This is not a blog about personal finance, but given the events of the past several months of this pandemic, I feel compelled to chime in and say a few words, especially to our youngest readers, since they are the best positioned to ride out these complicated times and come out ahead.
I really believe that what happened in the stock market over the last year has been a gross overreaction. I was just checking some large, world-class companies with dividend-paying stocks and some of them are now selling so cheap that their dividends are yielding solid returns.
If I were a 25 year old with $10,000 to invest I would pick three or four of these great companies, buy some shares and earn a hefty ROI (while waiting for the share price appreciation that will almost inevitably occur as we snap out of this crisis).
Difficult times like these are when you find the best business opportunities, but taking advantage of them will require that you have cash available to move in quickly when opportunity knocks.
Warren Buffett once said:
Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.
This is the time to get your financial house in order. Develop a budget, stick to it, and get in the habit of saving and investing your money wisely. Buy only things that appreciate in value or that give you a return on investment.
And of course, only invest money that you don’t need access to for the foreseeable future and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
At times like these when everybody’s running for cover, are also a very good time to start a work-from-home business: it is easier to get help, there are better deals for marketing and advertising, and less competition.
I’ve been around enough to know that the individuals and companies that stick around during tough times are the ones who reap the best rewards when things come back to normal.
There is no bigger risk than postponing or trading what you really want to do for a “safe” alternative like a job (unless that job is what you really want, not have, to do).
Job security is an oxymoron in today’s business environment (just look at those 60-year-olds that thought they were playing it safe, now standing in shock as their retirement plans evaporate).
So don’t be afraid. If you have a calling in life and feel there is something you were really meant to do, don’t delay and start today.
Good luck and let me know how are you doing.
Brian Jackson is the former owner of Shoestring Branding, a marketing and branding blog for entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on internet-based tools and strategies. It was recently acquired by BrandBlast.com