ED 53

JAN FEB 2014 

ISSUE 53 

A PUBLICATION BY ASME 

Ronald Lee 

The Business of People 

Pg 30 | Cover Story 

The Business of 

Staying in Business 

Pg 10 | Special 

Employee Engagement 

Pg 21 | Commentary 

Beyond the Data 

$6.90 (+GST) 

MICA (P) 104/03/2012 

ISSN NO 1793-0282 

Pg 54 | Market Intelligence

Understanding your 

business is our business. 

At Maybank, we support your entrepreneurial vision in uncovering fertile 

opportunities. You can leverage on our wealth of experience and expertise 

to bring your ideas to fruition and sow a golden harvest. For enquiries on 

our SME financing solutions, call 6645 3611 or 6298 2920. 

CMG036/AUG13/AD1/A 

Malayan Banking Berhad (incorporated in Malaysia) 

Humanising Financial Services Across Asia.

SCL 

10 The Business of 


Businesses can be severely affected by global events that are beyond 

their control, occurrences that are capable of widespread damage from 

stalling business operations to the crippling of whole companies. So how 

can your business prepare for, endure and then bounce back from a major 

eventuality? Business Continuity Management may have an answer. 

CR SR 

30 Ronald Lee – 


Mr Ronald Lee, Managing Director of award-winning recruitment consultancy 

rm rimeStaff Management Services, talks about his passion for one of the 

most crucial aspects of any business – people. 

C 

January - Febuary 2014 

S SS 

16 Gaining Trust 

Gaining the trust of a business partner or supplier can be tough, 

but keeping that trust can be even harder. Read about how to win 

both personal and corporate trust. 

21 Employee Engagement – An Enabler 

of Customer Engagement 

satised employee will in turn do more to satisfy the companys 

customers. ind out how to more efciently engage your 

employees, rather than just rating their satisfaction levels. 

44 The Importance of Lifelong Learning 

he business environment will constantly change, and companies 

must be agile to change with it as well. rming yourself with 

new and relevant skills can sharpen your competitive edge in an 

increasingly challenging market. 

54 Beyond the Data 

very company knows that data-gathering is paramount in 

making good business decisions, but the costs to analyse data 

can be steep. So how can leaner SMs make sense of their data 

in order to make better decisions? 

RGLRS 

3 Message from ED 

4 News & Events 

8 Calendar of Events 

14 Commentary 

36 MoneySmart 

38 Property 

40 SME Centre @ ASME 

42 Market Intelligence 

60 Lifestyle 

62 Gastronomia 

64 

66 Top 5

MESSAGE 

FROM THE 

PRESIDENT 

EDITORIAL TEAM 

A Fresh Start 

2013, as quickly as it had begun, has ended. 

It was a year lled with tumultuous events 

that tested the resolve of business owners in 

Singapore. From the cuts in the dependency 

ratio ceiling for foreign workers to the thankfully 

brief onset of haze, veteran businessmen and 

entrepreneurs alike all had to contend with 

these challenges, pushing through adversity to 

grow further. 

At the end of 2013, we recognised 12 Entrepreneurs in the Entrepreneur 

of the Year 2013 ~ A Rotary Singapore-ASME Award, outstanding 

business people who have made successful inroads in their chosen 

industries. Three of these exceptional individuals were our inaugural 

Young Entrepreneurs, a new Award Category rolled out in 2013. Being 

with the Award for the better part of 11 years, it lls me with great 

pride and fulllment, having seen the journey the Award itself has taken 

through the years. 

As we move forward into 2014, our SMEs have to prepare for possibly 

more challenging times ahead. They will also have to keep a more 

open mind on how to best steer their companies to greater success, 

which includes merging to form larger companies to reap better scale 

and improved leverage on their markets. As the business environment 

continues to change, our SMEs must change as well to maintain 

relevance and remain competitive. 

As a new year begins, ASME will strive to do more. Amongst the host 

of new programmes and initiatives in the pipeline, we hope to have an 

incubation centre that can bridge operating SMEs with new knowledgedriven 

or technologically-based startups that are relevant extensions to 

their current operations. This allows the deployment of old capital and 

established business acumen to fresh ideas, renewing vibrancy and 

creating greater sustainability in the SME community. 

Amidst the plethora of different ideas, we will still remain true to our roots, 

to be the business Association For Entrepreneurs, By Entrepreneurs. 

I wish all an enterprising 2014. 

Wee Chorng Kien, Kurt 

President 

Association of Small and Medium Enterprises 

Interim Executive Director 

Ang Yuit 

Advisor 

Thomas Fernandez 

Head, Corporate Communications 

Justin Shen 

Editor 

James Tan 

[corpcomms@asme.org.sg] 

Sub-Editor 

Eunice Choy 

Writer 

Rachelle Tan 

Advertising 

Celine Sim 

Luann Leong 

Joey Cheng 

[sales@asme.org.sg] 

Design & Printing 

SC (Sang Choy) International Pte Ltd 

Publisher 

Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) 

Contributors 

Stephen Lew Mark Dixon 

Chong Eng Hock Robert Chew 

Lee Boon Kee Anthony Ku 

VJP LLP 

Maybank Singapore 

Singapore Sports Council 

DISCLAIMER 

The comments and views expressed in Entrepreneurs’ 

Digest do not necessarily reect the comments and views 

of the Publisher. This publication is intended to encourage, 

motivate and assist readers with regards to entrepreneurship 

and the associated. It is however, not a substitute for and 

should not be relied on as if it were professional advice on 

entrepreneurship, law, accounting or any other aspects 

of business. The Publisher expressly disclaims all liability 

for loss, damage or expense suffered or sustained by any 

person, body or corporation arising directly or indirectly from 

action as a result of the material in this publication. Any and all 

reliance on material therein shall be at the readers’ own risk. 

COPYRIGHT 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any 

form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, 

recording or otherwise without prior permission of the 

copyright owner of the Publisher © Association of Small and 

Medium Enterprises, 167 Jalan Bukit Merah Tower 4, #03- 

13 Singapore 150167. Tel (65) 6513-0388 Fax: (65) 6513- 

0399 MICA (P) NO 137/09/2013 ISSN: 1793-0286 Printed by 

SC (Sang Choy) International Pte Ltd 

JAN FEB 2014 

ENTREPRENEURS’ DIGEST 

3

NEWS & EVENTS 

Help for SMEs 

to continue 

he Government will continue to aid the growth of small 

T 

and medium enterprises (SMEs) during the current 

difcult period of economic restructuring, according 

to Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also 

the Coordinating Minister for National Security and the Minister for 

Home Affairs. 

Mr Teo was speaking at the Award Presentation Ceremony of the 

Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2013 on 4 December 2013, 

where he also said that government agencies like 

SPRING Singapore and IE Singapore will keep 

working with trade associations and other 

industry players to help SMEs. 

“Through these collaborative 

efforts, we hope to help our 

SMEs raise productivity, create 

new products, services and 

processes, develop human 

capital, and expand overseas 

for growth, he said. 

The Association of Small 

and Medium Enterprises 

(ASME) will also do its part, 

according to its newly minted 

President Mr Kurt Wee. He 

said that the Association is 

currently in talks with both 

SPRING Singapore and Jurong 

Town Corporation to further efforts 

in establishing on incubation centre to 

bridge SMEs with new knowledge-driven or 

technological start-ups that are relevant as an 

extension to their current businesses. 

“This will allow the deployment of old capital and established 

business acumen towards the new ideas thereby renewing vibrancy 

and creating greater sustainability and better their market attack, Mr 

Wee commented. 

Mr Wee also mentioned that ASME will explore more ways to help 

business cut operating costs, one example is by amalgamating and 

centralising business purchases of members to create cost savings 

through collective bargaining. E 

WCS Payouts 

by end-March 

2014 

he rst tranche of government 

T 

payments under the Wage 

Credit Scheme (WCS) will 

be received by employers by 

the end of March 2014, according to a 

statement issued by the Ministry of Finance 

on 18 December 2013. This rst payout will 

be for wage increases given to employees in 

2013 over 2012. 

Employers have to ensure that their 

employee’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) 

contributions for 2012 and 2013 have 

been fully paid-for by 14 January 2014 in 

order to receive the payouts by end-March 

2014. Employers will have to make the CPF 

contributions within 14 days from the end 

of each month in which CPF contributions 

are due. 

Introduced as part of the 3-Year Transition 

Support Package during Budget 2013, 

the WCS co-funds 40 per cent of wage 

increases given to local employees earning a 

gross monthly salary of no more than $4000. 

Eligible employers will automatically receive 

the payouts based on their employees’ CPF 

contributions from 2012 to 2013. E 

4 

JAN FEB 2014 

ENTREPRENEURS’ DIGEST

NEWS & EVENTS 

Sports and Fitness 

Asia 2013 

H 

eld for the rst time in Singapore from 10 to 12 October 

2013 at the Singapore Expo, this inaugural sports and 

tness lifestyle exhibition attracted 3,400 trade visitors. 

This trade fair showcased the latest and innovative gym equipment, 

sports and tness equipment, sports apparel & sports-wear, sports 

medicine & nutrition products and much more. There were live 

demonstrations of various sporting disciplines, including pilates, yoga, 

bokwa and cardio training sessions that allowed visitors to have a go. 

A series of seminars and conferences were also organised, covering 

topics that included "Mind Over Matter"; "Obesity Program"; "Fitness 

for the Golden Age", "Professional Coach Training & Development"; 

"Sports, Fitness and Nutrition". E 

Building and Construction 

Myanmar 2013 

s Myanmar is emerging 

A 

as one of Asia’s newest 

and brightest frontier 

markets, its infrastructure, 

power and mining needs present 

many business opportunities for both 

local and international companies. 

Building and Construction Myanmar 

2013, held from 31 October 2013 

to 2 November 2013 at the Myanmar 

Convention Centre (MCC Hall) in 

Yangon, Myanmar, was the industry’s 

largest fair. 

Despite being the rst of its kind, it attracted participation from 170 exhibitors from 24 

countries including 3 international pavilions. B&C Myanmar 2013 delivered trade visitors 

from Myanmar and across Asia with a total of 3,491 visitors from 29 countries. The fair 

connected participants not only to visitors from across Myanmar but also to the region. This 

year, there were a total of nine companies participating under the Singapore Pavilion led by 

ASME. E 

JAN FEB 2014 


5

NEWS & EVENTS 

NEWS & EVENTS 

The season to be jolly 

Business owners and 

entrepreneurs came 

together to celebrate 

the season of joy 

s the year slowly draws 

A 

to a close, business 

owners and entrepreneurs 

take stock of what had 

transpired the past year. A year lled 

with challenge, tribulation but also full 

of success, surprise and euphoria. 

Christmas is the season of giving, 

but for the 120 businessmen and 

entrepreneurs who attended the ASME 

Christmas Party 2013, they were the 

ones who received the most joy. 

Held at Hood Bar & Café at Bugis+ 

on 18 December 2013, the annual 

year-end networking event was 

organised by the Association of Small 

and Medium Enterprises (ASME), and 

was supported by Kitchen Culture 

(KHL Marketing – Asia Pacic Pte 

Ltd), Lithan Hall Academy, Nestle 

Singapore, Seraya Energy Pte Ltd and 

Viering, Jentschura & Partner LLP. 

Far from being an ofcious event with 

speeches and a rigid programme, the 

evening was lled with fun, relaxation 

and rife with sensations of casual 

enjoyment. Despite the inclement 

weather, the participants still 

turned up in force for an evening of 

informal interaction and comfortable 

mingling, a well-deserved break for a 

challenging year. 

A live band performance by Amanda 

Pee and the Dugong Warriors 

accompanied the participants as 

they indulged in the marvelous buffet 

spread, entertaining all present 

with their indie renditions of popular 

songs. A mini darts tournament was 

also held during the event, where fellow 

participants vied with one another to see 

who had the keenest eyes and steadiest 

hands. At the end of the evening, a 

lucky draw saw participants walk away 

with early Christmas gifts ranging from 

vouchers to coffee machines, ensuring 

a great Yuletide for them this year. 

Amidst the excitement and fun, the 

participants gathered into small 

groups and mingled with one another, 

exchanging work-related anecdotes, 

sharing experiences as well as 

exchanging business contacts. Indeed, 

the most valuable gift that was gleaned 

that evening was the many new 

business cards obtained, each holding 

a potential business partner or even a 

prospective customer. 

“It has been a very challenging year for 

our local SMEs, we all know that,” said 

Mr Ang Yuit, Vice-President (Membership 

& Training) from ASME, “Nonetheless, 

ASME will continue to strive to be the 

association For Entrepreneurs, By 

Entrepreneurs, and will continue to 

organise such networking events and 

platforms for our SMEs to widen their 

network and explore opportunities 

together, in unity.” 

Tis' the season to be jolly! E 

6 

JAN FEB 2014 


Upcoming Events 

Personal Data Protection Act & Implications for Businesses 

Date : Friday, 24 January 2014 

Time : 3.00pm to 5.30pm 

Venue : The Enterprise, Association of Small and Medium Enterprises 

Interested to know more about the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and how it would 

affect your business operations when it comes into force on 2 July 2014? Join this seminar 

to nd out more! 

A joint collaboration between the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) and 

the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), this seminar aims to provide an overview 

of the Personal Data Protection Act and the business rules for the Do-Not-Call Registry. 

There will also be a uestion & Answer session for participants to seek their clarications on 

the act and issues that may affect their day-to-day operations. 

Upcoming Trade Fairs 

ProPak Vietnam 2014 

Date: 4 – 6 March 2014 

ProPak Vietnam 2014, 

now into its 9th successful 

edition, is the leading 

international trade event for 

Vietnam’s expanding food, 

drink and pharmaceutical 

industries. ProPak Vietnam 

2014 includes PharmaTech 

Vietnam – focusing on 

Vietnam’s growing needs for 

pharmaceutical processing 

and packaging machines, 

technology and services 

and Lab & Test Vietnam 

– focusing on laboratory, 

analysis and measurement 

equipment. 

Beauty Professional 

2014 

Date: 24 – 27 March 2014 

Beauty Professional 2014, 

a business to business 

trade event held for the 3rd 

edition, is aimed at product 

distributors, buyers, 

pharmaceutical companies, 

R&D institutions, ingredient 

and product packaging 

suppliers, salon and retail 

shop owners as well as 

beauty professionals 

amongst others. 

