Are you about starting an investment club? If YES, here is a complete sample investment club business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting an investment club. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample investment club marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for investment clubs. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
There are several legal channels through which an individual can earn money or continue to increase his or her wealth without having specialized business skills or opening a shop/office and one of such avenues is to join an investment club.
You don’t need to wait until you have the whole money to invest in a hedge fund or any other investment vehicle before you can start making money as an investor.
If you have always wanted to become an investor but don’t know exactly how to go about it or where to start from, then you should consider joining an investment club or even starting your own investment club with people of like-minds and investment philosophy.
It is very important to clearly state that one major factor that will count as success for an investment club is the investment philosophy and perhaps the ideology and commitment of the members of the club. The truth is that if the members of an investment club don’t share same investment philosophy and ideology, the club may likely struggle to make headway because there will be a clash of interest from time to time.
As a matter of fact, a good number of investors started out with investment clubs because it is a good way to learn the act of investing with minimal risks; the risks are usually spread across board. With an investment club, you can come in as a rookie and in few years gather loads of business and investment experiences that can make you a professional and successful investor.
If you are interested in starting an investment club, here is a straight-forward sample investment club business plan template that you can work with.
A Sample Investment Club Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
Let us look at what an investment club is. An investment club can be said to comprise of a group of people, which is less than 100 persons usually with same investment philosophy and ideology, who meet for the purpose of pooling cash together and investing in any industry of their choice.
It is the norm for members of an investment club to have meetings on a regular basis, firstly for the purpose of making investment decisions as a group through a voting process and recording of minutes. Secondly, for the purpose of reviewing the performance of their investment portfolios and also to attend to any business or social needs of the club and its members.
Despite the fact that there are no known date or year when people started investing their money for the sake of making profits, history has it that the first recognized investment club in the world started way back in 1898 by a group of business people who reside in Texas in the days of the Wide Wild West. In that period, you invest your money and go to sleep with the certainty that you will get good returns on your investment.
There are several types of investment clubs but statistics has it that the real estate investment clubs are known to be lower in risk and they also provide higher returns on investment which is usually between 21 percent and 70 percent. This is so because the need for accommodation is always on the increase in the united states and in other parts of the world.
Although investment clubs are not known to be highly regulated in the United States, but they are expected to conduct their businesses in tandem with some basic investment, financial and business rules and regulations in their host countries.
This is why in the United States of America, despite the fact that there are no lower investments limit for an investment club, but the highest investment limit for an investment club is pegged at $25M on the sum of funds invested as individuals or as a group.
The investment club industry in the United States of America cannot be said to be oversaturated even though there are several investment clubs in the country. The truth is that there are several investment opportunities available for investment clubs to leverage on hence the reason why people start investment clubs.
In essence, the industry can be said to be ever – green because the business world is ever – evolving and there will always be profitable investment vehicle to bank your money on. Over and above, the near – freedom that investment clubs enjoy in the United States of America and of course in most parts of the world gives room for more investment clubs to spring up on a regular basis.
The rate at which investment clubs close shops can be alarming, but that does not in any way stop people from starting an investment club or joining an existing investment club. People are motivated to join investment clubs because it is one of the easiest platforms to learn the art of investing from people with good investment background.
2. Executive Summary
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is a registered, licensed and accredited investment club that will be based in Fort Myers-Cape Coral – Florida. We are an investment club that will only attract people with same investment ideology.
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is a smart investment team that will major in stocks, mutual funds or bond investments, real estate investment and agriculture (agro – allied and farming) investment. We will ensure that all our members get good returns on their investments.
At Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP, our member’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are experienced in managing hedge funds and other investment portfolios with good track record of return on investments.
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our member’s needs precisely and completely.
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is founded by Rowland Michelle, Dave Amber, Eric Martins, Tony Lewis and Amy Brownstone. The club will be managed by the five of them since they have adequate working experience to manage such business. They have plans to welcome other members as the club grows.
3. Our Products and Services
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is going to offer varieties of services within the financial investment industry. Our intention of starting our investment club is to work with members who can afford to invest their funds. We are prepared to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the United States to achieve our business goals, aims and ambition.
We will own investment portfolios in the following areas;
- Stock, Mutual Fund or Bond Investment Portfolio
- Real Estate Investment Portfolio
- Agriculture (Agro – allied and farming) Investment Portfolio
- Oil and Gas Investment Portfolio
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to build an investment club that will become one of the top choices for investors in the whole of Fort Myers-Cape Coral – Florida.
