Small business combined with an entrepreneurial mindset were the foundation of this country and are what drive it to financial freedom and prosperity for the millions of people who live here. Making the decision to invest is an exciting prospect, but one that needs to be grounded in reality. Planning strategically and making sure that you have done adequate research into the various options surrounding investment opportunities for small businesses are what serve to separate businesses that are successful from ones that shortly lose their capital.
Gross Margin
This is one of the essentials of investing as a business. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is the difference between what it costs to produce a product and what that product sells for. This is a critical ratio because this ratio is what actually allows for a business to invest in the other areas that are necessary to get their products to the market – such as distribution and marketing. This margin can and will vary by the industry, but when you have a gross margin that is too thin, it can leave no room to make mistakes. It can be difficult to increase this margin too. This means that it is better to focus on those products that give you a better margin.
Alternative Currencies
Believe it or not, businesses can and do make decisions to invest in currencies other than the US dollar. Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are an innovation that, while still relatively new, can be quite lucrative. By using a company like Genesis Mining to mine the currency, businesses can make a tidy profit. It might take a bit of time, but the best things in life are always the ones that you have to be patient for. The thing about Bitcoin is that when it was invented, it was decided that there would only ever be a certain amount of them – 21 billion. That means that any bitcoins you get are incredibly valuable. Currently, only a bit over 12 billion have been found and are in circulation. If you don’t want to buy them outright, mining them, and finding some of the 9 billion that are left, is the only option.
Property
Property is a good investment for small businesses. How do you determine if a property is the right investment? You will need to decide if the property has the potential to create a steady profit, or if it is likely to sit dormant for months. Will this be a property to flip, and if so, who has the time to oversee it? Will it be a rental property that will make a passive income on a monthly basis? What makes a property a good investment for the business? Would it be better to invest in single family homes, rental properties, or industrial buildings, or even land that is currently undeveloped?
Annuities
An annuity is actually a contract that is between the investor and an insurance company. It requires the insurance company to make payments to the investor, either right away or at a time in the future. Annuities are purchased by either making a series of payments or a single, lump sum payment. Likewise, they are paid out either in a lump sum, or as a series of payments. Annuities provide the investor with periodic payments over a specified time period. They also provide death benefits, and growth that is tax deferred. There are 3 different types of annuities – indexed, variable, and fixed. This is a good option for businesses looking to fund retirement accounts.
Government Securities
The government of the United States is the largest issuer when it comes to debt securities. Its bonds are thought of as the safest type of fixed income investments that are available. There are only two types – issues that have direct backing from the government, like those issued by federal agencies and the Treasury, and issues that have a moral guarantee or backing, such as those issued by government sponsored enterprises. Treasury issues are ones that include Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes, and Treasury Bonds. Some of the government sponsored enterprise issues include those issued by places like Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Federal Land Banks and more.
All of these options are good for when it comes to investing for your business. As with any investment, make sure that you do adequate research before sinking funds into anything.
