The Difference Between Revenue and Profit

When it comes to business, there are a lot of terms that get thrown around. Two of those terms are revenue and profit. Often times, these two terms are used interchangeably. However, they actually have different meanings. It's important to understand the difference between revenue and profit so that you can make informed decisions about your business finances.  Here's a look at the difference between revenue and profit.

Revenue vs Profit

Revenue is the total amount of money that a company brings in from its sales. This number includes both the money that a company makes from its product sales as well as any other income sources, such as interest or investment income. Revenue is usually expressed as a yearly figure, and if you are VAT registered it excludes VAT.

Profit, on the other hand, is the amount of money that a company has left after it pays all of its expenses. This number represents the true bottom line for a business. To calculate profit, you take a company's revenue and subtract all of its expenses, including the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, taxes, and interest payments.

The difference between Revenue and Profit - Why does it matter? 

So, why does it matter to understand the difference between revenue and profit? Because they are two very different things! Revenue is the top line number—the raw amount of money coming in. Profit is what's left after all the bills are paid. Just because a company has high revenue doesn't mean that it's profitable. And just because a company has low revenue doesn't mean that it isn't profitable. For example, a small business with £50,000 in annual revenue might only have £5,000 in profit. However, a big corporation with £50 billion in annual revenue might have £5 billion in profit. See how that works?

 
Now that you know the difference between revenue and profit, you can make informed decisions about your business finances. Keep in mind that revenue is the top line number—the raw amount of money coming in. Profit is what's left after all the bills are paid. Just because a company has high revenue doesn't mean that it's profitable and just because a company has low revenue doesn't mean that it isn't profitable. With this knowledge under your belt, you're one step closer to making smart financial decisions for your business!

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