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Singapore's financial institutions race to meet the FATCA deadline

By now most, if not all, Financial Institutions in Singapore are aware of FATCA. FATCA stands for Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and was enacted by the United States Congress back in 2010 to encourage tax compliance by US persons using non-US financial accounts.

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Singapore's financial institutions race to meet the FATCA deadline

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Why Singapore PME should consider to retire early

More than ten years ago, I had this chat with a client and he asked me if we would be chatting like how we always chatted after we retired and despite a ten-year age gap, we both shared a common wish: to retire early. The retirement age then was still 55 years old and cost of living in Singapore though was high was nowhere as high as now.

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How to recruit highly valued returning Singaporeans

Singaporeans returning from working overseas are more attractive than ever to employers in Singapore as they have a compelling mix of knowledge and experience of the local market along with global business acumen.

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What does currency swing mean for Singapore businesses?

The growing volatility in currency is probably one of the top concerns for Singapore businesses with overseas operation. The sudden decision by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to remove Swiss franc fixed exchange with the Euro refreshed our memory of the vulnerability of profit exposure to external economic factors.

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Singapore's signature innovation brand

Many countries look to learn from Singapore's innovation playbook, and are keen to achieve our well-educated populace, steady economic development, high governance standards, abundant sources of financing, and shining skyline.

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Positive net worth but still go bust?

Recently there had been some high profile reporting involving contractors in Singapore faced with financial problems that resulted in delays to infrastructure projects.

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How digital advertising in Singapore can benefit from growth in online media consumption

It is not news that online media consumption in Singapore is amongst the highest in the world with its smartphone and broadband penetration. It is news, however, that the proportion of digital spend is significantly lower.

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Where investors should put their money in 2015

Given the current status of the residential property market both here in Singapore and in China, 2015 will see investors continue to shift towards commercial real estate markets, such as hotel investments, outside of Singapore.

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What is the value of a professional service in Singapore?

Movie star Harrison Ford said in 2010 when asked if he would ever drop his fee, "This is my job, I don't have another job. This is my craft that I have spent my whole life working at. I want to get paid for doing it; otherwise I am not being responsible and I'm not valuing what I do for a living. When I came into this business I didn't know the names of movie studios. When I was under contract at Columbia Pictures they paid me $150 a week. I only found that I was valued when I was valued. That's the way business is."

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Break through Singapore's email marketing slump

Email marketing is an absolute necessity in the modern world of digital advertising. However, after time, users that were once happily engaged with your emails eventually tune you out.

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What is food safety worth?

It is no surprise that, due to limited land and sea resources, most of the food that you find in Singapore come from overseas.

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How to 'localise' your brand when launching or expanding in Asia

With around 65% of the world's international companies being present in Singapore, it is a great place to be a branding and communications specialist. While often headquartered overseas, many companies house their regional HQs in Singapore and have a certain degree of autonomy from global, while also having some influence over the wider APAC region.

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Addressing the top 4 globalisation challenges faced by Singapore SMEs

With just seven hours of flight or less, people and goods from Singapore will be able to reach a total of 2.8 billion1 population in ASEAN, Australia, India, and China. Singapore's strategic location is a valuable asset that reinforces our position as a regional business and logistics hub.

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Blow a whistle that resonates

Once the shortcomings of a poorly written complaint and a poorly conceived anti-fraud plan are eliminated, organisations should see an improved and coordinated approach to combating fraud. A whistleblowing reward will help too.

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How Singapore managers can stop struggling to motivate staff

Singapore managers take heed. More than half (52%) of Singaporeans are "completely disengaged or detached" at work, as compared to 41% globally, accordng to a study by Towers Watson.

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Failure to launch: Singapore brands could be wasting millions on new products

Go into any supermarket or retailer in Singapore and you will be faced with shelf upon shelf of new products trying to catch your attention: new flavours, added vitamins, or easier packaging.

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New Year - New personal brand in Singapore

Many people make New Year's resolutions which are well intentioned but fall away. If you want to achieve your business objectives in Singapore in 2015, you should focus on developing your personal brand on LinkedIn and keep it going throughout 2015. It's now more important than ever.

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