Commentary

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.

Commentary

A serious look into the future of HR in Singapore

Commentary

Singapore and Australia to combat tax evasion

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

Commentary

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.

Commentary

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.

Commentary

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.

Commentary

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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Why Singapore investors should pay attention to how consumers feel

Singapore consumers are feeling pretty low. This means the Singapore stock market could soon be moving up.

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National Day Rally 2016 – breaking it down for businesses

I think if there is one thing business owners need to take away from this year’s national day rally, it is to take care of your health.

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What changed in the automotive sector with Brexit?

The referendum results of Britain leaving the European Union (EU) came as a surprise to everyone. It was unprecedented since no country has ever left the EU. There are questions on what will change given this development. And how will countries like Singapore and the rest of the world be affected?

Commentary

Training a SkillsFuture generation: Are workers workplace-ready?

Training is an inherently expensive endeavour, and current efforts to train workers to meet the demands of employers are no exception. Thankfully, the SkillsFuture Credit, Earn and Learn, and Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy schemes introduced by the Singapore government have taken the bite out of training fees for the individual.

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How do you account for your headcount?

In today's uncertain economic times, many companies are re-looking into their priorities, one of which is to retrench staff as a way to save on overhead expenses. However, removing jobs does not necessarily mean that a company saves on costs.

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3 business strategies to survive the tightening credit environment in Singapore

DP Information Group had recently conducted a credit survey on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore and found that SMEs are tightening their credit terms. Their most eye-catching result was captured in the chart below which shows that SMEs are getting paid a full 19 days to cash (DTC) earlier than just two years ago.

Commentary

Future-ready education: Honing the right skills

Singapore is often praised for its high standards of education, so it might be surprising to some that the nation state suffers from a huge knowledge-skills gap. According to the Hays Global Skills Index, despite Singapore having one of the highest education standards in the world, local talent often do not have the skills wanted by employers, leading to both higher rates of vacancies and unemployment.

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