- Our mission is to position the club to become one of the leading brands in the investment industry, and also to be among the top 20 investment club in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operation.
Our Business Structure
Being an investment club, it would not have been out of place to hire only two or three full staff members, but as part of our plan to build a standard investment club, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have qualified, competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our firm.
The kind of investment club we intend building and the business goals we want to achieve is what informed the amount we are ready to pay for the best hands available in and around Florida as long as they are willing to work with us to achieve our business goals and objectives. Below is the business structure that we will build Eagles Eyes® Investment Club on;
- Chief Executive Officer
- Fund Manager / Portfolio Manager
- Admin and HR Manager
- Risk Manager
- Accountant
- Customer Care Executive / Front Desk Officer
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Office:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, appraising job results and developing incentives
- Responsible for providing direction for the business
- Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization
Fund Manager/Portfolio Manager
- Provides market research and implement new investment product and strategies
- Creates research and review platforms for new, existing and potential investment products
- Works closely with analysts and traders to ensure trading strategy is carried out correctly
- Constructs and reviews performance reports to show to investors
- Works directly with marketers to relay investment strategy and risk measures
- Performs due diligence visits and assess investment management firms and quantitatively analyzing investment pools
- Has extensive knowledge of industry policies and regulations set in place by the SEC
- Focuses on capital introductions and networking to sign up new investors to your fund
Risk Manager
- Plans, designs and implements an overall risk management process for the organization;
- Establishes and quantifies the organization’s ‘risk appetite’, i.e. the level of risk they are prepared to accept;
- Conducts risks reporting in an appropriate way for different audiences, for example, to the board of directors so they understand the most significant risks, to business heads to ensure they are aware of risks relevant to their parts of the business and to individuals to understand their accountability for individual risks;
- Carries out processes such as purchasing insurance, implementing health and safety measures and making business continuity plans to limit risks and prepare for if things go wrong;
- Conducts audits of policy and compliance to standards, including liaison with internal and external auditors;
- Provides support, education and training to staff to build risk awareness within the organization.
Admin and HR Manager
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
- Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carries out induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
- Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Accountant
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- creates reports from the information concerning the financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper
- Prepares the income statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by the bookkeeper.
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Responsible for administering payrolls
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the company
- Serves as internal auditor for the company
Client Service Executive/Front Desk Officer
- Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
- Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build member’s interest in the company’s products and services
- Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
- Receives parcels/documents for the company
- Distributes mails in the organization
- Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager
6. SWOT Analysis
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP engaged the services of a professional in the area of business structuring to assist our organization in building a well – structured investment club that can favorably compete in the investment services industry.
Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP;
- Strength:
Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team with same investment ideology; a team that have been able to cut their teeth when it comes to investing in different industries both in the United States of America and all across the globe.
- Weakness:
As a new investment club, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from money bags who may want to join investment clubs; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also we may not have the required cash to give our business the kind of publicity we would have loved to.
- Opportunities:
The opportunities in the fund management and investment services industry is massive considering the number of investors who would want to increase their investment portfolio. As a standard and accredited investment club, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
- Threat:
Investing generally is known to be a very high risk venture, hence, whoever chooses to manage an investment club must not just have solid investment background, but must also know how to handle risks. The truth is that if you are not grounded in risk management, you may likely throw away peoples’ monies and investment.
Just as in any other business and investment vehicles, economic downturn, unstable financial market and unfavorable government economic policies can hamper the growth and profitability of investment clubs.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
Investment clubs require the services of core investment professionals. As a matter of fact, before any investor can commit their hard earned money under your care as an investment club, they usually would want to know the profile of the fund manager.
On the average, investment clubs employ strategies that can help them reduce market risk specifically by shorting equities or through the use of derivatives. This is why many hedge fund strategies, mostly arbitrage strategies, are limited as to how much capital they can successfully employ before returns starts diminishing. Little wonder most successful hedge fund managers place limit on the amount of capital they will accept per time.
8. Our Target Market
Investment club is simply an investment medium that enables smaller investors who have the capacity of accredited investors to pool cash or capital together to be able to invest in securities and any other forms of investment opportunities that require large initial capital to invest in. The fact that hedge funds require large capital makes it easier for only rich and accredited investors to cash in on it.
As a standard, accredited and licensed investment club, Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP offers a wide range of investment portfolio management services hence we are well trained and equipped to services a wide range of clientele base.
