This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
SmallBusiness. SMALLBUSINESS. more in SmallBusiness. Harvard professor Noam Wasserman and WSJ small-business editor Vanessa OConnell took reader questions about avoiding start-up pitfalls on Sept. SmallBusiness » Subscriber Content Read Preview. Loading… Careers.
Profit goals, based on growing the business as well as paying owners, management, and personnel. Use good years to buffer lean years. A handy rule is to expect three lean years for every seven good years. Your baseline goals are simple: always make at least some profit, and aim for between 15-20 percent gross profit.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Lean 
107 
Let's personalize your content