THE STRAITS TIMES > SME SPOTLIGHT > SME HIGHLIGHTS
Jun 23, 2010
School enrolment up through word of mouth
THE private East Asia Institute of Management (EASB) has a refreshingly pragmatic approach to the business of education - making sure graduates are employable.
It might seem like a no-brainer, but school principal and chairman Andrew Chua believes in keeping his eye firmly on a goal that could easily slip away under the day-to-day challenges of running a large institution with a wide range of students.
Jun 14, 2010
Maori tattoos getting under the world's skin
WELLINGTON - THE tattooists bent over Kingi Taurua for 15 hours, using chisels and a stick as a hammer to gouge bold Maori designs into his bloodied face, buttocks and legs.
'It started at 5 o'clock in the morning and it didn't finish until 8 o'clock at night and so it was continuing all the time,' Taurua told AFP.
Jun 2, 2010
Portal to help SMEs raise productivity
A NEW self-help portal set up by two government agencies aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) produce more with less.
Jun 2, 2010
Start-ups in S'pore resilient in crisis: Poll
IN A severe storm, trees might be uprooted and houses blown down, but grass clings on and emerges unscathed - and this is exactly what Singapore's start-up companies managed to do during the economic crisis last year.
May 26, 2010
'No threat to euro system'
SAO PAULO - IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Tuesday dismissed fears the strains on the euro would lead to the collapse of the eurozone despite a sharp fall in stocks and a race to the safe-haven dollar.
May 26, 2010
Next up - a bite of the China pie
HOT on the heels of a public listing on the Singapore Exchange last year, Q&M Dental Group chief executive Ng Chin Siau is again on the hunt for opportunities to expand, but this time in mainland China.
May 19, 2010
Self-made woman builds solid foundation
ALL Ms Annie Gan wanted, when she ventured across the Causeway to Singapore more than 18 years ago, was a good job to help pay for her part-time studies here.
May 12, 2010
Keeping it clean with made-in-S'pore tools
FOR anyone who has ever anxiously wondered if a plate at a hawker centre is completely clean, precision engineering company JCS Group is on the case.
May 12, 2010
Above board
AVI-TECH Electronics boss Lim Eng Hong, or E. H. Lim, as he is better known, knows a thing or two about economic cycles, having deftly side-stepped more than his fair share of potholes.
May 11, 2010
China action 'will aid markets'
WASHINGTON - CHINA would help wary financial markets and its own economy by moving to a more 'market-based' exchange rate, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said on Monday.
May 11, 2010
ABN AMRO bank pays $690m
WASHINGTON - FORMER ABN AMRO bank is paying US$500 million to the United States for operating a huge money-laundering scheme for banks and clients in blacklisted countries, US officials said on Monday.
May 5, 2010
Luzerne serves up halal crockery
LUZERNE is probably one of the most famous local firms you've never heard of - though you may well have eaten off one of its plates.
Apr 28, 2010
A household name by design
SCANTEAK boss Lim Pok Chin got off to a flying start in the furniture trade, but he still needed some fancy footwork to save the firm when the pressure of competition grew.
Apr 28, 2010
Winning on quality, not price
HALEYWOOD Industries founder Ong Kim Chuan was never going to get into a price war with rival suppliers, preferring to differentiate his business through product quality and after-sales services.
Apr 28, 2010
Ad Planet rises to the challenge
FOR high-flying economist Adrian Tan, the challenge of starting a local advertising agency that would one day stack up against the international giants proved too hard to resist.
Apr 24, 2010
A man with designs on society
WHAT is the state of applied graphic design in Singapore, and where is the industry heading?
According to Chris Lee, the director of Asylum design and the man who has twice represented Singapore as a judge for the prestigious D&AD awards, the industry is strong, but needs to ensure it continues to be an important part of the country's economy.
Apr 21, 2010
Betting big on 'smart storage'
A QUIET sojourn in a coffee shop five years ago proved to be a eureka moment in the business life of Mr Sunder Mani.
Apr 14, 2010
R&D investment proves its worth for noodle maker
INSTANT noodle maker Tat Hui Foods was almost priced out of the market by cheaper suppliers 15 years ago.
Apr 1, 2010
Benefits of registering for GST
SHOULD I consider voluntary registration for GST?
Small and medium-sized businesses with less than $1 million annual turnover are not required by law to register for Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, there are benefits from registering for GST on a voluntary basis.
Mar 24, 2010
Going green tech for a bigger, better yield
CHEMICAL fertilisers have long replaced manure and other decaying organic materials to help farmers enhance soil fertility and crop yield.
Mar 17, 2010
Taking green idea into uncharted waters
ENVIRONMENTAL concerns had long been high on entrepreneur Matthew Tan's list of priorities, but his efforts to market a chemical-free water treatment system six years ago was met with an icy response from sceptics.
