Why am I not making a profit?

[Cryten]

Gday. Ive built almost exclusively crops and mines so far to try and get an early bankroll but I am not getting hardly any profit. I have 2 trade contracts 1 for corn and anouther for iron and yet I simply cannot make enough money to build citizen satisfying buildings. I sitll havtn even housed some fo the population. When I try I go into the red. So what am I doing wrong?

I will edit with creenshots once i workout how. Not having multiple screens in steam is really annoying for steam screenshots and forum posting.

[Dilkington]

Raw resources don't sell for much, you need facilities to refine the resources like steel mills, cigar factories and rum distilleries

[Cryten]

Main Base: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=265226352
Mine Wing: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=265225969

I was trying to develope the economy first and then move into tourism for which I reserve the left side of the starting position. Still im a beginner and dont really udnerstand if there are things im missing.

[Dilkington]

Build a wharf at the shore for some fish export income and extra food, Also i'd advise building a couple more plantations for income plants like tobacco, then build the facilities that you need to refine the resources when you have the money (such as cigar factories for tobacco)

Also also, you need a lumber mill to create planks from your logging camp and earn some mean cash. And if I'm not mistaken, there's another deposit to the left of your main base in the first screenshot which is either bauxite or gold, build another mine there

Edit: Trade routes aren't really essential to earning cash, so you don't really need two docks. On my current save im at the third mission or so on that same island you're playing, with 50 - 70k income per export without a single trade route, you don't NEED them. Also don't be afraid to go in the red a little, it will happen a lot when you're just starting out.

[Cryten]

Hmm thanks for your advice. I might restart and plan my network better. hame you dont get manufactured goods on early and thats when your finances are really weak. for a little while the game was giving me 19k income and 19k expenses :(.

[Freedom]

Cocoa plantations are the early game cash crop.

[Costarring]

Increase the budget of your teamsters to make them really productive.
And to increase the amount of trade ships / year, increase the budget of your docks.

Helped me a lot.