You started your business because you wanted more freedom, more choice and more control over your income.
Not because you wanted to work all the hours, carry all the responsibility and then cross your fingers at the end of the month to see if there’s anything left for you.
And yet, that’s exactly what happens to so many small business owners.
The money comes in.
The money goes out.
The bills get paid.
The software gets paid.
The suppliers get paid.
The accountant gets paid.
The Facebook ads, Canva subscription, website hosting, training courses, networking memberships and random business bits all get paid.
And then you look at what’s left for you and think…
“Is that it?”
If you’re wondering how to pay yourself from your business properly, you are not alone.
But you do need a better plan.
Because “pay yourself what’s left” is not a business strategy, even if it was what you were told when you started out.
It’s a fast route to frustration, resentment and wondering why on earth you’re working so hard for so little reward.
Your Business Needs a Payday
A real business needs to pay the person running it.
That does not mean you have to take a huge salary from day one.
It does not mean everything has to be perfect before you start.
And it definitely does not mean waiting until you’re “bigger” before you allow yourself to get paid.
You need a payday now.
Even if it starts small.
Even if it grows gradually.
Even if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first.
Because once you build your pay into your business model, you finally have something to aim for, measure and improve.
You stop hoping there will be enough left.
You start planning for it.
And that changes everything.
You Probably Don’t Have a Turnover Problem
Most business owners who come to me think they need more sales.
More clients.
More bookings.
More visibility.
More followers.
More networking.
More enquiries.
More turnover.
And sometimes, yes, more sales might be part of the answer.
But very often, the real problem is not turnover.
It’s take-home pay.
You may be making money, but not keeping enough of it.
You may be busy, but not profitable enough.
You may be selling, but not charging properly.
You may have income coming in, but no clear plan for what needs to go out, what needs to stay in the business and what needs to come to you.
That’s why I always say:
Stop chasing turnover.
Profit is where your payday lives.
If your business is not making enough profit, more turnover can simply mean more work, more costs and more exhaustion.
And nobody started a business so they could become the busiest unpaid employee in the building.
Why You’re Not Paying Yourself Properly
There are lots of reasons small business owners struggle to pay themselves consistently.
Sometimes your prices are too low.
Sometimes your costs are too high.
Sometimes you’re selling the wrong things.
Sometimes you’re spending money before the business has earned it.
Sometimes you’re saying yes to work that takes too much time and leaves too little profit.
Sometimes you’re not clear on how much your business actually needs to make each month.
And sometimes, if we’re being really honest, you simply haven’t built your own pay into the plan.
You’re treating yourself like an optional extra.
And you are not an optional extra.
You are the person making the whole thing happen.
Your business needs to support you too.
How I Can Help You Pay Yourself From Your Business
I help small business owners understand the numbers behind their business so they can stop guessing and start making better decisions.
Together, we look at what is actually happening.
Not what you hope is happening.
Not what your bank balance briefly suggests on a good day.
Not what your turnover looks like on paper.
We look at the real picture.
Your income.
Your costs.
Your pricing.
Your profit.
Your offers.
Your sales.
Your monthly commitments.
Your personal income goal.
Your business model.
Then we work out what needs to change so your business has a proper plan for paying you.
This is not about complicated spreadsheets or scary financial jargon.
This is Figures Without Fear.
Simple numbers.
Clear decisions.
Practical action.
What We Can Work On Together
If you need help paying yourself from your business, we can look at:
how much you actually want and need to pay yourself
what your business needs to make each month to support that
whether your current prices are working
which offers or services are making you the most profit
where money is leaking out of the business
what costs need reviewing
how many sales or clients you need each month
how to build your pay into your business model
how to create a simple monthly money plan
how to make payday a regular part of your business
Because getting paid from your business should not be a lucky accident.
It should be part of the plan.
This Is for You If…
You are making sales but not paying yourself consistently.
You feel embarrassed that your business still isn’t paying you properly.
You keep telling yourself it will be better next month.
You’re tired of looking successful on the outside but feeling stressed about money behind the scenes.
You don’t know how much your business needs to make each month.
You have no clear payday.
You feel guilty taking money out of the business.
You’re fed up of being paid last, least or not at all.
You know something needs to change, but you’re not sure where to start.
If that sounds familiar, please know this:
You are not failing.
You are probably missing a proper pay strategy.
And that can be fixed.
Paying Yourself Is Not Selfish
A lot of small business owners feel guilty about paying themselves.
They worry about taking money out.
They worry the business might need it.
They worry they should reinvest everything.
They worry they haven’t “earned” it yet.
But here’s the thing.
Your business is supposed to support you.
That is not selfish.
That is sensible.
If your business cannot pay you, it is not yet working properly.
And the answer is not to keep ignoring your own income and hoping it sorts itself out.
The answer is to look at the numbers, understand what needs to happen and build a business model that includes you.
Because you matter in this business too.
Start With Your Payday Number
One of the first things we look at is your payday number.
How much do you want your business to pay you each month?
Not in a vague “more would be nice” kind of way.
An actual number.
Because if you don’t know the number, you can’t hit it.
Once we know what you want to take home, we can work backwards.
We can look at what the business needs to generate.
We can look at the costs.
We can look at the profit.
We can look at the sales needed to make that payday possible.
And suddenly, instead of guessing, you have something useful to work with.
That’s when the business starts to feel less chaotic and much more intentional.
Build a Business That Pays You Properly
I’m Lynne Thomas, founder of The Business Builder.
I help small business owners stop chasing turnover and start building businesses that pay them properly.
Over the years, I’ve supported thousands of business owners through workshops, mentoring, training, memberships, retreats and one-to-one support.
And the same problem comes up again and again.
People are working hard.
They are making sales.
They are doing all the things.
But they are not paying themselves enough.
That is why my work focuses on helping you understand your numbers, improve your profit and build your pay into the business properly.
Because a business that only pays everyone else is not the business you set out to build.
Ready to Start Paying Yourself Properly?
If you need help paying yourself from your business, I’d love to help.
Book a free strategy call and we’ll look at where you are now, what is getting in the way and what your next best step could be.
No judgement.
No jargon.
No scary number nonsense.
Just a practical conversation about how to make your business work better for you.
Book Your Free Strategy Call
If your business is making money but not paying you properly, now is the time to stop guessing.
Let’s look at the numbers.
Let’s sort the business model.
Let’s stop chasing turnover.
And let’s build a business that pays you properly.
Get that call booked right now: https://calendly.com/the-business-builder/strategy-call
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