Our target market cuts across businesses and investors that have the required capital to invest. Below is a list of the individuals that we would like to attract to our investment club;
- Corporate executives
- Pastors
- Real estate agents
- Stock brokers
- Insurance salesmen and women
- Farmers
- Small business owners
- Medium scale business owners
- Sportsmen and women
Our competitive advantage
Despite the fact that investment clubs give huge returns on investment, it is indeed risky venture. For you to survival as an investment club, you should be able to come up with workable investment strategies; strategies that will help you attract the required cash/capital and above all you should be a good risk manager.
We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the industry means that we should be able to give good returns on investments to our clients, deliver consistent quality service, our clients should be satisfied with our investment strategies and we should be able to meet the expectations of clients.
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP might be a new entrant into the industry, but our members and staff are considered gurus. They are highly qualified portfolio management experts in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.
Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the funds and investment industry and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to attract members and invest in profitable investment vehicles on a regular basis. Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP will generate income by investing in the following investment vehicle;
- Stock, Mutual Fund or Bond Investment Portfolio
- Real Estate Investment Portfolio
- Agriculture (Agro – allied and farming) Investment Portfolio
- Oil and Gas Investment Portfolio
10. Sales Forecast
We are well positioned to take on the available market in Fort Myers-Cape Coral and other key cities in the United States of America and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from our first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base beyond Fort Myers-Cape Coral to other cities in the United States of America.
We have been able to examine the investment club market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Fort Myers-Cape Coral.
Below are the sales projections for Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP, it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of investment vehicles that we hope to own;
- First Year: $500,000
- Second Year: $1 million
- Third Year: $2 million
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions among investment clubs and the investment space in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best investment gurus.
Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our return on investment and excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; we want to build a standard investment club that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and corporate organizations).
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, households, churches and key stake holders in Fort Myers-Cape Coral and other cities in the United States
- Advertise our investment club in relevant financial and business related magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations.
- List our business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local finance and business expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
- Create different packages for different category of members (startups and established corporate organizations) in order to work with their budgets and still deliver good returns on investment
- Leverage on the internet to promote our business
- Engage direct marketing approach
- Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
The uniqueness of investment clubs is such that it is the result they produce that helps boost their brand awareness. It will be out of place to boost your investment club brand if you have not proven your worth in the industry. If you have successfully proven that you have what it takes to operate an investment club, then your next port of call is to strategically engage the media to help you promote your brand and also to create a positive corporate identity.
We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the fund management services industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our club.
Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP;
- Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand.
- Ensure that all our workers wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company’s logo.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
As an investment club, the base line of investment commitments that we expect from incoming member is $20,000 and with a service charge/administrative maintenance fee of $2,000 monthly. The money will be used to run the administrative office and also to pay full time employees.
Please note that a member can afford to increase their stake by paying more. It means that the return on their investment will be more.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different members prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP will make available to her members;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via check
- Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our members make payment for their service charges monthly and investment stake without any stress on their part.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
The cost of starting an investment club is in two folds; the cost of setting up the office structure and of course the capital meant for investment. The amount required to invest in hedge funds could range from 100,000 US Dollars to even multiple Millions of Dollars. So you must employ aggressive strategies to pool such cash together.
As regard the cost of setting up the office structure, your concern should be to secure a good office facility in a busy business district; it can be expensive though, but that is one of the factors that will help you position your firm to attract the kind of investors you would need. This is the financial projection and costing for starting Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP;
- The Total Fee for incorporating the Business – $750.
- The budget for basic insurance policy covers, permits and business license – $2,500
- The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $40,000.
- The Cost for equipping the office (computers, software applications, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $5,000
- The cost for purchase of the required software applications (CRM software, Accounting and Bookkeeping software and Payroll software et al) – $10,500
- The cost of launching our official Website – $600
- Budget for paying at least three employees for 3 months plus utility bills – $10,000
- Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
- Investment fund – 1 Million Dollars (which will be pulled from a maximum of 100 members)
- Miscellaneous: $1,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need $150,000 excluding $1M investment capital to successfully set up a medium scale but standard investment club in the United States of America.
Generating Startup Capital for Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP
Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is a business that will be owned and managed by Rowland Michelle, Dave Amber, Eric Martins, Tony Lewis and Amy Brownstone. They are the financiers of the firm, but may likely welcome other partners later which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources.
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings of members
- Apply for loan from the bank
N.B: We have been able to generate about $150,000 to set up the office facility and also each members that will make up the 100 – member team is expected to commit a minimum of $20,000 to invest in various investment vehicles. A member can afford to pick more than one stake ($20,000).
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.
One of our major goals of starting Eagles Eyes® Investment Club, LLP is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning members over is to give them good returns on their investments.
We will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founder: Completed
- Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress