Management | Finance
Helping everyday investors By Claire Wright
Sharesies co-founder and co-CEO, Sonya Williams chats with Canterbury Today magazine about how the company has its sights on shifting investing away from solely an old boys’ club. To everyday people, there’s been a prevailing perception of investors coming from a certain demographic – rich, older, male and white. This circles around the fact that the traditional way to buy shares required minimums of the number of shares you could buy. Sharesies reinvented the game, becoming the first wealth development platform to fractionalise the New Zealand Stock Exchange, then doing the same in Australia. You can now own shares starting at one cent, just owning a fraction of a share. Sharesies co-founder and co-CEO, Sonya Williams says, “That ownership from one cent is a part of what makes it so accessible for us.
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Growing yourself and growing your knowledge is investing in yourself. Being able to create those conversations is really important no matter how old you are.
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Co-founders and co-CEOs, from left to right: Leighton Roberts, Sonya Williams, and Brooke Roberts.
“There’s a chance to diversify through investing and potentially add a bit more liquidity if you have something like your own property and “We know through our research a reason people you’re planning to live in that. Being able to weren’t investing was because of the perception invest in something a bit more liquid provides that you needed too much money to start. The internet has really democratised how people you a bit more flexibility. Not all investing is for receive their information, Sonya says, and has “Information is a really big part of investing, your retirement.” helped level the playing field across industries, and so is being part of the conversation. The Investing is also how you can grow wealth for from education to investment. [investing] game has changed as well around yourself, your children, and your whanau, to this democratising access to information.” “Growing yourself and growing your knowledge create the type of world you want your loved is investing in yourself. Being able to create Through the platform, users can become ones to live in. those conversations is really important no better informed in easy-to-digest ways – from “People support what they want to support matter how old you are.” Sharesies’ daily podcasts to weekly webinars and how they want to see the world. A big part with CEOs around the world, investors can ask Tips for investing later in life of investing is looking forward and saying, questions about how companies are run directly ‘What type of world do I want to want to live in and get those questions answered, Sonya says. One of the sayings in the finance industry is, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago for myself? “We do believe providing things like these – the second-best time to plant a tree is now.” interviews with the CEOs, that’s a fantastic “What do I want to be achieving financially for opportunity that hasn’t been accessible, even if Even if you’re hesitant to start investing, Sonya myself but for also those around me? What kind says whenever you start is the best time for you of world is that? What kind of companies do I you had lots of money. – and there’s huge opportunity. think should exist?’ “Everyone should have access and the “A pro is you might have more money to invest opportunity to invest. As an investor, you’re a “That’s a really powerful thing to do because business owner, you’re a shareholder. You own as you’re older as well. you can really support these companies, a bit of that business. and support the type of world you want to “People are at different ages and stages, live in, through being a business owner as well and you might have different assets that “When you put yourself in that mindset and as a shareholder.” you’ve invested. you go well, ‘What would I like to know about? What do I need to you know? What do I want to have communicated?’ - Sharesies co-founder and co-CEO, Sonya Williams
Sharesies was one of the first New Zealand financial services to become a B Corp, a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. Sharesies co-founder and co-CEO, Sonya Williams says, “We really put a lot of energy into how we run our business as well and making sure that we are really committed to reducing inequality, lowering the levels of poverty and creating a healthy environment for our teams and the people. “We want to be really understanding the impact that we have as a business, and making sure that we’re doing what we can to make sure it’s a positive one.” With over 400,000 investors, Sharesies makes it simple to start investing –no jargon, no minimum buy-ins, all online. To find out more, visit www.sharesies.nz.
“There’s so much opportunity to really be connecting people closer with the investments they have and really feel like a shareholder. “Our vision is that someone with five dollars has the same investment opportunities as someone with five million. “That’s what we see on our platform. It doesn’t matter whether you have five dollars or five million, people are investing how they want on Sharesies.” Through Sharesies’ market research, most people said they got information either from the internet – or through their friends or partners. “What we’re interested in is being able to provide access to those who are looking to grow their wealth and helping empower them to do so. “This is a really important part for us; when I talked about how 20 percent of people who had shares in the past, that was people who are typically male, over 60 and living in Auckland. When we think of the make-up of our population, that’s only a subset of the population.” www.canterburytoday.co.nz | 11
