Commentary

The haze: Is it time to boycott Indonesia and its companies?

Directly and indirectly brand Singapore and the Singaporean economy are taking a battering from the haze. According to both the Singapore Tourism Board and the Association of Singapore Attractions, there has been a 10% drop in visitor numbers to Singapore and its attractions and a 40% drop in outdoor attractions and outdoor eatery usage. I think that's the tip of the iceberg.

Commentary

The haze: Is it time to boycott Indonesia and its companies?

Commentary

The rise of virtual office and coworking in Singapore

Singapore is rapidly growing as a business hub, making it attractive for local startups and SMEs to kickstart their business and expansion plans into the region. According to the Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015 report, Singapore's startup ecosystem is now ranked 10th globally, jumping seven places from 2012.

Commentary

Renegotiating insurance and benefits in Singapore

As we move to the end of 2015, many human resources professionals across Singapore are finding themselves in the unfamiliar, or at best irregular, position of having to arrange health insurance for their company's employees. In Singapore more than 70% of the employee benefits renewals happens in January, and this means that carriers are faced with the demand of generating quotations for brokers or agents.

Commentary

From Start-Up to Scale-Up: How Singapore companies can make the jump

There is a lot of focus on creating a start-up culture in Singapore, and that is good. However, there is a bigger question that should be answered, and that is whether Start-Ups who survive the brutal birth pangs of entrepreneurship can become Scale-Ups.

Commentary

Life Sciences recruitment activity heats up

Singapore's life sciences sector is experiencing a boom in recruitment activity as overseas-based pharmaceutical companies continue to set up regional head offices here. This is leading to a spike in demand in the sector for regularly affairs, sales, and marketing professionals.

Commentary

What Singaporeans need to know when buying UK residential property

The rising wealth of Asia Pacific nations, including Singapore, means more and more people have looked internationally for opportunities to invest in overseas property markets. Recent stock market events have shown the importance of a diversified portfolio capable of riding out the storm when economic conditions put immense pressure on share values.

Commentary

Should professionals in Singapore put their job search on hold this quarter?

Quarter 4 is usually seen as the "quiet" quarter among recruiters and job seekers in Singapore. With festivities round the corner, year-end pressures and the dangling carrot of getting bonuses for their hard work throughout the year, most people put their job search on hold this time.

Commentary

Here's why Singapore firms should not reward people for putting in more hours

Productivity is pretty simple to improve. Do more in less time with fewer resources and you are being more productive. To please those who love complexity, "Productivity is a ratio between output volume (value of what is made) and input volume (labour plus capital expended)."

Commentary

Hiring cheat sheet for Singapore businesses

It takes a village to raise a child.

Commentary

Autonomy must trump automation in Singapore's Future Economy

Singapore's drive toward automation and artificial intelligence should not come at the cost of skilling up her citizens to face this smarter future.

Commentary

9 reasons I love Uber in Singapore

If governments around the world really wanted to protect consumer interest, they would be supporting Uber, Grabtaxi, and other car-sharing apps, not trying to ban them or regulate them.

Commentary

Where to invest in Singapore amidst the current volatile markets

If you are a follower of financial news, you would have noticed there's a major lack of 'good news' in the markets recently. Falling commodities prices, volatile Chinese stocks markets, poor economic growth in Singapore, and declining regional currency values... it makes one think twice about putting your hard-earned money into the markets, doesn't it?

Commentary

Here's what Singapore expats should know when planning their financial futures

The British government recently warned expats to be 'extremely vigilant' against unscrupulous financial advisers. The issue of barely qualified sales people pushing high fee retirement products at expats is a big problem undermining confidence in the industry.

Commentary

5 professions in Singapore to best invest your SkillsFuture Credit

A resilient workforce begets a competitive economy, hence human capital is one of the most important resources of any country.

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Airport woes and how retailers can help

Singaporeans are fortunate. Despite being in the top 15 busiest airports in the world, Changi Airport is a shining example of efficiency, comfort, and style. But the same cannot be said for the majority of airports elsewhere in the world.

Commentary

Sustainable solutions: Going green in food and beverage packaging

Across the globe, the trend of 'going green' continues to grow. Since the rise of the LOHAS concept in the early 2000, sustainable living has spread to all aspects of society including agriculture, power, buildings, and even to interior design and development like the recent popularity of the Tiny House Movement.

Commentary