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She is all set to retire by 32; here's how!
Anupreet Dhody quit her job to become a stockbroker. She runs a company and is all set to retire in a matter of a few years. Find out how she plans to do it.
The expansive desk belies the age of the person sitting behind it. Books and magazines related to the stock market are neatly arranged in various parts of the office, as a young 20-something girl is busy advising someone on the phone about why he shouldn't be buying a particular stock.
Anupreet Dhody is a stockbroker based in Mumbai and has been one since she graduated from St Xavier's College in 2006.
The 24-year-old tells us that she's always been good with numbers, wanted to pursue a career in finance but most of all wanted to be part of St Xavier's College.
"Ever since I had heard of Xavier's I wanted to be there. But I was never interested in science and Xavier's didn't have a commerce stream. So I spent my first two years of college in Sydenham studying commerce and then shifted to Xavier's to study BMS (Bachelor in Management Studies)."
She says that she always wanted to start something on her own -- 'even if it was a stationery store'. "I'd discuss the idea (of being an entrepreneur) with my professors and mentors at college. They told me that I should first get some work experience before going solo. I got selected by Edelweiss through campus placement and worked there for a year and three months."
At Edelweiss, Dhody was part of the alternative derivative desk where she and her team would exchange trading ideas and invest for some of the biggest banks in the world.
'I asked myself why I wanted to do an MBA'
The 15 months at the multinational stock broking firm gave Dhody the exposure she'd never got before.
"I got some strong mentors there who could answer questions about my career. Questions like whether I should be doing an MBA or whether I should be setting up my business or not were answered by these people. I would stay back and ask them about what coaching classes to take for an MBA or why they haven't started something on their own. Moreover, I observed how my bosses and colleagues would make the most of their time. I got my first lessons in effective time management at Edelweiss."
Later, when her CAT scores weren't good enough for the IIMs of her choice, Dhody stepped back to reflect.
"I asked myself why I wanted to do an MBA. I was sure I didn't want to be in a corporate job. If I wanted to set up something I would need a strong network of people, which I was building anyway. Clearly I didn't want a degree that would work merely as a stamp and serve little purpose."
This was in 2007. Later that year, Dhody joined Orbit Financial Services, a start-up financial services company looking for a person to take it to the next level.
"I had worked here as an intern during my college days and was thinking of joining soon after I graduated. But I was looking for good exposure so I chose Edelweiss."
Having been there and done that, Dhody was keen on leaving a mark. So a company that was still a start-up was a perfect fit.
The impending move from the big and well-known company however was definitely scary.
Click NEXT to read how Anupreet Dhody made her shift from a big company to a small start-up...
'The new job taught me to perform in limited resources'
When they had first approached her after college, they were hoping she'd join them as an employee. But Dhody was keen on a larger role and doing something of her own. "I was keen on creating something new and they were looking at expansion. I had strong vision and they liked the product I had designed for them."
Her parents -- her dad is in the transport business and mother is a homemaker -- though were not very happy with the idea but decided to support her nonetheless. Meanwhile Dhody was prepared to take the plunge and had a backup plan in place.
She says, "When I started afresh here [at Orbit], I knew I would take time to break even or come to par with what I was earning at my earlier job. I had saved up enough to take that risk. Also, I had mentally trained myself that I would not think how much I could have earned had I not walked out of that job. I had also kept my backup plan as depending on my parents if things didn't work out as planned. Thankfully they did, but if they hadn't, then I wouldn't have given up. I tried because I had monetary support from my parents."
Needless to say the resources were limited and there was a lot to learn. Also the role was completely different. "The earlier job profile in Edelweiss was well defined, whereas here I was expected to know and do a lot of things. The resources here were limited, unlike my previous job where resource materials like up-to-date research reports etc, were freely available.
There was a shift in the approach as well, from micro level to a macro level. I was expected to know and read-up about a lot more here. This job has made me realise my potential to perform and has given me a strong sense of responsibility. And, there's no 9 to 5 here. At times I stay back here for really long and come back early the next day. But then again I travel more frequently. This work is much more flexible."
Click NEXT to find out how she faced the economic downturn...
'It was difficult for us to convince our clients to invest in stocks'
Most of all, Orbit offered her the freedom to execute her ideas. In her first six months Dhody took her time to understand the new set-up and its needs.
"I spent the first six months researching and trying to find out what ideas I could implement here and how to go about doing it. I set up a department for dealing in stock options and was offered the directorship in the firm."
Since 2007 (when she joined them), Orbit has seen some dizzying highs and some depressing lows -- Dhody has stood by it through both.
The company grew from a single branch organisation to a multiple-branch set-up. During the downturn, the small company took a hit too. They even had to shut down a few branches.
"The idea was to take a few steps back before we move ahead. We didn't however let go of a single employee," she says matter-of-factly.
It was also around the same time that they had just begun to find their feet and get new clients.
