During a recent event with the Chamber of Commerce, Kayleigh Sojka of Hillside Accountancy was invited to consider the 2026/27 manifesto. Her table was asked to consider the theme of ‘Profit & Revenue’ and, as someone who has worked as an accountant and business advisor for more than 20 years, it was a topic she was particularly interested in.
A well-known phrase immediately came to mind: “revenue is vanity, profit is sanity.”
Earlier in my career I worked with a multinational wine business, reporting into a highly experienced Finance Director who had spent most of his career in the wine trade. I had previously been his auditor and remember asking detailed questions about changes in revenue. His response was always to steer the conversation away from the top line and back to what really mattered — the bottom line.
It’s easy for businesses to focus on driving revenue, but when margins are tight this can result in becoming what I often call “busy fools” — increasing turnover without improving the overall financial health of the business.
When business owners shift their focus to profit, they tend to become far more intentional about the work they take on. Not all revenue is equal.
Understanding profit also means looking beyond the obvious direct costs. Growth may require a larger team, additional space, or investment in equipment and infrastructure. Until the full cost base is clear, the true profitability of that revenue cannot be fully understood.
By all means pursue growth — but always keep one eye firmly on profitability. Because no business benefits from being busy without being profitable.