What could the motivations of the owner be, if not to make money?
Please add to my list:

• prestige
• tax avoidance
• boost retirement savings (in the USA, business owners can stuff their retirement accounts with LOTS of cash.)
• Create and disguise a "sex pad"
• improve the community by providing jobs and/or needed services (start a coffee shop so that there is a coffee shop.)
• time filler

Of those, I think a very healthy 401K contribution from the employer to the employee would be motivating to those already paid well.

Many employees already use the business as a sex pad. (Conference rooms can be gross.)