Commentary

The perks of fewer commuting days

Half of Singapore workers (49%) are now free from the shackles of their desks reveals the latest survey commissioned by Regus, which canvassed over 16,000 professionals in more than 80 countries. These professionals are free to work from locations other than their company’s main offices for half a week or more helping them reduce the overall time spent commuting and giving them the freedom to choose work locations closer to home. Businesses have increasingly been offering flexible working practices to workers as morale and health benefits become common knowledge, but this research confirms that 69% of employees would also work harder, benefiting the company, if they could reduce their commute. The Regus research asked Singapore professionals how they would use the time gained through cutting their commute. Top activities selected were:

Commentary

The perks of fewer commuting days

Commentary

Connecting leadership and communication

The new realities

Commentary

Singaporeans go gaga over gadgets

To understand the Singapore story, one need only look to the city-state to see why consumers make their brand choices. Singapore is a densely populated, urban nation with a highly educated and affluent workforce. With Singaporeans being notoriously tech-savvy and career driven, this has created an innate desire to be constantly connected. This also translates to a willingness to spend on the latest gadgetry.

Commentary

No sex please, we’re Singaporeans

What do topless six-packed hunks, videos of scantily-clad women teaching Mandarin and millions of social media mentions mean about changing attitudes to ‘sexual selling’ in Singapore?

Commentary

5 tips to keep you afloat in your first year in business

If you have taken that first step to start your business, congratulations! You’re in for a treat that will take you to the highs of highs and to the lows of lows.

Commentary

Property investment guide: Getting the right properties for the right people

Over dinner the other night some chaps at the other end of the table were discussing how clever they had been with their Singapore property investments, my end of the table was discussing the latest mall opening so I carried on nodding but turned my attention back to these savvy-investors...

Commentary

Digital natives transform technology into workplace necessity

Jonathan Wong, a trader based in Singapore, strides across the trading floor with a microphone tucked neatly into his ear as the lights on his trading turret beep urgently, indicating three additional incoming calls.

Commentary

Customer service in Singapore goes beyond the Frontline

Singapore, our little red dot, is an island of service enterprises. As a customer, if all you need is “Yes, Sir!”; “Thank you, Sir.” I would say then that you have been served.

Commentary

You think experience counts? Singaporean qualifications, round two

Recently reading “Singaporean qualifications don’t mean a thing without experience” I was provoked to write in defence of all those who are qualified and are applying for jobs throughout the island.

Commentary

How to flip the 'insane imbalance' in your business

Today's empowered consumer means traditional forms of marketing and acquisition won't work.

Commentary

Singaporean qualifications: Think thrice before writing them off

Singapore is a paper-chase country. Every Singaporean is chasing after paper qualifications to excel in school and career. Is collecting paper qualifications important? You bet!

Commentary

Can a Google-like office make you happier?

Employees are the building blocks of a company, yet they are often neglected, as seen by the rising cases of employees collapsing from exhaustion, and even reports of employee abuse.

Commentary

Making Singapore a shinier red dot

Firstly, I must confess that the content of this article will not go down too well with many Singaporeans and maybe some Indonesians. I grew up in Singapore, born and bred here – except for a short stint overseas for my university education. This is based on my observations and after thoughts after one of my recent business trips to Jakarta.

Commentary

The problem with Singapore's high value added investment philosophy

Singapore has always emphasized high value added economic activities when soliciting overseas investments and devising development programmes. In fact I myself was recruited to NUS because of one such push started in 1980 with the establishment of National Computer Board, to promote the widespread use of IT in business and in society generally.

Commentary

Lessons from the Singapore Girl

As my profession revolves around luxury brand strategies, I have often asked myself and my friends “what is the best customer service you have ever experienced?”

Commentary

Stir up your business with impressive corporate governance

For many Singapore’s businesses such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), corporate governance is like the weather. We always talk about it, but we cannot do anything about it.

Commentary

The keys to excellent leadership at all levels

Leadership is becoming increasingly complex not just in Singapore. Leaders need to be mindful and respect various cultural, societal backgrounds, market differences and expectations of their fellow employees. The business environment today also brings together a culmination of social and economic circumstances, which challenge responsibilities, roles and competency among leaders.

Commentary