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If you’re looking for the next perfect staycation, here’s one boutique hotel that will appeal to you if you have a refined taste for some artsy history and culture. The best part? The hotel’s having a Special Opening Offer now and you won’t want to miss this experience before the price increases to its normal rack rate.

Six Senses Maxwell is now open at 2 Cook Street, in the historic Tanjong Pagar district of Singapore, completing the brand’s first ever city hotel project after the opening of sister property Six Senses Duxton, with both locations together comprising Six Senses Singapore.

Situated in a prime location at the junction of Duxton, Tanjong Pagar and Maxwell Road, Six Senses Maxwell occupies a place replete with history. Originally the site of a nutmeg plantation, 14 three-story and four-story colonial-style buildings were subsequently constructed and later joined together as a single entity to create a colonial-style 19th-century heritage building that now houses the hotel.

Built in 1929, the structure features an Art Deco frontage with exposed brickwork, unique lion head rainspouts, and a flagpole hinting at a possible past as a government building. Lovingly conserved, Six Senses Maxwell showcases the refined yet flamboyant and sensual aesthetic of renowned French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, and stands in contrast to the Anouska Hempel-designed Six Senses Duxton.

Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

Six Senses Maxwell accommodates 138 guest rooms and suites located across four floors of the sustainably restored building, all thoughtfully decorated with custom furnishings and original artwork; an outdoor rooftop lap pool, a gymnasium, two restaurants and three bars that are destined to add to the vibrancy of the already ebullient neighbourhood.

Six Senses Maxwell aims to pay homage to Singapore’s unique position as the crossroad between East and West, with its rich Asian traditions and warm European heritage and influence that together have contributed to what this vibrant city is today.

Design
Reflecting the authentic decor and furnishings of the era in which it was built, but with a stylish modern twist, Garcia has infused a Western sensibility along with a timeless ambience into Six Senses Maxwell, as he has done most notably with Hôtel Costes in Paris and NoMad in New York. Renowned as one of France’s most highly decorated designers, Garcia has outfitted many iconic buildings in Paris and across the world, including a remarkable installation at the Louvre. Garcia has been named commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, and a Chevalier in the order of the Légion d’honneur in France for his many achievements.

Garcia’s inimitable sensibilities are on full display once the double door front entrance of Six Senses Maxwell on the corner of Cook and Tras Streets swing open to a welcoming sight of the warm chestnut wood framed reception desk, complemented by Garcia’s eponymous collection of flamboyant high-backed velvet chairs with tassels. These sit on intricately designed custom made hand-woven silk rugs that took 14 months to complete.

Ethically-sourced, solid inch-thick African wenge hardwood floors adorn much of the hotel, while other public areas feature stone floors that have been recycled from medieval churches and cathedrals in Italy.

A series of authentic and original property deeds, or indentures, are framed and placed throughout the hotel’s interior walkway with brass plaques detailing the historical nature and provenance of each document. This feature ties in with the copies of an indenture Anouska Hempel used as her wallpaper design for Six Senses Duxton, connecting the two hotels through a unified form and vision.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

Garcia’s attention to detail is also showcased throughout the seven unique room types at Six Senses Maxwell, from the brass, lacquer and marble minibars, to the handmade Lafroy Brooks bathroom fixtures and rain shower heads.

His unique style is an authentic exploration into the splendour of the past interpreted in a modern style. This is evident in the brocades and damask fabrics and lampshades in pleated silk which enrich a design with clean lines, evoking an opulent yet refined luxury. All the fabrics used throughout the hotel, even those used on the Italian furniture, are bespoke for Garcia and were loomed in Europe, while all the lamps were exclusively produced by luxury lighting specialist Zonca for the famed designer.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

Hotel guests are greeted at the lobby with sustainably sourced goods for sale, including Panama hats ethically sourced from Ecuador that take between 15 days to six months to craft, fine cashmere shawls from Chagaan in Mongolia, locally made items including Peranakan porcelain tea sets from the Straits Settlements era, wellness items such as glass water bottles with added gems to vitalize the water, baoding balls for meditation and an oh-ball to massage the soles of the feet to release tension.

A large brass singing bowl completes the hotel’s signature welcome experience, along with complimentary traditional ice cream made in-house and served from an iconic ice cream cart along the five-footway to all guests. Modern touches such as music played through high-end Devialet speakers throughout the public spaces add to a fully experiential stay for guests.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

The rooftop of Six Senses Maxwell features a 25-metre (82-foot) long lap pool custom-made by Sempre, a Belgian design firm known for their use of raw and recyclable materials. In weeks to come, this will be highlighted with the opening of Max’s Rooftop Bar, where an edible garden is being grown to be used in-house by the hotel’s food and beverage team.

