State laws have been relaxed to make it easier for small business to raise start-up and growth financing from the public Investing. Many investors view this as an opportunity to target in on the ground floor of an emerging business and to hit it big as the small businesses grow into large ones.
Statistically, most small businesses fail within the first few years. Small business investments are among the riskiest that investors can make. This guide suggests factors to consider for determining whether you should make a small business investment.
Risks and investment strategy
A basic principle of investing in a small business is: Never make small business investments that you cannot afford to lose! Never use funds that may be needed for other purposes, such as college education, retirement, loan repayment, or medical expenses.
Instead, use funds that would otherwise be used for a consumer purchase, such as a vacation or a down payment on a boat or a new car.
Above all, never let a commissioned securities salesperson or office or directors of a company convince you that the investment is not risky. Small business investments are generally hard to convert to cash (illiquid), even though the securities may technically be freely transferable. Thus, you will usually be unable to sell your securities if the company takes a turn for the worse.
In addition, just because the state has registered the offering does not mean that the particular investment will be successful. The state does not evaluate or endorse any investments. If anyone suggests otherwise, they are breaking the law.
If you plan to invest a large amount of money in a small business, you should consider investing smaller amounts in several small businesses. A few highly successful investments can offset the unsuccessful ones. However, even when using this strategy, only invest money you can afford to lose.
Analyzing the investment
Although there is no magic formula for making successful investment decisions, certain factors are considered important by professional venture investors. Some questions to consider are:
- How long has the company been in business? If it is a start-up or has only a brief operating history, are you being asked to pay more than the shares are worth?
- Consider whether management is dealing unfairly with investors by taking salaries or other benefits that are too large in view of the company’s stage of development, or by retaining an inordinate amount of equity stock of the company compared with the amount investors will receive. For example, is the public putting up 80 percent of the money but only receiving 10 percent of the company shares?
- How much experience does management have in the industry and in a small business? How successful were the managers in previous businesses?
- Do you know enough about the industry to be able to evaluate the company and to make a wise investment?
- Does the company have a realistic marketing plan and do they have the resources to market the product or service successfully?
- How or when will you get a return on your investment?
Making money on your investment
The two classic methods of making money on an investment in a small business are resale of stock in the public securities markets following a public offering, and receiving cash or marketable securities in a merger or other acquisition of the company.
If the company is not likely to go public or be sold out within a reasonable time (i.e., a family-owned or closely held corporation), it may not be a good investment for you despite its prospects for success because of the lack of opportunity to cash in on the investment. Management of a successful private company may receive a good return indefinitely through salaries and bonuses, but it is unlikely that there will be profits sufficient to pay dividends in proportion with the risk of the investment.
Other suggestions
Investors must be provided with a disclosure document a prospectus before making a final decision to invest. You need to read this material before investing.
Even the best small business venture offerings are highly risky. If you have a nagging sense of doubt, there is probably a good reason for it. Good investments are based on sound business criteria and not emotions. If you are not entirely comfortable, the best approach is usually not to invest. There will be many other opportunities. Do not let a securities salesperson pressure you into making a decision.
It is generally a good idea to see management of the company face-to-face to size them up. Focus on experience and record of accomplishment rather than a smooth sales presentation. If possible, take a sophisticated businessperson with you to help in your analysis. Beware of any information that differs from, or is not included in the disclosure document. All significant information is required by law to be in the disclosure document. Immediately report any problems to your state Office of the Commissioner of Securities.
If you’re sitting on at least $1000 and it’s scratching an itch in your pocket, consider investing it rather than spending it on something frivolous. But the question that then beckons us is, can you really make money investing with just a $1000? Can you do it quickly?
The answer to that is a resounding “yes.”
While there are plenty of ways you can make money fast by performing services or generating it through things like affiliate marketing or email marketing, actually making money by investing with just $1000 might present more challenges, and frankly, more risks. That is, of course, unless you know what you’re doing.
However, all risks aside, even if you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck while dealing with fatigue and exhaustion, like much of the country is, you can still likely conjure up $1000 to put towards an investment.
