A few days ago, the Philippines has received an investment grade rating from FITCH for the first time. A report in ABS-CBN says "An investment grade status opens up the country to more investments that can lead to additional jobs and funds for infrastructure, and help create sustainable economic growth."
You should also read what some of my friends wrote. Here's one from Life and Personal Finance Coach, Randell Tiongson and another one from Stock Market Expert, Marvin Germo.
If you're a professional, an entrepreneur or if you're aspiring to be one, this is good news for you. But you may be asking, "How come I hear that our economy is doing good, but can't even feel its benefits?"
You will only benefit in a good economy if you’re willing to do something productive “within” the economy. Waiting for things to get better for you won’t just happen by itself.
A good economy is like a good soil. To maximize its advantages, you still need to plant more seeds on it.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Invest Your Extra Money
Last September, I met a fund manager to learn about Mutual Funds. After thinking and praying about it for a few weeks, my wife and I decided to invest a part of our savings. We bought 164,000 shares for P2.69.
As of this writing, the fund is already worth P3.21. It has gained P.52. (almost 20% gain)
You don't need a lot of cash to start investing. You can start with as little as P5,000. To grow your money, the key is to invest regularly.
Find out what's the best investment vehicle that fits you. Better yet, look for someone who can help you.
2. Find Opportunities At Work
If you don't have extra money yet, what you can do is to look for opportunities at work. A good economy can put the company you are working for in a better position.
Your company will have a better chance of expanding it's business. Your company will be able to pursue new locations, new products or even new market segments.
And that could lead you to a new assignment that could bring you closer to your personal goals.
3. Start a Business
If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, this is the best time for you to start a business. In general, people will have more money to spend. Interest rates should be lower. If you keep an open eye, you'll see more opportunities that you can take advantage of.
My partner and I recently started a consultancy that we named Start Learning. We didn't spend much to get it started. What it required though is industry knowledge and experience.
What are you good at? What are your core competencies? Perhaps you can also start your own thing with minimal capital.
4. Expand Your Existing Business
I've been a real estate investor for over 10 years now. I develop or improve real estate properties to get a rental income.
Recently, I've expanded my business by venturing in a buy-renovate-sell project. Here's a project that we finished just recently – see here. With the good news that we are hearing, we are excited to do more of these projects.
The Takeaway
To take advantage of a good economy, you need to do something productive "within" the economy. While others are just waiting or complaining, start looking for opportunities. Start where you are. Start with what you already have.
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By the way, I'm about to launch my new book this May 2013. The book will help you jump start the new venture that you've been thinking of. To get more updates, please like my FB Page here. Thank you so much for reading!
