What is the purpose of balance sheets?

Try figure out what would happen if you were the owner of a big business company and didn't have a balance sheet.

Wouldn't you want to know how much money are you making of your initial investment? Wouldn't you want to make the maximum profit? Wouldn't you want to make sure that no one is stealing or doing any other fraudulent activities in your business that you are not aware of?

And maybe something some people like... is to compare figures from previous years and contemplate the progress of their company. Whether they think they can grow faster, of struggle so as not to be swallowed by the other rival businesses :)