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LWhatstageWherelocatedHowreceivedetsbeginwiththeshortanswerlots.Youreaneducatedandtalentedindividual.Whetherworkingaloneormanagingstaffchancesareyoudevotelonghourstoyourbusiness.Youvealsoinvestedmorethanalittletimeandtreasureintomakingitasuccess.Andunlikemostoftheworkingworldyouvetakenonnancialandcareerrisksindoingso.Alltheabovequaliesyouforamplereward.ButwhatsampleHowdoeswhatyoutakeoutofyourbusinesscomparetowhatotherstakeoutoftheirsThesearequestionseveryself-employedcreativeponders.Andnotoneseasilyputtopeers.Armsaccountantisthelogicalonetogotoaboutmoneyissues.Heorsheisnotonlyfamiliarwithyourrmsnan-cialsbutisalsoconversantwiththoseofothersmallbusinesses.Yetifyouveeveraskedhowmuchyoushouldbemakingtheansweryouveprobablygot-tenbackissomethinglikeasmuchasyoupossiblycan.Althoughglibnessisafactorheretherewardsofowningabusinesshaveseveraldimen-sionswhichmakeitadifcultquestiontoprovideastraightanswerto.Whereabusi-nessisinitsdevelopmentcanmakeadifferenceinownerpay.Forinstanceitmightbewiseforsomeonebuildingapromis-ingbusinesstosettleforlessnowwiththeexpectationofget-tingmorelaterthatistoinvestsomedeferredcompensationintogrowth.Converselysome-onecontemplatingphasingoutofthebusinessmightwishtotakeoutmorecashbyscrimpingonroutinemaintenanceinvest-mentandupgrades.Thevalueofonespaycheckissomewhatrel-ative.Someareashavehigheraveragesalariesbutalsohavehighercostsofliving.Viceversatoo.ForreaderslivingoutsidetheU.S.salariestendtobelowerandtaxeshigherbutben-etsgreater.Inshortwhatonemakeshastobeconsideredinthecontextofthelifestyleitmakespossible.Principalscanberewardedfourways1salary2prot3perksand4equity.ButhowtoequatehowmucheachisworthTherightmixwillbedifferentforeachindividualbecauseofpersonalchoicesandtaxconsiderations.1PAYINGYOURSELFCreativeBusinessMarchApril2008HOWMUCHSHOULDYOUBEMAKINGPUTTINGYOURTAKEINTOPERSPECTIVE