Guests from both Six Senses properties have full access to all facilities, including the spa pods, which will be opened in the first quarter of 2019. Signing privileges will be available across the two hotels.

In Room
Each room and suite features Six Senses’ specially curated mini bar which includes William Yeoward crystal glassware for the premium range of spirits available as well as locally produced East Imperial Tonic Water. The Golden Duck Co. salted egg yolk crisps for snacking, handmade organic Krakakoa chocolate bars from Indonesia and a bottle of champagne complete the exquisite minibar experience.

Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

To ensure guests enjoy the best night’s sleep possible, all rooms feature handmade mattresses by Naturalmat, organic bed linens from Beaumont & Brown, and pillows and duvets from Hanse to support Sleep With Six Senses, a key pillar of the group’s Integrated Wellness philosophy. Each room also has a wellness book, baoding balls, and relaxation oh-ball. These can also be purchased from the hotel lobby.

As a fun and quirky touch, framed photos of the local area taken from the property owner and luxury hotelier Satinder Garcha’s personal collection adorn the bathrooms, offering a sense of charm and whimsy.

Cook & Tras Social Library
Located on the ground floor of Six Senses Maxwell and lined with lush tropical foliage right next to the lobby area is Cook & Tras, a social library restaurant and bar influenced by Straits heritage cuisine.

Featuring a mirrored ceiling highlighting the classic décor and luxurious style of designer Garcia, Cook & Tras reflects a warm European influence and personality showcased through richly textured custom-designed furnishings. Melding tradition and modernity, this elegant establishment is characterized by its specially curated book collection designed by the UK’s Ultimate Library, known for their dedication to building bespoke book collections for hotels and private residences around the world.

For Cook & Tras, a storied collection of more than 3,000 titles have been curated which reflects the local neighbourhood as well as volumes on subjects such as wellness, meditation, nutrition, herbal medicine, natural history, climate change and sustainability. Hotel guests and future members will also be able to “borrow” books the old-fashioned way.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

Cook & Tras makes the perfect introduction to the acclaimed Eat With Six Senses program that offers healthy and delicious meals prepared with sustainable, seasonal, natural ingredients and organically-grown produce.

Open throughout the day for light breakfasts and an all-day small-plates for sharing menu, guests can expect quality ingredients in small flavourful portions or sip on freshly squeezed cold juices and energizing healthy beverages providing nutritional benefits. Homemade tonics and kombuchas along with fine teas are featured on the afternoon menu.

By night, the bar takes centre stage at Cook & Tras with a display of hundreds of spirits from all over the world forming the backdrop to a 65-foot (20-meter) long bar counter. Evenings are all about bespoke cocktails based on classics and influenced by Straits flavours, infused house-made spirits, shrubs and tonics, with signatures specially developed by award-winning Mixologist Ricky Paiva.

Murray Terrace Brasserie
Murray Terrace Brasserie is a European styled brasserie named after the building in which it is housed. and coincidentally also the first name of the hotel’s general manager. Its design blends classic Parisian elements with marble tables and Asian influenced wine displays along with handcrafted Indonesian furniture. The Brasserie’s grand entrance, just opposite Maxwell Food Centre, follows a Parisian café style layout with sidewalk tables along the five-foot (1.7-meter) way, a private room, and seating for up to 100 guests inside the dining room.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

The culinary focus is on quality ingredients that are sustainably sourced and organically grown. The Murray Terrace Brasserie demonstrates how quality natural ingredients will promote a sense of wellness. Recipes are European inspired, with a strong focus on Mediterranean cooking methods that let the ingredients take centre stage.

Showcasing southern European culinary influences, the menu features seafood platters with lobsters, oysters, prawns, clams and mussels, all sustainably sourced. With classics such as beef tartare, French onion soup and lobster bisque, the menu includes a range of three-course and four-course set menu options for lunch, and five-course and seven-course degustation menus for dinner.

Organic free-range chicken, sustainably-sourced fish, grass-fed strip loins, whole lamb rack and Chateaubriand from the Josper oven round out the menu.

Six double wine chillers holding over 1,500 bottles of wine enclosing a wine tasting table form the centrepiece of Murray Terrace Brasserie. The carefully selected wine list; predominantly focused on Old World wines from France, Italy and Spain, is complemented with a well-balanced selection of New World Treasures.

Garcha’s
Garcha’s is a beautifully appointed Jacques Garcia designed room with club chairs, cocktail tables and minibar seating – the quintessential spirits bar to drop by before a meal at Murray Terrace Brasserie or to treat oneself to an after-dinner spirit or liqueur.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

Boasting an impressive collection of spirits, Garcha’s tempts with a stunning selection of small batch and artisanal whiskeys, tequilas, gins, rums and vodkas. Straight drinks can be poured from drinks trolleys tableside by bartenders in a relaxing setting with a modern mix of classic jazz, blues and acid jazz funk music playing in the background.

