You built it. You carry it. You’re the one staring at the ceiling at 3am working out how to make payroll.
So why is everyone in your business getting paid before you do?
Your staff. Your suppliers. The taxman. The landlord. They all eat first. You get whatever’s left – which is usually bugger all. Let me be blunt: that’s not a business, that’s a charity you’re funding with your own life.
The No Bullshit Version
- You take all the risk but you’re last in the pay queue – behind staff, suppliers and HMRC.
- The owner should be the highest-paid person in the business. Full stop.
- Chasing applause instead of profit is a mug’s game – plenty of people will pat your head while the business eats your family alive.
- Pay yourself properly, build a fat war chest, and get rich off the thing you actually built.
You take the risks.
You sign the cheques.
You’re the one wide awake at 3 am.
You built the thing, yet somehow…
Suppliers get paid.
Staff get paid.
The tax man gets paid.
The bills get paid.
And you get the scraps.
Madness.
You should be the highest-paid person in the business.
Because sooner or later, you have to ask yourself this:
“Am I in this game for cash… or compliments?”
Because if it’s compliments you’re after, this won’t help.
There are plenty of others who’ll pat you on the head while your business eats your money, your family, and your future alive.
But if you’d rather build a fat war chest…
Pay yourself properly…
And finally get rich off the business you’ve built…
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
P.S. You didn’t build a business so your suppliers could have a spa weekend while you live on toast.
FAQ
Should the business owner be the highest-paid person in the business?
Yes. You take the risks, you sign the cheques, you’re the one awake at 3am – so you should be first in the pay queue, not last. If your staff, suppliers and HMRC all get paid before you, you’ve built a charity, not a business.
What does “pay yourself first” actually mean?
It means your own wage comes out before you fund everyone else’s comfortable life – not after. Most owners do it backwards: they pay suppliers, staff and the taxman, then live on the scraps. Flip it. Take your slice off the top and build the business around that.
Why do so many business owners earn so little from their own companies?
Because they’re chasing compliments instead of cash. They want to be seen as the generous boss and the good little taxpayer, and there are plenty of people happy to pat them on the head while the business eats their money and their future. Applause doesn’t pay the mortgage.
What is a war chest and why does it matter?
A war chest is the fat reserve of cash you build by paying yourself properly and running lean. It’s what lets you sleep at night, ride out a bad quarter, and eventually walk away rich instead of knackered. No war chest means you’re one slow month from panic.
What To Do Next
You’re not evil for wanting to replace jobs with profit. You’re running a business, not a crèche. If you want the full playbook – the exact method hundreds of UK men have used to hit £1 million without a payroll dragging them under – start with my best-selling book. It’s here on Amazon
