Egypt would be responsible for funding the museum, which was expected to begin making a profit after 12 years, he said.

BBC: Egypt seeks museum design

She says it's very expensive for airlines to develop new routes, typically waiting three years before making a profit, and her prospective airline clients see the UK as an unfriendly place to base their development plans while tax is high and rising.

BBC: Stuck on the runway

Based in slightly shabby central London offices, Symbian has fewer than 300 employees and, by its own admission, is several years away from making a profit.

ECONOMIST: Symbian��s friends

Scenario Two : you and your buddies have been in business now for five years and are making an annual profit.

FORBES: Be a Leader-It's Your Decision

Back in 2010 I reported that the legislation was a sellout to the profit-making health insurance companies, who were given 4 years to raise their premiums without any cap being instituted.

FORBES: The Fiscal Cliff Is Steeper Than Expected Due To Obamacare

But the current market meltdown means many buyouts made with lots of debt in the last three years have little hope of ever making a profit or breaking even.

FORBES: Magazine Article

It is, in reality, no different from an investor borrowing money from a bank and making a successful investment in a company that is sold for a profit three years later.

FORBES: Looking For Revenue In All The Wrong Places

Increased competition, falling prices and narrowing profit margins have hurt its business, especially in the TV segment which has been making a loss for the past eight years.

BBC: Sony reports first annual profit in five years