Keep personal money and business money separate
Allows business to grow without being cannibalized
Working capital compounds
Living off of a fixed salary serves as a powerful motivator to work hard and improve the profitability of the business
You business finances and your personal finances should operate separately
The business is a totally separate entity that has its own money
You are an employee in the business that gets paid through your salary
Personal money and business money should be separated both in physical and mental locations
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When people decide to start a business, many struggle with knowing how to take care of the money generated by their businesses transactions. Most view both their personal money and the business’ money as being in the same pot. The ability to separate business money from personal money is necessary for the growth of the business. Business money and personal money need to be treated differently not only in the physical location of the money, but also in the mind of the microenterprise owner. The more separation exists between the two kinds of money, the better off the business will be.
After your business is initially funded (whether through a loan or through the investment of personal funds), you must consider the business as a fully independent organization—an organization that is financially unrelated to your personal money. As a micro-entrepreneur, you must communicate clearly with your family members and friends to ensure that they understand the separate nature of your business and personal assets. Business money should be used strictly for business-related purposes and must not be used for personal reasons.
Once this relationship is understood and established, treat yourself as an employee of the business. In other words, calculate how much money you need daily to meet your personal needs, and withdraw that amount from the business as a daily salary. Reinvest the remaining profit into the business. Doing so will allow the business’ operational capital to increase, enabling you to purchase more products to sell. Learn to live on the determined salary and let the working capital compound (i.e., accumulate or grow interest) for the business. As more products are sold, more profit will be generated, and your salary can slowly be increased.
Think of your business as a separate person. You have your personal money and the business has its money. Your money comes from your personal salary that the business pays you. Pay tithing on your income from your salary, not on the business' profits.
Overcoming these obstacles will help you implement this rule of thumb successfully.
Temptations caused by the limited amount of funds available
Desire for instant gratification
Taking money from business for personal reasons
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But in order to be successful, you must be disciplined in setting your salary and then not taking additional money from the business. This discipline will enable you to invest in the business— a practice that will lead to higher profits in the future and to a bigger salary.
Application of the Principle in each stage of Act Now
David: Farmer | Start Now
"I learned to keep one cash box for my personal money and another cash box for my business money.”
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Had one wallet for personal money and one wallet for business money
Kept track in his notepad how much personal money he had and how much money the business had
Never used business money for personal purchases
Julieta: Cafe owner | Grow Now
"It can still be easy to forget to not take money from the cash register sometimes. So I put a reminder on the register that says, 'DON'T TAKE MONEY THAT ISN'T YOURS.'"
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Pays herself on the same day of the month every time
Has separate bank accounts for personal and business use
Puts reminders to not take money for personal use
Manuel: Online clothing retailer | Expand Now
"As I expand my business I’ve learned the habit of not using my personal money for business purchases.”
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Gives personal money to the business as an investment, but never takes from personal money for business expenses
Has separate credit cards for business and personal use
Kept good records of how much money the business has and how much he personally has
Marta: Digital marketer | Give Now
“Every time I need to help someone, I always take the money from my personal account and not from the business account."
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Has separate bank accounts for business money and personal money
Keeps records of personal expenses and business expenses
never lets personal and business money mix
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Where There Are No Jobs Vol.1
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