If you just started a small business, you’re probably setting new goals to help grow your wealth further. That’s the mindset that would take you to success. But the path you’d cross to reach your goals matters. For instance, if you’d increase your marketing budget to expand your business internationally in five years, there could be something missing from your roadmap. That is, how exactly will you increase your marketing budget?

In running a business, all the how’s, why’s, and what’s matter. And every move you make would affect your finances. For that reason, you should learn how to invest.

Investing money isn’t just for the rich and big corporations. Small-time entrepreneurs and startups have what it takes to venture into it, too. Getting started is just a little tricky, but you’d get the hang of it in no time. Today is an amazing time to invest, in fact, thanks to technology. You no longer need to call the stock market during certain hours to avoid the closing time.

That said, here’s a tech-savvy guide to investing for new entrepreneurs like you:

1. Online Banking

Your regular savings account is also an investment, just like stocks, bonds, and real estate. But if you haven’t downloaded an online banking app yet, do it now. Accessing your savings account from your phone provides superior convenience and security. It doesn’t just allow you to check your account balances, but also make deposits and fund transfers.

This perk would come in handy for a small business. It would allow you to perform banking operations without disrupting your productivity. For example, if you need to issue salaries, you can just transfer the funds to the bank accounts of your employees without ever having to go to the bank. You can also pay your suppliers digitally, even if they don’t have online banking. Your deposits will still reflect on their offline accounts anyway.

More importantly, online banking can make investments easier. Every banking app normally provides information about different securities, like the best equity funds, mutual funds, and such. You can also visit your bank’s website if you need more details. And when you decide to invest, you can do it all from the app. Just follow your bank’s instructions. In no time, your investment will be deposited into the security. After its holding period, your money, along with your investment’s profit, will be deposited back to your account.

2. Investment Apps

If you want to diversify your portfolio, using investment apps will help. The best apps to download depend on where you’re from. If you live in the States, some popular apps are Betterment, Acorns, Robinhood, and Webull.

Other countries, like the Philippines, have their own local investment apps, too. Great examples include First Metro Securities, eToro, Investa, and Bonds.PH. Filipino apps are cut out from the rest because some of them allow you to invest as little as PHP 50 or $1. As such, they let you test the waters first before committing to a larger investment.

Each investment app comes with pros and cons. Study them well before putting money into anything. Try not to forego these apps when investing for the first time, because using unreliable platforms, like social media, may put you at risk for an investment scam. Naive investors have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to these scams. So only use legitimate apps and don’t trust word-of-mouth advertising about unknown security.

Different investment apps work best for different people. For example, Acorns is best for young investors looking for an “all-in-one” solution to investing. Acorns allow new investors to start by investing small amounts of money and eventually grow their investments over time. The app Robinhood is great because it has a simple and easy-to-use platform, as well as no trading commission fees! The best app in terms of the stock trading platform is Webull. It boasts a straightforward and easy-to-understand app, helpful analytics tools, quick and simple trading, and zero commissions fees. Most importantly, all of these apps give the investor the information they need to make a quick and informed decision on which stocks are right for them.

3. Virtual Reality

When you can finally afford bigger premises for your business, you’d start dealing with real property. Usually, entrepreneurs visit potential new locations in person. It helps them visualize their shop designs better. In addition, it allows them to check other logistical factors like access and parking.

But sometimes, in-person site visits are impractical. Thankfully, you can rely on virtual reality instead. This technology lets you tour a real property remotely. Just download a real estate app with a virtual tour feature. It’ll allow you to check out 360-degree photos of available commercial space. If you want to kick your virtual tour experience up a notch, you can buy a VR headset and feel like you’re physically in the space while touring it digitally.

Investing is crucial for entrepreneurs because it’ll grow your personal and business wealth. After all, you can’t put all your eggs in one basket if you want to become rich. Apply this lesson both to your personal finances and business finances. Even if you’re making a lot from sales alone, the market is unpredictable, as proven by the pandemic. But if you have investments, you can protect yourself from recessions and other economic downturns.