the terrible twos, you can expect to see some stabilization and growth. From this vantage point, you can begin focusing on how to sustain that growth and project profits.

Here's Entrepreneur Magazine's time-line guide for businesses:

•     Year 1: Starting Up
•     Years 2 to 5: Time to Grow
•     Years 5 to 10: Growing to the Next Level
•     Years 10 to Retirement: Managing Maturity
•     Moving On: Exit Strategies

Was that helpful?

Do you have any other suggestions? If so, leave a comment and let us know. And, if you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.

Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert

Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success