Automechanika 

Istanbul 2014 

Date: 10 – 13 April 2014 

Automechanika Istanbul is 

Eurasia’s number one OEM 

and Aftermarket event. It 

brings together all relevant 

professionals from the 

Automotive Manufacturing, 

Distribution and Repair 

sectors in the region and 

it provides opportunities 

for Small and Middle 

Enterprises to step up in 

the market. 

For more information, visit www.asme.org.sg 

8 

JAN FEB 2014 


NICF IGNITE SALARY FUNDING OF 70% 

(CAPPED AT $2,000 PER MONTH FOR A 

MAXIMUM OF 6 MONTHS) AVAILABLE 

TO LOCAL CANDIDATES!

Are you 

SPECIAL 

prepared? 

SPECIAL 

The importance of 

Business Continuity 

Management 

(BCM) in the 

modern day 

and age 

he modern age brings 

T 

about a whole host of 

challenges independent 

of a business’ processes: 

epidemics, disease outbreaks, 

catastrophic natural disasters and 

rare eruptions of violence all disrupt 

normal business operations to varying 

degrees. Local small and medium 

enterprises (SMEs) will undoubtedly 

bear the brunt of the impact, given 

their smaller scales as compared 

to their multi-national counterparts. 

At the very least, their businesses 

would be affected for the duration of 

the crisis, bouncing back slowly after 

the incident has been passed. At the 

worst end, companies ill-prepared to 

deal with sudden calamities may nd 

themselves incurring severe losses 

or worse still: folding up. 

Therefore, it is imperative for SMEs 

to fortify themselves against any 

external eventuality, through a set of 

management principles collectively 

known as Business Continuity 

Management (BCM). 

A Shield to External Shocks 

The most apparent benet gleaned 

from BCM is the ability to safeguard 

business interests in times of crisis, 

building resilience and fortifying 

enterprises to withstand widespread 

shocks on the international arena. 

More than a one-off reactive 

measure implemented after disaster 

has struck, BCM is really a holistic 

management process that denes 

and identies potential threats to an 

organisation along with an effective 

response to defend the company’s 

key stakeholders, reputation, brand 

and value. 

Akin to a shield, BCM – if done well 

– will be able to adequately insulate 

businesses from the myriad threats 

in the environment today. In the 

modern context, such threats are 

not purely business-centric, global 

calamity and catastrophes can 

appear and recede swiftly, dealing 

devastating damage to economies 

and by extension, nations. With the 

ease and accessibility of today’s 

global transportation system, viruses 

and contagions are able to spread 

at an unprecedented rate, catching 

those unprepared off-guard, crippling 

key functions and causing pervasive 

panic. 

10 


JAN FEB 2014

SPECIAL 

SARS 

The Severe Acute Respiratory 

Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that 

brought Singapore to a standstill 

in 2003 is a prime example. The 

SARS virus posed to Singapore a 

far greater uncertainty than the Iraqi 

War and its impact on oil prices 

that year, and was the wake-up call 

many businesses. 

Singapore’s economy is small and 

open; any shock extrinsic of the 

nation can cause the entire domestic 

economy to become volatile. This was 

truly the case in 2003, as the damage 

caused by SARS to businesses was 

severe, to put it simply. During the 

epidemic, the Straits Times Index 

(STI) was at 1267 points, even lower 

than the 1319 gure reported during 

the September 11 attacks on the 

twin towers in 2001. For a tourismcentric 

nation, Singapore’s visitor 

arrivals dropped by as much as 67 

per cent, with hotel occupancy rate 

falling to 20 to 30 per cent for 2003. 

Retail sales from visiting tourists also 

dipped as much as 10 to 50 per 

cent, especially for retailers in the 

lauded Orchard Road shopping belt. 

The epidemic exacted a severe toll 

on local businesses. Employees 

were absent from ofces for long 

periods of time due to sickness, 

needing to care for aficted family 

members as well as the fear of 

getting infected at work. In some 

cases, employees were also afraid of 

being retrenched due to the volatile 

economy. A Ministry of Manpower 

(MOM) survey conducted during 

the period reected a 5.5 per cent 

increase in the unemployment rate, 

the highest for Singapore in the past 

decade. 

On a broader spectrum, the 

estimated drop in gross domestic 

product caused by SARS was about 

1 per cent, or S$875 million. 

Elements of BCM 

So how can businesses strengthen 

their own defenses against such a 

crippling outbreak? Global crises 

are not conned to merely diseases 

and contagion, but also extend to 

human-induced calamity like wars 

and riots. While not a comprehensive 

resource, the following provides a 

snapshot to implementing a BCM 

plan for your company. 

At the most basic level, BCM consists 

of a process that rst analyses the 

potential risks a company might 

face. The crux of this element is to 

identify existing risks and threats that 

the business is prone to, especially 

with regards to the company’s 

geographical proximity and location, 

business processes and operating 

procedures. 

Next, it will then conduct an 

assessment of those risks on 

its business, a business impact 

analysis. This is the process 

of studying the consequences 

and effects of any disruptions to 

operations and processes across all 

business functions. Losses will have 

to be qualied and quantied, along 

with other factors including the 

JAN FEB 2014 


11

COMMENTARY 

tolerable downtime and the minimum 

resources required to recover vital 

business functions. 

Following that, a strategy to maintain 

operations is drawn up, outlining 

the key preventive, mitigation and 

recovery measures that must be 

implemented from the time of a crisis 

occurrence to the time when business 

operations have been nominally 

restored. This plan is then put into 

development, and management will 

have to determine the protocol for 

informing the right people, assessing 

impact on operations as well as to 

draw up specic steps for lessening 

the risks of disruptions and the 

restoration of normal operations after 

disruptions. 

As with all plans, the BCM plan is 

then put to the test. Exercises can be 

used to validate protocol, identifying 

and training of employees in their 

respective roles and responsibilities, 

improve coordination and minimise 

communication gaps, amongst others. 

All is not done when the tests are 

complete however. The onus is on 

the company to constantly update 

and maintain the BCM plan regularly 

and in response to dynamic business 

conditions. The plan will also have to 

be regularly reviewed and audited, 

continually tested and rened in order 

to be truly effective. 

 

 

As businesses and enterprises 

continue to grow and expand, the 

onus is on the business owner to 

secure and protect the fruits of the 

entrepreneur’s labour. The success of 

a business takes time and boundless 

effort, but if just one calamity manages 

to slip through an unguarded ank, 

the entire enterprise would fall into 

disarray. Therefore, the sustainability 

and continuity of the business must 

be accounted for in every business 

strategy, in every enterprise no matter 

the size and scale. 

Adopting a recognised BCM standard 

will go a long way in both protecting 

your business interests as well as 

to give key stakeholders, investors 

and prospective customers better 

peace of mind and condence in your 

business. They would be more likely 

and willing to invest in a business 

that is able to adequately withstand 

external shocks and mishaps, 

guaranteeing a decent return on their 

investment. 

The current standard for BCM 

in Singapore is the Singapore 

Standard SS 540:2008, which will be 

replaced by the SS ISO 22301:2013 

(Societal Security – Business Continuity 

Management – Requirements) by 

September 2014. This new standard 

has been published in October 

2012 and is exactly the same as the 

international ISO 22301:2012, and 

in it outlines the distinct requisites 

for establishing and maintaining a 

Business Continuity Management 

System (BCMS). 

There are many ways and methods 

to implement a BCMS, and each 

company must thoroughly study and 

assess the risks they face before 

going ahead with the BCM strategy. 

There are third-party consultants who 

are able to help you get started, and 

government assistance is available 

to assist you in obtaining BCM 

Certication. 

With a BCM plan in place, your 

business interests can be safeguarded 

that much more. E 

The National BCM Programme Funding can help businesses to 

become BCM-ready and obtain SS540 or equivalent BCM certication. 

For more information, visit www. bcm.org.sg 

12 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

COMMENTARY 

Create High Performance Teams 

with Positive Psychology 

Want to know the 

secret to hiring the 

right individuals and 

engaging and keeping 

them? The answer 

 

Positive Psychology 

here are several 

T 

misconceptions about 

positive psychology 

so let me begin by 

debunking some of them. Positive 

psychology is NOT simply positive 

thinking. It is not popular psychology 

(think: The Secret’s ‘law of attraction’ 

philosophy, Men Are From Mars, 

Women Are From Venus, etc). It is 

not a feel-good motivational tactic. 

And it sure does not cure mental 

illness. 

Positive psychology is in fact a very 

methodological, science-based 

study of the factors and conditions 

that lead to human ourishing. 

By identifying and focusing on 

individual positive personality traits 

or strengths, positive psychology 

provides an effective framework for 

managing emotions and strategising 

communication methods. Thus, it 

improves relationships and helps 

people achieve a greater sense 

of wellbeing and even work-life 

harmony. 

How does this apply to the workforce? 

Start with Hiring Right 

There is always an element of risk 

in the recruitment cycle, as you go 

through the process of elimination to 

select the nal candidate to eventually 

hire. Sometimes, despite taking the 

utmost care in ensuring a stringent 

selection process, the individual may 

turn out to be a wrong t for the job 

or the organisational culture. And I 

am sure you know too well what a 

costly affair a wrong hire can be. 

Now imagine if you had access to 

a tool that could be deployed to 

increase the chances of a successful 

hire. 

Using positive psychology, the 

recruitment process takes on an 

added dimension of assessing 

candidates on other factors such as 

their strengths and resilience, and 

not just based on their qualications, 

experience and personality type. 

Many companies do administer 

psychometric tests and while 

such tests like Myers-Briggs Type 

Indicator® are certainly useful, it 

is so much more effective to select 

and recruit people based on their 

strengths (i.e. what they are good at), 

as they are more likely to succeed in 

the role if they already enjoy and are 

good at the job. 

Drive Employee Engagement 

For some time now, employee 

engagement has been a key focus 

of strategic HR, in a bid to create 

a positive company culture and 

optimise productivity. But for the 

most part, the formula for cultivating 

truly engaged employees remains the 

“holy grail” of HR practitioners. 

This is where positive psychology 

can come in to bridge the gap 

between a worker who only does 

the bare minimum so as to keep his 

job, and the star employee who goes 

over and beyond the call of duty – 

the ‘discretionary effort’ that remains 

largely absent in many workers and 

organisations today. 

14 

JAN FEB 2014 


Positive psychology can be 

harnessed as a powerful force to 

create a culture where the workplace 

feels like a second home because 

people feel a sense of belonging 

and appreciation there. It can be 

used to create cohesive relationships 

amongst co-workers as the team and 

company work towards common 

goals. This helps to align individuals 

with the overall organisational identity 

and leads to greater employee 

satisfaction, which results in higher 

employee engagement. 

According to the VIA (Values in 

Action) Character Strengths in the 

Workplace model by the VIA Institute 

on Character, employees who are 

able to utilise their natural strengths 

in the course of their work tend to 

report higher job satisfaction and 

engagement. Thus, HR personnel 

ought to sort and match individuals 

to teams based on the different 

strengths of employees. If you are able 

to identify the core strengths of your 

employees, you can spend more time 

and resources training them in these 

areas to grow their strengths rather 

than try to improve their weaknesses, 

which most organisations tend to do. 

Strengths are a natural resource so 

if you harness employees’ strengths 

correctly, you will be better able to 

assign employees roles and tasks 

that are more aligned with what 

they are naturally good at, and this 

will increase the chance of them 

succeeding – and feeling more 

fullled – in the role or task. 

As positive psychology works to 

help people build their mindfulness, 

develop resilience and communicate 

more effectively, you can expect that 

your employees will also be able to 

manage family problems and work 

stress better. Sure, everyone will face 

occasional ‘downtimes’ at work or 

in their personal lives but if people 

have the psychological resources 

that positive 

psychology 

can provide 

them, their 

downtime 

will be a lot 

shorter since 

their ability to 

bounce back 

will be higher. 

Additionally, 

positive psychology 

increases social 

intelligence. People 

who have gone through 

positive psychology training 

are more authentic and selfassured, 

and better equipped to 

instill fairness at work, foster a spirit 

of collaboration, and create more 

harmony with the people around 

them. Together, these should serve 

to help reduce politicking in the 

workplace. 

We have witnessed a rather interesting 

phenomenon in which employees 

who have been exposed to positive 

psychology training become wiser 

and more selective about who they 

hang out with in the ofce. They then 

tend to avoid mixing with co-workers 

with a negative mindset and those 

who love to gossip – and naturally 

drift away from these ‘black sheep’ in 

an organisation. 

With more positivity and less toxicity 

in the workplace, people will be 

happier and more engaged with their 

work and this will undoubtedly lead 

to a more productive workforce. 

Speaking of productivity, if you 

want your staff to stop spending so 

much time on Facebook or other 

social media, send them for positive 

psychology training. You need to 

understand that the top reason that 

employees choose to spend time 

on social media during ofce hours 

is due to sheer boredom. They are 

simply not engaged in their work and 

COMMENTARY 

are looking for external stimulation. 

Here is where positive psychology 

can be used to activate and redirect 

your employees’ energy and attention 

towards work activities, leading to 

greater engagement and higher job 

satisfaction. 

Ultimately, positive psychology can 

have a fantastic effect on employee 

retention. Positive psychology 

advocates the expression of 

gratitude and appreciation amongst 

teammates so we suggest creating 

platforms that encourage employees 

to show their best at work. It can 

be something as simple as having 

regular ‘Gratitude Sessions’ where 

each employee writes down what 

or who they are grateful for without 

signing off and the team leader will 

read these out during the session. 

And as we all know, feeling a sense 

of appreciation can do wonders for 

anyone’s morale and employees who 

feel appreciated will be more loyal 

to their company and stick around 

longer. E 

Stephen Lew 

Founder 

The School of Positive Psychology 

JAN FEB 2014 


15

COMMENTARY 

Gaining Trust 

If you want your 

business to win trust, 

don’t let yourself get 

overstretched 

The great US investor Warren Buffett 

famously said, “It takes 20 years to 

build a reputation and ve minutes to 

ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do 

things differently.” 

How to build (and maintain) trust 

and reputation is the subject of 

countless dissertations. It also keeps 

numerous reputation management 

and PR companies in business. 

But do not ever think it is just the 

concern of academics, consultants 

or multinational mega-brands. Every 

entrepreneur should think about trust, 

even on Day One of the business. 

First, trust is essential for attracting 

customers. Second, trust builds a 

brand, and therefore adds nancial 

value to a business. A trusted 

company also nds it easier to gain 

partners, attract talent and nd 

suppliers. 

