Where/How to invest £25k

[jzukerman]

Like a M$ Action Pack Subscription. In addition to use of current versions of all OS's, desktop and server, you get credits you can use for Azure. This also includes O365, 5 seats if I remember correctly. This will let you practice setting it up and using it. Look around on here for discount codes. They can drop the price in half.

For what it is worth, none of the discount codes work for MS Action Pack subscription, as of end of June. And Microsoft hasn't released new discount codes. My feeling is they won't.

 

[Markverhyden]

For what it is worth, none of the discount codes work for MS Action Pack subscription, as of end of June. And Microsoft hasn't released new discount codes. My feeling is they won't.

Apparently so. Did a little looking around and found the below.

 

[Big Jim]

I think this is a huge mistake. You borrowed all that money without a plan? Your business doesn't even support you working in it and you have to work full time somewhere else to support yourself and your family? What do you do when life happens and you have to move or sell the house quickly and / or there's a simultaneous downturn in housing prices? You're going to say "we won't ever need to move, we're here for the long term, etc. etc.". To which I'd respond "do you wear your seatbelt when you're in the car, do you buy any kinds of insurance at all?

There was a loose plan (moving and getting more retail orientated) however whilst waiting for the money to surface spent some time thinking about it and thats when I started to think my friends idea wasnt so great.
He is very successful and has worked hard to earn his fortunes, but he isn't in anyway technology aligned.
I did want to try and use this money to come out of work and really focus on the business but I feel £25k probably isn't going to be enough to allow me to do this for very long.

So I turned to you guys for advice/opinions.

when i started my business, i took the decision to stay in my job at the time whilst the business grew, looking back I wish I had taken a leap of faith and come out of full time work, because I feel my business would be doing a lot better now for a variety of reasons if I had done.

I personally think my immediate goal should be focusing on creating an MSP package and also generating MSP business customers.
as has been said above the break fix residential market probably doesn't have too much future in it, everyone has smart phones and wants them fixed yesterday for the same price the local pizza-tech is charging.


I have considered as an alternate idea, buying a 2nd house for a buy to let. (purely as an idea not researched this in any way yet)

 

[Big Jim]

I think this is a huge mistake. You borrowed all that money without a plan? Your business doesn't even support you working in it and you have to work full time somewhere else to support yourself and your family? What do you do when life happens and you have to move or sell the house quickly and / or there's a simultaneous downturn in housing prices? You're going to say "we won't ever need to move, we're here for the long term, etc. etc.". To which I'd respond "do you wear your seatbelt when you're in the car, do you buy any kinds of insurance at all?

we don't want to stay in the house were in long term, but at least another 5 years. the only thing i could see forcing us to move would be me losing my job, and if i were unable to find a decent enough job in the meantime I would need to sell up and rent anyway, we can't really downsize as this is our first home and not that big.