If you convince "investors"(who pays for your business) that your business creates more value than the rewards you obtain, no one downvotes. Before you insist a high reward that compensates your costs, I think you can optimize your business (that will your service more competitive), and make consensus with the community.
And I think downvoting is a stronger-level disagreement. People might just not vote for steemvoters posts and voted for other posts they like and that only decreased very small fraction of steemvoters reward. You missed this stage already, and I would like to recommend you not to miss the current stage again.