Rose Lounge & Bar
The beautifully appointed Rose Lounge & Bar features banquette seating, club chairs, cocktail tables and bar seating, and offers an impressive Champagne collection alongside white and rosé wines, spritzers and the signature Rose Bellini.


Image Credits Six Senses Singapore

In contrast to Garcha’s, Rose Lounge & Bar with its lighter, lustrous décor minibars for private events, afternoon tea parties and product launches. It is also perfect as a breakout space for meetings held at the adjoining Rose Room, situated between the Rose Bar & Lounge and Garcha’s and is an ideal venue for small corporate events and private gatherings.

Opening Offer
Available immediately is a Special Opening Offer for direct bookings online via www.sixsenses.com. Guests can enjoy a 15 percent savings on the Best Available Rate, and the offer includes daily breakfast for two people, a guaranteed room upgrade and a signature cocktail for two people. T&Cs apply.

The hotel is accepting online bookings via: www.sixsenses.com.

Six Senses Maxwell is located at 2 Cook Street, Singapore 078857. Rates start at USD 240++ (SGD 330++) per night.

For reservations, please contact +65 6914 1400 or email: reservations-maxwell@sixsenses.com

*Terms & Conditions: Valid for stays from December 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. The offer is applicable for all room and suite categories. A credit card guarantee and a prepayment in full is required to secure the booking. Bookings are non-refundable and non-cancellable. Offer is subject to change without notice.

Anyone who knows pretty much anything about business also knows that digital marketing plays a crucial role in your business’ success. The reason for this is quite obvious – we live in a digital age and just about anything that happens to us and around us is in a way, viral. This is something that any business that wants to succeed should understand and then start using to their benefit.

In order to keep up with your competition, you have to consider hiring a digital marketing agency that can help you grow your business. At the end of the day, your marketing strategy is something that will either make you or break you!

Now, there are lots of different reasons that I could list off the top of my head why digital marketing is essential for your business’s success; but we will focus on the top five reasons why you should start considering hiring a top-notch digital marketing agency to do this immensely important piece of work for you!

  1. Boosting Your Business’ Visibility

The time of brick-and-mortar businesses has definitely passed, and any serious business owner that is hoping to lead their business to success in the future has already recognised the importance of digital marketing.

Getting your brand from the point where you and your loved ones know about it to the point where it becomes a household name is surely not an easy task, but it is something that is definitely possible and doable once your digital marketing agency starts working their magic.

Once you become visible and approachable to your website’s visitors, this new relationship that you started with your ‘audience’ then leads to converting them into your new customers/clients.

2. Connecting With Your Customers/Clients

Visibility leads to new customers! And once it does, your social media platforms will allow you to update them on any new products or services that you are promoting, while at the same time allowing you to connect with them directly.

This also means having a great customer support, because of the fact that anyone interested in what you are promoting can reach out to you directly! So audience-wise, you will be improving customer satisfaction and experience, customer retention, precise targeting, your cross-sell, etc.

3. It is more cost-effective than traditional marketing

Small businesses often have very little resources, which is where digital marketing steps in and saves the day. Understandably, the main reason why digital marketing proves itself to be the best choice for just about all business owners is the fact that you can set your budget in advance and make sure that you won’t have to spend a fortune on spreading the word about your brand.

Additionally, this means that as soon as you discover your target niche audience, you will be focusing on them instead of spending your resources on the ‘masses’ that may not be at all interested in your products and/or services. At the same time, digital marketing helps cater to your ‘mobile audience’!

4. It Helps Generate Better Revenues

One of the reasons why digital marketing plays an important role in your business’ success is the fact that it delivers conversion – fast! So, as you know, higher conversion rates will then lead to loads of profitable benefits in terms of higher and better revenues.

According to Google’s recent survey, bigger brands that are using digital marketing strategies have 2.8 times better revenue growth expectancy, whereas small and medium businesses that are using digital marketing techniques have 3.3 times better chances of expanding their workforce and improving their brand’s chances of success.

Another thing to seriously consider is white label digital marketing. In terms of your overall budget and future revenues, white labelling can do wonders for your business while at the same time allowing you to focus on building your brand’s image rather on technicalities.

5. It Will Help You Surpass Your Competition

Digital marketing definitely levels the online playing field in terms of allowing smaller businesses to become just as important and successful as their better-known counterparts. What this means is that everyone has a chance online!

Additionally, digital marketing allows you to also have insight in how your competition is doing, which marketing strategy they are using, while at the same time, allowing you to take some of their ideas and make them your own, thus making those ideas even better!

