Word of mouse: Tips to market your firm online

TO SAVVY marketers, the Internet is an open frontier, a notice board with potentially unlimited branding opportunities to promote their wares.

But many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) here have yet to fully utilise these Web tools to differentiate themselves, said Mr Philip Lee (picture), small and medium business solutions manager at HP AsiaPacific & Japan’s personal systems group.

Simply having a website is not enough. Given the sheer volume on the Internet, a business needs to cut through “noise”. That means forgetting anything your target customers don’t want to hear.

“The trouble with all this advertising and marketing is that people blank out,” said Mr Lee. “It’s like the first few days of Olympics, and then after a while, I almost felt it wasn’t there until we had some really exciting bits. People start to make things invisible on a rapid and regular basis.”
One suggestion Mr Lee has is for SMEs to engage their customers.

Get happy ones to record amateur videos and spread their messages online. There is no need for big budgets. “Even if it is not professionally done, people may relate better to such imperfection,” said Mr Lee.


BLESSED ARE THE CORRUPT?

In October 2006, the former head of the National Bureau of Statistic was sacked amid speculation that he was linked to the massive pension fund scandal that toppled Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu.

Many ordinary Chinese ridiculed Mr Qiu’s comeback, arguing that it had cast serious doubts on their government’s determination in tackling corruption.

As an editorial writer said: “The purpose of China’s anti-corruption efforts is not to drive former convicted officials into direct confrontation with the Party, government and society. Moreover, we will never abandon or bury the talents of an outstanding individual.”

Another added that fallen officials, like everyone else, need a means of livelihood.Others pointed out that given the government’s policy of giving criminals a second chance, Mr Qiu should not be discriminated against simply because he was once a top official.

The Economic Observer, too, threw its weight behind Mr Qiu. It noted that his ability in picking himself up in a short time, and CNOOC’s “anti-traditionalist approach in hiring talent”, all point to “the progress of Chinese society and fully exemplified a China that is getting increasingly more humane”.

While it is true that convicted officials should be encouraged to turn over a new leaf,Mr Qiu’s case is unusual, given his seniority in government. As Mr Zhang Guorong, disciplinary and inspection committee leader at the National Bureau of Statistics, revealed: Mr Qiu’s “problems” began as early as 1993.

But more importantly, allowing Mr Qiu to return to a state company has sent the wrong signal to Chinese citizens anxious to see their government clamp down more effectively on corruption.

Bigger umbrella for more

CHANGES are being proposed to the Employment Act that will, among other things, bring more Singaporeans under its protective umbrella.

The Act now covers about 1.4 million workers and was last reviewed in 1995. But since then, the proportion of those in the ranks of professionals, managers, executives and technicians, as well as the number of contract and services industry workers have grown.
.The National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation have been consulted; from now until Sept 22, the public can give its feedback.

Economy slows, exports to drop

Singapore’s economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years and exports will decline for the first time since 2001.

Last week, the ministry cut its 2008 growth forecast for a second time this year as exports fell and tourist arrivals eased. Singapore’s currency, which climbed to its strongest in more than a decade earlier this year, has since slid and is Asia’s worst performer this quarter amid concern growth will slow further.

Singapore’s economy has so far been partly buffered, because we have been carried along by the vibrancy of the Asian region,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last Friday. “But Asian economies are starting to feel the impact of America’s problems, and so are we. We must therefore prepare ourselves for a bumpy year ahead.”

Singapore’s economy contracted for the second time in three quarters, slipping an annualised 6 per cent in the three months to June, compared with a July 10 estimate of a 6.6 per cent drop. It grew a revised 15.7 per cent in the first quarter.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has maintained an appreciation policy on its exchange rate since April 2004, and this year allowed the currency to rise at a faster pace against the US dollar to combat the highest inflation rate since 1982.

Trick of a treat – those fireworks

BEIJING — As the Olympics opening ceremony last Friday got underway with a dramatic, drummed countdown, viewers watching at home and on giant screens inside the Bird’s Nest National Stadium watched as a series of giant footprints, outlined in fireworks, processed gloriously above Beijing from Tiananmen Square.

What they did not realise was that what they were watching was in fact computer graphics, meticulously created over a period of months and inserted into the coverage electronically at exactly the right moment.

The fireworks were there for real, outside the stadium. But those responsible for filming the extravaganza decided in advance it would be impossible to capture all 29 footprints from the air.

As a result, only the last, visible from the camera stands inside the Bird’s Nest was captured on film.

The trick was revealed in a local Chinese newspaper, the Beijing Times, at the weekend.

Mr Gao Xiaolong, head of the visual effects team for the ceremony, said it had taken almost a year to create the 55-second sequence. Meticulous efforts were made to ensure the sequence was as unnoticeable as possible — they sought advice from the Beijing meteorological office as to how to recreate the hazy effects of Beijing’s smog at night, and inserted a slight camera shake effect to simulate the idea that it was filmed from a helicopter.

“Seeing how it worked out, it was still a bit too bright compared to the actual fireworks,” he said. “But most of the audience thought it was filmed live — so that was mission accomplished.”

