How to Get More Income From Your Assets Here are two ways to get more money out of your business -- beyond giving yourself a raise.

Whether your business is worth $200,000 or $20 million, guess what? You're not. Your company is just a highly illiquid asset that provides you with a paycheck. And yet, if you're like a lot of entrepreneurs, 100 percent of your wealth is attached to your business -- leaving you doubly exposed to financial disaster. If it fails, you'll lose your current and future income. "Entrepreneurs need to realize that their worth -- and financial future -- is predicated on their personal assets' ability to generate income," says Elisabeth Cullington, managing director of HoyleCohen, a San Diego-based wealth advisory firm.

How to do that? It seems obvious: Pull out as much money from your business as you can. But that's not so simple. Giving yourself a raise or a large bonus just increases what you'll owe the IRS. You're better off with one of the following options.

Sell stock.