Whether you are into investing or running your own business, the term diversify is thrown out quite a bit. However, there are some varying opinions on what this term really means and the implementation of diversifying your money or resources can be difficult. While diversifying is vital for anyone, the key is doing it correctly and making sure that your money and resources are allocated properly.
In one instance, let’s use a business for an example. They are just getting started, and they have a few small clients. However, they manage to land one big client, and suddenly all of this money is flowing in. The company managers begin to use those funds to buy better equipment, to expand the company and hire more workers. What they don’t do is spend the money on developing new business. Suddenly, this client pulls out, and the company is left with resources, equipment and employees they can no longer afford.
This scenario happens every single day, and can even occur with well established companies. In this case, diversity means don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, but it actually goes a bit deeper than that. By taking a look at what happened in the above scenario, you can easily apply the same lesson to your finances. Let’s break it down.
The company had more money coming in, thanks to their client. They neglected however to put it away, or invest it in finding new business. Instead, they immediately began spending that money, and putting it into resources that would not bring them any return. Now, let’s look at this from the view point of someone in a similar situation.
This person gets a raise at work, and the extra money coming in is immediately put to use paying for a bigger house, a better car, and more possessions. Six months later, the person loses their job. Now, they are left with a mortgage and car payment they can’t afford, and possessions that have depreciated. The exact same problem occurred.
In this case, diversity means not relying on only one source of income – much like the above scenario. Instead of immediately upgrading everything in site, if that person had put the money into a savings plan, or invested it wisely, when their job was lost, they would have had a cushion.
Diversity also comes into play when you are investing, and once again, it’s the same type of scenario. You have one stock that is performing great, so you sink most of your money into it. The next day, it plummets and you are left with nothing. Diversity is vital in nearly every corner of life. Without it, we become too reliant on one thing, and that spells disaster no matter what industry you’re in, or what you do for a living.
By taking the time to spread the risk, and diversify not only your investments, but also your personal finances, the way you do business and the way you look at spending, you can develop a powerful protection plan that will help you weather any storm.
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Originally posted 2008-12-08 05:37:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