Yet, before you dive in, there are some mindset principles that you need to adhere to. Moving beyond the scarcity mentality is crucial. Too many of us live our lives with the notion that there’s never enough of things to go around. We don’t have enough time, money, connections or opportunities to grow and live life at a higher level.
That’s just a belief system. Think and you shall become. If you think you can’t get rich or even make a sizable amount of money by investing it into lucrative short-term investment vehicles, then it’s much more of a mindset issue than anything else. You don’t need to invest a lot of money with any of the following strategies.
Sure, having more money to invest would be ideal. But it’s not necessary. As long as you can identify the right strategy that works for you, all you need to do is scale. It’s similar to building an offer online, identifying the right conversion rate through optimization, then scaling that out. If you know you can invest a dollar and make two dollars, you’ll continue to invest a dollar.
Start small. Try different methods. Different strategies. Track and analyze your results. Don’t get so caught up on how you’re going to get wildly rich overnight. That won’t happen. But, if you can leverage one of the following methods to make money by investing small, short bursts of capital, then all you have to do is scale. Plain and simple. You don’t have to overthink it.
How to invest $1000 to make money fast
If you have a $1000 to invest, you can make money a variety of ways. But there are some methods that trump others. The play here is speed. We’re not talking about long-term buy-hold strategies. Those are terrific if you’re looking to invest your capital over at least a two-to-five-year period. We’re talking about ways you can make money fast.
Even when it comes to markets that might take time to move or have longer cycles, investments can often turn into realized profits and quick gains by leveraging the right strategies. What’s the right strategy? Sure long term works. Real estate and other time-intensive strategies will eventually get you there.
Raghee Horner of Simpler Futures says that “long-term interest rates are the next big trade,” while Jim Cramer of Mad Money says that “there are tons of people who are late to trends by nature and adopt a trend after it’s no longer in fashion.” By jumping in and out of long-term investments like that you’re far more likely to lose your shirt than if you time your short-term plays just right.
It’s not so much about trying to catch the latest trend. It’s not about becoming a webinar guru like Jason Fladlien or Liz Benny, or even building out sales funnels or optimizing your conversions. Investing your money is more about paying careful attention to indicators that can really move the needle in the short term as opposed to the longer term. It’s also about leveraging and hedging your investments the right way without putting too much risk on the line.
That doesn’t mean that you don’t need a long-term strategy. You definitely do. But if you’re looking to create some momentum and generate some capital quickly, in the near-term, then the following investment strategies might help you do just that.
1. Play the stock market.
Day trading is not for the faint of heart. It takes grit and determination. It takes understanding the different market forces at play. This isn’t something intended for amateurs. But, if learned, and learned well, it is a way where you can quickly — within the span of hours — make a significant amount of money with a relatively small investment.
There are also ways to hedge your bets when it comes to playing the stock market. Whether you play the general market or you trade penny stocks, ensure that you set stop-loss limits to cut any potential for significant depreciation. Now, if you’re an advanced trader, you likely understand that market makers often move stocks to play into either our fear of failure or our greed. And they’ll often push a stock down to a certain price to enhance that fear and play right into their pockets.
When it comes to penny stocks, this is further exaggerated. So you have to understand what you’re doing and be able to analyze the market forces and make significant gains. Pay attention to moving averages. Often, when stocks break through 200-day moving averages, there’s potential for either large upside or big downside.
2. Invest in a money-making course.
There are loads of money-making courses on the internet. The hard part is choosing the right one. While many of the gurus might follow you around on social media platforms like Facebook, not all courses from all gurus are created alike. Spend the time doing the due diligence and research to choose the best one that’s right for you.
However, investing in yourself is one of the best possible investments you can make. While you might not be able to pinpoint an actualized return on investment, there’s no money that’s better spent. Invest in yourself. Invest in your education. Learn. Adapt. Grow. And discover what you’re passionate about.
When it comes to picking up a money making course, there are plenty you can invest in. From ebooks to social media marketing, search engine optimization and beyond, the choices and the possibilities are endless.