One adviser to the Beijing Olympic Committee defended the decision to use make-believe to impress the viewer. “It would have been prohibitive to have tried to film it live,” he said. “We could not put the helicopter pilot at risk by making him try to follow the firework route.”
the right moment.

M’sia warns Christian newspaper of stern action

KUALA LUMPUR — Muslim-majority Malaysia’s government has accused a Christian newspaper of breaking publication rules by running articles deemed political and insulting to Islam, and warned it of stern action, officials said yesterday.

The reprimand underscores the tenuous position of minorityreligions in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Christians, Buddhists and Hindus complain that their rights are being undermined by government efforts to bolster the status of Islam, the country’sofficial religion.

The Home Ministry sent a letter to the Herald’s publishers warning that its editions in June “committed offences” by highlighting Malaysian politics and currentaffairs.

The letter accused the Herald of carrying an article that “could threaten public peace and national security” because it allegedly “denigrated Islamic teachings”.

The publication is also currently embroiled in a court dispute with the government over a ban on the use of the word “Allah” as a Malay-language translation for “God”.

A ‘Silicon Valley’ buzz in Changi

WHEN Singapore’s fourth publicly-funded university goes fully operational in Changi in five years’ time, it should feature a Silicon Valley-type buzz.
.Plans are underway to use its permanent location next to Changi Business Park — home to high-tech enterprises and knowledge intensive facilities, as well as industry giants such as IBM and Honeywell — to its advantage.

“In the United States, for example, the industries work very well with universities and they sometimes even share facilities. We think this is one area that we can develop because Changi Business Park is a growing area, and if we build a university there, there are opportunities for industry to have linkages,” said Dr Ng.

Stanford University is one that has benefited from collaborations with nearby techno hub Silicon Valley.

Meanwhile, the new university is set to open its doors to an initial intake of500 students in 2011, at an interim campus yet to be confirmed. This will grow to an annual intake of 2,500.

Its permanent site at Changi — which incorporates the land once earmarked for the University of New South Wales’ Asian campus — is about 22.6 hectares, big enough for hostels and 600 metres from the Expo MRT station.

Drawing up the masterplan for this campus will be a steering committee chaired by Mr Philip Ng Chee Tat, chief executive officer of Far East Organisation. Mr Ng has been involved in the Board of Trustees of the National University of Singapore and the Board of Governors of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Republic Polytechnic.

A key task of the committee — which will comprise leaders from academia, industry and the public sector — will be finding the right people to make up the management and Board of Trustees, said Mr Ng.

The committee will also mount a hunt for an interim campus and, importantly, an international search for a university president. “We hope we have somebody named maybe by early next year, certainly by the end of the first half,” said Mr Ng.

Come 2011, the school will focus first on a selection of courses, with more to come later — similiar to how the Singapore Management University started out in 2000. It will offer programmes in Engineering and Applied Science, Business and Information Technology, and Architecture and Design.

Robbery at Trans-Cab headquarters

AT ABOUT 4.20pm yesterday, a man walked into Trans-Cab’s headquarters with nothing in his hands, but left less than two minutes later with almost $4,500 in cash.

He was last seen driving away in a silver-coloured Toyota taxi, parked outside the Defu Lane compound.

The robbery took place at Trans-Cab’s petrol kiosk, which is situated in front of the company’s premises. The sole pump attendant on duty then, who only wanted to be known asMr Karthik, said a man walked up to him and whipped out a 30-cm-long knife from underneath his shirt.

The man held the knife to Mr Karthik’s neck, before taking the cash in his waist pouch and walking out.

The licence plate of the taxi was reportedly concealed with black tape. Police described the suspect as slim built, fair complexioned, 1.7m tall and in his 30s. He was last seen wearing a grey polo T-shirt and blue jeans.

The compound had no security guards and was tucked away in a corner of Defu industrial estate. Ms Tan said the company would review security measures after yesterday’s incident.

A closed circuit television at the kiosk had apparently captured the suspect during the robbery. Mr Karthik, an Indian national who suffered cuts to his hand, accompanied the police to assist in their investigations.

Police investigations are in progress.

Home-buyers today cautious, but genuine

SINCE its launch last week, :more than1,000 applications have been received for 578 units at Park Central@AMK, Singapore’s third condominium-style public housing development.

Earlier this year, the pricing of such projects built by private developers had caused a stir.
City View@Boon Keng’s price tag of $520 psf was a record for new public housing flats. More than 3,500 people applied for the 714 units :—: but only 66 per cent actually bought them.

Six months after its launch, 20 per cent of the units remain unsold, said the project’s marketing agent.

But this slower pace of sales “does not mean the market cannot sustain the price”, said Mr :Donald Yeo, executive director of HSR International Realtors. “It’s still very competitive and I believe the prices are still realistic.”

Buyer response had hit fever pitch for the first DBSS development in 2006, when nearly 6,000 people applied for 616 units, :going for around $300 psf, at Premiere@Tampines.

At Park Central, all units come with the look and feel of a private residential home but they cost about 40 per cent less, at$500 per square foot.

