Making Money by Investing

Executive Summary

Investing is a powerful tool for building wealth over time. It allows individuals to allocate capital in financial instruments, assets, or businesses with the goal of generating returns. In this article, we’ll explore how to make money through investing, from understanding the market trends and stock performances to mapping out a value and supply chain for investments. We will guide you through basic and advanced steps to start investing, as well as present a challenge to help you stay on track. Whether you’re new to investing or looking to refine your strategy, this article will provide valuable insights to maximize returns and navigate potential risks.

General Information

Market Trends

The investment landscape is constantly evolving, influenced by economic, political, and technological factors. In recent years, the global market has seen several notable trends that affect how investors allocate their capital:

  1. Technological Innovation: Advancements in AI, blockchain, and renewable energy are leading sectors of growth. These areas present opportunities for high returns, albeit with higher volatility and risk.
  2. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing: Investors are increasingly focusing on companies that align with sustainable practices and social responsibility, shifting the market dynamics toward long-term growth strategies rather than short-term profits.
  3. Global Economic Trends: Inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical events (such as trade wars or pandemics) can significantly affect market sentiment. Investors must be agile and adaptive to these changes to protect and grow their portfolios.
  4. Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets: Cryptocurrency has emerged as an alternative investment class. Though volatile, it presents unique opportunities for investors to capitalize on emerging technologies.

Stock Performances

When considering stock performance, it’s essential to analyze both short-term and long-term trends. Here are some factors to consider when assessing the performance of stocks:

  1. Historical Data: Reviewing a stock’s past performance is essential. Look for patterns such as consistent growth or declines, and assess the volatility during specific market conditions.
  2. Industry Comparisons: Compare the stock’s performance to its peers in the same sector. Are they outperforming or underperforming the market? This can help assess whether the stock has strong fundamentals or if there’s a better opportunity elsewhere.
  3. Market Sentiment: Stock prices often react to investor sentiment. Positive news, earnings reports, and product launches can drive prices up, while negative reports or bad news can result in declines.
  4. Dividend Yield: For long-term investors, the stability of dividends is important. Companies that consistently provide dividends offer a reliable income stream in addition to capital appreciation.

Business Model (Value Chain)

The primary activities focus on the direct actions that drive returns, such as selecting the right investments, managing them, and executing your exit strategy. Meanwhile, the support activities underpin the entire process, providing the research, tools, and expertise necessary to optimize your investment decisions. By understanding this value chain, investors can make smarter choices and approach their investment journey with a structured, well-rounded strategy.


Business Environment (Supply Chain)

Asset Sourcing : Identifying available investment opportunities such as stocks, bonds, or real estate.

Market Research: Gathering and analyzing data to select the best investment opportunities.

Decision Making: Choosing the right asset to invest in based on market analysis.

Capital Deployment: Investing money into selected assets or instruments.

Monitoring: Constantly tracking the performance of investments and making adjustments as needed.

Liquidity: Converting assets into cash or realizing profits.

Introducing Steps

Starting your investment journey requires a structured approach to ensure success. Here are the basic steps to follow when starting:

  1. Set Clear Financial Goals: Know your investment objectives—whether they are for short-term gains or long-term wealth-building.
  2. Understand Your Risk Tolerance: Evaluate how much risk you are willing to take on based on your financial goals and personal circumstances.
  3. Do Your Research: Learn about different investment options such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and real estate.
  4. Create an Investment Plan: Develop a strategy that outlines your objectives, time horizon, and the types of investments you’ll make.
  5. Start Small: Begin with smaller investments to get a feel for the market. Use this phase to learn and adjust as necessary.
  6. Diversify: Spread your investments across different asset classes to reduce risk.
Source : US News

Advanced Information

Advanced Steps

Once you have established your basic investing habits, you can move on to more advanced strategies:

  1. Asset Allocation: Fine-tune your portfolio by allocating investments across multiple asset classes (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.) to balance risk and return.
  2. Monitor Macro Trends: Keep an eye on global economic trends, political shifts, and technological advancements to anticipate market movements.
  3. Leverage Tax Strategies: Maximize returns by utilizing tax-deferred or tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s.
  4. Use Technical Analysis: Learn how to read charts and indicators to forecast stock prices and make data-driven trading decisions.
  5. Passive vs. Active Management: Decide whether you want to actively trade or use a passive investment approach like index funds or robo-advisors.
  6. Rebalance Your Portfolio: Regularly review your portfolio to ensure it aligns with your goals and risk tolerance.
Source : Shoonya

SASAL Can Support You

Insourcing

If you’re looking to bring investing in-house within your corporation, SASAL is here to guide you every step of the way. With SASAL’s CSO Sharing Service, you are able to receive personalized expert strategy advice, ensuring a seamless and successful integration of investing into your company. Let SASAL help you make this process smooth and impactful.

