Hedge fund consultants and investment fund consultants are the experts when it comes to creating or managing hedge funds. So whether you are forming a hedge fund business, creating your own hedge fund or simply investing in one of these funds call in the professionals and leave nothing to chance.

Hedge fund consultants are well qualified to help you make wise investment decisions for you and your business. When making the most of a hedge fund consultant:

1. Identify your company’s investment needs.

2. Take advantage of investment fund consultants specializing in hedge fund outsourcing.

3. Consider using a hedge fund consulting service to establish a hedge fund, or manage an existing portfolio.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Bring in the pros to establish a turn key hedge fund

Successful brokers and traders might see an investment strategy and decide to start up a hedge funds consulting business or establish a boutique hedge fund. Address your particular investment needs with the services of the right hedge fund consultant to increase your business's viability.

I recommend: Consider companies like Nottingham Investment Administration and Turn Key Hedge Funds if you need help with accounting or administering your hedge funds, complying with state or federal tax laws or adding to—or starting up your own hedge fund portfolio.

Use hedge fund IT outsourcing to your advantage

A company specializing in hedge fund IT outsourcing can get your business on track with the latest in hedge fund software and its companion hardware.

I recommend: Options Technology is one of the foremost providers of hedge fund IT consulting. This international outsourcing company offers hedge fund managers the latest in technology, including high performance electronic trading platforms. Hedgepros helps a company—whether it is a start-up or established hedge fund—identify which areas will benefit from hedge fund outsourcing.

Employ the services of a hedge fund consultancy

A hedge fund consultant advises investors concerning risk management, investment strategies and fund selection. Some investment fund consultants also may serve as hedge fund marketing consultants. If at any time you want to rethink your investment strategies or choice of funds ask your hedge fund consultant for their recommendations.

I recommend: M.S. Howell & Co. can answer your questions about forming your own hedge fund or starting your own hedge fund business, including start-up costs and marketing plans. Albourne, a world-wide hedge fund consultancy with fixed monthly fees, has offices in the UK, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The firm offers its clients hedge fund consulting advice on how to build a portfolio and select hedge fund managers.

Stay current on hedge fund and investment fund consultants

All investments carry some risk, but it behooves a hedge fund consultant to stay on top of market trends and continuously make corrections. It's important to track the world economy also.

I recommend: Subscribe to Hedgeworld, published by Reuters, Hedgeweek published in the UK and FinAlternatives for hedge fund and private equity news.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Establish benchmarks for determining the effectiveness of your hedge fund consultant, and take advantage of seminars, white papers and conferences on hedge funds.
• •  Hedge funds are also known as 'alternate investment vehicles,' and can be extremely volatile and full of risk, with an opportunity for high profits. Consider the market before starting a hedge fund.

Hedge fund consultants can help you with starting your own hedge fund business. Are you new to hedge funds? Your investing business has reaped great returns from stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Now, you’re ready to take a greater risk in producing a larger return. You’ve decided that hedge fund investing is the best way.

You should consider hiring a hedge fund consultant. Let the hedge funds consultants do all of the grunt work for you. That way, you can focus on why you decided to get into this business — trading securities. Hedge funds consultants can help you get your hedge fund business up and running in the following ways:

1. A hedge fund consultant can help put your management team together.
2. Hedge fund consultants can help you provide information technology support.
3. Hedge fund consultants can help you find potential investors.

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Use a hedge fund consultancy firm to help you create your management team

Since you've been in the investing business for a while, you probably have formed relationships with talented individuals in the field. However, you want individuals who are knowledgeable about the hedge fund industry. You want the right people who can make the best decisions for your fund. This is where a hedge fund consultancy firm can be of value. You want to go with an experienced hedge fund consulting firm. Hedge fund consultants, who are also investment fund consultants, know what qualities and experience to look for in a team member.

I recommend: Check out HedgeCo Networks’ website. This hedge consulting company specializes in helping you set up your hedge fund. The company’s expert team has appeared on CNBC. You will also want to look at NorthPoint Trading Partners, LLC, which also specializes in getting hedge funds up and running.

Hire a hedge fund IT consulting firm to provide information technology support

Don't overlook this area. You can rely on the hedge fund IT consulting firm to recommend the best hedge fund trading software. You'll need trading software not only for executing your trades, but for applying technical analysis, drawing charts and calculating complex equations. To complement this powerful software, you'll need hardware that requires significant memory and CPU power. A hedge fund consultant can recommend the best hardware for your needs that won't go over your budget.

I recommend: Options Technology is a hedge fund IT outsourcing company that specializes in supporting hedge fund business and providing 24/7 technical support. Diverture also provides IT support, particularly designing and developing customized software applications for hedge funds. The company’s applications are designed for flexibility, meaning they can address dynamic trading strategies or investment models, including arbitrage, market timing, and long/short.

Use hedge fund marketing consultants to solicit and retain investors

Save money and time by hedge fund outsourcing your marketing needs to hedge fund consultants. Hedge fund outsourcing companies can market your hedge fund to the right investors. They have built relationships with managers of institutions, including pension funds, endowments, private banks and insurance companies. You want to go with a marketing consultant firm that has much experience in the hedge fund industry.

