While some have the opinion that music is a luxury for the rich, history has proved otherwise. There are many genres of music such as jazz, blues, tango, and more which originated from a marginalized portion of society. Music is something that we all enjoy and plays an integral part of our everyday lives, however many of us disregard it as a real career or investment opportunity.

Why?

It’s true that as a musician, it’s difficult to shine on the global stage and it takes a lot of training, networking, and sheer luck to “make it”. However, though there’s only so much room at the top of the music food chain, there is still plenty of opportunities in the local scenes to not just make a decent living, but also have a lifestyle full of passion and fun. There are also less direct ways to make a profit thanks to your investment in music- are you ready for all the options?

Boost Your Productivity

An album or subscription to a playlist service doesn’t have to be a great expense, however it can bring magical effects to those thrive in musical environments. Whether you are a designer who is inspired by the right tunes, or an accountant who needs a beat to get through tax season, your investment in the music industry can bring you plentiful returns, even if they are not in the form that you expected. An increase in yield of whatever you are doing, whether for your own financial gain or that of your employer, is always a welcome change.

Start a Music-Based Business

You don’t have to be a musician to benefit financially from people’s love of music. There are many business opportunities created in this field, from equipment rental, recording services, music lessons, or even musician management. Some might aspire to attend a music production school that offers diplomas in analog and digital recording and engineering, and assist musicians in attaining their dreams. All of these ideas require an initial investment of time and money, whether for education, equipment, or marketing, however the payoff can be definitely worth it, as you spend your time in an industry that you love and make a salary with which to support yourself and your family.

Become a Promoter/Investor

Many bands starting out have little funds to put into promoting themselves and their music. They often look for record labels for help in getting recognized. However, if you would like to take a more active financial role in the success of an up-and-coming band, you can invest in their band, just like you would into any startup business. Give them the money for branding, recording, touring, and more, and see how their work gains value and recognition in the music scene. Now consider the revenue a large-scale concert could raise- as a primary investor, this could mean a return on your primary investment into this project. It could be a very risky move, from a financial perspective, however, if it is your passion and you want to be involved in the music industry, this might just be the best way for you to do it.

The music industry is like any other, and there are always lucrative ideas to be pursued. Just because it is an art-based field, it doesn’t mean that you should step back from taking advantage of the money to be made when investing correctly. Whether in a minimal way, like purchasing an album that inspires you to be more productive, making it the core of your business, or searching and supporting talent in a more involved manner, music can become your livelihood. What sets the music industry apart from others is the passion behind it, and that’s something you can be a major part of.

Development of mining industry in accordance to advancement of technology plays an important role in not only the industry but also the environment. The industry plays a major role in global economy. Because of low profit margin, high capital requirement and environmental limitations, mining companies used to be very conservative in starting and accepting novel technologies. However, they welcome changes more easily now and have made significant progress.

The progress can be best defined by enhanced productivity but it is also reflected in changes in mining technologies and environmental control. Special importance is given to worker health and safety too. Companies carry out best mining practices and processes, and have effectively integrated clean and improved technology.

The results are more visible in developing countries. If this pace of innovation continues, there will be a significant technology gap amid countries and mining industries.

Measures to Reduce Environmental Pollution

Sustainable technological development is used to improve performance of firms in the mining industry. Authorities address the risky surrounding and level of pollution, and actively attempt to reduce the impact. Various new tools and practices are introduced to reduce environmental pollution to all media and therefore enhance the overall quality of life in the operational work area.

The prime aim is to adopt and implement innovative technologies by using both environmental and mining technologies, and augment the quality of environment in the mining industry area. The industry wishes to lower negative impact to human health and the physical environment by reducing land degradation, and water and air pollution.

Some of the most recent developments in mining technologies have been mentioned below. They are all environment-friendly and cost-effective technologies.

1. Solvent-extraction/electro-winning (SXEW): SWEW is a hydrometallurgical process that varies from the mainstream technique of producing copper metal by milling, smelting and refining. The SXEW’s development process allows firms to lower the cost of production from raw ore dumps of copper minerals and waste. Big copper-producing nations such as United States are benefitted by this technology.
2. Hybrid Coalmine Gas Technology (HCGT): EESTECH offers environmentally sustainable technologies that have direct application in the global coal mining and energy industries. Its HCGT is a Clean Development Mechanism. It uses ventilated coalmine methane and waste coal as fuel to produce cost-effective clean coal energy. This access to clean coal technology helps tackle global warming.
3. Network Probe: The network probe is a wireless battery powered network used for personnel and equipment tracking at mine sites. It can measure workspace performance and also monitor the location of company’s staff and underground assets in real-time. The system is self-sufficient and can operate even during power outages. Network probe is the ultimate protocol analyzer to monitor network traffic in real-time.

