These days, you have plenty of resources to help you get an energy commodities firm operating in no time. Thanks to the Internet, you can do almost everything virtually. Your business can trade 24 hours a day, and your time zone doesn't matter. However, if you want to have a global firm, you'll want to hire energy commodities brokers from other countries. That’s why you must network with energy commodities traders.

It’s also important to know what’s happening in the market. Energy is a hot commodity because of global demand. This industry may be lucrative and exciting, but it’s volatile. In order to keep your energy commodities business afloat, the following suggestions can help:

1. Sign up with an energy trading broker that provides direct access trading.
2. Rely on an energy trading software package to help you make good strategic decisions.
3. Subscribe to energy futures online publications.

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

Trade energy commodities with an energy trading broker that offers direct access trading

Open an account with a firm that provides direct access trading. Direct access enables you to execute trades much faster, approximately a fraction of a second. Going with a traditional online broker can take longer for your trades to execute, such as seconds or minutes. Direct access technology enables you to trade directly with energy commodity trading specialists or market makers instead of through brokers.

I recommend: Interactive Brokers offers direct access trading at discount costs. This energy commodity trading firm has been in business for more than 30 years. Interactive Brokers offers other features, such as showing you a list of implied volatility gainers as well as losers; its energy futures forecasts feature is quite informative. E*Trade Financial also offers direct access trading.

Use energy futures trading software to help you make good strategic decisions

You need software not only for knowing when to enter new markets or for getting information about energy commodities, but also for handling back-office operations, including accounting, reporting, or compliance with the law. The software helps your energy commodity traders make better strategic decisions. Your energy commodity trading business also will run more efficiently.

I recommend: Allegro Development Corp. has an ETRM (energy trading and risk management) software that's designed to make your energy commodities business run smoothly. Your energy commodities brokers can take advantage of Allegro’s advanced decision analytics to monitor positions in real-time. Check out software from Triple Point Technology Inc. Use its business intelligence to help you incorporate your scheduling, back-office, and trading all in one package.

Take advantage of energy futures online publications

In order to be successful in trading energy commodities, you must stay on top of energy commodities information and come up with energy commodity ideas. Since the energy commodity markets are global, you must have a global perspective. Online magazines can give you that edge.

I recommend: Commodities Now is a very valuable resource. It gives you a general picture of what’s happening in energy commodities trading as well as global information from places such as China or Qatar. You’ll have to subscribe to the website. FuturesMag.com will give you current commodity price index information, such as the Reuters-CRB index. Futures Magazine, established in 1972, is the oldest publication that focuses on the derivatives market.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure you know the brokers' fees and commission in advance. The more trades you execute, the less commission you should pay. You'll also want to ask the broker about exchange fees for trading energy commodities.