Commentary

How Budget 2013 will make Singapore an international financial and maritime centre

Singapore’s Budget 2013 was announced on 25 February 2013. The key message for businesses is the emphasis on ‘quality growth’. Underpinning this key message is that Singapore will continue its course of encouraging and attracting foreign investments. This is important, as Singapore’s key business sectors are dominated by MNCs and global companies which are highly mobile and operate internationally, and are increasingly developing local talent. This is essential to the continuation of Singapore’s successful strategy as a competitive hub bridging Asia with America, Europe and the West.

Commentary

How Budget 2013 will make Singapore an international financial and maritime centre

Commentary

SMEs urged to invest in technology to raise productivity

One of the key focus areas for this year’s Singapore Budget 2013 was in the area of raising productivity, with DPM Tharman stressing the importance of leveraging on an increase in productivity to revitalise the SME sector.

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Why Singapore businesses should prioritize security

The subject of security has been at the top of the agenda in Singapore with a number of high profile security breaches reported in recent years affecting various leading organisations. These range from break-ins to vandalism and database infiltrations. While the crime rate in Singapore still remains one of the lowest in the region, statistics reported over the last three years show an average of 31,808 crime cases. More and more companies are recognising that, with the convergence of risk in an ever-changing threat landscape in today’s globalised economy, complacency is not an option.

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Singaporean companies should contemplate trading abroad

In a world of continuing economic uncertainty, firms that trade internationally are reporting significantly better revenues and profits than those businesses sticking to their domestic market. 50% of global firms which export say they’ve increased profits over the last 12 months compared with just 38% of companies which only trade domestically.

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3 easy breezy guides for healthy work-life balance in Singapore

While watching the news on TV the other day, I came across a story on the much-talked issue of work-life balance. And inevitably as the reporter started narrating the story, the video footage started showing employees working on laptops, tablets, answering emails on smartphones, working from home through VPN etc. To me, this is the most popular visualization of this issue in mainstream media. But is there more to work-life balance than merely tools and technology?

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4 ways to secure your mobile devices against cybercrime in Singapore

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Why Singaporeans are seeking out property investments in Malaysia

Against the backdrop of measures aimed at cooling down the local property market,- more recently with stamp duty hikes, tighter loan-to-value (LTV) limits on second housing loans and increases in the minimum cash down payment for second or subsequent housing loans - Singaporeans and Singapore-based investors are looking elsewhere when it comes to making property investments according to international real estate companies Knight Frank, CBRE and Colliers, as reported by Straits Times in January 22, 2013 “Local real estate investors look abroad”.

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Why Singapore is destined to be an 'experience hub'

Singapore seems to be a country in transition. A national discussion is taking place on where it needs to go and what it needs to be to face the challenges of today’s globalized economy.

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Technologies Singapore firms must use to get a Green Mark

Launched in 2005, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore’s Green Mark Scheme was targeted at fostering the construction of more environmentally-friendly buildings, with the end goal of ensuring that long-term sustainability would be part of the foundation of every building project in Singapore.

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6 provisions to look out for before signing a contract in Singapore

Too many small to medium businesses find themselves in hot soup due to not checking the fine print before they sign. It is certainly crucial to close that deal, afterall the revenue settles your bills.

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Conventional wisdom isn't wise for Singapore

Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies in Singapore. It is based on the assumption that old ideas will work in the future, so they shouldn't be challenged.

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What Singapore must do to be a premier investment fund centre

Over the past decade, Southeast Asia has become an area of interest for many investment houses. The widening of the middle income class, outstanding talent and abundant natural resources have contributed to this growth.

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Setting customer loyalty in Singapore

Singapore has experienced a boom in mobile commerce in the last 3 years with no sign of slowing up. Companies are rushing to push out mobile strategies to expand their online reach to mobile devices with applications and mobile sites specifically tailored for smartphones and tablets.

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5 ways to succeed as a sole founder in Singapore

Venture capitalists often say that they don’t like to invest in sole founder started tech companies.

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This is how imperfection can make you succeed

Would you dare send a possible future client an unfinished product ? I know someone who did. He sent his imperfect/unfinished book not only to future clients but sold it to anyone in the world who would care to buy it. This is his story and it contains valuable lessons for us all.

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Why you can learn success lessons from house helpers in Singapore

There are a lot of maids working for families in Singapore, and they work hard! Some people make them work 7 days per week…that is like slave labor! I admire these women. They have some essential elements for success: optimism, hard work and persistence. Some may look down on them because they lack a formal education, which is rather arrogant and short-sighted!

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What is corporate education?

Suppose you are the owner of your own small business in Singapore with only a few employees. One of your toughest challenges is to find good people to work for you. Equally important is the challenge of developing and keeping good people.

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