A mate of mine has £400,000 to invest in a business, what should he go for ?

[Uncle C]

Land my friend and convert it into a Solar Farm

This is not a bad suggestion, given the level of Government subsidies.

One word of caution. Never trust a Government who make long term promises. I think I read somewhere that the Spanish Government have reneged on a similar promise of long term subsidies.

 

[Biscuit]

Gold prices are the highest that they have been, not the highest that they will be.

Sounds like chasing a ship that has already sailed to me. No doubt it'll all come around again one day.

But what do I know!

 

[dingodan]

Definition of ramper: Someone who has speculated in a product, and attempts to push the price up by talking up the desirability.

I have little power over gold prices, as influencial as I am!

 

[brunswick]

gold.....going to top 2000 an onze soon....the media has not reported that russia and china have pulled out of using the dollar (for oil) recently.

go big on gold......

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think a childrens nursery must be a cash cow (him and his wife are both teachers).

I once would have thought a pub but obviously not anymore.

Any ideas ?

I hope he doesn't mind losing that money if he goes with the nursery idea !

 

[Uncle C]

There are many drawbacks to investing in gold. The key ones are.

1. If you hold the yellow stuff, you have to hide it / insure it and one can never get to sell it at the speed required in a crashing market.

2. Buying gold and being given a certificate (piece of paper) is little more than Ponzi scheme. The holders do not keep the requisite amount of gold for all their customers.

3. In history, gold is a valuable commodity that has been snatched by desperate governments.

 

[Trufflehound]

..the media has not reported that russia and china have pulled out of using the dollar (for oil) recently.

It was about last October they did it and it is for all bilateral trade between them. They did it to protect their own economies in the wake of the last economic downturn.

And it was pretty widely reported at the time.

 

[Uncle C]

gold.....going to top 2000 an onze soon....the media has not reported that russia and china have pulled out of using the dollar (for oil) recently.

go big on gold......

Well I read it some time ago.

Significant investors would have been well ahead of the game and any adjustments to the price of gold will already have been made.

 

[severnside gull]

This is not a bad suggestion, given the level of Government subsidies.

One word of caution. Never trust a Government who make long term promises. I think I read somewhere that the Spanish Government have reneged on a similar promise of long term subsidies.

Ours are already doing so and subsidies for alternative energy sources have already been reduced.

Me, I'd invest in hedge funds that put my money into a range of ventures but I guess if this guy isn't going to invest in a new centre half for the Albion they might be well advised to spend a few pennies on a proper financial consultant

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Interested why the nursery was a bad suggestion apparently?

I've always thought the children's home idea as mum is a Social Worker so I've heard of the £2500 every week per kid funding.

I think mine wouldn't be a competitive investment for growing your worth but probably higher than those mentioned for enjoying it, buy a holiday home. Plenty of great places like Eastern Europe to make money but I would go for Florida as no language barrier, lots to do and good weather plus steady and constant flow of tourists both English and non. Sure more competitive region if you're renting it out but they'd do a decent job of it and I'd rather a decent flow of people to attract than being the only rental property but no-one every going there. Being teachers advantage that they get long holidays and same time as kids, bad news means when they'd be using it themselves is the peak weeks for rental income but swings and roundabouts etc.

 

[Ben_WFC]

Rushden and Diamonds

 

[beorhthelm]

Land my friend and convert it into a Solar Farm

that's a very good idea. Land is the only true hedge against inflation, long term. Solar is great with the feed in tariff, though even if that goes (unliky for the time needed to recoup investment), there other revenue potential. you could rent for sheep pasture even with the solar panels in situ.

There are many drawbacks to investing in gold. The key ones are.

you missed the other significant one, theres no income from gold.

 

[hopkins]

I hope he doesn't mind losing that money if he goes with the nursery idea !

Have you or somebody you know had a bad experience running a nursery ?

On a side issue, i lived in Westdene for 22 years and theres no avoiding the hills especially on a paper round