25 Rules of Thumb

Start Now

An introductory business training that helps entrepreneurs create their own seed funding and start an income generating activity

Start Now is first stage of the Act Now program, and the first step towards financial self-reliance. As you work through this stage you will learn that you can be the answer to your own financial problems, you will start your Income Generating Activity, and you will raise your own seed money to get started.

Each stage of Act Now begins with the training sessions and follows action plans that move you towards the milestone of that stage.

Action Plan:

IGA Plan: This is the document where you detail your plan to create a successful Income Generating Activity. For each stage you will fill out a corresponding planning document.

planning document

Badges: These are the individual tasks required to complete in order to complete each stage. Each badge has a set of "to-do's" to be completed.

Salary Tracking: At each stage you will record your salary in order to track salary growth from stage to stage. This information will not be viewable by any member or leaders in country, and will only be viewable by The Academy HQ.

Milestone:

Successfully start your Income Generating Activity

Once you have completed all of the badges in Start Now you should have been able to successfully start your IGA, thus accomplishing the Milestone, completing this stage, and you will receive the Stage Badge of Dreamer.

Each of the 25 Rules of Thumb applies at every stage of Act Now, but to learn how you can apply the rules in the Start Now stage look to David as an example.

David: Farmer | Start Now

David is a farmer from Peru that wants to take control of his life financially. Previously he worked for other farmers on their land, but after attending the first session of Start Now he noticed an empty plot of land near his home. He got permission to grow a few crops there and is now working to generate real income.

David has the Small and Simple Goal of supplying better school supplies for his children. He is working hard in the Act Now program to start his Income Generating Activity with sound principles so that he can provide for himself and his family.

David's Applications of the 25 Rules of Thumb

Start Small; Think Big

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

learn more about this rule of thumb

Sell What the Market Will Buy

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Focus, Focus, Focus

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Use Suggestive Selling

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Practice Separate Entities

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Pay Yourself a Livable Salary

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Keep Good Records

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Turn Inventory Often

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Don't Eat Your Inventory

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Practice Kaizen

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Buy Low; Sell High

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Inspect More, Assume Less

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Be Nice Later

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Work on Your Business, not Just In Your Business

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Make a Profit Everyday

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Value Your Customers

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Hire Slow, Fire Fast

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Work on Your Business 10 Hours a day, 5.5 days a Week

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Buy on Credit, Sell for Cash

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Use Multiple Suppliers

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Purchase in Bulk

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Have Written Agreements

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Increase Sales; Decrease Costs

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Write Down Daily and Weekly Goals

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

Differentiate Your Business

"I don't have to sell truckloads of vegetables...yet."

Started with one small plot of land that he can manage by himself
Started with just three different kinds of crops
Bought only the minimum tools that he needed to get the job done

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