Becoming a successful investor takes work. You need sufficient money to invest, but you also need certain personal qualities. It is not possible to get a degree in investing at a university. It won’t be easy without knowledge of law and economics. You will have to learn a lot on your own. What skills do experts consider fundamental for an investor?
How to become a successful investor?
Experience shows that good investors have worked on their businesses or as top managers in companies. A career in the business environment helps you understand business processes in-depth, learn how to manage money, form a strategic mindset, and acquire networking contacts. However, only some entrepreneurs can become competent investors.
Few people excel at managing capital. Financial theorist William Bernstein believes that to succeed. If you are genuinely passionate about the process, have a good grasp of higher mathematics, and mastered statistics. Learn the history of finance and the experience of people who have earned a reputation as top investors. Among the personal qualities, Bernstein highlighted discipline and the ability to stay on a course.
Many investors manage their finances based on a strategy that has worked in the past or their own entrepreneurial experience. Knowing the investment processes and understanding the risks involved in making certain decisions is essential. It is not so much the advice of theorists that helps you to understand, but rather your experience, communication with successful investors, and analysis of their work.
How an entrepreneur differs from an investor?
Marina Groenberg, head of Hemma Group, a Swiss investment company, believes entrepreneurs and investors differ in personality types. A business owner usually works in one or a few related sectors and is only responsible for their own business. Investors’ interests include stock market operations and investments in start-ups and projects across industries and countries. A top investor monitors current trends and transforms portfolios depending on market conditions.
Being an experienced top manager of large companies, Marina Groenberg is convinced that an investor needs entrepreneurial qualities. Among the primary key necessary skills, she lists the following:
- Finding a promising business idea and believing in it
- Transforming an idea into a working concept
- Being able to set goals and do my utmost to reach them, and not be afraid to make decisions
- Focusing on what’s essential and overcoming minor obstacles
Marina believes that an investor, just like an entrepreneur, must have the ability to see the real and unbiased state of affairs and consider both the big picture and the small but important details when making decisions. This can only be achieved without the ability to comprehensively, critically analyze, and filter information from all available sources. According to the businesswoman, an investor cannot manage without intuition, which still needs to be verified by sober calculation, personal experience, expertise, and studying external sources.
Marina Groenberg shares her experience: “I usually start with a brief analysis on the Internet, then consult with friends and acquaintances and formulate the main questions. I create a list of relevant institutions and experts. It is essential to get a three-dimensional picture”.
Marina Groenberg — biography and successful projects
Marina Groenberg is the holder of three honors degrees. She studied applied mathematics, finance, and law. Marina Groenberg has worked as a top manager in large companies for many years. Since 2008, the businesswoman has lived in Switzerland, where she runs the Hemma Group. Marina Groenberg’s areas of interest include investing in ‘green’ and high-tech start-ups, as well as pursuing cultural and historical projects.
Among Marina Groenberg’s most successful investment projects are:
- Kopter Group, a Swiss developer of the innovative SH09 helicopter — in 2020, the start-up was acquired by Italian aviation holding Leonardo
- NexWafe — specializing in innovative solar energy technology
- Tallano — focusing on reducing brake pad emissions
- OCSiAl — producing carbon nanotubes
With her husband, Marina Groenberg is carrying out a major cultural charity project in Italy — restoring a historic villa that belonged to Elisa Bacocchi, the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. The estate of Villa Reale di Marlia houses several buildings, surrounded by a historic park adorned with some of the most beautiful species of camellia. The villa has been undergoing renovation work since 2015. Today the site is open to the public and has become a tourist attraction and cherished destination for locals.