Mar 10, 2010
Making DNA testing faster, cheaper, easier
MEDICAL laboratories across the world were scrambling during the 2003 Sars outbreak to test genetic material in a bid to detect strains of the deadly virus.
Mar 3, 2010
Building 'model' homes for real
WHEN Mr Brian Kow was wooing his wife-to-be Judy, he used to build model houses to show her the sort of property they would live in once they were married.
Feb 28, 2010
Thiam Heng Motor grows from strength to strength
THIAM Heng Motor was established with an initial investment of $9,000. Mr Lee had only invested $3,000 personally. The company has evolved into one specialising in providing commercial vehicle rentals and sales with a fleet of more than 200 vehicles.
Feb 24, 2010
A recipe for success? Stick with chocolate
A STEP into the minimalist shop with pristine white tables and white walls offers few indications as to the sinful decadence that lies behind the counter.
Feb 14, 2010
Focusing on DIY due to technicians' shortage
MOST plumbers and electricians in the West earn sizeable incomes as there are fewer people who are willing to take up the profession. It can cost up to $100 just to get a technician to appear at your doorstep.
Feb 10, 2010
Ringing endorsement for tiny telephony firm
TELECOMMUNICATIONS is a fiercely competitive game with corporate giants dominating the landscape, but tiny Teliwave is giving the big boys a run for their money.
Feb 10, 2010
New magazine caters to SMEs
SINGAPORE's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) now have a magazine devoted to fighting their cause.
Feb 7, 2010
Forging ahead without fear
THE global financial crisis has shaken the business world. In particular, the freight-forwarding sector has been hard hit, as it relies heavily on trading activity.
Feb 3, 2010
Local aviation's High Flyers
THE word aviation conjures up lofty images of wide- bodied airliners, jetsetting travellers and the global acclaim for Changi Airport.
Jan 31, 2010
St Gregory Spa sets up China branches
EVEN though local spa care and fitness brand St Gregory Spa is a subsidiary of the listed Pan Pacific Hotels Group, its mode of management is that of a small and medium enterprise (SME).
Jan 27, 2010
Art and craft make for a lasting imprint
IT IS a warmly lit shop, stacked high with binders and books, a kaleidoscopic wonderland of every imaginable shade of colour known to man. It could only be Prints, a stationery treasure trove that means a lot more than the usual pens and paper.
Jan 25, 2010
Finding the balance between profits and ideals
GOOD health is the wellspring of happiness.
For local organic brown rice specialty store Sukha House, providing consumers with healthy food products has always been the company's management philosophy and its secret weapon against competition. It wants to promote a healthy lifestyle to all.
Jan 20, 2010
Stanchart's regional heads at SME talk
SENIOR bank executives from key emerging markets are in town to share their insights with bosses of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on what it takes to succeed overseas.
Jan 15, 2010
Scanteak is aiming for a Taiwan listing
Well-known Singapore furniture producer, Scanteak, has spent the last 14 years expanding its business in Taiwan, with the aim to eventually list the company on Taiwan's stock market. It's operations in Taiwan made around $60 million in 2009, making up about 85 per cent of the company's total revenue for the year.
Jan 13, 2010
Playgrounds 'R' Us
BUILDING a successful business has been child's play for Mr Jason Sim and his buddies Wayne Chua and Charles Tay.
Jan 11, 2010
90% of training cost subsidised by government
CRAFTS Precision Engineering & Tools, a local precision engineering company founded 25 years ago, made a decision to send its workers for training amidst the 2009 economic downturn to help them stay relevant as the company restructured.
The company sent its general manager Lin Guoqiang, who had worked in the company for four years, to Nanyang Polytechnic to enroll in a two-year part-time training programme starting from February last year.
Jan 6, 2010
Food trader has more on its plate
FOOD trading firm Ng Chye Mong was already a well-established business when Ms Nichol Ng joined its ranks in 2003.
Jan 4, 2010
Overcoming language barriers
IT IS not easy for any entrepreneur to establish a business overseas singlehandedly, much less a Chinese woman unfamiliar with Germany. Ms Ong Lay Bin overcame language barriers, cultural differences and health problems in working with her German partner to establish her business in the country, eventually expanding its operations back to her home country of Singapore.
Ms Ong established O&L Consultancy Services together with RCG Relocation in Munich when she was 29 years old.
Jan 4, 2010
Started a business in Munich despite not knowing German
IT IS not easy for any entrepreneur to establish a business overseas singlehandedly, much less a Chinese woman unfamiliar with Germany.
