I agree with the others.

But I'm also fortunate enough to have an income I can live on without dipping into my business at all. My brother is similarly set. All our money from the business goes right back into the business. Sure, I could have a new truck, a new car, a bigger boat ... but I'm trying to build my business into something much bigger ... my dream of independence. Why should I settle for that new truck now when I can parlay it into a second home in the mountains in a few years AND the new truck?

Since my brother and I started our busines/es, we have invested roughly $20,000 ($10,000 each) out of pocket. That is spread out over a few years, so it never really hurt either of us. We have never taken a dime out of the business except to pay the business's expenses ... utilities, office supplies, accountant and lawyer fees, etc. We have worked and slaved and not "paid" ourselves anything. We have multiplied our initial investment many times over and the cash is sitting in the bank and invested in cds.

The day will come when we have "funded" all our "plans" and "expansions" and will begin to take our hard-earned shares. By then our shares will be much larger than they have been at any point up to now. Timing is everything. Be patient.