All of these reasons are something that should definitely make you reconsider your traditional marketing strategy and start looking for a digital marketing agency that will help you skyrocket your brand right away. If you need a digital marketing solution for your business, contact us via our form and we will get in touch with you!

It’s December and that means its time for the holiday season!

While most people choose to set up their Christmas trees and call their family over for a gathering, there are also a lot of other people who choose to travel the world with their family.

In this post, we will be covering the best family-friendly locations from around the world.

Australia

Australia is one of the top family-friendly destinations on earth because of its sunny beaches, wildlife tours and so much more. Although many tourists may have the wrong impression that Australia is a small country, the matter of the fact is, Australia is huge! A road trip from Sydney to Brisbane will take you over 11 hours!

Australia is home to many indigenous animals such as the Kangaroo, Koala, Wombat and Dingo; and they are mostly unseen in other parts of the world.

Apart from wild animals and amazing natural landscapes, Australia also has one of the most iconic landmarks in the world- the Sydney Opera House

If you have never been to the land down under, you should definitely consider it for the perfect outback road trip.

Singapore

One of the most iconic countries in Asia, Singapore offers something for everyone. A melting pot of cultures, Singapore is home to people from all walks of life and what this essentially means is that Singapore has got varying degrees of cultures, languages and amazing cuisines.

If you want to experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a multicultural country, Singapore is the perfect place!

For a complete list of places to visit in Singapore as a family visit the Joyscape site.

Japan

Also known as the land of the rising sun, Japan has been a top travel destination among travellers for many years now and has a good combination of new-age establishments and old-school charm.

You may not know this but Japan is very well-known for its cuisine and they have exclusive chocolates and confectionaries that cannot be found in other parts of the world.

Cities like Tokyo has a lot to offer in terms of museums, food, events, and other children-friendly attractions whereas Kyoto is known for its natural beauty and the life of the yesteryears that has been well-preserved. Children and adults who are into cartoons, manga and animes would definitely love to visit Japan.

Iceland

The Nordic island nation is known for its breathtaking beauty. Not only is Iceland a perfect location to enjoy nature’s finest creations such as volcanoes, hot springs, big range mountains and more; there are also ample opportunities for rafting, horseback riding and wildlife spotting!

One of Iceland’s most popular outdoor lagoons, known for its purified mineral water, is Blue Lagoon. Other popular Icelandic destinations include Pingvellir that is known for its natural beauty and historic shrine.

Iceland has plenty of mesmerising waterfalls that you can bring your children to visit and the popular ones include Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

Ireland

Although Ireland is a relatively small country, there are many options that are available for holiday goers. With numerous old castles that will captivate you and your little one, Ireland is also known for its beautiful natural landscape and popular spots that include Cliffs of Moher, Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry.

If you are a nature lover, there are also national parks such as Killarney National Park and Connemara National Park that you can visit too.

So there you have it- the 5 best family holiday destinations.

Just so you know, all the countries that we have shared in this article have a high safety index. Some are known for their breathtaking natural beauty and some are known for their good mix of local culture and history.  We are pretty sure these holiday destinations would offer you and your children a great time together!

What is a Recruitment Agency?

A recruitment agency is a company whose main business is helping other companies hire staff. They are a sort of marketplace where employers and prospective employees are matched, with the agency being the matchmaker.

We can simply call them the middlemen between job seekers and labour employers. Employers send them details of roles they need to fill and a recruitment agency will look through their database for workers that can suitably fill the position.

Why Companies and Job Seekers Use Agencies

There are several reasons why companies and job seekers prefer to work with these agencies. The reasons will depend on which side of the divide each belongs.

Companies

Companies hire agencies to help them hire their staff for the following reasons:

Cost Saving – The cost of hiring can be quite high. To get an insight into this, read this article here. One way that many companies save cost is by hiring through an agency. This saves them a lot of costs, thus making this choice ideal for companies that do not have the financial capacity to have their own full-blown hiring unit under their HR department.

Faster Delivery Time – For many companies, this is a time saving and much faster option. Rather than having to spend time and money to advertise for the position, putting extra workload on the human resources department to sort through the many job applications, shortlisting the candidates that will be called for an interview, and going through the strenuous process of interviewing the shortlisted candidates to select the one or ones they need; all the company needs to do is to simply tell the agency what they need and the agency does what it needs to do to fill the position(s).

It certainly saves a lot of time and allows the company to focus on the actual business of running their core operations.

Expertise and Specialisation – The process of hiring requires some level of skill that is acquired and honed over years of experience. Many companies cannot afford to form an in-house hiring team with the level of skill and expertise that is required to handle the hiring process for best results. They, therefore, find it easier to just hire through an agency that has the necessary expertise.

