Financially, the world is in tatters. The dire need for money in the modern world has made an impact wherever you are on the food chain. The task of selling a house has become a much more paining process as we struggle to find the right buyers, and as inflation is the difficult mistress it has been over the last few years, people are reluctant to invest in anything with a questionable track record, which is only sensible. Investing is very much a gamble now, and there will always be a risk, but what options are there for those that need to do some part-time dabbling in the hopes that they will get some extra cash?
Investing In A Startup Company
Also known as angel investing, it can be a risky venture due to the amount of startup companies that dont succeed. Depending on what source you look at, the percentage of startups that fail fall in the region of 80% to 95%, so you need to be sure in what you are investing in. The gamble in a startup company is whether to go for the business model that has already proved successful or to go for a new and exciting venture that you have a good feeling about, only you know the answer to that. While you may feel that investing in a brand-new company is too much of a risk, there are private companies that look for investment capital on a periodic basis so you can make a much better evaluation of the success of the company.
Property
A common investment is a buy-to-let property, and it is a relatively straightforward approach to take in investment. People are always looking for somewhere to live, and if you can afford to get an apartment or house that is located in the center of a city, you can make a killing. The other approach is the triple net or NNN deal. Called triple net because the properties are leased to tenants with high credit ratings, it is a popular method of investment in commercial real estate. You can look at properties on http://www.triplenetgateway.com/blog/triple-net-property/ for more information. The responsibility you have for the property is minimal, which is a big draw. The tenant is responsible for the maintenance, taxes, and the insurance. Looking at the buy-to-let state of things, because it is now a lot more difficult for people to get on the property ladder, people are looking for long-term rentals, which gives you a long-term tenant, and so it gives you a regular wage. But with buy-to-lets, you are the landlord of the property so you would have a lot of responsibility. The other method is to purchase a run-down property and redecorate it yourself, which means a lot of time and money, but if you operate within a strict timeframe, it is something that can be sold off in a matter of months.
Gold
Gold is a big long-term investment for many. There are many different forms of gold to go for, the Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) which are similar to index-tracked funds, which can be bought or sold via investment brokers and stockbrokers. There is real gold bullion which you can easily buy online. You can buy gold in the form of coins or bars. You can also invest in unit trusts, which are run by fund managers. Gold is a notorious stock for spiking and slumping, but it is also a stock that doesnt move with assets like property, and it is viewed as a good insurance policy against inflation so it would be an idea to invest in some should the markets ever go belly up in a spectacular fashion.
Digital Currency
A relatively new and coltish form of investment, digital currency, also known as cryptocurrency has seen a major increase in popularity, especially Bitcoin. If you havent heard of Bitcoin, it was invented in 2008 and is maintained by a digital ledger which is known as the Blockchain, and it is earned by people who use their own hardware to record Bitcoin transactions onto the Blockchain, a term known as Bitcoin mining. For your efforts, you get paid in Bitcoin. It sounds simple enough, but it cannot be done on any computer to any great effect. You need a very powerful computer that has the capabilities, so if you have the time and the finances to get a computer and then can devote enough time to adding to the Blockchain, it will be a decent investment. A lot of people are aware of Bitcoin and its popularity so as an investment, it can take some time to amass, but so many merchants now accept Bitcoin as a method of payment, and now as some physical stores are starting to accept it too, it looks like Bitcoin will peak very soon. There are many people who trade in Bitcoin as a full-time career, so as an entry into digital currency, its a good place to start. There are other digital currencies, like Ripple, Ethereum, Monero, and Litecoin, which, as you may be able to guess from the name, is a smaller standard of Bitcoin. For new investors, this is a challenging area to get into, especially as it is new, and as with any stock, make sure you do your research.
There are many other types of options for the part-time investor, venture capital, real assets (like pieces of land, oil, or wine), hedge funds, and much more. The fact of the matter is, any investment will be a gamble, and for those wanting to dip their toe in the investment pool, there are certain types that are viewed as safer than others. But you need to realize that anything is a gamble, shares can depreciate, a property can devalue, and digital currency can run out. So it is best to make an educated guess for your first foray into part-time investing. If you are after that bit of extra cash, you have to spend money to make money, so make sure you spend it on the best investment for you.