A US think tank, the Values Institute, 

has come up with an easilymemorised 

formula for the ve values 

that inuence trust in a brand: 

•competence [e.g. how the 

company performs] 

•concern [e.g. care for 

customers, staff, community] 

•connection [sharing customers’ 

values, communicating with 

them] 

•consistency [dependability of 

products and services] 

•candour [transparency, 

openness and honesty] 

All these values should run right 

through a business. Concern and 

connection, for example, have to be 

genuine. In the days of Internet and 

social media, companies cannot 

fake them. With almost 50 per cent 

of Singapore on Twitter, over 60 per 

cent on Facebook, and 37 per cent 

researching online reviews and social 

media before buying 1 , companies 

quickly get caught out if they fail to 

care, connect or be candid. 

In a recent survey in Singapore 2 , 

social media was ranked low as 

a positive inuence on corporate 

reputation, but this is no cause for 

1 Rockpublicity, ‘The state of social media in Singapore’, 2012. 

2 Reputation Management Associates, ‘Corporate Reputation Survey’, 2013. 

16 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

complacency: social media can very 

easily have a negative inuence on 

reputation. Warren Buffett’s warning 

about how it can take ve minutes to 

ruin a reputation is more relevant than 

ever in the days of social media. 

Why SMEs and growth companies 

may struggle with trust 

Another denition of how to gain trust 

is that it is based on two elements: 

character and competence. 

‘Character’ covers similar ground as 

‘concern, connection and candour’ – 

it is about building relationships, not 

just sales. Customers increasingly like 

companies with values. They want to 

believe that they, and not prots, are 

the primary focus of businesses they 

deal with. 

All of the various Cs that go to create 

trust – character, competence, 

concern, connection, consistency, 

candour – can come under pressure 

when companies grow quickly. Staff 

and owners get overstretched; new 

employees come on aboard who 

do not have the same connections 

with customers as in the early days; 

consistency may suffer. 

As mentioned earlier, values like 

candour and concern have to 

come from within, and owners and 

managers must take the time to 

build a good corporate culture. But 

with other values – competence 

and consistency – help can come 

from outside. This applies not just to 

Singapore’s high-growth companies, 

but to every company, from the oneman-band 

upwards. 

Competence covers the big issues 

like quality and price, but it is also 

about getting small things right: 

phones being answered rather than 

allowed to ring; messages passed 

on and calls returned; a business 

address in a good area. These are 

the things that can SMEs can often 

overlook, and can dent people’s belief 

in your company. 

Let’s say you are overstretched. 

Rather than jeopardise competence 

and consistency, why not outsource? 

Think about all the activities that divert 

you from core business: dealing with 

lengthy paperwork such as property 

leases; equipping the ofce and 

organising cleaning and maintenance; 

getting the photocopier xed when 

it goes wrong; hiring people to staff 

reception or security and answer the 

phones; making sure you are meeting 

local health and safety regulations. 

If someone else does these things, 

you have more time to focus on the 

core tasks of being competent and 

consistent. With less time spent on 

workplace issues, there is more time 

to spend on business. 

How to win personal trust as well 

as corporate trust 

With personal trust, the same 

principles apply as with corporates: 

you have to show both character 

and competence day in, day out. 

It is back to Buffett again: ve bad 

minutes when you are overstretched 

can easily harm trust and reputation. 

Networks spread recommendations, 

but they also spread criticism. 

The solution is to arrange your life so 

that you can perform properly. 

•Invest in talent so that you are not 

doing everything yourself 

•Outsource non-core tasks such 

as managing the ofce, so you 

and your key staff can focus on 

customer service and revenue 

and new business generation. 

•Pay attention to your work-life 

balance and stress levels. 

•Cut the time and energy you 

spend on commuting and 

business travel. By working at 

locations closer to home or using 

videoconferencing instead of 

ying abroad to meetings, you 

create more time for work and 

family. 

Trust may be an abstract concept, 

but to gain it you need to look at 

those practical details. E 

Mark Dixon 

CEO 

Regus 

JAN FEB 2014 


17

COMMENTARY 

COMMENTARY 

How to Create a Climate for 

Positive Engagement 

Creating a positive 

communication experience 

Y 

ou have the power to create the ideal 

environment for communication, one that 

creates a positive experience for you and 

others around you. 

If you know you have the skills to work with others 

effectively, your attitude toward them is going to reect 

that – you know you are ready to address whatever may 

warrant your attention. You are less likely to have your 

back up against the wall or be defensive. You are also 

less likely to be overly cautious, holding back. Instead, 

you are condent and willing to engage. 

Choosing a mind-set to make a good impression of 

yourself will inuence your behavior – in all sorts of ways. 

The tone of your voice will be positive and engaging. Your 

listening skills will be sharpened and at the ready. And 

although in a telephone conversation your body language 

would not be visible to the other person, it will nonetheless 

manifest itself in the way you come across. If you are in 

a face-to-face setting, your body language will certainly 

reect the positive words you use in the conversation. 

When you consistently express this mind-set, you will 

inuence the behaviour of people around you. They will 

respond in a different way than they otherwise might thus 

create a positive environment for all. 

Much of what we are describing comes back to the 

importance of choice. With a mind-set to make a good 

impression of yourself, you make the choice to respect 

the other person and treat him or her as you would have 

him or her treat you; your attitude and behavior would 

naturally reect that commitment. This applies to personal 

relationships as well. 

The bottom line is with a mind-set to always make a good 

impression of yourself, it helps you establish a genuinely 

respectful relationship between you and others. Even if 

you have to tell the customer that his product was backordered 

or that his ID card is not ready – or must say 

no in any fashion – the customer can still feel that you 

have handled the situation in such a calm, condent, 

professional way that he or she would still choose to have 

another contact with you in the future. E 

Robert Chew 

Associate Trainer 

d’Oz International Pte Ltd 

18 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

COMMENTARY 

A Hub to the world 

The Singapore 

Government has 

outlined bold plans to 

turn the nation into 

a global Intellectual 

Property Hub in Asia 

In the past year or so, there has been 

much publicity about our Government’s 

bold ambitions to mold Singapore into 

an Intellectual Property (IP) Hub to be 

recognized on regional and international 

levels in three strategic areas: 

• IP transactions and 

management 

• 

• IP dispute resolutions 

Even though still regarded as an emerging 

industry by global standards, the IP 

landscape in Singapore is set to change 

dramatically with the IP Hub thrust. Growing 

recognition by companies that their IP can 

be of signicant value and are assets has 

fueled their desire to ensure that their IP is 

well protected and to be capitalised upon. 

In relation to IP transactions and 

management, discussions with nancial 

institutions to play a more pivotal role in 

looking at IP as investable collateral are 

being conducted. Our Government will 

also play a more proactive role by partially 

underwriting the value of companies’ IP 

used as collateral, to increase the ease with 

which companies can access capital for 

growth and expansion. This IP-backed loan 

programme will help start-ups and small 

and medium enterprises (SMEs) obtain 

nancing using their IP as collateral. 

Further, in relation to IP lings, signicant 

funds will be invested by the Intellectual 

Property Ofce of Singapore (IPOS) to build 

up its capabilities in patent search and 

examination so as to generate search and 

examination reports in an expeditious and 

cost-effective manner to encourage more 

companies to rst le in Singapore, and 

subsequently obtain protection easier also 

in other countries, in particular in ASEAN 

counties and also some major jurisdictions, 

like USA, Japan, Korea and China. 

In addition, in relation to IP dispute 

resolutions, Singapore´s aim is to develop 

an even more efcient and effective legal 

system for IP dispute resolution so that 

companies will be encouraged to bring their 

disputes to Singapore for expeditious and 

effective resolution through the Singapore 

Courts and alternative dispute resolution 

revenues. 

By attracting more global players to 

Singapore and extending its reach to the 

regional markets, a more sophisticated and 

comprehensive IP industry will also help 

our Singapore-based MNCs and SMEs 

to maximise returns on their research and 

development investments. 

Therefore, with the IP Hub blueprint, we 

can look forward to Singapore becoming 

a vibrant, sustainable IP ecosystem, with 

a host of IP activities in Singapore. This 

will contribute to Singapore’s economy 

and create high-value employment 

opportunities in Singapore and for 

Singaporeans in years to come. E 

Viering, Jentschura & Partner LLP 

20 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

COMMENTARY 

Employee Engagement – 

An Enabler of Customer Engagement 

A happy employee leads to 

happy customers 

The rising afuence, ease of access to information and 

social media have empowered consumers to an extent that 

their opinion on products and services cannot be ignored. 

Thus, customer-centric businesses should provide 

channels for consumers to voice their opinions and in turn, 

be the rst to learn about issues and provide solutions to 

resolve them. Satised customers will continue to engage 

with the business and share their positive experience with 

their families and friends. 

‘You don’t get engaged customers 

without engaged employees.’ 

 

Many businesses conduct annual surveys to measure 

Employee Satisfaction. However, researchers have shown 

that satised employees do not necessarily take a personal 

interest to ensure business success as they are generally 

content with their current status. Engaged employees, on 

the other hand, will be passionate in ensuring that every 

customer interaction generates truly loyal and satised 

customers who will be sharing that experience. 

‘The service-value chain 

 

 

and growth not only to customer 

loyalty and satisfaction derived 

from good external service 

 

employee loyalty and satisfaction 

which derive from good internal 

relationships and working 

environment.’ 

 

 

How can SMEs nurture satised and engaged employees? 

The journey begins with the SMEs’ intention to entrench 

employee engagement as a long-term corporate culture. 

Next, the SMEs should assess the current state and 

determine the key drivers of employee engagement. Tools 

have to be in place to collect feedback from employees 

and action plans have to be implemented. This follow-up 

is critical in building trust between management and staff 

to facilitate frank and open exchanges in the future. 

JAN FEB 2014 


21

COMMENTARY 

It is imperative to note that employee engagement 

strategy should support and bolster the organisation 

vision, mission and business objectives. In general, 

employee engagement initiatives can be broadly grouped 

under employee well-being, information sharing, fairness 

and involvement. With the key drivers for employee 

engagement identied, initiatives are developed in these 

key areas to raise level of engagement. 

Well-being 

Employee well-being is affected by his/her feelings about 

the organisation, work-life balance, job design and 

structure. A strong corporate brand and culture that are 

aligned with an employee’s value will instill pride in the 

employee. The appropriate training, tools and resources 

made available to execute the job competently and 

knowledge of how he/she contributes to the organisation’s 

success reinforce that sense of pride. The exibility of the 

organisation in terms of working hours and staff benets 

will alleviate some stress, thus raising the employee’s 

overall well-being. 

Information Sharing 

The sharing of appropriate company information provides 

an opportunity for the SME owner to express appreciation 

for the employees’ contribution to the business’ success. 

Regular information sharing will foster a sense of trust 

and ownership among the employees, in turn motivate 

employees to be participative and enthusiastic in ensuring 

further successes. The leadership of the business should 

take the lead in sharing key information. The keys to these 

communications are clarity and regularity. Just as it is 

important to reach out regularly, it is equally important for 

two-way and multichannel communications to take place. 

Fairness 

Fairness begins at the recruitment phase. It is only fair 

for the recruiter to hire the right candidate for a job, 

provide comprehensive and realistic expectations of the 

job. Once on board, regular performance appraisal based 

on the objectives that were clearly spelt out between the 

employee and superior should be provided. The presence 

of gaps between what was promised to the employee 

and his actual experience will result in distrust. Distrust 

impedes all forms of employee engagement activities. 

Involvement 

Employees like to be involved in making recommendations 

on issues that affect them. Involvement empowers the 

employees, allows them to determine their course of action 

and thus increases their level of commitment. Trust and 

openness are two key drivers for continuous involvement. 

Senior management have to trust that the employees 

are capable of taking the right actions while employees 

have to believe that senior management will act on their 

inputs. Rationale for decisions made which are different 

from employees’ inputs should be shared to foster trust 

and shape employees’ thought process for future inputs. 

22 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

Soverus Group Pte Ltd 

Soverus Group Pte Ltd, a leading company providing 

services in Security Guarding, Security Systems, Security 

Consultancy and Private Investigations, has implemented 

many best practices to boost the morale of its Security 

ofcers, a group that has suffered from low job prestige, 

resulting in poor performance and high turnover. Soverus 

has the lowest attrition rate and no-show rates in the 

industry. It has become protable within three years after 

the current management team took over the helm. 

Soverus’ journey into employee engagement started 

with the inclusion of ‘We will respect and nurture all our 

employees to be the best that they can be’ in its Core 

Values. It recognised the low sense of pride among the 

security guards and how that affects the service quality. It 

knows that sense of pride and engagement are keys to 

transform the mentality of security guards. 

Soverus’ solution addresses the issues psychologically 

and nancially. 

Its rst move to address the psychological aspect was to 

instill a sense of pride in its security guards by featuring 

them as the face of the company in its advertising 

materials and press releases. It has also raised their sense 

of belonging by providing all guards with company email 

addresses and handbooks. Signages posted at Security 

Posts with warnings against abuse are commitment from 

the management to ensure the safety and well-being of all 

its guards. 

engagement measurement as part of their performance 

target. Last but not least, Mr Paul Lim, Group CEO, 

will personally recognise all employees with exceptional 

performance. 

‘Engaged employees lead to higher 

levels of engaged customers.’ 

Walt Disney Management 

In conclusion, for employee engagement to be sustainable, 

senior management have to incorporate employee 

engagement as part of the business strategy. It is critical 

that there is absolute trust between Management and 

staff and this trust has to be maintained through clear and 

regular two-way communications. 

Once employees are taken care of in a business, both 

the customers and bottom line will be taken care of 

automatically. E 

Chong Eng Hock 

Consultant 

ECCA Consulting 

Soverus takes care of the nancial aspect by paying its 

employee at the top 10 per cent pay scale in its industry 

and lowering their cost of living through corporate discount 

tie-ups with telecommunications and healthcare service 

providers. Soverus is probably the only company in its 

industry to include a Conrmation increment amount in 

its employment contract and provide bursary awards to 

family members of employees. 

Employee engagement will continue to be a culture 

in Soverus. All management staff carry employee 

JAN FEB 2014 


23

As the pioneer of Mobile 

Elevated Work Platforms since 

1982, Galmon continues to 

expand and succeed in 

retaining its position as a leader 

in its field, through the guidance 

of its core values – Efficient and 

Reliable Machinery, Safety as 

the Top Priority, Excellent 

Customer Service, Cohesive 

Teamwork & Constant 

Improvement and Innovation. 

With teamwork and nurturing 

working 

environment, 

excellence has become second 

nature. 

