Profit Maximization Problem
Suppose Alyssa gives haircuts on Saturdays to make extra money. She is the only person in town cutting hair on Saturdays and therefore has some market power. Assume that she does not incur fixed costs, and the only significant variable cost to Alyssa in giving haircuts is her time. As she gives more haircuts, Alyssa must increasingly forgo other valuable Saturday activities. For example, if she gives one haircut, she forgoes reading the paper after breakfast. If she gives two haircuts, she gives up reading the paper, sleeping an extra half-hour, and so on.