The term "short-selling a stock gets thrown around in trading and market talk all the time, but many people don't know exactly how to go about doing it.

![image.png](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/scaredycatguide/ZNNdDQ5j-image.png)

Let's run through the basic idea and an example:

## Short Selling Stock
When we short sell a stock, we are essentially borrowing it as you cannot sell something you do not have. Short selling a stock is betting that the stock will go down as opposed to up.

For example - if we want to short stock XYZ at $20, then we put in a sell order and have borrowed the stock upon execution of the order. If the stock sinks below $20 then we make money, if it rises above $20 then we lose money.

## Buying Vs. Selling
When we buy stock, we have purchased something and the amount we purchased it for is the maximum that can be lost. A stock can go to zero, but no lower. The price you paid is what you risk.

When shorting a stock the risk scenario is reversed. The most we can make is the difference between the price we shorted it and zero.

Using our earlier example of XYZ at $20 - the most we can make is 20 points because a stock can only go to zero.

### No Limit On Potential Loss
However, there is no cap on the amount of money you can lose when shorting a stock. This is why the strategy is considered risky and most brokerages only let account holders short stock buy meeting certain restrictions such as account minimums and having a margin account.

(Note: A margin account is when the brokerage allows you to leverage your account balance to trade on borrowed funds)

### Conclusion
That really is all there is too it. There are two sides to a market. Being long or being short. Know you know how both work.