how ordinary businesses make money

the whole table

78 so far, page 3 of 7

July 2026

The corner of a closed grey laptop, a plain silver USB drive, a notebook open to a blank page with a few pencil boxes drawn, a coil of grey ethernet cable and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a web designer

Ask who owns the domain. Get the answer in writing.

A plain grey canvas pencil case, a plain steel geometry compass, an exercise book with a blank grey cover, a wooden ruler with no markings and a blank fee slip on a deep green paper board

How a tuition centre makes money after UPSR and PT3

The big exams went away. The tuition did not.

A fan of plain paper swatches in white and grey, a steel paper cutter blade guard, a bone folder, a black rubber ink roller and a blank quotation on a soft pink paper board

How a print shop outlived the paperless office

Paper was finished, they said. Someone still prints the menus.

A plain grey document folder, a black pen, a sealed white envelope, a grey calculator with blank display and plain unmarked keys and a blank policy schedule sheet on a deep green paper board

How an insurer makes money even when it pays out

Refusing claims is the lazy explanation.

A plain manila document folder, a plain closed black ink pad, a black fountain pen, two black bulldog clips and a blank invoice sheet on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a lawyer for a house purchase

The fee is on a scale. The attention isn't.

Three wax crayons in red, blue and yellow, a small plain navy child's shoe, a blank white name sticker sheet, a plain wooden block and a blank fee slip on a deep green paper board

The awkward arithmetic of a childcare centre

Ratios, rent, and a fee parents already find too high.

A grey desktop calculator with blank display, a roll of white receipt paper, a stapler, a stack of three blank invoice sheets with a paper clip and a yellow highlighter on a soft pink paper board

What you're paying your accountant for in a quiet month

The audit is becoming optional. The paperwork isn't.

Four square ceramic tile samples in plain white, beige, grey and charcoal stacked loosely, a steel notched trowel with a wooden handle, a small handful of white tile spacers and a folded white quotation sheet on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose floor tiles I won't hate in ten years

Looks second. Slip, water and a spare box first.

A brown paper bag, a steel weighing scale pan, an onion and a yellow lemon, a roll of plain white price labels and a receipt on a soft pink paper board

How a mini-market lives on a few sen a packet

About five percent, net. The rest is repetition.

A stainless steel dental probe, a small white paper cup, a small blank appointment card and a long curling thermal receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a dentist

Start with the register, then ask for the fee list.

A corner of a kraft cardboard box, a roll of brown parcel tape, a box cutter, a plain hanging luggage scale with a blank dial and a blank waybill on a soft pink paper board

What a RM5 parcel leaves the courier

Five ringgit, a van, a sorting hub, one tired rider.

June 2026

A metal receipt spike, a wooden rolling pin, a plain steel bench scraper, a blank order pad and a till receipt on a deep green paper board

Why your favourite bakery closes on Mondays

I can't find a number. I have a guess anyway.

got a business you're curious about? tell me