“Your Business is Not Your ATM: How I Pay Myself (and Why It Matters)”

If you’ve ever found yourself transferring money from your business account to your personal one “just this once,” this episode is for you. 

I get this question all the time—“How do I pay myself from my business the right way?” And honestly? It’s one of the most misunderstood parts of being a solopreneur. 

In this episode of No Se Habla Taxes, I’m walking you through: 

✨ Why your business account is not your personal piggy bank 
✨ The real danger of treating your biz like your backup wallet 
✨ How I (a single-member LLC) pay myself consistently and cleanly every month 
✨ The system I use in QuickBooks Online to automate my owner distributions—without the chaos 

And because I love a good workflow, I’ve got a free step-by-step guide for you: 

📥 Download “How I Pay Myself Like a Pro” here: https://steadyhandaccounting.myflodesk.com/xf47l1ku5f 

So if you’re ready to stop playing ATM roulette with your business account and start paying yourself like the grown-up CEO you are, this episode is your permission slip. 

👀 Want more behind-the-scenes confessionals and clean bookkeeping systems? 

👉 Subscribe to No Se Habla Taxes wherever you listen, and follow me for updates on my upcoming DIY bookkeeping mentorship program. 

Let's connect!

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armstrongmelissacpa/

Website: https://steadyhandaccounting.com/

Coaching Program Waitlist: https://steadyhandaccounting.myflodesk.com/ofgzp2o7tc

Transcript

0:10

Welcome to No Se Habla Taxes, the podcast where I a CPA, help you clean up the financial chaos behind your business without judgment, fancy words or shame. I'm Melissa Armstrong, a fractional controller solo practice owner, and your favorite spreadsheet translator for this self-employed and scrappy. And today I wanna talk about something I get asked all the time, how do I pay myself from my business account without messing everything up? And just as often I see the same mistake using the personal account like a piggy bank. No. Okay, so here's what I see. Solopreneurs transferring money whenever they need it. A quick Venmo to cover groceries. A random Zelle, because the personal account got low. A late night Amazon order. That's half business, half in impulse buy. And it all adds up to one big mess. Why? Because your business bank account isn't your backup wallet, Uhuh. I know you want it to be, but it really isn't. It's not supposed to fund your lifestyle on demand. When you treat it like that, you are blurring the lines between you and your business, and that's where the real trouble starts. Let me tell you how I handle this. I run my business as a single member, LLC. But please, I want you to hear me Clearly, this setup might not be the right fit for you. Talk to your tax expert, AKA, not me, to confirm what is best for your situation. Okay? Let's go back to how I pay myself every month. Melissa, the human sends, Melissa the business owner, a bill. Yes. It's all very meta. That bill is for a fixed monthly amount. I figured out a while back just enough to cover my basics, like mortgage, groceries, and yes, my cleaning lady. Don't judge me once the bill hits my business. Pace it like it would any other vendor via ACH. Same amount, same day, every month. Just like when I used to get a paycheck. Here is what I want you to consider. When you worked a W2 job, your paycheck was your paycheck. That was it. If you run out, you didn't call your boss asking for a bonus because your brunch ran long and you had too many drinks that were not in budget. The same thing applies here. Your business is not your ATM. It's not your sugar daddy. It is your company. And when you create a consistent, disciplined way to pay yourself, you are not just tidying your books, you're building financial clarity and credibility. You'll actually be able to answer questions like, can I afford this? Do I need to raise my client rates? Is this business profitable or. Is it just paying my rent? So this is how you get started. Talk to your tax professional. Remember, not me, about your business structure and what kinds of payments make sense for you. Salary versus owner, draw versus distributions. Pick a number. What is the baseline you need to cover personal expenses and honestly, add a little bit there for like fun too, because that will be important. Schedule it. Set up a recurring transfer or a bill payment from business due personal, same amount, same day, every month. Label it correctly. Is it owner's draw? Is it a distribution? Whatever fits your setup, but make sure you keep it clear in QuickBooks. And stick to the plan. This is where the magic happens. Discipline turns chaos into clarity. Look. Running your own business doesn't mean living in financial guesswork. It really doesn't. You deserve systems that support your goals, not habits that sabotage them. You're working too hard for that, so if this got your wheel sterning. Subscribe to No Se Habla taxes. I've got more real world tips and behind the scenes strategies for solopreneurs who are tired of. Flying blind with their books, and if you wanna peek at how I set up that recurring bill in QBO, I have got a free walkthrough waiting for you at the link in my show notes. Until next time, pay yourself with purpose and keep your receipts.