One of the biggest myths about Profit First is that it tells business owners to take all the money out of their business. That misunderstanding creates confusion around fair wages and wage rate, especially for owners who already feel pressure around cash flow. Profit First is not about draining your business. It’s about paying yourself properly, based on the work you actually do.
When we talk about paying yourself using Profit First, we are talking about fair market wage, not emotional pay, not what feels fair personally, and not what you wish the business could afford. Fair wages and wage rate are based on the market value of the role you’re performing inside your business.
Fair Wages and Wage Rate Depend on the Job You’re Doing
Fair wages and wage rate have nothing to do with whether you’re a sole proprietor or incorporated. What matters is the role you’re filling day to day.
Let’s say you’re handling all the admin work in your business. You’re booking appointments, answering emails, sending invoices, and following up on payments. That role has a market wage rate. If you hired an admin assistant, you might pay them around $17 an hour.
So here’s the question: why would the business be able to afford paying you $50 an hour to do the same work? That disconnect between fair wages and wage rate is one of the biggest causes of cash flow stress.
How Ignoring Wage Rate Starves the Business
When owners overpay themselves for the role they’re performing, the business starts to feel tight. Expenses feel heavier, taxes feel overwhelming, and growth stalls. Eventually, owners conclude, “My business can’t afford to pay me.”
In most cases, the issue isn’t affordability. It’s misalignment. Fair wages and wage rate require separating labour from ownership. You earn a wage for the work you do. You earn profit because you own the business.
Those are two different things.
How Profit First Creates Alignment
Profit First restores alignment by grounding fair wages and wage rate in reality. When you pay yourself a fair market wage, the business becomes sustainable. Profit becomes visible instead of theoretical, and ownership starts to feel like an asset rather than a burden.
This clarity allows you to answer an important question: What does this business actually support right now? That answer is what enables responsible growth and long-term profitability.
The Bottom Line on Fair Wages and Wage Rate
Profit First does not tell you to take whatever you want out of your business. It teaches you to pay yourself appropriately based on fair wages and wage rate, so the business stays healthy and profitable. When that alignment is in place, everyone wins, including your future self.
If you want to see what Profit First could look like in your business, download my free Profit Maximizer Calculator. It shows how much profit your business should be generating on your very next sale, without working more hours.
