One of the key strategies towards becoming rich is an investment. Well, it is true that many billionaires across the globe were not born rich. It is through investments that they were able to acquire their wealth.
We might be talking about investments day in day out, but do we really understand what an investment is? Well, investing is the act of placing capital in an expectation of deriving profit or income from it.
When you make a decision of joining the community of investors, there are many factors that you need to consider. Besides where you would invest in and the amount of money to put in it, you need to make a choice on the type of investment. There are two main types of investments, these include:
Types of investments
There are two main types of investments that one can venture into. These investments are categorized in accordance with the time frame used to achieve results. They include long-term investments and short-term investments
Long-term investments
Long-term investments focus on the future. These are investments that provide continuous and reliable profits for the retirement years in future. This type of investment helps one to get little but well-distributed profits over a long period of time.
Longterm investments involve lesser risks along the way and hence termed as safe. The risks are minimal because of the but steady pace that the investment moves in.
Long-term investment requires a lot of patience. This is because the profits will not be acquired immediately. If you are in dire need of finances due to emergencies, then long-term investments should not be your option.
Short-term investments
Just like the name goes, short-term investments are investments done over a short period of time. These are plans that have a great possibility of growth and rise in value over a very short period of time. The time period of getting profitable returns ranges from only a few weeks to a few months.
Unlike long-term investments, short-term investments allow for more personal control. This is because you will be the only one to keep an eye on your money. At some point, you might be faced with economic challenges, but this will only be outwitted by the risk management mechanisms you put in place.
As an emphasis, NEVER begin an investment without deciding on what type of investment you are venturing in. the above-mentioned types should help you come up with a proper decision.
Before you start any investment, be it long-term or short-term, there are things that you ought to consider. Some of the important things to consider are discussed below.
Important things to consider before starting an investment.
1. Come up with your own financial roadmap
What is a financial roadmap? Well, a financial roadmap is a critical analysis of your own financial position. It is good to take a look at your own situation financially and make an honest decision. This is the time that you need to come up with a financial plan.
Drawing financial plans means that you ought to come up with your goals and a critical analysis of some risks that may be involved. If you are not sure of how to do this, it is appropriate that you seek help from a financial professional.
2. Evaluate your comfort zone in taking risk
A risk is anything that may impair a business or an investment from achieving its goal. And for sure, all investments may involve some degree of risk.
What you have to understand is that an investment is a speculative risk. It has a possibility of either profit or loss. It is therefore important that you understand this before making any major step.
But if you really want to invest, be ready to take up the risk. The reward of taking up a risk is the possibility of getting a greater investment in return. Greater risk risks mean greater profits, think about it.
3. Type of investment
Deciding on the type of investment is very essential. This will help you decide on the number of resources to put into the investment. You can either decide to go for a long-term or a short-term investment.
If you need the money within a very short period of time, then it is advisable that you go for short-term investments. But if your focus is in the future, long-term investments will be appropriate for you.
4. Eliminate bad personal spending habits
If you want to be a successful investor, then your bad spending habits should be stopped. Whatever you were spending unreasonably should be directed towards investing, how to start investing should be a question to professionals if you do not know how.
Investments need sacrifice, sometimes you might need to eliminate the present luxuries to enjoy better ones in future. So do not feel bad if you are forced to do away with your poor personal spending habits.
One important thing is that the proceeds you get from your investment should be handled properly. They can be returned back to the project so as to get more out of it.
After you are aware of the things to consider before you start investing, you can now start investments. Not many people know how to start an investment, but count yourself lucky as we are going to help you.
Ways on how to start investing
1. Raise the funds
An investment can never start without initial or starting capital. There are many ways with which you can raise the funds, these include: Saving over a period of time, getting funds from relatives and friends or borrowing from a financial institution like the bank.
It doesnt matter which method you use, all you need to ensure is that the funds are available.
2. Decide on what to invest in
You cannot an investment in everything. This, therefore, means that you need to single out a particular area that your investment will focus on. Should it be in clothing, food, soft drinks or transport?
There are many areas that you can invest in, it only calls for a critical analysis of the customer location.
3. Investment location
After deciding on the kind of investment you will venture in, the next step is to decide on the location. You can decide to have a brick and mortar or online location. This is if your investment deals with products and services.
4. Come up with a management plan
After you have set up your investment, come up with a management plan. A management plan will help you know how to deal with your finances and your resources.
The above are some of the simple steps, or guidelines on how to start an investment. If you want to start an investment, then consider following them.
