How Much Money Should I Leave in My Business Account?
Just Because It's in Your Business Bank Account Doesn't Mean You Can Spend It
Girl...
have you ever looked at your business bank account and thought:
"Can I finally move some of this to my personal account?"
Because same question.
Different week.
And honestly?
It's one of the most common questions I get from women entrepreneurs.
here's the reality.
Just because the money is sitting in your business bank account...
does NOT mean it's available for you to spend.
Girl...
your bank balance is only telling you one part of the story.
The number in your account is not the same as the money your business can actually afford to give you.
And confusing those two numbers is how businesses accidentally create cash flow problems.
this is what i see all the time.
A business owner opens her bank app.
Balance:
$18,000
She thinks:
"I'm doing amazing."
So she transfers:
$10,000 to herself.
Feels good.
Until...
Payroll hits.
Software renewals come out.
Quarterly taxes are due.
Insurance drafts.
Client refunds happen.
Now the account suddenly feels empty.
Not because the business wasn't making money.
Because the money already had a job.
Working capital is the money your business needs to keep operating.
It's the cash that keeps everything moving.
The bills.
The subscriptions.
The contractors.
The software.
The taxes.
The things your business needs before you pay yourself extra.
Let's look at an example.
Business bank account:
$25,000
Sounds amazing.
But over the next 30 days the business already needs:
Payroll:
$8,000
Quarterly taxes:
$5,000
Software:
$900
Rent:
$2,100
Insurance:
$500
Credit card payment:
$2,500
That's $19,000 already spoken for.
Girl...
you don't actually have $25,000 sitting there waiting to be spent.
You have about $6,000 of breathing room.
see the difference?
This is where women entrepreneurs accidentally create cash flow problems.
They use the bank balance as permission to spend.
Instead of using their financial reports to make decisions.
And those are two very different things.
Your books tell you what your business actually needs.
Not your banking app.
Your books.
Because your bookkeeping shows you:
- what bills are coming
- what money is already committed
- what your profit actually is
- what cash your business needs to keep operating
That's information your bank account can't give you.
Here's another example.
A business owner made:
$15,000 this month.
She assumes she can pay herself:
$10,000.
But after reviewing her books she realizes:
- $3,500 needs to be set aside for taxes.
- $2,000 is needed for inventory.
- $1,200 covers monthly software and subscriptions.
- $800 is due for insurance.
- Several client payments haven't cleared yet.
Now the decision looks completely different.
that's why bookkeeping matters.
Not because accountants love spreadsheets.
Because it helps you avoid taking money your business still needs.
The mistake I see all the time.
Women entrepreneurs ask:
"How much CAN I transfer?"
Before asking:
How much does my business need to keep?
Girl...
those questions should always happen in that order.
So how much money should stay in your business account?
There isn't one magic number.
It depends on:
- your monthly operating expenses
- upcoming tax payments
- payroll or contractor costs
- seasonal slow periods
- your cash flow
That's why copying someone else's "always keep $10,000" rule doesn't work.
Your business isn't their business.
Here's what you should do before moving money to your personal account.
Take five minutes to review:
- upcoming bills
- tax money you've set aside
- recurring subscriptions
- expected cash coming in
- expected cash going out
Then decide what your business can
comfortably afford to pay you.
Simple.
Intentional.
Way less stressful.
because paying yourself should feel planned.
Not like you're hoping nothing bounces next week.
You can keep making transfer decisions based
on whatever number your bank app shows...
OR
You can start using your books to decide what your business can actually afford.
And girl...
that's when paying yourself starts feeling a whole lot less like guessing
and a whole lot more like running a business.
about the author
Heyyy sis! I help women entrepreneurs understand their numbers, pay the right taxes, and build real financial confidence in their business.
girl...
Let's
Talk
Whether it's bookkeeping, taxes, payroll, or just figuring out what comes next...
I'm here to help.
BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...
Join the “Girl Let Me Explain” newsletter: Sis… be honest. Do your numbers actually make sense to you?
Or are you lowkey guessing, avoiding it, and hoping nothing comes back to bite you later? 😭
Every week, I break down: money mistakes, confusing financial patterns & what to fix before it gets expensive.
OH HEY SIS, I'M MAREAKA
I help women entrepreneurs stop guessing with their finances and finally understand what their numbers are actually saying.
And yes… we’re probably gonna have a good time during the process too 😌