Ong Lay Bin overcame language barriers, cultural differences and health problems in working with her German partner to establish her business in the country, eventually expanding its operations back to her home country of Singapore.
Dec 30, 2009
Trailblazers who thrive in times of crisis
THE old business saying that you should never waste a crisis has practically become a mission statement for Kranji Auto & Machinery Trading.
Dec 28, 2009
Racing cars and selling 'bak kwa' together
FOR motor racing fans, Kevin Kwee is not an unfamiliar name. He is the son of Peter Kwee, who has been called the 'automotive king of Singapore'.
Mr Kwee, 39, started serving as executive director at his father's company Group Exklusiv at a young age. The group focuses mainly on leisure businesses, including cars, clubs and property development.
Dec 23, 2009
Happy staff the key to firm's success
WHEN his family firm was about to go belly-up, chief executive Erman Tan did not try the usual desperate tactics of new products or slashing costs.
Dec 21, 2009
Local renewable energy firm forges ahead
LOCAL innovative technology company Grenzone, founded in 2002, has been focusing on designing and manufacturing products that provide clean energy and improve energy efficiency.
Dec 16, 2009
Giving up iron rice bowl for steel trade
IT SEEMED like an uneven and highly risky trade at the time: an iron rice bowl for a leading role in a family steel business that had struggled at the start.
Dec 14, 2009
Taking business to greater heights
'I HAVE no regrets for the hardships I went through in the past because without those hardships, I would not be who I am today. I believe that it takes some setbacks along the way to create a successful entrepreneur,' says Motoring services firm Pinnacle International's CEO Valerie Tan.
Dec 10, 2009
US$5.5b for solar projects
WASHINGTON - THE World Bank announced on Wednesday US$5.5 billion (S$7.5 billion) would be invested in solar energy projects in five countries of the Middle East and North Africa in a bid to combat climate change.
Dec 9, 2009
SMEs urged to 'get inventive'
INNOVATION is crucial for small firms if they are to thrive in a global economy where product is king.
Dec 9, 2009
alldressedup and going places
BENEATH the alluring catwalk facade of immaculate models stylishly strutting their stuff lies a highly competitive industry that is relentless in its criticism of all those who dare enter.
Dec 6, 2009
Hard work leads to success
AFTER 20 years of hard work, Li Ya Hao, founder of Palace Shirts Manufacturer, managed to transform a relatively unknown garment factory into a renowned manufacturer of apparel.
One of the orders the company received this year was to make the shirts worn by the national leaders attending the APEC Summit in Singapore.
Dec 2, 2009
Hot players in the frozen meat industry
MR LIEW Yew Fah's elderly mother disapproves of his line of business.
Dec 2, 2009
Clients taking longer to pay bills, say SMEs
SOME small businesses are feeling the pinch even more than usual, with customers taking longer to pay their bills.
Nov 28, 2009
Savouring the taste of success
A CLOSE bond formed by a group of students while studying overseas has blossomed into one of the most successful restaurant chains in Singapore.
Nov 27, 2009
Keep learning, keep innovating
CANCER took away two of the most important men in her life but she did not surrender to the whims of fate. Instead, Jocelyn Chng, kept pushing herself, taking the family business she inherited to a whole new level.
Ms Chng, 42, is the managing director of Sin Hwa Dee, a leading sauce manufacturer in Singapore.
Nov 25, 2009
Warning on asset bubbles
SINGAPORE - THE post-crisis world economy faces new risks from investment bubbles that risk plunging millions back into poverty, according to World Bank chief Robert Zoellick.
Nov 22, 2009
Building a fashionable identity
THE global financial crisis has impacted to some degree on the European and American retail sectors and consumer sentiment and confidence offering a good opportunity for Singapore's fashion industry to move onto the international stage.
Nov 18, 2009
Turning IndoChine into a global brand
IF YOU were wondering what the Apec delegates got up to at night after long days wrestling with weighty matters of state, just ask Mr Michael Ma.
Nov 17, 2009
Designs on expansion
LOCAL interior design firm Grandwork Interior, which has bagged numerous awards in recent years, is seeking to continue to expand its operations in the hope of going public within the next two to three years.
The company has previously won the Singapore Prestige Brand Awards (SPBA) and Enterprise 50 Awards and was once again a winner at the Enterprise 50 Awards this year.
Nov 11, 2009
Happy to be yes-people
WHEN Singapore Management University graduate Anshul Jain needed cash to kick-start his business, he thought it was going to be a tall order getting investors to believe in his idea.
Nov 8, 2009
'Workaholic' succeeds in making a mark in e-commerce
MR LEONARD Tan, 30, the founder and managing director of PurpleClick Media Pte Ltd, winner of the Top LiveWIRE Award this year, is known for his go-getting attitude and keen vision both as an employee and an entrepreneur.