Outsourcing

If you are looking to invest but are lacking the time or the specific knowledge, SASAL is able to support you by taking care of the full process for you. By choosing to outsource investing, let SASAL do all the work and enjoy the results. SASAL has different services linked to Investing such as M&A, Open Innovation as well as Investment, but SASAL can shape the solution depending on your specific demand.

Practice

Set a financial goal, choose a time frame, and outline steps to achieve it. This challenge will help you stay focused on your investment journey.

GoalTermIdeas to Achieve it
Build $10,000 in 1 Year1 Year– Start with $500 in stocks and $500 in a high-interest savings account. – Reinvest dividends and earnings. – Focus on growth stocks with potential for long-term appreciation.
Achieve 15% ROI6 Months– Invest in a balanced portfolio of stocks, bonds, and real estate. – Monitor investments weekly and adjust based on market trends.
Diversify Portfolio2 Years– Add real estate investments or ETFs to diversify risk. – Allocate 20% of portfolio to international assets.
Save for Retirement30 Years– Contribute regularly to retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs. – Invest in low-cost index funds and reinvest dividends.

Additional Resources:

  1. Financial News & Tools:
    • Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance for real-time market data
    • Morningstar for investment research

Coworking and Private Office Space Business – Linn Co., IA

Selling Background

Turnkey Operation with Stable Revenue Stream and Growth Potential

This established coworking business represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a stable, cash-flowing operation in a thriving Cedar Rapids business district. Positioned in a central location with excellent visibility and accessibility, this premium workspace solution caters to a diverse professional clientele including entrepreneurs, remote workers, and small businesses seeking flexible office accommodations. Since its establishment in 2018, this operation has built a loyal client base generating reliable monthly recurring revenue supplemented by additional service offerings.

Business Model

Facilities & Assets : The facility includes multiple private offices, dedicated desk areas, collaborative spaces, professional meeting rooms, and communal areas that maximize revenue potential per square foot. The $85,000 in included furniture, fixtures, and equipment represents significant value covering all workstations, executive chairs, conference tables, reception furniture, kitchen equipment, and the complete technology infrastructure.Opportunities for GrowthThis business presents multiple growth avenues for a motivated new owner. Expansion space is currently available within the same building, allowing for increased capacity without relocation costs or business disruption. The existing operation has focused primarily on private office rentals, leaving significant opportunity to develop additional revenue streams through enhanced meeting room utilization, virtual office services, and event hosting.

Asking Price$150,000
Sales$2,163,024
Gross Revenue$235,000
FF&E$85,000
EstablishedXXX
Employee

Residential and Commercial Glass Repair Company – Syracuse, NY

Selling Background

This lucrative highly performing business has been growing sales and profits consistently since inception with double digits increases over previous years. The market is massive, and they are the market leader! Glass is everywhere and due to the nature of the diverse product lines, glass will always need to be fabricated, installed, replaced and repaired.

Business Model

• Well established customer base
• 4.9 Google Ratings Avg
• Gross Margin averages- 75-80%
• Multiple revenue streams
• Exceptional inventory controls
• Over 308K in assets conveying in excellent condition
• SBA pre-approved for asking with very high DSR
• Owner assistance with smooth transition.
• Reason for sale- divesting

Asking Price$1,815,000
Sales$2,163,024
Cash Flow$512,469

Representative flame-works for new business

Strategic Planning Models

Strategic planning models are frameworks that help organizations define their strategy and make decisions to achieve their long-term goals. Here are some of the most popular strategic planning models:

1. Basic Model

This model is ideal for organizations new to strategic planning. It involves defining the mission, vision, goals, and action plans. It’s straightforward and helps establish a clear direction1.

2. Issue-Based Model

Also known as the goal-based model, this approach focuses on identifying and addressing specific issues or goals. It typically involves a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to prioritize issues and develop strategies1.

3. Alignment Model

This model ensures that the organization’s structure and resources are aligned with its strategy. It helps in identifying gaps between the current state and the desired future state, ensuring all parts of the organization are working towards the same goals2.

4. Scenario Planning

This model involves creating different scenarios based on potential future events and developing strategies for each scenario. It’s useful for organizations operating in highly uncertain environments2.

5. Balanced Scorecard

Developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton, this model translates an organization’s vision and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures. It balances financial and non-financial metrics across four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth2.

6. Hoshin Kanri

Also known as Policy Deployment, this Japanese model focuses on aligning the organization’s strategic goals with its operational activities. It involves setting long-term objectives and breaking them down into annual goals and action plans2.

7. Blue Ocean Strategy

This model encourages organizations to create new market spaces (blue oceans) rather than competing in existing ones (red oceans). It focuses on innovation and differentiation to make the competition irrelevant2.

8. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)

Popularized by companies like Google, OKRs involve setting clear, measurable objectives and tracking progress through key results. This model promotes alignment, transparency, and accountability2.

9. McKinsey 7S Model

This model examines seven internal elements of an organization (strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff, and skills) to ensure they are aligned and mutually reinforcing2.

10. Ansoff Matrix

This model helps organizations decide their growth strategy by focusing on existing or new markets and products. It includes four strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification2.

Each model has its strengths and is suited to different types of organizations and situations. Would you like to explore any of these models in more detail or discuss how to apply them to your organization?

positioning strategy

portfolio analysis in strategic management

strategic business analysis

differentiation focus strategy
smart strategy
ideation techniques
strategic management model
gap analysis in strategic management
lean strategy

strategy planning and operation
strategic control
techniques of controlling
conflict resolution strategies
creating shared value

In this article, we’ll explore five key elements of the strategy framework.

Marketing Flamework

strategic portfolio management

5 C Marketing

Swot analysis in strategic management

Michael E. Porters Five Forces Analysis

Michael Porters 5 Forces Analysis is a strategic framework used to evaluate the competitive environment of an industry. It examines five key forces: competitive rivalry (the intensity of competition among existing firms), threat of new entrants (the ease with which new competitors can enter the market), bargaining power of suppliers (the influence suppliers have on prices and terms), bargaining power of buyers (the influence customers have on pricing and quality), and threat of substitutes (the availability of alternative products or services). This analysis helps businesses understand the factors affecting their industry’s profitability and develop strategies to enhance their competitive position.



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porter analysis

porter 5 forces model

5 forces model

porters five forces model

porter strategy

porter five forces model

porter 5

Michael porter five forces analysis

porter forces

porter generic strategies

porter model

porters generic strategy

Strategic group analysis

Strategic group analysis (SGA) is a method used in strategic management and organizational economics to segment and assess industries. It helps organizations understand their competitive environment by identifying similar organizations and mapping their strategic characteristics.

New Business Planning

Product Portfolio Management Analysis

Definition: Product Portfolio Management Analysis is the process of systematically reviewing and managing a company’s collection of products. Its goal is to optimize the performance of each product while ensuring alignment with the company’s broader business objectives.

Summary: This analysis involves assessing the profitability, market position, and strategic fit of each product within the portfolio. By evaluating these factors, companies can make informed decisions on which products to invest in, develop further, or phase out, ultimately maximizing the overall value and effectiveness of their product offerings.

Product Portfolio Management Analysis is a strategic approach used to refine a company’s product range to maximize value and meet broader business goals. The process starts with an inventory assessment, which involves identifying and classifying all current products. This provides a detailed view of the product lineup and clarifies each product’s role within the portfolio.

Following this, a detailed performance analysis is carried out to evaluate how well each product is doing in the market. This includes looking at profitability, market share, customer feedback, and potential for growth. This assessment helps pinpoint which products are excelling and which may need to be adjusted or removed.

The next step involves aligning products with the company’s strategic goals. This ensures that each product contributes to the company’s main objectives, such as entering new markets, building brand strength, or adopting new technologies. Effective resource allocation is another key component of managing the product portfolio. This step involves making decisions about where to invest in development, where to expand, and where to reduce or cut back. Proper allocation helps optimize returns and supports the company’s strategic goals.

Finally, risk management is an essential part of the process, focusing on identifying and addressing potential risks related to the product portfolio. This includes handling market fluctuations, competition, and operational challenges to keep the portfolio adaptable and resilient.

In summary, Product Portfolio Management Analysis provides a framework for making informed decisions about product offerings, aiming to achieve a balanced and strategically aligned portfolio that promotes long-term success.

You can learn more about Portfolio Management Analysis Strategy through these sources :

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/portfoliomanagement.asp

https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/membership/professional-development/refresher-readings/portfolio-management-overview

Igor Ansoff Model, Ansoff Matrix

Definition: The Ansoff Matrix is a strategic tool that helps businesses identify growth opportunities by analyzing potential combinations of new and existing products and markets.