In other cases, a company might require a highly specialised role for which they lack the necessary expertise to interview or even decide on the right candidate. Thus, for companies with such requirements, they would usually engage an agency that is specialised in hiring for such roles to ensure that only fully qualified candidates are selected.

Guarantees – Another cause why companies prefer hiring agencies is because of the guarantees that some of these agencies offer. A lot of top agencies will guarantee that the candidate they present will remain in that employment for at least a specific period. Otherwise, the agencies will refund what they were paid for the job or simply refill the position at their own cost.

Such a guarantee certainly gives employers a level of assurance. See more benefits here: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-staffing-agencies-11066.html.

Job Seekers

Free Assistance – Top agencies get paid by the company to fill positions so they do not charge applicants for the opportunity to consider them for the position. This means that the applicant will be receiving this assistance for free.

Access to More Employment Opportunities – A job seeker that is working with an agency will have access to more employment opportunities because the agency uses its network to receive information on roles that need to be filled in various organisations and matches these against the applicants they have. Qualified applicants can, therefore, be considered for more job opportunities than they would have on their own.

Inside Information on Job Opportunities – Agencies know when special skill sets are required by an organisation. With their inside information, they can not only help applicants get considered for these roles but can in some cases also help them prepare for the interview. Remember that it is in the agency’s best interest to fill the position.

Traits of Top Recruitment Agencies

There are critical traits you should look out for in identifying the top recruitment agencies in USA. These include:

Professionalism

The goal of a top agency is to fill a position with the best possible candidate. It goes about this in the most professional of ways that are not driven by selfishness or a need to simply collect the payment without care for the quality of work.

This shows in the process employed, the questions asked, and how the applicants are processed and treated.

Specialisation

Top agencies handle the process with specialised expertise. If the role to be filled is that of an IT specialist, the consultant handling the case will be an expert in that field so s/he will know what to look out for.

Operation Above-board

Reputable agencies will not do anything that is not above-board. These include charging and collecting fees from applicants, making extravagant promises, or falsifying applicant’s information just to ensure they land the job.

Guarantees

They can offer guarantees to employers and applicants that the position will be filled for at least a minimum period.

Be honest.

How often you do check your bank balance or sit down and draw up a budget for the month ahead? If you tend to chuck statements on a pile on papers on the kitchen table or you check in with the bank every couple of months; now is the time to start monitoring your money more closely! Managing your finances has never been easier and it can help you to save more and spend less.

Creating a Budget
If you don’t live by a budget, there’s no better time to break the habit of a lifetime. Traditionally, at this time of the year, finances are usually pretty tight, and the sooner you can start saving, the better. Budgeting is simple, fast, and completely hassle-free in this day and age. While some people prefer to stick to old-school techniques and draw up columns of figures with a pen and paper, many opt to use apps or specially designed programmes. It’s a good idea to do a bit of research to find the best personal finance software and to think about what you need and what kinds of features you’d like. Budgeting enables you to monitor how much money is coming in and how much is going out, and it can give you a much better idea of where your cash is going every month. Sticking to a budget can help to prevent overspending and enable you to save more. You can use your budget to set a spending limit every week or to establish how much you’re going to transfer to a savings account or pay off a credit card each month.

Online Banking
The days of having to trudge out to the ATM or wait for a monthly statement to come sailing through the letterbox are long gone. This means that there is no excuse to have no idea what is going on in your accounts. With online banking and apps, you can check your balance on the go and keep a close eye on spending. If you don’t already use online banking, you’ll need to register online. With this service, you can check your balances, open new accounts, transfer money, pay bills, and find out more about other financial products, such as mortgages. It’s so easy to lose track of spending with contactless technology and online shopping, so it’s crucial to look at your bank on a regular basis.

Shopping Around
Once you’ve got an idea of how much disposable income you have available, you can take steps to increase this figure by shopping around and comparing prices. Take a look at how much you’re paying for insurance, for example. If you’ve got car, health, house or pet insurance policies that are due for renewal, don’t just accept the new price from your existing provider. Use the Internet to track down the best deals. You can do this to save money on everything from buying gifts and household items to finding cheaper broadband, TV and mobile phone services!

Even if you’re not the most diligent amateur accountant, it’s never too late to start monitoring your money today! If you’re looking for a credible and sound financial adviser, let us know and we will help you out!

Many people aspire to start their own business and be their own bosses and there’s honestly nothing wrong with that. The barriers to starting a business in Singapore are low and as a result, many business startups choose to base their operations here.

Although many have started their own business, there are also many who have failed. Statistics show that 50-70% of startups fail within the first 18 months. If you’re thinking about starting a business and you’re unsure of how you are going to go about it, here are some tips to get you started.