As we aspire to be the choice 

global provider for MEWP, we 

strive to anticipate and meet 

future and sophisticated 

demands of clients, both from 

Singapore and abroad. We sell, 

rent and service the widest 

range of aerial access 

equipment – from self-propelled 

booms, scissors, truck-mounted 

work platforms, telehandlers, 

aluminium mobile scaffolding to 

special custom-built lifts.

50 Tuas Avenue 1 Jurong Industrial Estate Singapore 639527 

Tel: (+65) 6862 2277 Fax: (+65) 6862 0520 info@galmon.com www.galmon.com 

Company Registration No: 198202184W

COMMENTARY 

COMMENTARY 

Making a Mark 

The Entrepreneur of 

the Year Award 2013 

Presentation Ceremony 

unveiled the Entrepreneurs 

who have made their 

marks in their respective 

industries 

O 

n the evening of 4 December 

2013, 12 newly-minted 

Entrepreneurs of the Year 

received their trophies amidst 

the raving cheers of their staff, colleagues 

and business associates. These are the 

exemplars of entrepreneurial excellence, 

remarkable businessmen who have made 

the nal cut in the Entrepreneur of the 

Year Award 2013 A Rotary Singapore- 

ASME Award. 

Organised by the Association of Small 

and Medium Enterprises (ASME) and the 

Rotary Club of Singapore, the Award’s 

Silver Jubilee saw the introduction of the 

Young Entrepreneur Award Category, 

a separate grouping tailored towards 

emerging entrepreneurs. A new set of 

criteria allows these Young Entrepreneurs 

to participate on more even terms, whilst 

the veteran businessmen competed in the 

Established Entrepreneur Award Category. 

“The nine Established Entrepreneurs 

and three Young Entrepreneurs who are 

being recognised today have achieved 

success in your respective elds through 

tenacity, creativity and hard work,” said Mr 

Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, 

Coordinating Minister for National Security 

and Minister for Home Affairs during his 

welcome address that evening as the 

event’s Guest-Of-Honour, “I hope that 

many more Singapore SMEs will be 

inspired by your achievements, so that we 

build up a strong pool of SMEs that will 

continue to make a signicant contribution 

to Singapore’s economy, and create many 

good jobs for Singaporeans.” 

Following a Final Judging Session in 

November 2013, the Overall Winners 

for each Award Category as well as the 

Sub-Category Award Winners were 

determined. Led by Mr aqy Mohammad, 

Member of Parliament, Choa Chu Kang 

Group Representation Constituency 

(GRC) for the Established Entrepreneur 

Award Category and Mr Leslie Loh, 

Managing Director of Red Dot Ventures 

for the Young Entrepreneurs, the Final 

Judging panel comprised eminent judges 

who came from successful positions in 

both the public and private sectors. During 

the day-long session, the judges assessed 

each Entrepreneur with precision and 

depth, drilling down to the bedrock of their 

business ideals, their core beliefs as well 

as their plans for the future. 

The two Overall Winners also won Sub- 

Category Awards to complement their 

already-impressive achievements. Mr 

Neeraj Sundarajoo, Chief Executive 

Ofcer of digital marketing solutions rm 

Comwerks Pte Ltd clinched both the 

Overall Winner for Young Entrepreneurs 

as well as the EYA for Social Contribution, 

while the Overall Winner for the 

Established Entrepreneurs Mr Sun Lai 

Fong, Chairman of Sunhuan Construction 

Pte Ltd, also walked away with the EYA 

for Info-Communications Technology. 

Mr Neeraj Sundarajoo, the inaugural 

Overall Winner for the Young Entrepreneur 

Award Category, was willing to take the 

risk on entrepreneurship, rather than 

accepting one of his many job offers as 

he came out of school. At the tender age 

of 21, he started Comwerks Pte Ltd with 

his brother and current partner Mr Keith 

Tan with a mere $5000, venturing into the 

relative unknown. Although he had the 

drive and passion to move his business, 

the young Neeraj lacked the necessary 

experience, and without sound nancial 

management, Comwerks struggled to 

survive. 

Nevertheless, he persevered, and his 

turning point came when he invited Mr 

Steven Seet, one of his ex-clients, to 

chair the board. This mentorship instilled 

nancial discipline within the company, 

and brought the company to greater 

26 


JAN FEB 2014

COMMENTARY 

heights. Coming full circle, Neeraj is now a mentor to 

other young entrepreneurs, having experienced for 

himself the value of having a reliable business mentor. 

On the other end of the spectrum lies Mr Sun Lai Fong, 

an ex-construction worker who arrived in Singapore from 

Fujian Province in China 32 years ago. Starting work in 

1981 when Singapore was rapidly industrialising, Mr Sun 

spent hours toiling for relatively low pay, yet he refused to 

give up as he had to support his family back home. 

In 1991, he used $4000 of his hard-earned savings to 

start his company, rst starting with only eight workers 

but rapidly expanding after building up a reputation 

for being punctual and responsible. Today, Sunhuan 

Construction deals with Housing Development Board 

projects, with about six in the pipeline to construct more 

than 5000 ats. 

Mr Sun has also successfully used technology to improve 

his business, investing and developing a management 

information system, a highly-centralised platform to 

control what is traditionally a very fragmented operational 

framework, enabling the rm to do more with the same 

costs. The system allows employees and management 

alike to check on projects statuses, audit processes 

and payment progress updates amongst others, and 

the system has been the cornerstone of the company’s 

operations for the past 10 years. 

As Singapore’s oldest entrepreneurial award, EYA has 

recognised 225 entrepreneurs over the years. The 

Award’s journey and some of the stellar alumni can be 

revisited in a special commemorative book titled “Rise 

to the Top: What Singapore’s Best Entrepreneurs 

Do” to celebrate 25 years of entrepreneurial excellence. 

“EYA is not only the oldest locally founded entrepreneurial 

award, it has the most rigorous assessment and judging 

process, the broadest media exposure, privileged with 

the best breed of corporate sponsors and enjoys the 

Government’s patronage at the highest levels,” said Mr Kurt 

Wee, President of the ASME. 

For the latest line of Entrepreneurs of the Year, their new 

journeys are about to begin. E 

Overall Winner & Sub-Category Award Winners 

THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2013 A 

ROTARY SINGAPORE-ASME AWARD 

Established Entrepreneurs: 

Overall Winner 

Mr Sun Lai Fong, Sunhuan Construction Pte Ltd 

Winner of EYA for Enterprise 

Mr Winston Chia, Serrano Holdings Pte Ltd 

Winner of EYA for Innovation 

Mr Albert Oon, Shun hou Hardware Pte Ltd 

Winner of EYA for Info-Communications Technology 

Mr Sun Lai Fong, Sunhuan Construction Pte Ltd 

Winner of EYA for Service Excellence 

Ms Sally Chua, ’son Kitchen Equipment Pte Ltd 

Young Entrepreneurs: 

Overall Winner 

Mr Neeraj Sundarajoo, Comwerks Pte Ltd 

Winner of EYA for Social Contribution 

Mr Neeraj Sundarajoo, Comwerks Pte Ltd 

JAN FEB 2014 


27

COMMENTARY 

28 

JAN FEB 2014 


COMMENTARY 

JAN FEB 2014 


29

COVER STORY 

COVER STORY 


Mr Ronald Lee, 

Managing Director 

of award-winning 

recruitment 

 

PrimeStaff, practices 

what he preaches. 

uman resources, or HR 

H 

as it is more commonly 

referred to, can be 

one of the trickiest 

undertakings for any company 

regardless of scope and scale. It is 

a constant challenge trying to nd 

the most suitable candidate to man 

appropriate positions, to groom them 

to possibly helm divisions sometime 

in the future or simply to keep the 

company operating at maximum 

efciency. No matter how automated 

or technologically-advanced an 

enterprise becomes, manpower is 

still required to run those machines; 

looking for the right people is still 

therefore of utmost importance. 

One Man’s Passion 

Mr Ronald H S Lee, managing 

director of PrimeStaff Management 

Services Pte Ltd, has perfected the 

art of recruitment by focusing on the 

crux of the issue - people. Beginning 

his career in a diverse number 

of industries including property 

development, banking and information 

technology, Ronald quickly scaled the 

competitive corporate ladder to settle 

into a comfortable and lofty position 

in a multinational corporation during 

his early years. However, the call of 

entrepreneurship beckoned, and 

Ronald left his sky high perch in 1994 

to realise his passion, literally from the 

ground up. 

Today, PrimeStaff has become a 

leading recruitment powerhouse, 

providing a comprehensive framework 

of services that encompasses 

recruitment, payroll processing, 

recruitment process outsourcing, 

training and outplacement services. 

Its human touch, passion for people 

and customised approaches have 

garnered the homegrown rm a 

growing list of corporate clients as 

well as potential job candidates, 

securing both sides of the equation. 

For a recruitment rm however, how 

does Ronald attract and retain his 

top talents? 

Passion, Integrity, Honesty 

“Besides offering a competitive 

compensation and benets package, 

we focus very much on creating a 

strong corporate culture centred 

on a family-like environment where 

everyone genuinely feels like a part of 

the team,” enthuses Ronald, “We try 

our best to create a culture in which 

30 


JAN FEB 2014

our staff feel that their contributions 

are valued, and we always seek to 

create meaning in the workplace via 

initiatives such as corporate social 

responsibility activities. Through 

these, our people feel a greater sense 

of purpose that goes much deeper 

than just showing up for work to earn 

a paycheck.” 

Ronald looks at three main things 

when hiring people: passion, integrity 

and honesty. People, in every sense 

of the word, are at the core of 

PrimeStaff’s business, be it dealings 

with candidates, clients or even 

fellow colleagues. Ronald maintains 

that his staff must be passionate 

about people, as they are directly 

contributing to the betterment of 

their lives. Integrity and honesty are 

also key traits, since the nature of 

the business concerns privileged and 

condential information pertaining 

to both clients and candidates, 

therefore staff with these qualities 

are necessary to uphold PrimeStaff’s 

reputation as a value-adding HR 

service consultancy. 

Transcending the Surface 

Beyond the generous compensation 

packages (top consultants can get 

ve gures a month commissions) 

and staff benets, Ronald strongly 

believes in going beyond the apparent 

to retain staff. This philosophy is 

epitomised in the non-monetary 

activities he regularly partakes in, 

undertakings that have a far more 

powerful effect on staff retention than 

nancial incentives. 

Ronald places great emphasis on 

creating a strong company culture, 

one that is similar to being a family 

in PrimeStaff. Everyone feels like a 

valued, contributing member of the 

team, and this spirit of teamwork and 

collaboration is constantly fostered on 

a daily basis. PrimeStaff’s recruitment 

consultants are split into six different 

teams to promote greater teamwork 

and camaraderie during ofcial 

business, and are further encouraged 

to bond over informal lunch and dinner 

gatherings to reinforce the spirit of 

teamwork. Staff birthday celebrations, 

though simple affairs, go a long way in 

bolstering the family-like atmosphere 

in PrimeStaff. Ronald also takes these 

bonding sessions to the companylevel, 

organising quarterly outings in 

addition to PrimeStaff’s annual family 

day, whereby staff and their families 

are invited to let their hair down as 

a reward for their hard work, further 

sustaining and boosting the already 

substantial collaborative spirit in the 

company. 

His employees are also not kept on 

a tight leash during ofce hours. “I 

strongly believe in empowering my 

people by giving them the autonomy 

to make their own decisions on a 

day-to-day basis,” Ronald attests. 

“Inculcated into the corporate 

culture is a tendency to refrain from 

micro-managing subordinates.” This 

expanded breathing room has proven 

to be an effective practice, leading to 

greater innovation in the workforce 

which is monumentally important for 

any local company to maintain its 

competitiveness. 

COVER STORY 

Onward to the Future 

One of the end goals for any 

entrepreneur is to nd a suitable 

successor to the business he has 

worked so hard to build. It is an 

important process that needs to 

be carefully handled, meticulously 

executed and started early, in order 

to identify, secure and groom the very 

best candidate to take over the reins 

of the company. Rather than fret and 

panic over his eventual successor, 

Ronald has embraced it with an open 

mind but a clear vision. 

“Every entrepreneur will face the 

subject of succession planning one 

day,” remarks Ronald, “I have been 

preparing for this eventuality over the 

last few years, by actively grooming 

several talents to be PrimeStaff’s 

second generation leadership and 

take over the day-to-day running of 

the company.” 

Being in the business of people, Mr 

Ronald H S Lee makes people his 

business. E 

JAN FEB 2014 


31

COVER FEATURE 

COVER FEATURE 

Creating a 

Values-Centric 

Organisation 

A corporate culture 

rooted in a strong set 

of values can create 

an inspiring work 

environment with high 

employee engagement, 

as this case study with 

PrimeStaff Management 

Services shows. 

ustaining a business for 

S 

almost two decades is 

no mean feat, especially 

in an industry rife 

with competition and 

dominated by big, global brand 

names. Yet PrimeStaff has managed 

to evolve into a leading homegrown 

human resource consultancy due 

to its values-centric culture, where 

qualities like integrity, honesty and 

respect remain the cornerstone of 

its business. 

To illustrate this point, Mr Ronald 

Lee, Managing Director of PrimeStaff 

Management Services, offers his 

philosophy of “maintaining mutually 

benecial relationships based on 

trust, honesty and integrity for the 

success of all our partners – our 

clients, candidates and our own 

staff.” 

PrimeStaff was founded by 

Ronald in 1994 and specialises 

in a comprehensive suite of 

services that include recruitment, 

payroll processing, recruitment 

process outsourcing, training and 

outplacement. 

“We are building towards making 

PrimeStaff a household name; one 

that is synonymous with quality, 

efciency and reliability,” Ronald 

enthuses. 

The key to actualising this goal, 

he says, is to keep strengthening 

these relationships with the 

abovementioned stakeholders of 

PrimeStaff. 

“People are at the centre of every 

touch point in our business so a 

passion for people is inherent in our 

corporate culture. Internally, it begins 

with being passionate about our own 

people and building strong teams 

comprising individuals with proven 

capabilities and a strong sense of 

commitment. We apply the same 

meticulous search and recruitment 

process that we use for our clients, 

to nd these individuals and then 

invite them to join PrimeStaff and 

grow together with the company,” he 

expounds. 