3. Trade commodities.
Trading commodities like gold and silver present a rare opportunity, especially when they’re trading at the lower end of their five-year range. Metrics like that give a strong indication on where commodities might be heading. Not always. But usually. Carolyn Boroden of Fibonacci Queen said, “I have long-term support and timing in the silver markets.” because silver is a solid hedge on inflation. Plus, commodities like silver are tangible assets that people can hold onto.”
The fundamentals of economics drive the price of commodities. As supply dips, demand increases and prices rise. Any disruption to a supply chain has a severe impact on prices. For example, a health scare to livestock can significantly alter prices as scarcity reins free. However, livestock and meat are just one form of commodities.
Other commodities include things like metals, energy, and agriculture. To invest, you can use an exchange like the London Metal Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and many others. Often, investing in commodities means investing in futures contracts. Effectively, that’s a pre-arranged agreement to buy a specific quantity at a specific price in the future. These are leveraged contracts, providing both big upside and a potential for large downside. So be extra careful.
4. Cryptocurrency Investment.
Cryptocurrencies are on the rise. While trading them might seem risky, if you hedge your bets here as well, you could limit some fallout from a poorly-timed trade. There are plenty of platforms for trading cryptocurrencies as well. But before you dive in, educate yourself. Find courses on platforms like Udemy, Kajabi or Teachable. And learn the intricacies of trading things like Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, and others.
While there are over 3,000 cryptocurrencies in existence, only a handful really matter today. Find an exchange, research the trading patterns, look for breakouts of long-term moving averages, and get busy trading. You can use exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, Cex.io, along with many others, to make the actual trades.
Which cryptocurrency should be trading at the end of the day? Etherium and Litecoin. While all the buzz is in Bitcoin, these two cryptocurrencies are established and are holding steady, without the frenzy. Will the frenzy hit them next? Possibly. But the only way to find out is to get in on the so-called ground floor. All you need to know about Cryptocurrency Investment.
5. Use peer-to-peer lending.
Peer-to-peer lending is a hot investment vehicle these days. While you might not get rich investing in a peer-to-peer lending network, you could definitely make a bit of coin. Which lending platform do you use? Today, there are loads. But the most popular ones include Lending Club, Peer Form, and Prosper.
How does this work? Peer-to-peer lending platforms allow you to give small bursts of capital to businesses or individuals while collecting an interest rate on the return. You get more money than you would if you placed it in a savings account, plus your risk is limited because much of the algorithms are doing the work for you.
Once you identify the offer, you can dig in and do some research, and on most platforms, either take the deal or don’t take it. You’ll have your risk evaluated based on the proprietary algorithm that includes employment and credit history, and you’ll be able to make the decision to invest based on a variety of well thought out data.
6. Trade options.
When it comes to options, Tom Sosnoff at Tastyworks says, “trade small and trade often.” What type should you trade? There are loads of vehicles like FOREX and stocks. The best way to make money by investing when it comes to options is to jump in at around 15 days before corporate earnings are released. What type should you buy? Money calls.
The optimal time to sell those money calls is the day before the company releases its earnings. There’s just so much excitement and anticipation around earnings that it typically drives up the price, giving you a consistent winner. But don’t hold through the earnings. That’s a crapshoot and a gamble you don’t want to take if you’re not a seasoned investor, says John Carter from Simpler Trading.
7. Flip real estate contracts.
Making money with real estate might seem like a long-term prospect. But it’s not. There are ways you can take as little as $500 to $1000 and invest it in flipping real estate contracts to make money fast. How? Use a system like Kent Clothier’s REWW to first understand how the market works, then provide you with the data and tools to identify vacant homes, distressed sellers and cash buyers.
While most people think that real estate is won by flipping traditional homes and doing the renovations yourself, the fastest money you can make in real estate involves flipping the actual contract itself. It’s arbitrage. Identify the motivated sellers and cash buyers, bring them together, and effectively broker the deal.
It might seem odd on the first go. But once you get the hang of it, you can become a mini-mogul in the real estate industry by simply scaling out this one single strategy. It works. And it’s touted by some of the world’s most successful real estate investors.