The developer did not think the resale flats in the area would pose a threat to sales of Park Central, as many of the resale units are about 10 to 20 years old :— and most home hunters prefer to buy new flats, even at a 10 per cent premium.

Industry players expect prices at the next condo-style public housing project in Bishan to be even higher, partly due to the spike in construction cost.

' SNAP'- SINGAPORE FLYER -'SNAP'

For those who haven't been to the Singapore Flyer, or

have never heard about it....

here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

VERY UN-APPETIZING PEPPER CRAB

(photoshot from a banner display sighted at a so-called POSH chinese restaurant)

Is that MUD on the CRAB? No..think it's TAR! EEEKs...

CREAMY (too much butter) BUTTER FLAVOURED CRAB?

WAY TOOOO CREAMY.

TAKE NOTE: NOT SUITED FOR DIABETICS OR THE OVERWEIGHT

SHE PAYS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FAKE LANDLORD

The tenant, who wanted to be known only as Miss Cui, is a 25-year-old Chinese national who is working here as a sales executive. She signed a one-year lease for the master bedroom of a flat in Clementi for a monthly rent of $600. When she complained to the 'landlord', she was shocked to discover the woman was not only a bankrupt, she did not even own the flat.
To top it off, she had to leave when the actual owner evicted her 'landlord' for failing to pay rent and subletting the room.

Now she says she is losing more than $1,500 which she had paid to the 'landlord'.

DIRTY
Miss Cui was soon bothered by the bed bugs.
And there were cockroaches in the kitchen.
The power supply was cut off.
Miss Cui finally learnt the truth when on 13 Apr, the real owner of the flat came with policemen to evict her 'landlord'. She said she left the flat to avoid trouble.

AVOIDED CALLS
A check with the Insolvency & Public Trustee's Office revealed that the 'landlord' is an undischarged bankrupt. 'She has avoided my calls, and I doubt I will get my money back,' she said.

In the event of a dispute between the tenant and landlord, a claim may be lodged at the Small Claims Tribunal.

What's next for property?

ARE property prices still on the way up, or are they heading to a slippery slope already?

One property consultant in a news report may say property prices will go up, but another consultant in the same report will probably say that the high prices cannot be sustained in the current climate.

So, who do you believe?

But if you do notice more of the following, you'll know that something is brewing.

* Rentals start dropping
* More homes in the market
* Agents get aggressive
* More units put up for sale
* No one's home?
* Asking prices have dropped. Again.
* Property not moving
* More units put up for rent
* Economic weakness and uncertainty
* Falling wages & rising unemployment

Sanitary pads, egg shells, half-eaten food

SERIAL high-rise litter-bugs have reared their ugly heads again, this time at Block 307D, Anchorville Road in Sengkang.

It started with half-eaten food and other rubbish, but it was a soiled sanitary pad that finally made one resident blow her top.

A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Madam Soh, said her entire day was ruined when she spotted the pad splattered on the ledge of her master bedroom window.

'I saw the pad near the aircon condenser after I woke up that morning. I was very upset and insisted that the town council do something about it,' she said.

PM Lee urges more Singaporeans to donate

Last year, charitable donations to non—profit organisations (Institutions of Public Character) increased by more than 50 per cent to S$820 million.
Every society has to take care of its people, especially the vulnerable groups, said Mr Lee.

"The more they have gained from society, the greater their obligation to give back something to their fellow citizens. They must not allow society to be split between the haves and have—nots, and undermine the whole basis for able people to succeed and create wealth in Singapore," said Mr Lee.

He noted that Singapore has yet to build a strong philanthropic tradition.

For this purpose, the Community Foundation of Singapore has been set up to offer advice to high net worth individuals wishing to support worthy causes.

To date, nearly S$13 million has been raised. The centre has been helping to foster the spirit of giving in Singapore.

This spirit is evident in the many contractor—related and legal services provided free of charge by companies for the completion of the centre’s new premises at Clarke Quay

S’poreans spending up 33% in first month of GSS over last year

Rising costs haven’t dampened the shopping spirit this Great Singapore Sale (GSS), if figures from MasterCard are anything to go by.

Total MasterCard spending for the GSS so far, which includes that from tourists, saw a 27 per cent rise from last year to US$364.6 million.
Consumers spent the most money dining out. Sales were up 38 per cent from the same month compared to last year to US$27.8 million.

The Great Singapore Sale ends on July 20.

Brunch in your pyjamas at novelty Singapore cafe

A Singaporean restaurant is trying to break into the competitive brunch scene by tapping into the wild side of this conservative city-state, hosting pyjama parties and cross-dressing events for Sunday breakfast.

Last month, it was the pyjama brunch, where patrons were invited to turn up in their sleeping finery. As if to lead by example, the staff wore loungewear while owner Jay Hequet took orders in a pyjama top, a sleep mask pulled back into her hair.

Hequet says holding themed parties is aimed at giving Oomphatico's an edge in a crowded market -- and having fun.

"As competitive as brunch may be, people still move towards concepts that they are familiar with," she told Reuters. "They will come because of what they like at Oomphatico's. The entertainment is a part of what they get to experience."

Where's Oil Headed?

Don't Trust The Data

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