Summary: The matrix outlines four strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. It assists companies in evaluating ways to expand their operations, whether by boosting sales in current markets, entering new markets, creating new products, or exploring new business areas.

Business Model Canvas

Definition: The Business Model Canvas is a strategic tool that outlines and visualizes a company’s business model using a structured, one-page diagram. It captures key elements such as value propositions, customer segments, and revenue sources.

Summary: This canvas divides a business model into nine crucial components: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure. It helps companies map out their operations, understand their market positioning, and identify areas for improvement or innovation.

Lean Supply Chain Strategy

Definition: The supply chain is the entire system of processes and organizations involved in creating and delivering a product, from raw materials to the final consumer.

Summary: It includes activities such as procurement, production, logistics, and distribution. Managing the supply chain effectively helps streamline operations, reduce costs, and ensure timely delivery of products to customers.

supply chain management

Value Chain Analysis in Strategic Management

Definition: The value chain is a model that describes the sequence of activities a company performs to produce and deliver a product or service, aiming to add value at each stage.

Summary: It divides activities into primary areas (like production and marketing) and support areas (such as technology and HR). This model helps companies analyze and improve each step to enhance overall efficiency and value for customers.

Others

Shewhart cycle

The Shewhart cycle, also known as the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle, is a four-step process for continuous improvement in business:
Plan: Identify the problem or opportunity and create a plan to implement change
Do: Test the plan with a small-scale pilot project
Check: Analyze the results of the pilot project
Act: Implement the solution
The Shewhart cycle is based on the scientific method of problem-solving and combines management thinking with statistical analysis. It was originally developed by American physicist Walter A. Shewhart in the 1920s. Dr. W. Edwards Deming popularized the cycle in the 1950s and coined the term “Shewhart cycle” after his mentor.
The Shewhart cycle is a loop, not a process with a beginning and end. It’s similar to the Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen, and many large corporations have seen growth after implementing it.

IT Operating Model

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Table of Contents

Embarking on my first internship experience ever, which is also happening in a foreign country was both thrilling and stressful. As a student from France, stepping into the work culture of Japan not only broadened my perspectives but also challenged me in ways I had never imagined. Working in a dynamic strategy consulting startup, I quickly realized that I would have to face lots of challenges, both professionally and culturally. My role in the back office required me to be very adaptive — from administrative duties to promotional posts, recruiting skills or article writing and so on. Each day presents a new learning opportunity for me.

One of the most enriching aspects of my internship is the exposure to a new environment. Different from anything I have known so far, the work industry is teaching me patience, new skills and I am discovering more about the tasks I like and dislike. On top of my office work, I had to opportunity to start participating to events. Engaging with people from different backgrounds during events and meetings did not only allow me to improve my communication skills, but also taught me the importance of cultural sensitivity in professional settings. I learned to communicate effectively across language barriers and learned to adapt my approach to suit different cultural norms as well as I learned more about business talks.

Throughout this journey, I found myself and -am still finding myself- constantly pushing boundaries and gaining confidence by stepping outside my comfort zone. Whether it is about being creative and taking initiatives or fulfilling precise tasks, I learned the valuable lesson of putting myself out there and seizing opportunities I had never considered before.

Working in a startup environment also provided unique insights into the entrepreneurial industry. I believe that the opportunity to work in a small cooperation is not given to everyone and it makes a clear difference. Working for a start up forces one to develop a multitude of skills. Unlike in a big company where each section of the work is managed by a team of specialists, a start up requires its employees to be present on every front. From the human resources to the technological matters, everyone has to help in every domain. This need of taking care of every aspect of the business allowed me to develop many skills all at once as well as to improve myself in multitasking and in organizing my schedule.

Throughout this internship, I am expected to report hourly on the work I am doing. At the end of each day, a daily report with the tasks accomplished, the progress made, the considerations etc. is expected which asks for a real discipline from me and an impeccable organization. This aspect of reporting my work hourly was a new challenge for me as I had never been faced to anything similar before. Culturally speaking, it was also an adaptation for me as this practise is proper to the Japanese work ethic and is very different from what is done in France.

Moreover, learning from mistakes became a keypoint of my internship experience. In a startup, where resources are often limited, every decision carries weight. I embraced failures as opportunities for growth, understanding that resilience and adaptability are key to navigating the unpredictable terrain of entrepreneurship. Spending my first internship experience in a start up is a great opportunity for me and as my internship continues, I wish to develop even more skills and to learn more about the career I would like to pursue.

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