If a business is making losses in the short run, it will either keep limping along or just shut down, depending on whether its revenues are covering its variable costs.
Losses are the black thundercloud that causes businesses to flee. When new firms enter the industry in response to increased industry profits it is called entry. If a business is making a profit in the short run, it has an incentive to expand existing factories or to build new ones. In a competitive market, profits are a red cape that incites businesses to charge. The distinction between the short run and the long run is therefore more technical: in the short run, firms cannot change the usage of fixed inputs, while in the long run, the firm can adjust all factors of production. It varies according to the specific business. The line between the short run and the long run cannot be defined precisely with a stopwatch, or even with a calendar. Discuss the long-run adjustment process.