Business101: Simran Kaur is overtaking the finance Bros.How can businesses influence your finances?
Businesses are amazing tools which can increase your income and thus create a larger gap between your expenses and income. This gap is what can be used as a tool to build generational wealth which will change your life, and that of all those who follow after you. Business ideas are limitless, and so too are the opportunities which can come from one. Recently I've been overwhelmed by the successes of Simran Kaur of Girls That Invest. She has always been an inspiration for me because she grew up in Hamilton and was able to do so much with her life, at such a young age. It's awesome because as a Maori I've always held geography close to my heart and it's always influenced by whakaaro on someone and changed my mentality. For example, 'Sim from Hamilton' is wayyyy more inspiring to me than 'Dave Ramsay from the USA'. It does something to me mentally where I'm able to see a shift in relatability & interest in their journey.
Where does this come from? I don't really know. There's one part of me which thinks that it comes from my Maoritanga and my desire to link any person to something bigger than them, to their genealogy, geography and more. Heoi ano, my point is that Sim just released her first book. It's called 'Girls That Invest: Your Guide to financial Independence through shares and Stocks'. She's got the book up on so many different book stores which it can be pre-ordered for $31.00. If you want to buy one, then click here. Sim not only has a book for sale, but she also has a course which teaches you the basics of investing. A beginner's Guide to Investing in the Stock Market. This retails for around $300 USD (or more! I can't find the price). I believe that there are 400 students per course and I believe that she has done 3 rounds. And, aside from this she runs a successful podcast which remains at #1 on the charts of so many different charts for investing podcasts. (Podcasts earn money through commissions or referrals).
I've given a brief overview of just some of the awesome things which Simran Kaur is doing in the business world. If you care enough, you could do your own estimates as to how much money she has made through GTI (I know I have!) The number which I came up with is far north from any amount of money I've seen in my life time. And, from numbers she has released, she has around $900k in her 'business account' further evidencing her large income from her business.
The incredible thing about not only GTI but about all businesses is that they all do something incredible: they solve issues. GTI provides investing resources to women (or men) who want to learn about investing. The cool thing is that, you can do this too. Anyone has the potential to create a successful business. In the world of social media and technology, sometimes you don't even need to leave your bed! I've always had this whakaaro that running a business or at least starting one is an awesome thing to do in your teenage years. By running or starting a business you are able to learn so much. Here are some of the things I have learnt through Maori Millionaire:
To listen to my audience. My audience are in turn my customers who will either buy my product one day, or keep my business alive by sharing, liking, and commenting on content. It's important to listen to them and take care of them like they're whanau: because they are.
Work/Life/Study/Relationship Balance!!! Omg this one is super difficult and I'm still trying to wrap my head around how I can be a great student, businesswoman, partner, daughter, granddaughter, sister. It's so difficult and the thing I've realised is that I just can not. I can't be everything and nor do I want to be. Life is about balance and I need to balance mine!
Quality>>> Quantity. I don't know if anyone has realized of late but I've slowed down my content production. I'm working on going through all of my posts and increasing quality. I don't want to produce content which isn't of a high standard.
So many other lessons come as I progress through my journey!
Business is just one way to diversify your income, and to increase it too. Robert T. Kyosaki says that there are 4 different ways to make money. In 'The Cashflow Quadrant', he outlines these as:
Your Job
Being a Business Owner
Self Employed
Investments
There are different pros and cons of each of these income streams, but the one I wanted to focus on was being a business owner. Being a business owner means that you are in control of the monetary and operational aspects of a business. Any entity which sells products for a profit, is considered a business. Businesses can be independent (Maori Millionaire) or worked for by a community of people (tesla). There is room for a lot of growth with a small independently run business, but it's usually someone's passion project or side hustle. I do know that Simran Kaur from Girls That Invest, started working on GTI whilst working full time after she had graduated university. This is similar to me where I run Maori Millionaire outside of studying full time, working at the law firm part time, and looking after my nan one night a week. There are many businesses which start off as side hustles because at first: they make no money.
To date, I have put 100s of hours in to Maori Millionaire, and only ever made $400 from it. But, as role modelled by Sim, these hours which are worked for free are definitely paid for in the end. The exciting thing about being an independent business, founder, or CEO is that the rewards which come from the business, are yours. For example, I was recently emailed by an employee of Sorted who invited me to have an all expenses paid trip to Wellington to speak at this conference. I mean, how often does an 18 year old student get opportunities like this when they're not involved in areas which are 'ordinary' or 'normal' like a 9-5? This is why I'm so eager to push my message, it's because there is a desire for it to be heard. People want to learn how to escape their lives that they work so hard for but don't get rewarded for.
So, start a business. Start one which you're passionate about. Use it as one of your income sources so that you can invest. Invest in the stock market, in property, in crypto - in anything which is long term and diversified. Don't forget to seek financial advice from a qualified professional before making any big financial moves. If you want to learn how you can start your very own business, then take a look at my video which explains in detail the steps you need to take in order to do so. Wai Huarere CEO, Tamatea Ngapo joins me to share how he started his small business in High School. See below to learn more:
So, to answer the original question, How can a Business influence your finances? Tremendously! A business has the potential to grow your income astronomically. It has the ability to create second, third, fourth (and more) sources of income which can allow you to make ends meet, and invest. This is often the struggle for many whanau: their incomes from their jobs alone don't allow them any 'spare' money to invest. I believe that through business we can.
If you have any comments then drop them below. Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow me on all of my socials in order to stay updated!
Media/ Collabs: Tekahukura@maorimillionaire.com