34 

JAN FEB 2014 


COVER FEATURE 

Strategic Career Development 

Opportunities 

Once onboard, employees are 

empowered to maximise their 

potential. Ronald believes in giving 

his employees autonomy in decisionmaking 

and consciously refrains from 

micro-managing them. Over the years, 

he has found that such a management 

style leads to greater innovation within 

PrimeStaff and more importantly, a 

more engaged workforce 

PrimeStaff employees are further 

engaged through career development 

opportunities that take the form of 

structured and customised training 

programmes that are conducted 

either in-house or externally. Topics 

may run the gamut from covering 

technical aspects of the recruitment 

process such as “How to conduct 

interviews” and “How to manage 

clients/candidates” to a focus on 

soft skills like “Business Networking” 

and “Effective Communication Skills”. 

PrimeStaff has its own certied inhouse 

Trainers who are called upon 

for both client assignments as well 

as some of these internal training 

sessions. 

“We endeavour to provide plenty of 

opportunities to groom our talents 

and we have found that this serves as 

an effective way to motivate and help 

retain staff as well,” offers Ronald. 

The majority of PrimeStaff’s workforce 

comprises Recruitment Consultants 

who are, in essence, salespeople. 

And it is common knowledge that 

the turnover of sales staff tends to be 

higher compared with other portfolios. 

Yet, PrimeStaff is able to manage this 

well and its staff turnover tends to 

be lower than other companies on 

average. 

“I believe this could be due to the 

fact that we offer all staff strategic 

career planning opportunities in 

which the management works closely 

with the Consultants to establish 

clear progression pathways so that 

Consultants are made aware of 

exactly how far they can go within the 

company,” shares Ronald. 

Developing a Pipeline of 

Leaders 

Ronald is one entrepreneur who is 

ever-ready to share the limelight – 

and credit – for PrimeStaff’s success. 

Recognising the need for succession 

planning, he has been developing 

a pipeline of second- and third-tier 

leaders to take over the helm when 

the time comes. Grooming future 

leaders from within demonstrates to 

employees that those who exhibit 

loyalty matched with high performance 

will be well-rewarded. 

This decision exemplies the familylike 

culture that Ronald has cultivated 

within PrimeStaff; one in which 

team bonding and team spirit is 

championed, and everyone genuinely 

feels like a valued, contributing 

member of the team. 

To further create meaning in 

the workplace, corporate social 

responsibility activities are organised on 

a regular basis accompanied by strong 

voluntary participation – further instilling 

in the workforce a greater sense of 

purpose and community spirit. 

Now with such a fullling work 

environment, the generous 

compensation package that enables 

high-performing PrimeStaff employees 

to earn up to ve gures a month is 

just the icing on the cake. E 

JAN FEB 2014 


35

MONEYSMART 

MONEYSMART 

Financing Trade 

What to look out for 

before venturing into 

that domestic or trade 

transaction 

Engaging in domestic or international 

trade is one area small and medium 

enterprises (SMEs) partake in to 

expand and grow their businesses. 

At the most basic level, an exporter 

will want an importer to prepay for 

the goods that are shipped, and 

the importer will naturally want to 

reduce risk by getting the exporter 

to document the shipped items. 

Although it may seem relatively 

simple and straightforward, there is a 

whole spectrum of tools and utilities 

to assist with the trade transaction, 

and banks can provide assistance 

to the trade through various forms of 

support. 

Before the Trade 

Before beginning a domestic or 

international trade transaction, 

SMEs must bear in mind the 

following points: 

1Be familiar with local laws 

and regulations, and conduct 

checks on parties which you 

are dealing with. For example, 

remember to check on the type of 

documents required for customs 

clearance when the goods are 

delivered to the port of discharge, 

how established is the supplier or 

buyer and so on. 

2Be clear on the terms of trade 

(such as payment and contract 

terms and details). Take for 

instance, the SME has to be aware 

of the terms of payment stated in the 

sales agreement - whether payment 

is based on Letter of Credit, open 

account, collection bills and so forth. 

36 

JAN FEB 2014 


MONEYSMART 

3Choose a reputable bank with 

international trade experience 

particularly for your frequent 

countries of import or export. A 

bank that is familiar with a country’s 

import/export laws, regulations, 

practices, documentations for 

customs clearance and so on, can 

give valuable advice on potential 

barriers to a smooth transaction. 

SMEs also need to be aware of their 

creditors’/debtors’ terms as this 

will indicate your working capital 

gaps in which your bank can come 

in to provide nancing assistance. 

SME must know and be familiar 

with the trade cycle of an import or 

export transaction before seeking 

nancing. Knowing the trade cycle 

helps you identify when and what 

your nancing needs are. 

For example, if your trade cycle 

is such that you get credit term 

from the supplier and receive cash 

payments from your buyers, you may 

not require nancing, so you do not 

need to incur interest that will affect 

your prot margin unnecessarily. 

Spectrum of Support 

Financial institutions can offer a 

variety of support measures for SMEs 

going into trade transactions. Some 

SMEs may not be comfortable with 

cash transactions when dealing with 

new suppliers with whom they are 

not familiar, or when the supplier’s 

ability to fulll the transaction is yet to 

be tested. Therefore, they may opt 

for Letters of Credit (LCs) issued by 

banks, instead of making electronic 

payments through telegraphic 

transfers (TT) or other forms of 

payment methods. In a transaction 

involving an LC, the role of the bank 

is to check all documents (e.g. 

shipping documents) to ensure 

compliance with the credit terms 

agreed and terms laid out in the LC 

before any payment is made. 

Each SME will have different trade 

nancing requirements. Hence, 

most of the time, the facilities can be 

customised to suit their needs. As 

such, it is advantageous for an SME 

to share its needs with the banker 

through a more in-depth discussion 

for the bank to customise more 

effective nancing solutions. It is 

important for SMEs to talk to their 

banks to identify specic needs to 

get a more holistic nancing solution. 

Besides nancing purchases, the 

bank can also nance your sales. 

Banks can provide export 

receivables nancing. This is based 

on submission of your invoices and 

shipping documents for your bank 

to give some cash advance against 

the documents (i.e. a margin of 

the invoice value). These advances 

would ease cash ow and may be 

used to pay off suppliers. 

In the event that your business 

provides services or engages in 

contract jobs with progressive 

payments from your debtors, there 

is also Factoring and Accounts 

Receivables nancing. 

In Factoring, the bank purchases 

your debtors’ invoices and advances 

an amount (typically a margin of the 

invoice value) to you for working 

capital even before your invoice is 

due for payment. The bank would 

then wait for the advanced amount 

to be paid when your debtor settles 

the outstanding invoice. As there 

are many options and variations 

available, always talk to your bank for 

a solution that most suits your needs. 

SMEs should also make an effort 

to establish long-term relationship 

with a bank partner by building trust 

and a proven track record. This can 

facilitate the SME to get effective 

solutions to meet banking needs, 

especially in nancing. 

So before you go ahead with that 

trade deal, why not spend some 

time speaking with your bank to get 

a smoother transaction? E 

Maybank Singapore 

For more information, visit: http:// 

info.maybank2u.com.sg/business/ 

nancing/trade-nancing/ 

JAN FEB 2014 


37

PROPERTY 

stations and cubicles in favour of a 

more informal, team-oriented work 

setting”. However, this trend could 

hamper traditional ofce growth, 

particularly in Asia Pacic’s highcost 

locations. 

Meanwhile, ofce space supply in 

emerging markets is expected to 

be abundant, while those in core 

markets may likely dwindle. 

PROPERTY 

Commercial property 

 

“Ofce completions are expected 

to fall 10 per cent to 68 million sq ft 

across all 30 cities in 2014, before 

rebounding to nearly 79 million 

sq ft in 2015. Given this backdrop 

and a modest uptick in demand, 

Grade A vacancies are expected to 

remain stable for emerging markets 

at around 17 per cent next year. 

Vacancies will be the highest for Ho 

Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Pune, 

Mumbai, Hanoi, Kolkata, New Delhi, 

Chengdu, and Ahmedabad, ranging 

between 20 percent and nearly 50 

percent,” said the report. 

The region 

remains on course 

for continued 

growth in 2014 

Property consultancy Cushman & 

Wakeeld has released a summary 

report of the key trends that will affect 

Asia Pacic’s commercial property 

market in 2014. These forecasts 

could serve as an invaluable guide 

to what’s in store in the coming year. 

To start with, the region’s economy 

is expected to see slower growth 

and this could be the norm for 

some time. From 5.4 to 5.5 per cent 

in 2012-2013, annual economic 

growth is likely to slip to between 5.0 

to 5.3 percent until 2015. 

Nevertheless, the gradual 

improvement of the global economy, 

especially in the U.S., could bolster 

employment and ensure healthy 

demand for ofce space across 

the region. Despite this relatively 

favourable macroeconomic climate, 

the market remains cautious due to 

lower demand predicted in Australia, 

while Singapore and Hong Kong 

may see a slow rise in the short term 

due to a gradual recovery in the 

nancial sector. 

Companies are also expected to 

continue to implement strategies 

for the efcient use of ofce space 

in order to maintain protability. 

For instance, “a growing number 

of companies across industries are 

eliminating ofces, private work 

“In contrast, relatively moderate 

development activity in core mature 

markets should cause vacancies in 

top-grade space to dip below seven 

percent over the next two years, 

with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, 

Shanghai’s CBD and Auckland 

potentially the tightest.” 

Overall, about 400 million sq ft of 

new projects are under construction 

in the region. This is the highest gure 

globally and these developments 

are concentrated in emerging 

economies. 

At the same time, rental spikes are 

less likely to happen in Asia Pacic 

given its slow growth environment 

in 2014. In core markets, rents 

are projected to rise by nearly two 

percent next year, while rental 

growth in emerging markets is set to 

drop. 

38 

JAN FEB 2014 


PROPERTY 

“Higher nancing costs are expected 

to erode at least some of the wide 

yield spread advantage of investing 

in both core and emerging markets, 

or even value-add and opportunistic 

assets in the region,” the report 

noted. 

Regional nancial hubs will also 

be most vulnerable to a slowdown 

in China and the U.S. Federal 

Reserve’s tapering. Nonetheless, the 

latter’s negative effects are expected 

to be dampened by the resurgent 

U.S. economy, while the former may 

signicantly affect economies with 

open capital markets. 

On the ip side, Asian property is 

expected to become more popular, 

attracting a larger number of U.S. - 

and Europe-based investors as they 

seek globally diversied portfolios. 

“According to data tracker Preqin, 

Asia-focused real-estate funds 

have raised US$6.4 billion this year 

through September, and there are 

more funds in the pipeline, compared 

to US$7.8 billion raised for all of 

2012. Indeed, this rise in allocation 

to Asian real estate demonstrates a 

vote of condence and we expect 

this trend to continue,” added the 

report. 

The consultancy also feels that 

investors will prefer long-term stable 

cash ows due to lower return 

expectations in the region. 

Furthermore, it forecasts that capital 

will increasingly ow into non-core 

markets. 

At the same time, growth in Asia 

Pacic’s emerging markets will 

remain intact and there will be plenty 

of investment opportunities. 

The report also found that capital 

outows from the region continued 

to rise in 2013, reaching another 

record year as investments into 

Europe, the Middle East and the 

Americas surged by more than a 

third to reach US$14.9 billion. E 

CommercialGuru.com.sg 


JAN FEB 2014 

39

SME CENTRE@ASME 


Empowering 

People, 

Transforming 

Workplaces 

The Enterprise Training 

Support (ETS) Scheme seeks 

to support businesses to 

implement progressive and 

innovative human resources 

(HR) systems 

A company’s backbone is the men and women who 

staff the telephones, man the front lines and support the 

backend operations of any enterprise regardless of size 

and scale. Training and development of this key facet will 

go a long way for the company’s growth and success in 

the long term. To this end, the Ministry of Manpower and 

the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) 

jointly developed and launched the Enterprise Training 

Support (ETS) Scheme from 1 April 2013. 

Set to run from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2015, the ETS 

is open to all Singapore-registered or locally-incorporated 

organisations including societies and non-prot 

organisations. The ETS will reach out to companies via the 

SME Centres with 70 per cent of companies taking up the 

programme expected to be SMEs. 

In a nutshell, the ETS aims to: 

•Raise employee productivity and skill levels 

•Create more hiring and competitive opportunities 

for Singaporeans through good HR development 

management systems and practices 

•Benchmark compensation and benets to market rates 

for attracting and retaining local talent 

Components of the ETS 

Essentially a comprehensive framework of support, the 

ETS comprises the following ve components: 

1. Training Grant 

This Training Grant forms the core of the ETS. This 

is a compulsory component which encourages the 

40 


JAN FEB 2014


development of an overall training plan for the company. 

This plan can comprise of Workforce Skills ualication 

(WSQ) training, non-WSQ training as well as On-the- 

Job Training (OJT), and the training plan must be 

relevant to at least 50 per cent of the company’s total 

workforce. 

Each organisation can tap on a maximum of $200, 000 

for this component of the ETS, and companies tapping 

on this grant have to: 

•Help 50 per cent of its local workforce attain at least 

one WSQ modular Statement of Attainment (SOA) 

under any WSA framework 

•Incorporate recognition of WSQ qualications as 

part of their recruitment and training development 

policies 

2. Capability Grant 

A one-time grant of $20,000 supporting companies 

to build up their in-house capabilities in the areas of 

training delivery and infrastructure, this grant can also 

support companies who wish to become WSQ inhouse 

Approved Training Organisations (ATOs). 

Companies tapping on this grant have to: 

•Achieve WSQ Organisational Accreditation to be an 

in-house ATO 

•Have at least two WSQ modules accredited and at 

least 50 SOAs delivered in-house 

3. Curriculum Contextualisation and 

Alignment Grant 

This component supports companies in defraying the 

costs of developing WSQ training modules, in terms 

of both content and training delivery. The grant also 

supports the development of OJT blueprints and their 

implementation into the enterprise training plan. 

Companies can tap on to a maximum of $52,000 under 

this component, and companies tapping on this grant 

have to: 

•Implement OJT blueprints into the enterprise 

training plan 

4. HR Development Grant 

A one-off grant of up to $60,000 per company, 

the HR Development Grant component supports 

organisations in adopting holistic training plans, 

enhancing learning and development systems or 

develops career progression pathways tied to the 

enterprise training plan. 

The grant funds up to 70 per cent of the costs of 

engaging external consultants for the following HR 

activities: 

•Develop a system to administer and monitor a 

holistic training plan 

•Integrate WSQ into training plans and HR policy 

•Enhance existing or develop new learning and 

development systems to support WSQ adoption 

and measure learning gains 

•Develop career progression pathways tied to the 

enterprise training plan 

 

Review Grant 

The nal component of the ETS provides 70 per cent 

funding, up to a cap of $15,000 per company, to 

help them defray the costs of engaging consultants 

to conduct an enterprise-wide industry salary 

benchmark, reviews and restructuring of wages in 

order to attract local talent and retain them in a tight 

labour market. 