Countries, both developed and developing, have imposed environmental standards for effluent, emission, groundwater contamination, hazard, and toxic management guidelines. However, failures happen due to poor monitoring capability, weak law enforcement, and inadequate skilled human resources. It is important that the environment standards are maintained in developing countries as this can improve overall management and environmental performance of the mining industry.

Social and political organizations must influence adherence to standards and industry development. These include authorities such as local government, central government, and public decision makers. The intention is to create international harmonization of environmental standards.

Various training programs and workshops on pollution control and techniques measurement can be carried out. It improves positioning for global competitiveness in various mining product. It will also boost the corporate image of the industries and global consumers will be benefitted. With passing time, the industry will embrace more and more positive changes.

As the decade continues to unfold, a host of new trends are reshaping the face and future of the investment industry. Demographics are radically changing in many parts of the world, posing new and sometimes thorny challenges that must be met and adapted to in order to safeguard the future of the industry. One of the most pressing challenges comes in the form of an increasing gentrification among young clients, many of whom are dealing with an investment firm for the very first time in their lives.

Demographic Studies Confirm an Increasingly Younger Client Base

Demographic studies have shown that the client base of leading wealth management and investment firms is becoming ever younger. The total number of individuals who are currently in possession of $1 million dollars with which to invest is now 4.4 million, a number that represents an all-time record in the history of the industry. Meanwhile, the total amount of wealth that can be invested by this group has been estimated at $15.2 trillion dollars, another all-time high.

A Shift in Demographics Is Slowly Restructuring the Industry

Investment firms are thus pressed to find viable solutions to the issues faced by an increasingly younger and less experienced group of potential new clients. How can such companies cater to the needs of this new clientele while remaining faithful to their core principles and standard operating procedure? The issues raised by this new scenario have perplexed industry pundits and corporate CEO’s alike, and are sure to remain an ongoing source of productive speculation for many years to come.

The Retention of Customer Loyalty Is an Ongoing Industry Concern

One of the most crucial concerns that investment firms are going to have to grapple with in the very near future is the issue of customer loyalty. Most international firms, such as FI among others, have gotten used to a certain amount of long term customer loyalty. Many of these firms have based their long term corporate strategies on this basic assumption, and may thus be in for a rather rude awakening when they discover that younger customers are less likely to show such long term customer loyalty.

Customer Retention Strategies Are an At All Time Premium

As the direct result of such changing demographics, customer retention strategies are at an all-time premium. New strategies are being devised to retain customer loyalty to a single investment firm while also reassuring older customers that their continuing involvement in the company is being rewarded in the proper fashion. The revolutionary advent of Internet technology has enabled many investment firms to shift the emphasis of daily customer relations to an online basis, which has engaged these younger customers in a much more streamlined and direct manner.

New Strategies Are Being Devised To Deal with Online Clients

New strategies are being devised to deal with clients whose interaction with the company occurs almost wholly on a purely online basis. By engaging directly with these clients on their own terms, companies can increase the customer loyalty of this new breed of clientele by presenting them with informative content on a daily basis. The age of the fully interactive company website is now upon us, thanks to this new and emerging generation of investors.

So you’ve decided to start investing. Excellent. Investing is hands-down the best way to take the money you earn and use it to make more money, build wealth and finance an excellent future.

Before you begin investing however there are quite a few important questions that you need to answer, not the least of which is what type of investing you want to engage in. There are stocks of course, as well as bonds and mutual funds. You can also invest in an educational IRA or the 401(k) that your employer offers, or purchase an annuity.

You also need to keep in mind that, no matter what type of investment and investing plan you engage in, all of them come with a certain degree of risk. For example, the federal government doesn’t insure securities, even if you happen to purchase them through your bank or through a credit union, and if they lose money or fail you lose money.

With these things in mind, the following questions should all be answered, either by research that you perform or by a financial expert you consult with, before you begin investing. Enjoy.

What are your investing goals?

