The current buzz around hedge funds is obvious, but a lot of people wouldn’t be able to describe what one is - but do even the investors know?
What comes to mind when you think of funds? Money? Investing? Though there are many types of funds, each has its unique characteristics. Some are made for individuals while others fit large companies. Funds can have both high and low risk. Yet there is one type of fund that is gaining attention that many people have no clue about. It’s called a hedge fund.
Since its start in 1949, hedge funds have been gaining much popularity by investors around the nation. A hedge fund is a “private, unregulated investment fund for wealthy investors (minimum investments typically begin at US$1 million) specializing in high risk, short term speculation on bonds, currencies, stock options and derivatives”. So if this involves high risk, why would anyone want to invest so much money into it? Well, that answer is simple. Hedge funds are out to make profits, no matter what.
They are unaffected by the market. So even if the market was plunging, a hedge fund investor could still make big profit. Hedge funds can usually protect against declining markets by using different hedging strategies. These strategies differ with each type of hedge fund and investment style. But using these strategies would help bring profit even in a bad market.
Another reason for having hedge funds is hedge fund managers are paid a percentage based on the returns they get. This is appealing to them because they would rather not deal with mutual fund fees. Investors in hedge funds have the freedom to invest in stocks, without letting anyone know what stocks they have invested in. This has added some risk to the stock market. But of course how much of the stock market is under the hands of hedge funds, no one really knows. Some have estimated that it is some where near 50%.Others say there are 4,000 hedge funds that have power over $400 billion.
Though hedge funds have much advantages, just like anything else, they also have their share of disadvantages. An investor should not rely on his or her past knowledge of hedge funds and investing. It is imperative to study the field and how everything works.
Some advice can be taken from Kurt Schacht “While hedge funds are growing in popularity, they escape easy definition,” stated Kurt Schacht, executive director of the CFA (Centre for Financial Market Integrity). “While we all may think we are sophisticated investors, it’s imperative that investors make sure they fully understand the structure and attributes of the vehicle in which they are investing in.” Having a good understanding of hedge funds and how to make them work to your benefit is critical to the success of your business. Never underestimate the power of learning about the market in order to benefit from it. Don’t rely solely on hunches or feeling in the game of risk. When you do have a hedge fund, it requires you make an investment in knowing how the game is played. In the end, you’ve gotta give some to get some.
Depending on your niche market which is the best to target - the world, your country, your county(state) or your town? Is there much point in creating a website just for your town - or is that essentially just riding the long tail? I have read economic reports that hint at progression for the internet market down the long tail, further into the realms of mass customisation - but will it happen? to what extent - and should we be building noahs ark like boats capable of holding extreme niche’s two by two?
As I said the current buzz word around the business net (I refer to the 50 odd sources of reading I have across economist blogs, bloggers making money, business and ebusiness) was niche - it has been for the last half a year. The niche flame doesn’t seem to be fading and a few people have become fairly rich by sticking with their niche long tails. But how far can this go? Half the money that was once in HMV’s pocket now lies in independent resellers pockets (the rest is probably in apples pockets but that’s a different story) - and that’s not a bad thing. But if it continues further down the tail does that mean half of the independent retailers cash will be handed out to home sellers with just 5 tracks available?
How niche is niche? Its a tough one to know how far to go when planning your next business or venture. Hyperlocal is in my opinion going to be nearly as bigger phrase as niche has become - except perhaps will have less people saying it wrong! The idea being that you don’t get more niche than a website that isn’t designed to be international - not even national - hell it is quite often aimed soley at one town - but would you go down to street level? Could a website relevant to your street work?
I like the concept of hyperlocal, I like the idea that the internet has come full circle - originally allowing us to contact anyone , anywhere in the world at any time for next to nothing, and now it lets your kids spend all of the evening on there chatting to their friend from down the street. It was an open sea of choice, and still is - more than ever. But it would seem people like the odd bit of familiar land in their sea. Out of infinite choice the things that stick are those aimed most at the users personality.
Based on your personality largely consisting of randoms - 50% of your personality is looking in the sea - your hobbies could be anything from hunting to hairdressing. But the other 50%, the parts of you that are similar to 80% of western civilisation are the simple things - home (shelter), transport (cars, trucks, bikes), relationships (wife, lover, girlfriend, boyfriend, son, daughter, grandma, grandad) and food (dining, breakfast, coffee, tea etc.) These are habitual, repeated things that we all (broadly speaking) do on a day to day basis.
So perhaps in a vane to target the stable online these are the things I would bother hyperlocalising, because hobbies, I expect are already pretty niche - or the long tail already exists. This is what I believe the thinking behind the american newspapers progressing to hyperlocal situations online is about. Because whatever you do in any given town, you probably know the newspaper. So by starting a hyper local website - just for the town, county or area the paper is stably expanding into the niche of locality.
The ability to progress into hyperlocal aspirations comes from the ability to efficiently provide online services. As the internet has evolved, progressed and carried the business’s using it along with it, it has created an extremely easy, open and cheap platform. Anyone can get hosting and a domain name now - easily for less money than they spend on shoe polish. So by the tools of the internet trade becoming cheaper and easier (mysql and php are a prime coupled example) it means that effectively creating a hyperlocal online scenario is cost effective. Before if you wanted to run a website you would have needed to cover your costs and so aiming at such a long tail niche as hyperlocal situations would never have covered its outlay (e.g. not enough people to visit to pay the bills.) But using templates, freely available data, free databases and a little web knowledge your could simply provide a seriously targeted level of attention.
In this way Hyperlocal is Niche, its an extreme geographical niche, but the way things are going it might not even be the end of the long tail!
If you liked this - then maybe try some recent posts I have written on business, economics, long tails and hyperlocal:
- Business Books - I give a quick review on my four current favourite reads to help you progress in life and business
- Entrepreneurship is for life not just for christmas - I dealve into enthusiasm and keeping your business going!
- Real World Optimising - Apply SEO to real life business