Commentary

Planning your year-end offsite? 3 must-dos for a successful Singapore corporate retreat

As Singapore-based companies approach the end of the year, it's around this time that leadership teams start thinking very seriously about 2017. However, this is often as far as they get. Lots of thinking, some talking, but little action. Other employees meanwhile are waiting for the email that has the words 'offsite' or 'corporate/strategic retreat' in the subject line, hoping for one last trip to Changi Cover or Bintan to round off the year.

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Planning your year-end offsite? 3 must-dos for a successful Singapore corporate retreat

Commentary

What firms should know about scaling up management productivity

Productivity in Singapore has fallen again.

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4 mistakes SMEs make that can lead to business failure

I've met hundreds of SMEs and business owners… I've seen some rise and I've seen some fall. Some have gone on to have massive success on the international stage, and some are not doing too well. Some are attracting investor interest, and others are contemplating shutting down their business completely.

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Singapore – Are you ready for Industry 4.0?

The onset of the fourth industrial revolution – also known as Industry 4.0 where smart technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, and the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) are on the rise – have the potential to reshape the manufacturing industry and change the way factories work today.

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How Donald Trump's views on the TPP could sink Singapore

Billionaire US presidential candidate Donald Trump last year called the Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) a "horrible deal."

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Better online ads in Singapore? The coalition conversation

Last week on Thursday (15 September 2016), leading trade associations, companies, publishers, and agency groups announced "The Coalition for Better Ads". Some biggies in this coalition include Google, Facebook, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, GroupM, and IAB. We can expect data-driven online advertising standards to come out from this initiative.

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A serious look into the future of HR in Singapore

In recent times, Airbnb redefined their HR function in terms of what it is and what it does with the appointment of a new Global Head of Employee Experience. The role is to oversee and connect everything that has to do with their "workplace as an experience" vision, which is central to their culture and customer-centric approach.

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Singapore and Australia to combat tax evasion

Australia has taken a positive step towards greater transparency with one of the global financial hubs, Singapore.

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Kheng Keng Auto: A global business selling scrapped cars and car parts from Singapore

In August 2014, Cher Kwang Siong, the managing director of Kheng Keng Auto (KKA), had to deal with several issues facing the firm. KKA was a Singapore-based family business with global operations, dealing in pre-owned vehicles, recycled auto-parts, and scrap metal.

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The REIT way to fight Singapore's low interest rates

In Singapore and across the world, interest rates are at all-time lows.

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To avoid queues, Singaporean events should go cashless

The loud roar of engines revs up the final quarter of 2016 – as Singapore turns up its glitz and glamour, in conjunction with the 9th Formula One Singapore Grand Prix season. Yet, after almost a decade of mega-events of this scale, attendees are still facing the same massive queues as before.

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Singapore's 4th telco: Is there room for differentiation?

The bids are in, with MyRepublic, TPG Telecom, and airYotta contending for the position of Singapore's fourth telco. TPG Telecom's market positioning, should they win the bid, is unknown, while the other two have indicated that they will take a data-first approach, with MyRepublic offering unlimited data and airYotta the benefits of Singapore's first 4.5G LTE Advanced Pro network.

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To rise as a Smart Nation, Singapore must disrupt the workplace

Singapore is well underway in its quest to be a Smart Nation, through the deployment of technology and innovative solutions to old problems. Since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined his vision to turn the young country into a Smart Nation in 2014, Singapore has been making impressive progress, both in terms of hardware and software.

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Private education's role in engineering tomorrow's Singapore

In 2015, the Ministry of Manpower reported that four of the top ten professions with the biggest number of vacancies in Singapore were engineering-related. While it seems engineering jobs may have lost their shine over the years, we must not forget that they have played an essential part to nation-building, and will continue to contribute to the growth and success of Singapore.

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Forex: Best business ever?

There are many factors to consider when looking to invest-in or start-up a business, particularly in the Singapore financial markets. Perhaps some of the most important are stability, long-term growth potential, ROI (return on investment – especially your time-to-return investment), OPM (other people’s money), start-up costs (initial capital), and overall opportunity.

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Asia's hunger for alternative finance

After the global downturn that followed 2008, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) emerged as one of the pillars of the economy, withstanding turbulent times whilst banking titans collapsed around them.

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