SMALL- and medium-sized enterprises can take a leaf from the book of the Tan brothers at Kim Heng Group on how to cope with economic crises, according to Ms Tan Siew Meng, head of commercial banking at HSBC Singapore.

She said: 'Kim Heng survived both the crash of 1986 as well as the Asian financial crisis a decade later.

'And both times, they came through better placed to benefit from a period of economic growth.'

Ms Tan said Kim Heng's resilience showed that opportunities remain for businesses even in a downturn - especially for companies that are cashed up and have strong balance sheets.

'The key is to maintain a clear focus on strengthening the company's core business while at the same time, take advantage of inorganic growth opportunities in sectors that will rebound strongly after the recession.

'The Kim Heng Group used the previous downturns to their advantage and as a result, they emerged from the economic storm stronger than ever.'