Monday, July 28, 2014

Top 6 Questions for Starting Entrepreneurs



Trying to build a business from the ground up but don’t know the first thing about opening your own office? Can’tproperly figure out the logistics? Have just a vague notion on how to pull off a quick and speedy delivery service? 

Here are six questionsto help you navigate the often chaotic, thrilling and, at times, scary path reserved for business owners, if exactly for entrepreneurs at heart: 

1.    Do you need a warehouse?
Do you provide a service or product? If it’s the second one, then you know how important an organized storage space is. Make sure you have a warehouse racking system in place. It saves you a lot on space. 

2.    Do you need office space?
If you’re just starting, you might not need a dedicated office space yet. Signing up a lease, outfitting that space with the office system furniture of your choice, paying the bills—that’s going to cost you a lot of capital. This is why some entrepreneurs build their businesses up from their own garage or dorm rooms. It’s practical and keeps the expenses to a minimum until such a time when the business is ready to expand. 

3.    Are you renting office space or buying one?
Many businesses early on decide to rent their own space. It’s inexpensive. However, these days, many startup companies are looking at virtual offices or shared offices to solve that problem. It’s convenient, cheaper and offers financially flexible payment options. 

4.    How long is your SLA or service length agreement?
Meaning, how long does it normally take you to take in an order, get that information to the warehouse, and have that order shipped and delivered to your customer? Delivery times are often a factor if you want to drum up plenty of loyal consumers. So make sure you really have that process streamlined. 

5.    Is your product marketable?
Many entrepreneurs go into trade thinking they have the most perfect product, the one that’s going to conquer markets, that they’re going to be the next Google or Facebook or WhatsApp. Only, those expectations often fall short from the reality of it. So don’t be blinded by your vision. Know and be sure of your product’s consumer appeal. Test, review and track results—always.

6.    Are you in the right market?
You might just have a great product on your hands but what if you’re not in the right market? Make sure you study the cultures you are trying to appeal to. Plenty of people have a cultural filter, thinking what works for them works for others as well. Be thorough in your market research before you proceed with anything else. It could spell the difference between your failure and success.

Top 7 Things to Rent, Not Buy



Not quite sure if renting or buying your own stuff would be better? Here is a list of things you are better off renting than paying for the full freight: 

1.    Residential furniture
If you’re just going to stay there for a few weeks or months, maybe even a year or two, and you know you have another place to come home to, then there’s not much sense in buying a complete sofa set or that enormous cabinet you think you need for your temporary home. 

2.    Furniture for events
While it’s good to have a few extra chairs and tables to use whenever there are parties in your home, it’s not something every family has. So if you don’t have all those extra chairs, there’s no need to actually go out and buy them for that birthday party or reunion you’re hosting. Many companies rent furniture out. Just get in touch with event furniture rental Singapore-based companies and you’re good to go.  

3.    Apartment
Some people think buying an apartment or condo is a good investment. And it usually is, depending on the location of that apartment. However, buying one that’s a bit cheaper than most when it’s located so far away from the city is not such a wise decision, unless it’s in a touristy part of the country. Otherwise, just save your money by renting a place until you find the right condo or house for you, one with the right price at a prime location. 

4.    Business space
Some entrepreneurs are so excited about putting up their own business that they get locked into five year office leases. Don’t make that mistake. Go for a virtual office or service office that offers you flexible payment terms and options. 

5.    Car
You don’t need to drive to everywhere you go. Save up on transportation costs by taking the bus or MRT. 

6.    Machinery, gadgets or tools
Say you need a specific type of filter for your camera. Just for a photo shoot. Well, why don’t you ask around and see if there are companies renting out that specific filter? And maybe any other type of equipment you need? That’ll save you on costs. 

7.    Books
These days, there are plenty of ways you can get books for free. Ask them from friends or just go to the community library or maybe even download a few online. However, if you do want to support the work of the author, and you have money to spare, I say, buy those books. Let’s help art and artists find a way to survive in our society.
You could also put together book drives to collect books and make them available to kids or out-of-school youth. Maybe even have some rented to students at low, low prices. That’s one great way to rent out books.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Life Boat Rescue



Holidays are great fun, especially if you get to go somewhere new. Many families or groups of friends like to travel to destinations by the coast, which means sand and sea as far as the eye can see! Going to the beach is always a good idea because there are so many things to do that can appeal to any type of person. Depending on the place you will stay at, you have a lot of activities at your disposal. These include a lot of water activities by the shore, or you can even charter a boat to check out neighboring islands!

Naturally, as with any other activity, you should always be aware of the safety measures that your resort or hotel has kept in place in order to ensure the safety of everyone. If you will be chartering a boat, this would mean being out at sea with nothing else for miles. Ask about their lifeboats.

Lifeboats are well-known as the emergency last resort of many water crafts. Lifeboats come in various types, the most common one being the inflatable type, though there are hard-shell lifeboats available that are used as emergency vessels in larger ships. It is imperative that these have been looked at by reputable lifeboatservice companies, because lifeboat davit maintenance is essential so that everyone on board the ship is assured that should something untoward happen, there is something that will save their lives.

Life boats are one of the most important water rescue devices. So when you go on holiday, be sure that your resort has had their lifeboats checked by lifeboat service companies. You can ask for this while booking or before you get on to the craft--your service crew or ship captain should be aware of this, and your resort should be able to produce the proper certification for this as well.

Nobody likes an accident, but we can minimize the casualties that may occur should something happen. Apart from checking up on the state of their lifeboats, look for common safety items like life vests, emergency kits, buoys and the like. While you would want to enjoy your holiday, it is also good if you don’t have to worry about anything while you’re there.

Do you have questions about lifeboats and lifeboat safety? There is a wealth of information online regarding the topic, and it would be great to read up on it to be informed. Try checking out websites such as http://npmarine.sg/ which would give you the basic information of lifeboats and the process by which they inspect lifeboats and marine emergency crafts in Singapore.