The money questions, answered with the math shown

Every guide here names its method, works a real example, and says so when the honest answer is that it depends. No listicles, no invented statistics.

The core questions

How much should you pay yourself from your small business?How many months of cash does your business actually have?Revenue dipped. Is it real, or just a slow week?Can your business actually afford that hire?What did your last price change actually do to sales?Which late invoice should you chase first?

Calculators

Pay yourself calculator: median and worst honest monthCash runway calculator with a thin-months warningHire affordability calculator with a slow-month stress test

By business type

How much should restaurant owners pay themselves?How much should landscaping pay themselves?How much should Etsy sellers pay themselves?How much should working musicians pay themselves?Cash runway for restaurant owners: how many months do you really have?Cash runway for landscaping: how many months do you really have?Cash runway for Etsy sellers: how many months do you really have?Cash runway for working musicians: how many months do you really have?
Counsel does this math on your real numbers

Connect Square, Stripe, Shopify, Etsy, QuickBooks, or your bank. Every answer carries a receipt: the method, the sample size, and the confidence. When the math is not conclusive, it says so.

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Counsel's rule, applied to its own content: every figure above is computed, sourced from our demo businesses or your own inputs, never invented. This is cash math, not tax or legal advice. Written and maintained by the founder.