In plain English
Revenue is the top line. It says nothing about whether you made money, only about how much business went through the door.
In resale, revenue is easy to grow and easy to misread. Selling more units at a loss grows revenue and shrinks the business.
Example
You sold 40 appliances last month at an average of $450. Revenue was $18,000, whatever they cost you.
Why it matters
Revenue is the number every other number is measured against: margin, expenses, turn, growth.
COMMON MISTAKETreating deposits or financed sales you have not delivered as revenue.