A team member keeps asking for more money and shares. Who really holds the business?

The question: A young founder brought in a senior, well-connected person. Money got tight, so his salary became a smaller monthly fee plus a share of the company. Now he works only a few hours a week, keeps asking for more, and says he’ll only give his full effort once the shares are signed. She closes more sales than he does, but feels she can’t manage without his network.

Get clear on the facts first

Before deciding anything, there’s a lot to understand:

• What is the business worth today, and can it actually afford him?
• What does he do in those few hours a week?
• Did he put any money in? How is the business funded?
• Is he already a partner on paper?
• What happens to the business if he leaves? And if you leave?
• If he only works a few hours, how is the business being built right now?

Once those are clear, the right move usually becomes obvious.

The business relies on you more than you think

Without sales there is no business. If you’re the one closing the deals, the business relies on you very much. A strong salesperson is worth a lot; plenty of companies would pay you well. So don’t give away a big part of what you built to someone who does so little.

How founders end up depending on one person

Many founders start with a skill. Say you’re a baker: you’re good at baking, so you open a bakery. Soon you’re also managing, delivering, doing the accounts and the customer service, and you’re drowning. So you bring in one manager to take over everything else. Over time you lean on that person so much that they can ask for whatever they want, because you feel you can’t replace them.

There is a way out

No business has to depend on one person. Look at your business as a whole system, even if it’s small. What needs to be done? Accounts, customer service, follow-ups, partnerships. Each part can go to someone who’s better at it and often costs much less. One or two people, plus today’s tools and AI, can do a lot. When you know what needs to be done, nobody can hold the business over you.

Then you get to choose: keep the part you love and are best at, and let the rest be done by others.

You don’t have to work it out alone

Not everyone knows how to build a business this way, and that’s fine. Step by step, with the right guidance, it can be done.