For many of us, the generic term ‘finance’ conjures up images of hard and sharp graphs, complicated numbers and language or landscapes that we “normal people” just don’t get, or even care about.
But it doesn’t have to be like this - it’s an attainable space, and even a fun and illuminating one. We know how that sounds, but gather yourself and let’s break it down, thinking about your day to day life.
You wake up thanks to that Philips (PHIA) alarm clock, roll over on your Eve Sleep (EVE) mattress on a Wayfair (W) bed, swaddled in sheets from Dunelm (DNLM), and look at your phone (005930).
Right there, you’ve got five companies that you have first-hand knowledge about. These are five companies that are on the stock market and in your bedroom. You’ve researched their products, you know their web experience, you’ve tried their products, know how their customer service and delivery times are. You have an opinion.
So maybe now, the term ‘finance’ could be well… intriguing!
Then you roll out of bed, and make a coffee in a Nespresso (NSRGY) machine, and run the shower bought from B&Q (KGF). You wash with Dove (ULVR) body wash, and when you’re done, you dry yourself with a towel bought from Marks and Spencer (MKS).
You get dressed in clothes bought from Asos (ASC), and head to make some toast using bread by Hovis (PFD) in a Bosch (BOSCHLTD) toaster. You spread butter by Anchor (FCG), and jam by Hartleys (HAIN), and pop it on a plate bought from H&M (HM-B), then you shuffle to the Apple (AAPL) computer and start work for the day.
That’s a minimum of 16 companies you’ve come across before the working day has even begun! Am I getting my point across?!
From here, the ride is easy, all it takes is this direct knowledge of the companies you know and use every day, and looking at them in a little more detail:
- Who are their competitors?
- What decisions are their management making?
- What areas of the market do they have cornered, and what are they sharing?
- What do their financials look like - debt, operating costs, net value, share price?
As it turns out, finance isn’t dry, it’s just taking that extra step with companies you interact with every day. Everything from the food you eat, to the books you read, the shoes you wear, to the water that comes out of your taps.
Once you frame it right, it can be pretty interesting. And what makes it more interesting, is that when you team your knowledge with Upside, we can help you make money from your experience as a consumer and your ideas!
Here at Upside, we’re working on changing mindsets, swapping that “urgh”, for an “aha”! What started with a simple morning, getting ready to work from home, has now turned into a profit-making machine.
Investing can be simple when there’s a science to being right.