Companies utilising this component must: 

•Increase employee wages to match recommended 

industry benchmarks OR 

•Increase wages of their local workforce by 3 per 

cent 

•Deliver newly developed or contextualised WSQ 

modules 

To nd out more, call 6513 0388 and a Business Advisor will contact you shorty. 

Alternatively, you can also email enquiries@smecentre-asme.sg. 

JAN FEB 2014 


41

MARKET INTELLIGENCE 

42 

JAN FEB 2014 



JAN FEB 2014 


43

MARKET 

MARKET 

INTELLIGENCE 

INTELLIGENCE 

The importance 

of lifelong 

learning 

Sharpen Your Company’s 

Competitive Edge with 

Continuing Education 

and Training (CET) 

n today’s ever changing 

I 

environment, knowledge and skills 

can rapidly become obsolete. Ongoing 

professional development 

and continual learning are paramount to 

not only surviving, but thriving in the global 

workplace especially with the government’s 

policy to reduce the reliance on foreign 

manpower. 

CET Masterplan 2008 

It is against this backdrop that Prime Minister 

Lee Hsien Loong announced the launch of the 

CET Masterplan in February 2008. The overall 

aim of the CET Masterplan is to encourage 

workers to embrace lifelong learning, stay 

relevant and seize opportunities in new growth 

sectors. 

The CET Masterplan marks a signicant 

milestone in the development of the CET 

system in Singapore. It signals the training 

of adult workers as one of the Government’s 

top priorities to equip Singapore workers for 

the future, prepare and hone their competitive 

advantage in the global arena, whether one 

is a rank-and-le worker or a professional or 

manager. 

Many CET programmes today are designed 

to be accessible and affordable, to prepare 

workers for new jobs, career changes or 

skills progression. Employers will also have 

the opportunity to help workers upgrade their 

knowledge and skills as part of their company’s 

learning and development plan and stay ahead 

of industry developments. 

Growing Role of CET 

As more industries restructure and move up 

the value chain, it is imperative that every 

worker, regardless of educational or skills level, 

continually upgrade and update his or her skills 

in order to stay relevant and perform better. 

44 


JAN FEB 2014


As economic competition intensies, 

CET provides assurance that workers’ 

skills remain relevant so that SMEs 

may seize new opportunities in areas 

of growth. Some companies may 

need to acquire new skills in order to 

stay ahead of industry developments 

and seize emerging opportunities 

from the new growth industries. 

To keep the competitive edge razor 

sharp, it is crucial for workers to be 

continually trained and developed, 

honing both their soft and technical 

skills. More and more, a highly 

groomed talent pool is the key to ongoing 

success for companies. 

Furthermore, employees are 

increasingly relating job satisfaction 

with professional development 

opportunities. Thus, CET could be 

one of the HR tools for SMEs to recruit 

and retain their local employees given 

the tight manpower situation. 

Dr Ricky Souw, CEO of Sanwa 

Group, shared that in the face of 

global competition, companies have 

to constantly strive to stay relevant 

through manpower development 

and productivity improvement. 

“At Sanwa, we not only focus 

on developing new products 

and concepts, we also believe in 

developing and equipping our staff 

with the latest skills to maximize their 

 

role in our operations as we aim for 

greater productivity and innovation.” 

Enhanced Training 

Support for SMEs 

Skills upgrading through CET remains 

a key mechanism for companies 

to raise productivity. Based on the 

feedback from SMEs and industry 

associations who identied training 

and upgrading as a key area where 

they hoped to receive Government 

support, the Government has 

enhanced training support for SMEs 

by further lowering the cost of training 

for them to encourage greater training 

participation.The three-year initiative 

took effect from 1 July 2012. 

The enhanced training support 

is extended to Singapore citizen 

employees of SME establishments. 

These employees must be fully 

sponsored by their employers to attend 

academic CET courses offered by the 

ve Polytechnics/Institute of Technical 

Education. More information on this 

can be found on WDA’s website. 

Industry Recognised 

 

MOM, MOE and WDA will work 

towards building pathways between 

the CET and educational systems so 

that qualications achieved are jointly 

recognised and based on a common 

set of standards. 

Programmes Offered by Nanyang 

Polytechic 

Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) 

collaborates with government 

agencies and industry partners 

to identify the training needs and 

aspirations of the workforce in key 

priority areas, and offers industryrelevant 

courses. NYP offers a wide 

range of academic courses and 

customised programmes in niche 

areas such as business management, 

chemical & life sciences, design, 

engineering, health sciences, 

information technology and interactive 

& digital media. 

Its courses cater to different spectrums 

of the adult learning community – 

from fresh graduates to working 

professionals across various sectors 

seeking to upgrade themselves or 

switch careers. 

Visit their website www.nyp.edu.sg/ 

pdc to view the comprehensive list of 

courses. 

Start embarking on a learning and 

development strategy on a lifelong 

learning journey! E 

JAN FEB 2014 


45



 

 

Employers may need to 

provide itemised payslips to 

employees from 1 April 2014 

mployers need to brace themselves for 

E 

several amendments to the Employment 

Act (EA) with effect from 1 April 2014. While 

the amendments grant employers exibility 

in certain employment practices to cope with some of 

these changes, they also include stiffer penalties for 

non-compliance with the EA. 

Among the amendments is the requirement that all 

employers must provide employees with itemised 

payslips. This will help workers to check if incoming 

payments are correctly processed each month. And at 

the same time, it will prevent irresponsible employment 

practices. 

With the requirement for itemised payslips for all 

employees, many SME business owners are concerned 

with an increase of administrative and manpower cost. 

However, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stated that 

it will be legislated by phases in a sustainable way. 

It is widely agreed that manual calculations and bookkeeping 

is tedious, prone to error and time-consuming. 

The solution is to use a reliable system to calculate 

payroll and statutory contributions. Moreover, SMEs 

can save even more with the Productivity and Innovation 

Credit (PIC) Scheme. 

Case Study 

Ms Sophie is the principal of Discovery Garden 

Childcare Centre. She has an average of 41 employees 

and she prepared her payroll and payslips manually 

with simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheets almost two 

weeks in advance of payday. Although she followed the 

latest CPF, MOM and IRAS updates diligently, it was 

tedious, time-consuming, and difcult to comprehend 

and apply the changes appropriately. 

It was always a stressful and tiring period when the pay 

date is approaching each month, until she switched to 

using an online payroll system - PayDay! Software as 

a Service (SaaS). It is a hassle-free, secure, affordable 

payroll system that is online 24 hours a day, seven 

days a week. 

“Now, I use PayDay! to calculate my employees’ salary 

and CPF contributions automatically. I do not need to 

keep track of all the latest legislation, it’s all maintained 

by the system. Now I can even run my payroll just a 

few days before pay date.” said Ms Sophie. 

“After running payroll, it auto-generates the Bank 

upload le, CPF and IRAS e-submission le. My 

employees can also view their payslips immediately 

on their mobile app or any internet browser. I do not 

have to spend time on printing payslips and reminding 

myself to do so. I am well prepared for the EA legislative 

changes.” E 

PayDay! is an easy-to-use, 100% 

compliant web-based payroll solution, 

designed to meet the payroll needs of 

your small business. Visit www.payday. 

com.sg and all Entrepreneurs’ Digest 

readers enjoy 60 days free usage (Key 

in Free Pass Code: EDRPAYDAY). 

46 

JAN FEB 2014 



Nanyang Polytechnic’s Professional Development Centre (PDC) offers a wide range of continuing education and 

training programmes for adult learners across different levels. 

Online application is now open for the following courses. For more information, please refer to our website, 

www.nyp.edu.sg/pdc. 

Course Application 

Start Date Closing Date 

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 

Diploma in Business Practice (Customer Relationship & 3 rd Intake 21 Apr 2014 

Service Management) 

Certificate in Fund Administration 18 th Intake 21 Apr 2014 

WSQ Financial Mgmt Skills for Non-Accountant 3 rd Intake 26 May 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Ms Helen Tan 

Ms Corrie Chan 

Tel: 6550 1062 

Tel: 6550 1130 

10 Jan 2014 

Course Interest 

Registration 

Email: helen_tan@nyp.edu.sg 

Email: corrie_chan@nyp.edu.sg 

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 

PE WSQ Diploma in Precision Engineering (Master Craftsman Skills) 4 th Intake 6 Jan 2014 29 Dec 2013 

For further enquiries on course details: Mr Mike Kwek Tel: 6550 0677 Email: mike_kwek@nyp.edu.sg 

Specialist Diploma in Wireless Technology 2 nd Intake 21 Apr 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Ms Lim Kwai Yoke 

Diploma in Engineering (Aerospace Manufacturing) 4 th Intake 21 Apr 2014 24 Jan 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Mr Teo Beng Hock 

Specialist Diploma in Embedded Systems 13 th Intake 7 Apr 2014 25 Jan 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Mr Yeo Kim Heng 

Mr Peter Lim 

SCHOOL OF INTERACTIVE AND DIGITAL MEDIA 

Specialist Diploma in Visual Effects 3 rd Intake 20 May 2014 30 Mar 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Mr Leong Chee Loong Tel: 6550 1693 Email: leong_chee_loong@nyp.edu.sg 

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 

Specialist Diploma in Information Security 2 nd Intake 28 Apr 2014 28 Feb 2014 

For further enquiries on course details: Mr Tin Aung Win 

Relevant incentive schemes are available. 

Tel: 6550 0566 

Tel: 6550 0686 

Tel: 6550 0499 

Tel: 6550 0472 

Tel: 6550 1752 

Course Interest 

estron 

Email: lim_kwai_yoke@nyp.edu.sg 

Email: teo_beng_hock@nyp.edu.sg 

Email: yeo_kim_heng@nyp.edu.sg 

Email: peter_lim@nyp.edu.sg 

Email: tin_aung_win@nyp.edu.sg 

We also collaborate with organisations and industry partners to identify the training required for their workforce and 

design customised programmes and short courses that suit their specific needs in growth areas. Feel free to 

contact us for further discussion. 

For enquiries - 

Tel: (65) 6550 0555 Email: nyp_pdc@nyp.edu.sg 

Web: www.nyp.edu.sg/pdc 

Scan code to visit our website 

JAN FEB 2014 


47

an entire network of computers grinding to a halt when 

your online defence is down. MARKET INTELLIGENCE 

Most businesses are aware of these dangers. However, 

the challenge facing many of them is that they do not 

have the resources to prevent and counter these threats. 

They do not have the necessary expertise in-house to 

monitor Internet usage, no way to ensure that there is 

adequate protection, nor do they have the budget to 

hire dedicated IT security professionals to address these 

needs. 

Certain cloud security suites like SingTel’s Business 

Broadband Security Suite offers you better protection at 

the network level. It will free you from having to worry 

about network security issues, allowing you to focus 

instead on your business. 

Some of the benets include: 


Protecting your 

online assets 

The security of your business 

work is critical in the modern 

information age 

Businesses today have to manage both the opportunities 

and the perils of going online. The Internet provides a 

powerful channel for communications, and the growing 

use of web-based productivity tools and social media 

applications have helped boost efciency and improve 

business communications. However, it has also opened 

up new avenues for online threats to enter the business 

network and disrupt your operations. 

The security landscape is further complicated by the bringyour-own-device 

(BYOD) phenomenon, with a growing 

number of businesses allowing employees to use their 

personal devices for work. Left unmanaged, there can be 

no guarantee that the devices are secure and there is no 

way to restrict the types of websites that they are visiting. 

Without proper security measures in place, businesses are 

therefore vulnerable to threats ranging from viruses and 

spyware to malicious apps and spam. 

Malicious software entering your business network can 

corrupt data and disrupt your operations, leading to nancial 

loss in some cases. The last thing your company needs is 

 

You do not have to purchase hardware or software to 

protect your network, nor do you need to invest in IT 

manpower to carry out network monitoring and manage 

your in-house network security systems. 

 

Help avert business disruption due to security breaches 

by ltering out malicious content and identifying and 

removing malware from your systems. 

 

Employees would no longer waste time on web sites 

that are counter-productive, nor do they have to 

manually scan and delete unsolicited emails. 

 

 

Ensure malware such as spam and other forms of 

online attacks do not gobble up bandwidth and slow 

down the performance of your business network. 

 

No set up required. A user-friendly administration portal 

makes it easy non-IT person to pre-set or change the 

levels of security based on recommended security 

templates. 

 

Allow your business to scale without having to worry 

about escalating security costs. Do not need to 

purchase additional security licenses when you add new 

devices or desktops which share the same broadband 

connection as part of your business network. 

 

 


JAN FEB 2014 

49


Market-Driven Product Management 

How do we build 

products that people 

want to buy? 

Effective product management 

strategies can lead to innovation and 

prots. 

How do we build products that people 

want to buy? Should these be products 

that full a need or solve a pain point? 

For example, Dropbox, which helps 

the average user to overcome the 

technical challenge of synchronising 

les across devices, sharing them 

with friends, or backing them up to 

the cloud. Or should products be 

revolutionary (the next iPhone or 

iPad, or the upcoming iWallet which 

is Apple’s virtual equivalent of a credit 

card swipe on an iDevice GUI) with their 

needs not yet identied? What are the 

critical success factors in consistently 

building the right products? This is the 

key question that is often grappled by 

product managers. 

Changing face of product 

management 

Unlike other professions with 

established methodologies, the key 

challenge for product managers is 

the lack of formalised approaches 

or established work tools. This is 

exacerbated by a complex array of 

tasks and processes that the product 

manager has to handle, including 

managing cross-organisational 

relationships. There is also very 

little awareness about product 

management as a strategic role. 

Not surprisingly, the role is easily 

misunderstood, undervalued and 

incorrectly implemented at many 

companies. 

Product management entails 

two different and yet overlapping 

disciplines: Product Planning and 

Product Marketing. While product 

planning focuses on functionality 

and users’ needs, product marketing 

addresses the values that drive buying 

behaviours. Take the example of a 

simple product such as the beach pail 

bucket and shovel set. The child is the 

user and the child’s parent is the buyer. 

The child’s interest in this product is to 

move sand, dig a hole, carry water, 

build a sand castle, etc. The child is 

primarily interested in the product’s 

functionality, or what he/she can do 

or accomplish with the product. On 

the other hand, the parent who is the 

buyer is primarily concerned with the 

product’s value, such as safety, price, 

suitability, reliability, durability, etc. 

