every time she thought about increasing her own paycheck, a familiar worry surfaced:

• “What if next month is slow?”

• “Shouldn’t I reinvest everything back into the business?”

• “Will paying myself more put the company at risk?”

So she kept her pay the same—barely more than what she made freelancing years ago—even though the business could clearly afford more.

Sound familiar? Entrepreneurs often delay giving themselves a raise far longer than they should. The key isn’t guessing—it’s learning when and how you can safely pay yourself more.