For workshops: Being the only one to have a kind of workshop should make it profitable, but it has to have at least one trade bound settlement producing the raw material. If there are no similar workshops nearby, caravans will take less of the raw materials, making it even cheaper to produce and more likely that caravans by your products, thus
It's a game mechanic. There are risks in investing money to buy a Workshop and consequences to be paid if a town falls. It's kind of hamfisted since it doesn't really present much risk to the late game player. By that time, that kind of economic loss is meaningless and it's just a time-sink to go buy another one. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. The 200-300 is more true. You can certainly earn less, like building a brewery next to two other towns that have breweries, you'll be lucky to consistently earn more The high income reports date form over a year ago before they changed income. Tip for prisoners. kAOK.