Can a small business build an internal investment fund?

Can a small business have an internal fund? My aunt is thinking of pooling funds for a portfolio by allocating a portion of capital from her small business to buy stocks and bonds. She's thinking of hiring my son as the general partner/fund manager.

 
Most Helpful

Yes, but why? If you’re a small business owner you probably have some kind of IRR that is decent (20-30% say), whereas even professional fund managers will struggle with 6-10% returns (depends on strategy otc). 
 

A small business doesn’t “pool” funds — it just opens a brokerage account that is owned by the business. This happens all the time and is typically managed by a firms internal treasury team (mainly comprised of running bond ladders to match cash flow expenditures or future projects). A business that has future use of capital typically does not have the time horizon for equity or alternative investments unless this is for a purpose similar to a pension. There are some tax benefits that a business can utilize to make pension savings more affordable on the business side vs personal.

 

The idea seems interestingly novel to me. I have read about big businesses building internal funds (The Daily Journal, Airbnb) but not small businesses/sole proprietorships or even LLCs.

 

It sounds a little WeWork-ish to me. A few years ago on WSO we were discussing WeWork (while it was still the beloved unicorn of Wall Street). I, being right about 99% of things and dayum humble about it, too, was pointing out that WeWork's foray into VC, residential real estate, wave pools, etc. was an indication that something was amiss with the company's underlying business model. Just sayin'...

Array
 

Maiores et quos dolorem qui voluptatem animi expedita. Magnam voluptatem et iure rem in delectus sunt id. Sed officiis optio consequatur consectetur tempore voluptatum maxime.

Culpa iste sint reiciendis enim adipisci. Eos dolor et velit tempore repudiandae sapiente nihil laboriosam.

Velit voluptate eligendi cumque unde et esse. Sit recusandae voluptatem quae eveniet aut quos pariatur.

Exercitationem corrupti voluptate occaecati repellat. Blanditiis quisquam eos laudantium qui consequatur. Recusandae suscipit ut perspiciatis deleniti non aut nam. Odit similique quia iusto in. Sapiente laudantium dolor aperiam qui nostrum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 25 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”