It is usually difcult to excel in both 

disciplines without losing professional 

focus. To attain occupational focus 

that helps build professional expertise, 

two key roles should be clearly 

dened and ideally assigned to 

separate individuals: Product Planner 

and Product Marketer. The Product 

Planner is deemed as the product and 

market expert, and hence expected to 

be good at identifying and articulating 

market requirements, a.k.a. business 

or user needs. The Product Marketer, 

on the other hand, is focused on 

becoming the marketing expert, 

building competency in using tools and 

techniques to generate awareness, 

differentiation and demand for the 

product in the target market. It is 

the collaborative nature of these two 

disciplines that leads companies to 

achieve marketplace success. 

With professional training and 

certication programmes, companies 

are starting to realise the true potential 

of product management and take 

advantage of market-driven product 

management for business success. E 

Lee Boon Kee 

Lecturer 

Institute of Systems Science, NUS 

ISS partners Blackblot to deliver 

technology product management training, 

 

in Singapore. Visit www.iss.nus.edu.sg for 

more information. 

50 

JAN FEB 2014 




Make smarter decisions with 

business intelligence 

One of the many challenges for small and 

O 

medium enterprises (SMEs) is to make good 

business decisions. How can a company do 

so? By analysing data about the business to 

gain insight of what is working and what is not working so 

they can capitalise on new opportunities. 

Traditionally, business intelligence (BI) tools require a 

heavy investment from the company as it is required 

to purchase and build a new system for BI. That was 

why BI tools were limited to large companies with big 

IT budgets and manpower. 

Large companies also have a lot of data about their 

business so much that they even have to have data 

warehouses. This trend is also the reason why big data 

has become such a hot topic for enterprise IT. 

But what about SMEs? 

Actually, today’s BI tools are much more accessible for 

SMEs as they will no longer need to invest hundreds of 

thousands of dollars to set up new systems. There are 

currently a few affordable platforms which companies 

can adopt to analyse both existing and real-time data. 

One such tool is Visual Data Discovery by Datawatch. 

Mr Karl Mouantri, managing director of Asia-Pacic 

Datawatch, said instead of “hundreds of thousands of 

dollars”, SMEs can purchase a the software for a single 

desktop for only US$2,000. The U.S-based company 

recently partnered with local company Abeo Electra to 

bring its software to SMEs in Singapore. 

54 

JAN FEB 2014 



Even if an SME does not have a data warehouse with 

terrabytes of data, the documents and les that already 

exist in the company can be used for BI analysis as 

well. The data comes from their mini enterprise 

resource planning (ERP), stock keeping units (SKUs), 

accounting systems and various reports in different le 

formats such as Microsoft Excel and PDF les, as well 

as real-time information collected from point-of-sale 

(POS) terminals. 

Mr Mouantri added that BI tools should be as userfriendly 

as consumer apps which is why Visual Data 

Discovery does not require much training for users to 

understand how to use the system. The information 

in Visual Data Discovery can be displayed in various 

graphs or tables and can be drilled down to unique 

stock keeping units (SKUs) so businesses can know 

what they should know but do not know. 

For SMEs’ fast-paced business environment, real-time 

and mobile BI is important. Mr Michael Lim, CEO of 

Abeo Electra, said SMEs are now “hooked on mobility” 

and the ability to have BI tools at their ngertips is crucial 

to make business decisions on the move. 

With BI tools now more accessible for SMEs, 

companies should investigate how the tools could help 

in their business. In fact, the growth of data, speed of 

transactions, and maturity of mobility tools are reasons 

why even SMEs should look into BI to make smarter 

decisions in their business. E 

JAN FEB 2014 


55

Advertorial 

Certis Group 

Readies For Growth 

OBJECTIVE 

Certis CISCO wanted to upgrade 

its network and communications 

infrastructure to support new 

business requirements and 

expansion 

SOLUTION 

• Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitches 

model 6450, & 6850E and OS10K 

BENEFITS 

• Reliable, high-availability and 

scalable infrastructure that 

provides ease-of-use, improved 

network security and business 

continuity 

• Network architecture that 

seamlessly connects all processes 

• Flexible expansion capabilities for 

future growth 

Certis CISCO is a member of the Certis Group and is the region’s 

largest and most comprehensive security solutions provider. 

Headquartered in Singapore, the Certis Group is a wholly 

owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, an investment arm of 

the Singapore government. The breadth of services include 

security manpower – both armed auxiliary police officers, as 

well as unarmed protection officers, enforcement services, 

security consulting and training, security technology, defence 

services, outsourced manpower and IT security & information 

management. The Certis Group has also established footprints 

in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka , 

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. 

In the last two years, the Certis Group has continued to expand 

its operations with the introduction of People Advantage, 

a Business Process Outsourcing Solution provider. The new 

business unit provides non-security services such as business 

processes and manpower outsourcing solutions to clients 

in various industries, including the healthcare and tertiary 

education sectors.

FLEXBILE AND SCALABLE 

With the business expansion, came a number 

of challenges for Certis CISCO’s I.S. network 

team. “We wanted our network to be flexible, 

scalable and expandable, but also secure 

when our business grows,” said Tomas 

Triyoso, Senior Network Manager, Corporate 

Information System, Certis CISCO. 

Certis CISCO turned to Alcatel-Lucent, its 

existing network provider, to upgrade and 

supply an advanced infrastructure that will 

support the organization’s goals. Before 

the new network was deployed, Certis 

CISCO’s information systems team was able 

to visit Alcatel-Lucent where engineers 

demonstrated the functionality of specific 

products, conducted pre-deployment trials 

and showcased the benefits of an upgraded 

network. Monthly sessions were also carried 

out between Certis CISCO and Alcatel-Lucent 

to discuss, review and test the network. 

By working closely with the customer, the 

Alcatel-Lucent team was able to develop a 

strong understanding of the challenges and 

requirements faced by Certis CISCO network 

before recommending a blueprint and vision 

for the upgrade. 

In the network deployment, Alcatel- 

Lucent OmniSwitches — critical pieces of 

infrastructure that links applications and 

services from one network or computing 

device to another — replaced previous 

enterprise switches and were used at both 

the core and access switch in Certis CISCO’s 

network. 

ENHANCED CAPABILITIES 

Currently in the first phase of implementation 

in a deployment that is expected to take 3 

to 5 years, the upgrade will provide Certis 

CISCO with new and improved capabilities 

such as higher performance and availability, 

better resilience and redundancy, increased 

scalability and ease of management. A 

more robust network will also ensure lesser 

network downtime and improve business 

continuity. 

“We engaged Alcatel-Lucent to help us to 

improve our network infrastructure and 

to advice how we can benefit by making it 

more scalable. Previously it was limited to 

growing the infrastructure whenever a new 

business unit was added. The upgrade allows 

us to support our expansion and offers more 

modularity as we can add network capacity 

whenever required without compromising on 

data security,” said Triyoso. 

“In the future, we can look at virtualizing our 

network with Multi Chassis Link Aggregation 

technology and increase the capacity so that 

the flow of traffic will not become congested.” 

The power, flexibility and modularity of the 

new Alcatel-Lucent solutions offers Certis 

CISCO advanced networking capabilities 

and peace-of-mind when considering future 

upgrades. “We needed a platform that would 

allow us to take advantage of new innovation 

without restrictions to what we are currently 

using. With Alcatel-Lucent, we have found 

a broad and flexible solution that fits all our 

requirements,” added Triyoso. 

“We needed a platform 

that would allow us to 

take advantage of new 

innovation without 

any restrictions to 

what we are currently 

using. With Alcatel- 

Lucent, we have found 

a broad and flexible 

solution that fits all 

our requirements” 

Tomas Triyoso 

Senior Network Manager 

Corporate Information 

System, Certis CISCO 

ABOUT ALCATEL-LUCENT 

Alcatel-Lucent provides solutions that 

enable service providers, enterprises and 

governments worldwide, to deliver voice, 

data and video communication services to 

end-users. As a global leader in fixed, mobile 

and converged broadband access, carrier 

and enterprise IP technologies, applications, 

and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the endto-end 

solutions that enable compelling 

communications services for people at home, 

at work and on the move.



THE POWER OF SPORTS 

Photo credit: Singapore Sport Council 

Sport marketing 

is a USD$100 

million industry in 

Singapore slated 

to grow by 17.6 per 

cent in 2014 (as 

reported by Asia 

Sponsorship News) 

Sports have the unique ability to 

create awe-inspiring and memorable 

moments in people’s lives. By investing 

in sports marketing, brands are able 

to develop positive connections and 

foster strong loyalty with their target 

audience. An added benet of sports 

marketing is the opportunity for team 

development, leadership programmes 

and doing social good. Versatile and 

targeted, sports marketing speaks 

to different levels of consumers even 

within the realm of one sport. Sports 

help people to live better – physically, 

emotionally and socially. 

Sports Marketing in APAC is 

booming 

Globally sponsorship spending 

outlook has a projected value of 

USD$53.3 billion (SGD$67.35 billion) 

in 2013 (IEG 2013 SPONSORSHIP 

SPENDING OUTLOOK). The APAC 

region accounts for USD$12.6 billion 

(SGD$15.92 billion) and has the 2nd 

highest organic year-on-year growth at 

5 per cent (IEG 2013 SPONSORSHIP 

SPENDING OUTLOOK). Sport 

dominates sponsorship spending, 

taking 69 per cent leaving 

entertainment, arts, festivals, and 

other causes lagging behind. Locally, 

the projected Singapore sponsorship 

total for 2013 is over USD$100 

million and is slated to grow by 17.6 

per cent, more than three times 

above global gures. The big jump is 

attributed by the likes of Singapore 

Sports Hub (ready 2014 onwards), 

the 28th SEA Games (2015), and the 

Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 

Championship (2014 – 2018). 

Brands want in 

A recent sports study conducted 

by GFK showed that 71 per cent of 

organisations have been involved 

in sponsoring an event and 62 per 

cent will renew sponsorships for the 

following year. Of all the respondents 

polled, 72 per cent chose to sponsor 

sports. More and more brands are 

choosing to associate with sports 

because of its positive impacts. 

Opportunities on the horizon 

After a 21-year hiatus, the 28th SEA 

Games will take place in Singapore 

on the 5th to 16th June 2015 and will 

be broadcasted to 11 countries, with 

over 600 million in population. The 

latest edition is part of Singapore’s 

50th jubilee celebration, serving as 

one of the biggest opportunities on the 

sports marketing horizon. Activation 

opportunities for brands will start in 

January 2014 and the last 18 months 

leading up to the Games. Coupled 

with the launch of the Singapore 

Sports Hub, the 28th SEA Games 

has the potential to cross borders 

and even continents with the spotlight 

shining on the world’s latest sporting 

eco-sphere. 

Talk to the right guys 

The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) 

drives the vibrant sports scene 

locally. Under their support are 

international marquee events like 

WTA Championship, FINA / ARENA 

Swimming World Cup, and Standard 

Chartered Marathon Singapore, just 

to name a few. They play an integral 

sports marketing role in the region with 

the Singapore Sports Hub opening in 

2014. Start your conversation right 

with Singapore Sports Council. E 

Contact: 

Kartik Agrawal 

Email : kartik_agrawal@ssc.gov.sg 

58 

JAN FEB 2014 


COME 2015, CATCH THE 28TH SEA GAMES ACTION 

AT THE ICONIC SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB.

LIFESTYLE 

Savour 

gourmet 

coffee 

comfortably 

in offices 

offee is one of the most widely consumed 

C 

beverages in the world 1 . According to the 

International Coffee Organisation 2 , it is 

estimated that 1.6 billion cups of coffee are 

consumed daily worldwide. As one of the most popular 

beverages in the world, coffee has become a necessity 

in our daily lives. 

Coffee, when consumed in appropriate amounts, has 

many benets. A good cuppa can rejuvenate many 

working professionals and prepare them for the tasks 

ahead. It is thus important for good coffee to be easily 

accessible to working professionals in their ofces. The 

question is: how to get a good cup of coffee in the ofce? 

The formula to a good cup of coffee is simple: beans, 

water, temperature and equipment. 

Beans 

To brew a good cup of coffee, the freshness and 

type of beans matter. Whole beans are preferred over 

ground beans as they produce fresher and richer coffee. 

Alternatively, use freshly ground coffee instead of overthe-counter 

ground beans as the latter tend to lose their 

fragrance once the bag is opened. 

To maintain the freshness of the beans, storage choices 

should not be overlooked. It is advisable to store coffee 

beans in airtight containers. As oxygen, moisture and 

light diminish the freshness of coffee beans, look out for 

packaging that can protect the coffee beans from these 

elements. Tri-foil packaging, a triple layer foil that blocks 

out heat and light, helps to minimise sweating and 

oxidation of the beans. 

As for the type of beans to use, Arabica beans are 

regarded to be of higher quality. They have sweeter and 

softer tastes with hints of fruity avours while Robusta 

beans have harsher and grain-like overtones. The 

caffeine content for Arabica beans is also lower than 

Robusta beans. For those who prefer coffee with low 

caffeine content and fruity aroma may wish to tryCaffe 

Agust’s Natura Equa consists of 100 per cent Arabica 

beans. 

Water 

If possible, brew your coffee with bottled or ltered water. 

Avoid using distilled or tap water with chlorine as they 

can alter the full avours of your coffee. 

60 

JAN FEB 2014 


LIFESTYLE 

Temperature 

According to the National Coffee Association USA 3 , the 

optimum temperature of water to brew coffee should be 

between 90 and 96 degree Celsius. Cold water will be 

unable to bring out the full avours of coffee while overly 

hot water will scald the coffee beans and leave a bitter 

taste in the coffee. If you are using a coffee machine in 

your ofce, make sure the machine can adjust to the 

optimum temperature for brewing. 

Equipment 

Since not everybody is a barista who can whip up 

gourmet coffee, we rely on coffee machines for our 

coffee. When purchasing a coffee machine, choose 

one that can calibrate the settings of temperature and 

water ratio to the optimum condition for brewing coffee. 

For example, Italian brand HLF 3600 coffee machine is 

fully automatic and highly programmable, to the extent 

that consumers can customise their beverages by presetting 

the amount of coffee beans, milk and water. While 

the functions of the machines are important, it is equally 

vital to keep your machines clean by removing any oily 

build-up as they can affect the taste of subsequent 

cups of coffee. Advanced coffee machines tend to 

have automatic cleaning function, making maintenance 

convenient. 