I recommend: Look at Agecroft Partners, LLC, which specializes in marketing for hedge funds. The company’s president has a solid career in institutional investment sales and management over a 20-year span. Hedgepros gives a little information on its marketing strategy that you will find useful.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ask marketing hedge fund consulting companies about their marketing strategies to get a blueprint for your own.

Despite an unsettling financial marketplace, the hedge fund industry is witnessing an increase in hedge fund consultants and investment fund consultants. Everyone involved with these funds—especially hedge fund managers—are searching for ways to get a leg up on the competition.

As a result, there has been an influx on the part of hedge fund consultants to receive up-to-the-minute training. Some even opt for continuing their education in the hopes of broadening their knowledge in areas like hedge fund IT outsourcing and hedge fund IT consulting. If you want to be on the cutting-edge of the hedge fund industry there are several hedge fund consultant education and training vehicles you can consider:

1. Find out about hedge fund consulting training online.

2. Register for a Chartered Hedge Fund Associate (CHA) Designation Program.

3. Research the different business schools that offer courses or MBA programs for hedge fund consultants and hedge fund IT outsourcing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Participate in basic hedge fund consultants education and training on the Internet

Web seminars and online training modules are taking the place of classrooms and meeting rooms when it comes to educating hedge fund consultants, hedge fund marketing consultants and investment fund consultants.

I recommend: JG Advisory Services markets hedge fund training modules for groups or individuals. Hedge fund consultants will benefit from the basic training module that accessed right from your computer's desktop. Topics covered include pricing and valuating hedge funds, insider trading and the nation's current regulatory environs. CIFT Financial Training Solutions offers e-learning courses for hedge fund consultants and those involved in hedge fund marketing consulting. Areas addressed include asset allocation, investment techniques and strategies and hedge fund investment vehicles.

Take the necessary hedge fund consultant training to become a Chartered Hedge Fund Associate

Completing a Chartered Hedge Fund Associate (CHA) Designation Program can give a hedge fund consultant the competitive edge. It also allows those involved with hedge fund outsourcing and hedge fund marketing consultants to more effectively service the hedge fund industry.

I recommend: CHA Designation offers its hedge fund training and certification program twice each year. Sponsored by the Hedge Fund Group (HFG), program participants include hedge fund managers and other professionals involved in hedge fund consultancy, such as hedge fund marketing consultants, financial analysts and attorneys.

Search for graduate schools offering hedge fund or hedge fund consulting courses

Many highly regarded business schools offer master's degree programs in hedge fund management and formation.

I recommend: At the Yale School of Management students learn how to pitch an idea for a new hedge fund to a panel of experts in the hedge fund industry. Classes strive to simulate the feeling of working in an actual hedge fund company. The Johnson School at Cornell University's Parker Center for Investment Research provides its students with the opportunity to learn about hedge fund consulting and hedge fund management in a state-of-the-art electronic trading classroom. They also get hands-on experience managing the school's multi- million dollar hedge fund.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Establish benchmarks for determining the effectiveness of hedge fund consultants education and training and ask for special course content modification to suit your needs.
• •  Include seminars, conferences and white papers on hedge fund consulting as part of your training.

Hedge fund consultants are highly trained and experienced professionals that can help companies, organizations or individuals navigate the market for these securities. They can help you with determining your risk profile, developing your strategy and providing ongoing guidance and support as you invest in these funds. There are numerous hedge fund software packages on the market and a hedge fund consultant can also help you select the best one for your needs. As you delve into this seemingly arcane field, it would helpful if you understand some simple terms.

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Net asset value

Net asset value (NAV) is a financial term that describes a hedge fund's value less the value of any liabilities. There isn't a common method for calculating a net asset value used by hedge fund consultants and it will depend on the circumstances, the purpose of the valuation and regulations that might apply.

I recommend: InvestorWords.com has a concise definition of this term.

Dividends

Dividends are a portion of profits paid out to stock holders. When a hedge fund earns a profit or surplus, that money can either be re-invested or paid as a dividend. Hedge fund consultants can help determine whether it makes sense to pay out dividends from a fund.

I recommend: Street Authority offers a complete definition.

Stock split

A stock split refers to when a company divides the number of shares it has into a larger number, so that they are more affordable and therefore marketable, while maintaining the current stockholders' proportion of ownership. Hedge fund consultants can evaluate whether or not a stock split will be beneficial.

I recommend: Investor Glossary provides a definition as well.

Blue sky law

A blue sky law is a state law that is designed to regulate the offering and sale of securities to protect the public from fraud. Hedge fund consultants can work to ensure that a fund meets the requirements outlined in blue sky laws.

I recommend: Farlex offers an in-depth explanation.

Anti-money laundering

Anti-money laundering (AML) is a term that describes the legal controls that are required of financial institutions and hedge funds to prevent or report any activities that occur and which are designed to disguise whether the funds were acquired illegally. Hedge fund consultants can assist with putting in place controls to ensure that AML regulations are followed when hedge funds receive funds.

I recommend: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission offers a definition and information on what is required for financial institutions to establish AML programs.

Offering memorandum

Offering memorandum, also referred to as a private placement memorandum (PPM), refers to a legal document that is composed by a hedge fund consultant and which states the objectives, risks and terms of a hedge fund.

I recommend: Zeromillion.com defines the term and explains what main sections are required for an offering memorandum.