How much should a start-up business pay its board members?

Usually, little to nothing in terms of cash or a paycheck. However, this is very dependent on the stage of the start-up. In a start-up, much of the earned revenues aren't being distributed, but rather reinvested into the growth and expansion of the company. What the board members lack in a formal paycheck, they almost always make up for with a large amount of equity (stock) in the company. This usually comes in the form of RSU's, or restrictive stock units, which means they can't sell their shares for a predetermined amount of time. If the company ever goes public with an IPO, they can sell their shares and make money.