A profit is what you make if you buy something at a lower price than what you sell it for, and the total amount that you make covers the item purchase price plus other overhead like staff, utilities, and other operating expenses. Profit quotes detail how many people try to earn a profit and why many fail in this effort. Every business wants to earn a profit but this is not usually the case for the first few years. If a business is losing money rather than earning a profit it is said to be in the red, and when the company sees a profit it is said to be in the black. Some companies offer profit sharing, and this allows employees to receive a percentage of any profit that the company makes.