“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

Episode Transcript

(00:10):
Welcome to No Se Habla Taxes,the podcast where I a CPA, help
you clean up the financial chaosbehind your business without
judgment, fancy words or shame.
I'm Melissa Armstrong, afractional controller solo
practice owner, and yourfavorite spreadsheet translator

(00:31):
for this self-employed andscrappy.
And today I wanna talk aboutsomething I get asked all the
time, how do I pay myself frommy business account without
messing everything up?
And just as often I see the samemistake using the personal

(00:53):
account like a piggy bank.
No.
Okay, so here's what I see.
Solopreneurs transferring moneywhenever they need it.
A quick Venmo to covergroceries.
A random Zelle, because thepersonal account got low.

(01:15):
A late night Amazon order.
That's half business, half inimpulse buy.
And it all adds up to one bigmess.
Why?
Because your business bankaccount isn't your backup
wallet, Uhuh.
I know you want it to be, but itreally isn't.
It's not supposed to fund yourlifestyle on demand.

(01:39):
When you treat it like that, youare blurring the lines between
you and your business, andthat's where the real trouble
starts.
Let me tell you how I handlethis.
I run my business as a singlemember, LLC.
But please, I want you to hearme Clearly, this setup might not

(02:03):
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 paymyself every month.
Melissa, the human sends,Melissa the business owner, a

(02:27):
bill.
Yes.
It's all very meta.
That bill is for a fixed monthlyamount.
I figured out a while back justenough to cover my basics, like
mortgage, groceries, and yes, mycleaning lady.

(02:48):
Don't judge me once the billhits my business.
Pace it like it would any othervendor via ACH.
Same amount, same day, everymonth.
Just like when I used to get apaycheck.

(03:09):
Here is what I want you toconsider.
When you worked a W2 job, yourpaycheck was your paycheck.
That was it.
If you run out, you didn't callyour boss asking for a bonus
because your brunch ran long andyou had too many drinks that
were not in budget.

(03:29):
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 aconsistent, disciplined way to
pay yourself, you are not justtidying your books, you're
building financial clarity andcredibility.

(03:52):
You'll actually be able toanswer questions like, can I
afford this?
Do I need to raise my clientrates?
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 yourbusiness structure and what

(04:17):
kinds of payments make sense foryou.
Salary versus owner, draw versusdistributions.
Pick a number.
What is the baseline you need tocover personal expenses and
honestly, add a little bit therefor like fun too, because that

(04:37):
will be important.
Schedule it.
Set up a recurring transfer or abill 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, butmake sure you keep it clear in

(05:02):
QuickBooks.
And stick to the plan.
This is where the magic happens.
Discipline turns chaos intoclarity.
Look.
Running your own businessdoesn't mean living in financial
guesswork.
It really doesn't.
You deserve systems that supportyour goals, not habits that

(05:26):
sabotage them.
You're working too hard forthat, so if this got your wheel
sterning.
Subscribe to No Se Habla taxes.
I've got more real world tipsand behind the scenes strategies
for solopreneurs who are tiredof.
Flying blind with their books,and if you wanna peek at how I

(05:51):
set up that recurring bill inQBO, I have got a free
walkthrough waiting for you atthe link in my show notes.
Until next time, pay yourselfwith purpose and keep your
receipts.