Don't be disheartened if you are unable to invest in the booming real estate market near the classy sea facing residential area of California. Many of us don't have the capital to do so. But this must not deter you from working on your investment strategies. Investment doesn't mean you must have millions of dollars aside in your bank account. In fact, investments begin on a small scale. You save pennies that eventually, in the long term, give you back millions. Investments are also not an overnight effort. It takes time, brainstorming, discipline and patience from your side to create wealth. Beginners in the investment world, who wish to save certain fractions of their hard-earned money should focus on small investment ideas to secure their financial future. Small Investment Ideas 2011: An Overview What are some of the best small scale investment ideas in the financial year 2011. While investment banks and billion dollar investing firms are bullish about the iconic Apple, Pepsi, or Microsoft, where should you focus your attention, in the investment and business world? Keep in mind that you are a small investor and so you have to exercise your fair sense of judgment and common sense before diversifying your money in different sorts of investment schemes. Fresh college graduates and start up entrepreneurs belong to the category of 'beginner investors', who would like to save some money and build their wealth. Mentioned below are several investment ideas for small investors. Where to Begin The group of people who belong to the small investors group are generally individuals with fixed salaries or retail investors. Small investors can begin by investing in stock markets. It is said that making money through stock markets is an easy task, if you are aware of stock investing basics. It is also a fact that stock markets will return you the money way higher than your investments. Though losses can be incurred due to a harsh economy, small investors can keep their investment amount limited and observe the market for some period to change their investment strategies. Mutual funds are amongst the low risk and high benefit options for individuals with small sum of investments. Mutual funds are managed by experts and investors who don't have time to monitor the stock market, can easily benefit from it. They just have to invest some fixed amount of money and the rest is taken care by the mutual fund managers of the company. One of the best options for starters or fresh college graduates is to invest in government securities and bonds. Many starters don't pay significant attention to the value of investing in their IRA plans. IRA investment schemes are amazingly beneficial in the end years of retirement and investing some amount in it, is a habit that must be formed at early stages of the career. Good Strategies for Small Investors Disciplined investing forms the hallmark of a successful small investor. Be it Warren Buffet or any great investor, all have hailed the value of discipline in the investment world. Discipline doesn't mean that you must possess billions of dollars to invest every day in the investment market. Discipline means that you must make efforts to save some money from your earnings, depending on your flexibility and invest it in a plethora of investment ideas available in the market. For instance, you can invest in numerous types of affordable stock options. Not all stocks are very expensive and you can think of investing in start up companies, that offer their stocks at affordable prices. Similarly, government securities and bond schemes are relatively cheaper so small investors can even focus on them. Here are some key investment tips for small investors.

• Start investing early, don't delay. Save some money every month for investment purposes.
• Invest frequently depending on the market conditions. Frequently doesn't mean on a 'regular basis'. Be observant of the prevailing market conditions.
• Never put all your eggs in one basket.
• Being a small investor, don't put all your money and everything you possess. It is one killer step.
• Keep in mind the key to small investing; buy lower and sell higher.
• Diversify your portfolio as that helps in overcoming limitations of the volatile market.
• Consult certified financial experts instead of focusing too much on knowledge of friends or relatives.
• Know your purpose of investment, your risk tolerance ability and what you are expecting from the returns. This will help you prepare for any sort of outcomes.
• Be disciplined. Gain knowledge about index equity funds, fixed deposits and diversified equity funds. With experience, you will be confident and more aware of the nitty gritty of the investment world.
• Always focus on long term investments, as they are less risky and offer better returns.
• Keep a strategy back up to handle losses. Play safe but don't be too closed to take calculated risks.

By going through the aforementioned small investment ideas, you must have got deep insights about investing with an affordable amount of money. The Internet and recovering global economy have made it possible for several small business investment opportunities to flourish in the recent years. Small investors can eye such start ups for investing, if the company shows a promising future. Green stocks, for instance, will be the reality all across the globe within a few years (they're, in fact, even now!) and investing in them is bound to return good profits. So small investors must keep themselves updated about the investment world so that they can take informed decisions. Happy investing!