With these four criteria in place, getting your quality 

caffeine x in the ofce should be easy! E 

Anthony Ku 

Director 

Eco ConneX 

References 

1 Harvard School of Public Health (2013). Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthydrinks-full-story/ 

2 International Coffee Organisation (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ico.org/show_faq.asp?show=35 

3 National Coffee Association USA (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ncausa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=71 

JAN FEB 2014 


61

LIFESTYLE 

GASTRONOMIA 

PIDGIN KITCHEN & BAR 

OFFERS A WHIMSICAL 

TAKE ON FAMILIAR 

CUISINE 

idgin (pronounced Pidg-in): a 

P 

noun, not to be confused with 

pigeon, the avian creature. It is 

 

is usually a mixture of two or more languages, 

has rudimentary grammar and vocabulary and 

is used for communication between groups 

speaking different languages. 

Tucked away along one of the winding 

thoroughfares of Dempsey Road, Pidgin 

Kitchen & Bar sits almost unassumingly amidst 

other eateries. If you dared to venture into the 

cosy 1500 square feet establishment however, 

you would be greeted with the store’s own 

brand of playfulness and humour right from 

the onset. 

Designed for conviviality, the interior of Pidgin 

sports an “industrial chic” theme, combining 

raw nishes with plenty of natural tones. The 

main wall of the restaurant sports an array of 

shop names that did not make the cut, and 

a 14.5 feet bar invokes a slight feeling of 

relaxation, as if preparing you for an evening of 

bubbly. The 56-seater restaurant is also quiet 

and private enough for that high-powered 

business luncheon or afternoon business 

meeting. 

From the placemats to the wall furnishings, 

Pidgin’s tongue-in-cheek approach extends 

to the menu and the delightfully playful 

culinary creations. The food is really what sets 

Pidgin apart. Combining popular South East 

Asian dishes with Western cooking styles 

and the chefs’ imagination, familiar dishes 

are presented in entirely new packages and 

renditions. Far from being novelty items, each 

dish is painstakingly researched, ne-tuned 

and perfected before launch on the menu. 

For example, the Chicken Rice Arancini is 

really a Westernised version of the traditional 

chicken rice ball, with the orb of carnaroli 

rice cooked in chicken fat and lled with a 

scarmoza cheese centre. Chicken rice is never 

complete without the accompanying chilli, and 

Pidgin fullls this unsung requirement with a 

tangy sweet garlic chilli jam dip. 

For diners looking for something more 

substantial, the Lobster Wonton Capellini is 

pretty self-explanatory: capellini pasta tossed in 

lobster oil aglio-olio style and served alongside 

plump fried wontons stuffed with Canadian 

live lobsters and topped with Chirozo slices in 

place of the traditional char siew (roasted pork). 

The dish is even served in the familiar “chicken 

bowl”, giving a sense of nostalgia and familiarity 

as the diner tucks into a dish that is at its crux 

exceedingly Western. 

Another pasta dish on the menu is the 

avourful Bak Kwa Mac & Cheese. Again, 

Oriental and Western avours are combined to 

create this truly tasty concoction. The savourysweet 

penne pasta merges charmingly with the 

fragrant pork belly bak kwa (barbequed pork), 

drenched in a generous serving of oozing 

melted cheese. 

One of the more interesting and somewhat 

peculiar dishes on the menu is the Razor 

Clams Tau Suan. A traditional local dessert, 

the tau suan here is savoury instead of sweet, 

served with clam dashi and topped with dough 

fritters. It has an intriguing taste, adventurous 

but strangely pleasant. 

Rounding up the menu of Pidgin is its 

assortment of desserts and cocktails. The 

Kaya Bread & Butter Pudding takes a creative 

spin on the Western dessert, infusing buttery 

French brioche with plump raisins, and 

homemade kaya (coconut-and-egg jam), giving 

the dish a lovely green hue. To complement the 

“kaya bread”, a scoop of Hojicha Milk Tea Ice 

cream is served alongside, raising images of 

the traditional “teh peng” (iced tea). 

If you like to play with your food, why not pop 

by Pidgin? E 

Pidgin Kitchen & Bar 

7 Dempsey Road 

#01-04, Singapore 249671 

Tel: 6475 0080 

Operating Hours: 

Mondays to Saturdays 

Lunch: 12.00PM to 2.30PM 

Dinner: 6.30PM to 10.30PM 

62 

JAN FEB 2014 


GASTRONOMIA LIFESTYLE 

A TIMELESS CLASSIC 

Xi De Li’s assortment of 

traditional local snacks 

continues to tantalise 

tastebuds 

Dough fritters can be considered a 

traditional breakfast staple for local families; 

the long deep-fried dough sticks a familiar 

sight at the coffee shops and certain 

Chinese restaurants. In recent times, the 

modern food courts also introduced stalls 

selling these timeless snacks, and some 

of these stalls are managed by Xi De Li, a 

time-honoured provider of these foodstuffs 

dating back to the 1920s. 

From a humble pushcart in Chin Swee 

Road all the way to today’s air-conditioned 

foodcourt, Xi De Li’s lineage traces back four 

generations. Now managed by the great 

grandchildren of the original founder, Xi De 

Li’s emphasis on hand-making all of their 

products using only the nest ingredients 

still persists. 

The dough fritters and assorted fried items 

are all kneaded by hand and fried using 

vegetable oil, keeping the snacks as healthy 

as possible. Due to their handmade nature, 

the snacks vary slightly in size and shape, 

but this is proof of the quality and freshness 

of the item. Xi De Li branches offer the usual 

fare: dough fritters, buttery buns, sesame 

balls, fried bananas (goreng pisang), soya 

bean curd, soya milk and tau suan. However, 

in line with changing consumer tastes and 

to maintain a competitive edge, the chain 

will be launching two new products to its 

already-robust assortment of snacks. 

A rare nd in Singapore, the new Glutinous 

Rice Buns are essentially “hum jin peng” 

crispy buns lled with glutinous rice 

instead of the usual red bean paste, and is 

perfect for those who like both sweet and 

salty avours. Meticulously kneading the 

specially-imported Thailand glutinous rice 

before steaming it to produce a chewy and 

soft texture, the resulting product is mouthwatering 

and fascinating, the combination 

of avours a pure delight. These new buns 

will initially be available at selected Xi De Li 

outlets including Clementi, Parkway Parade, 

VivoCity and Jurong Westgate. 

The second item launched is the Banana 

Premix, a product for consumers to create 

their own fried banana fritters at home. Easy 

to use with little fuss, the Premix is versatile 

enough to be used with food such as 

bananas, yam, sweet potatoes and tapioca. 

With all its new products, Xi De Li still remains 

true to its roots, using the nest ingredients 

to create authentic local snacks for close to 

a hundred years and counting. E 

JAN FEB 2014 


63

CLASSIFIEDS 

Expand Construction Pte Ltd 

CONSTRUCTION 

T: +65 6298 8066 

expand@singnet.com.sg 

Expand, an A1 BCA registered company, 

was established in 2000, with a paid-up 

capital of $15m. Its principal activities are 

General Construction and Building Services. 

Expand is accredited with the ISO Integrated 

Management System and achieved the 

Green & Gracious Builder (Star) Award in 

2013. Two of our recent projects – the Lion 

Grove Supertrees and the Energy Centre 

at the Gardens by the Bay – have achieved 

the prestigious Green Mark Platinum Award 

together with our client, National Park Board. 

Expand’s strong emphasis on training and 

development of personnel has enable the 

company to develop and retain a pool of 

dedicated, competent and professional 

staff to meet the industry challenges and 

to cherish long term relationship with our 

business partners. 

Flame Communications Pte Ltd 

PUBLIC RELATIONS 

T: +65 6259 3193 

 

Established in 2005, Flame Communications is 

a regional PR consultancy based in Singapore 

that has built up considerable expertise in 

communications work that ultimately enhances 

and enriches lives. Working with a global 

network of afliates, the rm has developed 

and rolled out campaigns as far aeld as 

Bangkok, Seoul and Sydney. Their local and 

regional successes span internal and external 

communications, business-to-business and 

business-to-consumer outreaches, and the 

gamut of international brands, mid-range SMEs, 

all the way to simple startups. 

Nanyang Technopreneurship 

Center (NTC), Nanyang 

Technological University 

EDUCATION 

T: +65 6316 6778 

www.ntu.edu.sg/ntc 

The NTC’s Master of Science in 

Technopreneurship and Innovation (MSc TIP) 

program enables candidates to develop an 

entrepreneurial mindset, practical business 

knowledge and hands-on entrepreneurship 

skills, through its unique teaching pedagogy, 

experiential learning, and transformational 

global immersion experience. 

Super Bean International Pte Ltd 

FOOD & BEVERAGE 

T: +65 6844 2298 

F: +65 6513 2843 

http://www.mrbean.com.sg 

Founded in 1995, Mr Bean is the leading chain 

soya bean food & beverage retailer in Singapore 

today. With more than 60 local and 12 overseas 

stores, Mr Bean offers a variety of soya bean 

drinks, snacks, ice cream and more. 

64 

JAN FEB 2014 


TOP 5 

TOP 5 

Building Relations 

Top 5 Tips on 

Public Relations 

to Advance your 

Start-Up Firm 

You have nally got your business up 

and running, but have to work on a 

tight budget before revenue comes 

in. Marketing and communications 

are barely on your priority list, with 

whatever limited resources you 

have invested into product research 

and development. While that may 

seem like the most reasonable 

course of action, putting off public 

relations practice may actually 

hinder your company in reaching 

its full potential, thereby limiting its 

success. Hiring a PR rm that can 

build credible brand awareness and 

getting your company’s message 

out to the target audience will be 

the best solution. But with a low 

budget, especially for a start-up 

company, this might be challenging. 

Communicating to the public and 

the press takes some time and 

effort, but when done right, can 

push your company out there to the 

right consumer market and thus 

grow your clientele base. Here are 

some basic tips to help you start 

building the PR foundations to help 

advance your rm. 

1 

Know what is 

newsworthy. 

It may seem easy enough, 

but there are still many 

who are unable to successfully 

differentiate their product or service 

from competitors. So your product 

uses energy-saving technology that 

is environmentally-friendly, but hey – 

so do ve other competing brands 

in the same market. One valuable 

piece of advice to heed is to have a 

good understanding of the industry 

you are in while keeping abreast of 

upcoming trends, and build your 

unique selling point from there. 

Determine what is so compelling 

about your product or the value-add 

consumers get, and then convey 

that to the media. 

Could it be that the product was 

conceptualised in response to a 

recent catastrophic attack, or that it 

would have the potential to benet a 

signicant amount of people? Could 

it be that the person behind the 

product is someone of stature and 

fame? Because well, famous people 

generally garner more interest and 

coverage than an average person. 

Pick up on these little selling points, 

and you will increase your chance of 

getting the media’s attention. 

Another method of generating 

news is through the use of data. 

Have your product research mined 

up interesting or compelling facts 

and gures that supports your 

ideas? Include them when pitching 

to the media, because oftentimes, 

this information makes the news 

itself. 

2 

Cut off all jargon. 

Not many people like to 

read things they do not 

understand, especially 

if it causes the mind to spin 

or trigger drowsiness. It is 

always advised to write in a 

manner such that even an 

average Joe would have 

a good understanding of 

what your product is, and 

your company’s reason 

of being. 

Another reason to cut off 

industry speak is that it 

probably disguises the fact 

that you may not know your 

product well. After all, if you truly 

know your work, you should be 

able to explain it in one or two 

succinct sentences. 

66 

JAN FEB 2014 


3 

Have a selected 

pool of journalists to 

build relations with. 

Determine who your target 

audience is, and then nd out what 

kinds of media they engage in. From 

there, target the relevant journalists 

that would cover the scope of what 

your work or company falls in, and 

connect with them. Such a targeted 

effort not only cuts down on time 

and effort spent pitching to media, 

but also increases the chance of 

meaningful pick-ups, as opposed 

to insignicant pursuits after other 

publications that would not give you 

the right exposure to your target 

market. 

Start by making a list of relevant 

journalists writing for your target 

audience and for your industry, and 

read up on those publications and 

the articles they write. By having a 

clear understanding of what they 

cover, you would be better equipped 

when pitching news to them, 

customising your mails to justify 

why your work or company ts their 

scope of coverage and interests. 

You may also take it one step further 

and follow them on social media 

sites like LinkedIn and Twitter, as 

these are the best platforms to 

stay connected (of course, face to 

face is arguably the best form of 

communication, but journalists are 

one of the busiest people in the 

world, thus meeting up is not always 

the most convenient) and learn more 

about them through the articles they 

share or news they show interest 

in. Knowing your journalists can 

help you tailor your pitch better, and 

pique their interest in the news you 

have to share. 

4Timing is everything. 

This cannot be stressed 

enough, but many a time, 

potential coverage is lost 

because the news was pitched 

too early so that when it actually 

happens, the journalist has long 

forgotten about it; or it was 

pitched too late and there is not 

enough time for the journalist to 

report on it. 

Be mindful that journalists run 

on a tight schedule, sometimes 

covering more than ve events 

a day. Granted, your news may 

be important, but so are many of 

others on their plate. It is not easy 

for them to re-schedule, and most 

publications are short of manpower 

to boot. 

The tried-and-tested time period to 

pitch a piece of news is one week 

TOP 5 

before ofcial announcement. This 

gives editors time to indicate interest 

and assign a reporter down to cover 

the news. Once they have given 

attendance, it does not hurt to give a 

friendly reminder notice a day before 

the event as well. 

5Share your 

knowledge with the 

community. 

Sharing your expertise on 

the eld you are working in is one of 

the best ways to mark your identity 

in the industry. Not only does it help 

enhance the overall credibility to you 

and your company, it will also build 

awareness to your brand. 

Look out for those regular feature 

columns on relevant magazines 

and offer to write a piece for your 

company. Sharing of knowledge 

through informative and engaging 

content will get readers interested in 

what you say and the work you do, 

thereby building up a much wider 

target audience. The best part? It 

comes at little to no cost at all. 

These ve tips presented are good 

public relations practice to stick to, 

and once committed to memory, will 

serve you well in working with the 

press. You would also stand a higher 

chance of seeing positive results 

from your effort, and will thus see that 

public communication is a necessary 

element for even a start-up company, 

and should not be neglected. Start 

practising your public relations skills 

today! E 

Jamie Yeo 

Communications Executive 

Flame Communications Pte Ltd 

JAN FEB 2014 


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