She continues, "It was difficult for us to convince our clients to invest in stocks because they were very jittery after the crash. Even now people are a little wary because they've seen markets touch heights they'd never imagined. The idea behind reducing our operations was to consolidate our position, reduce overheads and then take steps forward."
Dhody says that while it isn't intimidating, being a young woman in the business does have its drawbacks.
Click NEXT to find out how you can secure your future...
'Save in the right products to secure your future'
She confesses that clients do tend to be sceptical when they see it's someone as young as her advising them on their money. But it's something she has learnt to handle. "I tell them about my background, my educational qualifications in the field of finance and share with them the growth history that my clients have yielded through my decisions," she says.
Interestingly, being a woman has not been a hurdle at all. "They look at me as a banker and not so much as a broker and women have been in the banking sector for a while now."
The young entrepreneur plans to make the company a one-stop-shop for all financial needs 'like a bank where you have multiple options to invest your money'.
She tells us that the first step towards this has already been taken.
"We are waiting for permissions and a few licences from relevant authorities. Right now we are only acting as brokers for our clients. These licences will enable us to manage our clients' money more freely and effectively," she says.
Saving in the right products, Dhody adds, is the key to securing your future. She for one is doing it and is keen on retiring by the time she's 32.
The young broker is keenly associated with the Tata Jagriti Yatra, a social entrepreneurship project whose aim is to help set up 100,000 enterprises by August 15, 2022.
Dhody who is also a keen photographer has travelled across the country and maintains a photoblog online.
She insists that like her, it is possible for everyone to fulfill their dreams if they simply invest smartly. "You might want to take a world tour or just call it a day when you're still in your 30s. The idea is to take the right steps in that direction and you will be set."
Click NEXT to find out what how you can start saving from today!
Dhody shares simple tips to start saving
1. It is important that you first identify your goals -- whatever they may be. Don't run away from them. Start planning for your retirement from the day you get your first salary.
2. Just like you keep aside a particular amount for your loan EMIs, set aside a fixed amount for your future expenses. It doesn't matter even if it is a few thousand rupees.
3. Get in touch with the right people who can handle your portfolio.
4. Review your portfolio every six months.
5. Don't keep waiting for your negative stock to rise. It's alright to lose money sometimes. Just pull it out and invest it somewhere else if you're getting the right advice.
6. If you've set aside a fixed amount for the distant future and the markets have crashed, do not panic. It's a long-term investment and the markets are bound to rise eventually. Don't touch that money unless you have to. Unless you have reached the time to realise your goal.
7. If you don't follow the stock market, simply invest in an SIP. And set a date in the first fortnight of the month for the electronic clearance so you don't spend it.
Click NEXT to find out how to start investing with just Rs 3,000 per month!
'No amount is a small amount'
Dhody says no amount is too small an amount to start investing. Here, she takes a hypothetical case of a person who can spare Rs 3,000 per month for investment:
1. Do not invest in stocks unless you have an hour to spare a day and watch your stock.
2. Split the money into three parts of Rs 1,000 each and invest one part in different mutual funds -- a large caps mutual, a mid or small caps mutual funds and most importantly invest some amount in gold. It is the oldest form of investment and the best.
You ask her if she's managed to convince her parents to invest similarly in stocks and she laughs out. "My dad is a tough nut to crack," she says. "It is beyond him to understand why I invest in someone else's business when I could simply invest in his! He is a traditional investor but has opened up a little recently. I guess he will come around sooner or later. After all, everyone wants to retire."
Want to become a stockbroker? Click NEXT to find out how!
Here's how you can become a stockbroker
Open a DMAT account and start investing yourself. If you don't have the first-hand experience of losing money you cannot become a good broker. Bookish knowledge will not take you far.
Follow markets every single day for every single minute.
You need to be really quick in maths -- ideally you shouldn't need a calculator.
If you want to work as a broker with a company, you need a few basic qualifications. A simple graduation degree will get you started at Rs 15,000 per month. If you have a specialisation in finance, it will earn you a few thousand extra. A management degree from a reputed institute should fetch you Rs 25,000 to 35,000. And an IIM degree will get you started at Rs 50,000. All these are subject to your prior experience. Work experience usually weighs more than your degree at times.
You must be computer literate to trade on a terminal. For this you also need to pass exams that are conducted at the NSE and BSE multiple times a month. These exams can be given even when you are studying at college because they require no minimum qualifications. There are different exams for different entry levels for mutual funds, for FNOs and for trading in equity. These exams are mandatory if you want to become a broker.
Even if you want to start something of your own, get some work experience. Join a stock broking firm and understand the processes involved. Assimilate as much as you can because one year at a broking firm will teach you what'll take you three years to learn by yourself.
The easiest way to start something of your own is to get a franchisee of a big company like Motilal Oswal or Reliance Money among others. These companies offer you all the infrastructural help, research material and analysis. All you need to do is use your creativity to make the most of it.
Clients come to you because they see a Motilal Oswal or Reliance Money board outside your office not because they know or trust you. Keeping that in mind and ensure your clients get good returns.