What Kind/Type of Business?

Yes, you may have a great business idea but if your business idea does not meet market needs or if there is no market demand for it, you probably will want to think twice about starting your business.

The kind of business that you want to start will also affect the type of business structure for your business to operate from.

In Singapore, there are generally 5 kinds of business structure that you can decide on; a sole-proprietorship, a partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability partnership, and a company. All of them have got pros and cons and you will need to assess which business structure is most suitable for you.

Retail Business EntrepreneurGenerally, if you are a one-man-operation (OMO), I would suggest that you start a sole-proprietorship because you will be in full control of your business. But of course, if you fumble and make wrong business decisions, your liability is likewise unlimited. Usually, I will never recommend a partnership and a limited partnership because having worked with all kinds of people, I have concluded that most partnerships turn sour and you wouldn’t want to end up incurring losses just because of some unwise decisions that your partner makes without your consent.

How Much Capital Do You Want to Invest?

Please do not think that the more capital you invest, the greater your returns will be. Your returns depend very much on how the capital is being used. More capital can probably mean more money to buy more products, rent a bigger space, or even buy time to sustain the business.

I often see many Facebook Ads that tells many fantastic stories of how individuals can invest, can start a business, can own properties with no money and etc but truly, such ads will often lead you to sign up for previews or workshops that will set you back by thousands of dollars.

Keep A Lookout For Business OpportunitiesIf someone tells you that you need $0 capital to start a business, you probably need to be wary. As you go about looking out for business opportunities, always keep the bigger picture in mind and don’t be swayed by fads and trends. Yes, you can start a business with low costs but low costs don’t mean zero cost. Even starting a sole-proprietorship will cost you a minimum of $65.

For businesses that offer services, the startup costs are generally lower than businesses that offer products. When you buy products to sell, you will need capital and where are you going to get that capital from?

If you want to start a business full-time, you minimally need to have at least 6 months of living expenses. If you don’t, consider hanging onto your full-time job while working on your business part-time. This will ensure that you have sufficient cash flow to maintain your current lifestyle.

Do You Have A Backup Plan?

A backup plan is essential. There’s a common saying, ”When you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. What are you going to do if your business doesn’t turn out well? When will you throw in the towel and admit that starting a business is just not for you? There will be many instances when you will be tested and it is important to recognise how and where you are going to draw the line. Will you still be employable when you call it quits? These are just some important questions that you need to think about when you start a business.

How Marketable is Your Business?

I can’t stress this point enough but yes, marketing is essential and highly important! If you don’t market your business, how are you going to get the sales that you need to sustain the business? The most basic form of marketing collaterals that you probably need will be your business cards and products/services brochure. First impressions count and no matter what people say nowadays about how print collaterals no longer matter in today’s business dealings, you will be surprised at how handy they can be to share about your business. Printing services in Singapore are aplenty and choosing the most reliable and wallet-friendly option is the way to go if you want to keep costs low. The next step after getting your print collaterals will be to identify your unique selling proposition, who your competitors are, and what makes you different from them. All these will affect how you are going to pitch your business to prospective clients.

Well, I certainly hope that this post would have helped you to think deeply about what it takes to be an entrepreneur. There will always be risks associated with starting a business; the greater the risks, the greater the rewards, the smaller the risks, the smaller the rewards.

Do share this article if you have found it helpful!

If the time has come to sell your car; then you will know how important it is for you to make a good return on it. After all, the money you get from your old car may be going towards your new one, and if you are not careful, then you may end up losing more money than you anticipated.

Wax on- Wax Off

If your paint job is super faded, don’t try and spend a fortune in getting a brand new one done. Instead, get out your wax and polish. When you do this, you can easily add value to your car and even make it look newer as well. If your car’s paint job is so faded that you can’t even remember what it looks like; open the door and look inside the frame because this part of the car seldom gets exposed to sunlight or even harsh chemicals. This will give you a good idea of what your car used to look like. You might also want to invest in a car ceramic coating too.

Bright Lights

Dingy headlights can make your car look way worse than it actually is. There are a huge number of headlight cleaning products out there for you to choose from and you can easily brighten up your car this way. If you have tried window cleaners but they just don’t work for you; then you should know that headlight cleaner is a completely different product that is worth looking into.

Shiny Wheels

Shiny wheels that look new can really improve your car’s appearance. It can also boost the potential value as well. You don’t have to replace your tyres or anything else like that. All you have to do is get down there and clear out any dirt and grime. You should also invest in some tyre shine as well. This will help you get that new car shine and make it look shiny clean.