Are you investing to save money so that you can purchase a house? How about to finance your retirement? Whether you need money to pay for college for your children or create a “cushion” of money for when financial emergencies arise, you need to know as specifically as possible what your goals are before you begin investing.

How much time will pass before you get your invested money back?

If you purchase stocks, shares in mutual funds or bonds, you can sell them at any time. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get back the same amount of money that you paid for them, and you might just get back less. Other types of investments actually restrict you from getting your cash back for specific periods of time, including things like limited partnerships.

How much money can you earn on your investments?

When you purchase a bond you generally get a fixed amount of money in return. With securities however your earnings go up and down along with the market. Stocks do the same and, even though they might have done well before, most investments don’t comes with a guarantee of future earnings.

What is the risk involved in your investment?

As we mentioned earlier, investing is inherently risky. The risk is simply that the money you used to invest won’t be paid back to you, or the earnings that you thought you would make won’t come to fruition. There’s also a trade-off that you have to make; most investments with a higher potential for earnings have a higher risk, and vice versa.

Are you prepared to diversify your investments?

This one is relatively simple; if you have several different types of investments the chance that you’ll suffer a complete financial loss will be much lower than if you invest in only one or two. In other words, by placing your money in a number of different investments, your risk is greatly reduced.

What are the tax advantages of your particular investments?

Some investments have better tax advantages than others. For example, if you purchase US Savings Bonds, you won’t have to pay state and local taxes. Municipal bonds are the same, IRAs have tax advantages and Roth IRAs do too, but they’re a bit different. There are other tax-deferred investments that you can get for things like college and retirement as well, some of which let you postpone paying taxes and some of which eliminate them completely.

If you’ve just graduated college, most likely you have years of student loan debt to pay off. College expenses have risen faster than the rate of inflation and students are having to take out more loans to help pay for it. So, the question is, should you put off investing and focus on paying your debt for fear of a volatile market or risk it and potentially earn a big payoff if the market swings upward?

Well, it depends on your unique situation. Of course, if you’re struggling to pay your bills, then any money you earn should be directed toward all your debt. However, if you’ve developed a little bit of discretionary income and can afford your monthly loan payments, then why not send some money to an investment account? If you’re considering this option, here are a few tips that should help get you started in the investment game:

Buy Individual Stocks

Starting small in the stock market is obviously a great tactic as you begin to learn the ins and outs of investing. The most important thing to remember: there is money to be made in the stock market. For instance, if you were to purchase a few shares of Apple stock in 2004 which was valued at $16.25 and left it there, you’d be able to sell that at $614.13 ten years later. Likewise, Google’s stock in 2004 was $85 in ’04 and in 2014 was $500.

Newer tech stocks (social media, apps, etc) could have just as positive a future so if you can afford to purchase a few shares they might be worth a lot more years later. But of course, that’s all speculation and you should always do your own research when investing. Just practice your due diligence before investing any money regardless of industry and find a few stocks you believe will do well and watch the magic (knock on wood) happen.

Setup a Demo Investment Account

If you don’t want to risk any money whatsoever, it’s fairly easy to setup a demo account to see how you’d do in the stock market. You’ll be offered some fake money that can be used to hone your skills as an investor. These accounts are completely free and will help you gain necessary experience without losing any money.

You’ll also learn how to use the trading platform of a specific brokerage firm. A few firms offering this feature include Scottrade, Updown.com and OptionHouse. To take it a step further, if your fictitious account earns a nice return, you can frolic on a bed of monopoly money to enhance the illusion of the new cutting-edge investor you’ve become.

Learn to Save

When you’re committed to investing, one important discipline should be discussed. Saving. The money being put away in an investment account can’t be used for a night out at the movies or the latest game console. In order to have enough money to invest, you might need to find ways you can cut expenses. That means evaluating all your debts, including your student loan, and monthly expenses to find out what can be cut and by how much.

In some cases, you can even decrease the amount of interest owed on your student loan if you set-up automatic payments to be deducted from a bank account or have made timely monthly payments for a certain period. Many student loan lenders, in an effort to prevent students from consolidating their loans, will offer interest rate reductions to help keep their borrowers. Also, investing in the stock market should come after a solid 401k plan and a modest 3-month emergency fund.

Keep it Simple

Taking it slow and learning as you go will help you become a wise investor in no time. Besides, as with many things life, taking risks can result in huge rewards.

Lance enjoys writing about financial topics as well as posting tips on his blog EasyScholarshipsNow.com.