Inside the Car

If you have any removable floor mats, take these out. If they can be cleaned, then make sure you clean them. If they have huge gaping holes in them, then either throw them out or buy some new ones. A new set of floor mats shouldn’t cost you too much at all and they can make all the difference to someone’s first impression of the car. This is especially the case if you think that the potential buyer is going to be taking the vehicle on a test drive, so do keep that in mind.

Glass Cleaning

Don’t use household cleaners on your car. The materials inside your car are very different from the things that make up your furniture. For this reason, you should only invest in high-quality cleaning products that are meant for the car only. The same concept applies to glass cleaner as well. You’d be surprised at what a difference using a car glass cleaner can make when compared to standard window products.

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you! I’m not sure how many people would actually remember or have an inkling of this famous love poem but I do remember using it quite often whenever I write letters to my friends or fill up my profile on my friend’s autograph book.

Yes, this was pretty much how “the Facebook of my time” looks like when I was in primary school 2 decades ago and we usually “create” our profile on our friend’s autograph book at the start or end of the school year. One other thing that I would also do is to buy Christmas gifts for my friends and write Christmas wishes on greeting cards to send to them. Those times were indeed old-fashioned or even traditional but you know what, the principles and values of gift-giving are truly timeless.

Image Credits: Blog To Express

 

The act of gift-giving has been carried out since the medieval times and the word, “gift” comes in the form of a noun (thing or object) or a verb (action word). A gift is a thing given willingly to someone without payment i.e. a present; and when you engage in gifting, it essentially means that you are giving (something) as a gift, especially formally or as a donation or bequest.

Gifts come in many forms and sometimes, it can be really hard to pick the right gifts for a person that you have in mind. When you get a gift for someone, here are some questions that you probably want to ask yourself:

How Much Do You Want to Spend?

Knowing how much you want to spend can significantly widen or narrow down your choices. Price is a major factor for consideration when you want to get a gift for someone else and usually, you wouldn’t mind splurging on your loved ones unless you’re on a tight budget.

Are There Any Existing Promotions/Discounts?

There are a lot of great deals and sales that take place throughout the year and for the online shopaholic, the best times to shop has to be black Friday, 11.11 and 12.12. The cost savings that you get from online sales will certainly go a long way if you’re planning to get gifts for a lot of people. One of my favourite e-commerce site to shop is definitely Lazada.

Is the Gift for a Lady or Man?

There are unisex gifts and gender-specific gifts. Just don’t mix the two up. Typically, some gifts that are suitable for a lady will include a bouquet of roses from Roses Only, a box of exquisite chocolates, a plushie, and a designer handbag. Man will typically receive a cologne, wallet, tie or cufflinks.

What does the Person Like and Dislike?

I’m pretty sure you will want to receive a gift that you really like instead of receiving one that you dislike. Similarly, knowing what a person like and dislike is super important because it really narrows down and zooms in on the choices of gifts that you can get for the person.

What are the Favourite Colours of the Person that You’re Getting the Gift for?

It is sometimes useful and helpful to know the favourite colours of the person that you’re getting the gift for so that you will save the hassle of having to do an exchange at the shop. If you’re getting an apparel or footwear, be sure that you know what is the shirt/shoe size of the person before you make that purchase or better still, bring the person down to the shop.

How Are You Related to the Person that You’re getting the Gift for?

I’m pretty sure you will spend more on the person who is closest to you but if you’re getting gifts for your family members, friends, and office colleagues; what you get for them can vary greatly from person to person.

What is the Occasion?

Last but not least, it is equally important to know what the occasion is that you’re giving the person a gift for. There are different types of gifts for different occasions. Shopping for a graduation gift or Christmas gift, for example, can be quite different from shopping for a birthday gift or even an anniversary gift. Know why you’re giving what you’re giving.

I hope that this article has been helpful and if you haven’t got the time to do your Christmas shopping, here’s where Mel’s White Glove can help you! Mel’s White Glove can help you to procure suitable gifts, offer you some gift recommendations, make gift purchases on your behalf, and hand-deliver the gift for you!

When the nights are getting longer and you feel like you don’t want to get out of the house after you got in from work, your main challenge will be to find some quality entertainment. Whether you are gaming, catching up with the latest series, or would like to entertain your friends after work; there are several new releases to look forward to this winter. Below you will find a few tips on creating the ultimate experience at home.

Your Theater and Entertainment Room

One of the things you can do when you are planning your winter entertainment is creating a stunning entertainment room or movie theatre. If you are good at DIY, you can set up the sound bars, the wiring, and upcycle some cinema chairs so that you can have a space other than your living room to escape to. Don’t forget about soundproofing and acoustics when you design your home theatre.

Your Movie Platforms

Next, you will need to discover entertainment platforms that will deliver the content you want and not get you into trouble. While Amazon and Netflix are the obvious choices, there are other movie sites out there that are worth checking out. For example, if you would like to watch anime at night and catch up with the latest storylines, you might want to find a themed entertainment channel that you can stream on your devices.  

Genre Collections

Of course, collections are also great for passing time. With the rise of catch-up TV, you can now watch a whole series in one sitting. However, you will often find it hard to locate older series that are no longer available on the apps. This is why you might want to subscribe to a collection that will give you access to the genres that you are interested in instead of some irrelevant results.

Viewing Plan

It might also be a good idea to have a viewing plan, so you can make sure that you are not missing out on an episode. You can add the dates and times on your online diary and make a plan to record the series that are clashing in time with each other. You don’t want to miss an episode and wait for months to catch up with the series online again.

Testing the Latest Games

Of course, if you need even more adrenaline in your life, you can also start testing the latest games at home. Improve your sound system and invest in noise cancelling headphones to make the most out of your entertainment and experience. You might even give virtual reality headsets a go. Whether you are into Deadpool or GTA, you will notice the difference when you surprise yourself with some new gaming gadgets.

There are plenty of things we can do at home to improve our nights and make the most out of the gadgets and devices we have at home. Catch up on series, discover new interests, genres, and games, and make sure you create a great environment for your nights in.

Redecorating the home almost always means spending money. But that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. Surprisingly, there are household savings hacks that you can do to beautify your home without leaving a dent in your bank account.

One way to do this is to maximise the use of natural light to illuminate your home interior. Sunlight is not only an instant mood moderator; according to some studies, exposure to sunlight even for a short period helps prevent depression in adults. The vitamin D present in natural light is also an essential vitamin that helps build strong immune systems. But aside from its health benefits, using natural light for your home also greatly improves its aesthetics by bringing out the beauty of your fabrics and furniture.

All these are great reasons to consider this shift into the natural, on top of the dollars of savings you can shave off your electricity payments.

But how do you exactly manipulate light so that it complements your space just right? Read on to know the answers.

Work with Your Windows

First things first, you need to ensure that an adequate amount of natural light enters your home. Otherwise, all the following tips in this article will do little to achieve the results you’d like to have.

Check your window treatment and see if something can be improved in your setup to allow more light flow into your rooms.

For example, you can start putting up neutral- to light-coloured curtains in place of darker ones. A single drape set can also be used rather than a double set if you can’t let go of opaque-coloured choices. If you want more control over the inflow of light into the room, Venetian blinds do the job well.

Otherwise, if you are rather serious about your redecorating mission, you’ll have to shell out a few hundred dollars to install new, larger windows, preferably with the less low-E coating. Though they may be harder to come by, you can purchase windows with low-E coating and a higher solar heat gain coefficient, like these innovative options offered by Pella.

Lighten Up Your Walls

It’s not enough to just let in light into your home’s interior. You have to make sure it illuminates the space entirely. A lighter room colour helps reflect light rather than absorb it, creating the illusion of a breathier space and producing a fresher ambience without adding another square footage.

For this purpose, white is an easy choice, although there are plenty of cool tones that work just as well. Taupes and blue greys and, generally, a lighter palette, will do wonders to maximise whatever light that is being funnelled into your interiors through your windows.

To take advantage of a lighter paint’s reflective ability, you may as well think about redoing your ceiling paint so that it matches your chosen theme. Although it can be fun and stylish to paint your ceiling opaque, it is also a highly recommended thing to do as well if your goal is to maximise the room’s capacity to facilitate and disperse light.

Glow-Up

When adding accents and statement decors to your ensemble, opt for furniture and accessories that reflect light. Metallic surfaces, glass blocks, and kitchen countertops with a sleek finish help bounce off the light that filters into your room, creating a bigger and brighter appearance.

For the living room, this can mean opting for linen and cotton instead of velvet and brocade fabrics. You can also introduce a little element of gloss into your throw pillows and drapes.

For example, you can use a stylish metallic finial as a statement piece to your window setup. They’re subtle but also striking enough to stand as a statement piece on their own.

In addition, you can incorporate highly glossy ceramic or metallic tiles for your kitchen and bathroom backsplashes for a spectacular finish.

Use Mirrors

Mirrors are popular design elements for dressing up small spaces. Placed in the right location, a mirror can double the amount of light that enters the room and effectively make the space look not only brighter but also larger.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate mirror design into your home. If you don’t want a full-length mirror sitting in the room, you can place one above the console table or behind the shelves. You can also turn them into a window-style design, like this one.

Trim Your Greenery

Trees, hedges, and vines outside your home or windows can hamper the flow of natural light from the exterior to the interiors. See to it that you keep your garden population in check.

Final Word

Making use of natural light is a great way to cut back on your household expenses without compromising your style. Follow these tips, start saving, and see your home transform.