Mr Tan started working part-time to earn extra income as a student. He managed to make quite a lot of money by selling books online while pursuing his studies in the US. The amount of money was enough to cover for his tuition fees and living expenses. This was a testament of his business acumen. However, his hard-working spirit did not stop there. He also took up a part-time job as a waiter at a restaurant to earn additional income.
Nov 4, 2009
Pay bonanza from banks
NEW YORK - EIGHT major banks which were at the front of the line for government bailouts have already set aside US$117.6 billion (S$164.7 billion) this year to pay employees, almost as much as they paid in all of 2008, a Reuters analysis has found.
Nov 4, 2009
An arresting business plan
THE police could have nabbed Mr Leonard Tan but they let him slip.
And it proved to be a great loss for them, as he went on to become one of the most enterprising young entrepreneurs, with a string of awards to his name.
Nov 1, 2009
From brink of bankruptcy to expanding to foreign markets, local custom shirt maker CYC sets sights on Japan and Australia
IT MAY be unthinkable to its many customers, which include celebrities and well-known corporations, but local custom shirt maker CYC The Custom Shop had once confronted the possibility of bankruptcy in the 1990s.
Oct 28, 2009
Brushing up on branding to gear up for growth
INSTEAD of shelving expansion plans in the face of the recession, paint manufacturer Haruna Singapore is brushing up its marketing plans to take advantage of the recovery.
Oct 28, 2009
Tackling the business head on
BEING his own boss was always the game plan for fishing expert Lee Seng Shoy. And he did not have to cast too far a net to find his niche - he found it at his father's modest tackle shop in Beach Road.
But the former Anglo-Chinese School student soon found that taking over Chop Hong Guan in 1996 was not such a great catch.
Oct 26, 2009
S'pore shares end higher
SINGAPORE shares edged up 1.28 points, or 0.05 per cent to close at 2,716.62 on Monday.
Oct 25, 2009
Local architectural firm Akda Architects create success through substance with help from the 'Little Red Dot' brand
'WHEN in Rome, do as the Romans do!'
If investing in the Chinese market depends on one's in-depth knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, then Xu Chengchun, 44, director of local architectural design firm AKDA Architects, would not stand a chance. However, there are no absolutes in life. This architect, who hails from Penang, has never studied Mandarin in school before, but has apparently found another secret formula that helps to ensure that his business succeeds in China.
Oct 21, 2009
One store opens, another on the way
THE economic downturn has done little to dampen the business outlook of lifestyle and wellness services provider Mary Chia, judging by the firm's ambitious expansion plans.
Last Friday, the firm launched Mentsu, a Japanese-inspired concept store targeted at young professionals, managers, executives and businessmen, at the newly opened Tampines 1 shopping mall.
Oct 18, 2009
Entrepreneurship is a 'piece of cake'
THE recent economic crisis has brought about an entrepreneurial wave in Singapore. For Eddie Zhang, the 59-year-old founder of De Hygienique (Asia), entrepreneurship is a 'piece of cake'.
Oct 14, 2009
I am Legend
MR RANDY Chua's life reads like a classic rags-to-riches story.
The 41-year-old has risen from being a humble security officer to become the chief executive officer of a multimillion-dollar security firm.
Oct 12, 2009
Philips Q3 net profit triples
AMSTERDAM - ROYAL Philips Electronics NV has reported a net profit of 174 million euros (S$348 million) for the third quarter, triple the depressed levels of a year ago, crediting earlier cost cutting measures.
Oct 11, 2009
How 3 companies built up their strengths
The main business of OSIM, which was incorporated in 1990, involves the marketing of health-related equipment. Its operations are spread across the globe. Besides Singapore, OSIM has over 1,000 branches in 31 countries and territories including Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US and the Middle East.
Oct 7, 2009
Designing for the future
SMALL and medium-sized enterprises should start focusing on their customers as valuable sources of information who can help them predict market trends.
Design expert Richard Kelly, Asia Pacific managing director of innovation consultants IDEO, says tapping such a source can pay considerable benefits.
Oct 4, 2009
From 'satisfying needs' to 'satisfying wants'
VINCENT Tan Chor Khoon, managing director of Singapore-listed F&B operator Select Group, has no favourite dish even after more than ten years in the food industry. Nevertheless, he admits that he 'brings his work with him' to every meal he eats.
He said: 'When I first started the business, my focus was on food that 'satisfies the stomach'. I would go and try dishes different from what we were offering, such as zi-char dishes from hawker stalls, in order to understand more about my competitors and what customers want. Nowadays, we tend to focus more on food that 'satisfies one's desires'.
Sep 30, 2009
Bodynits shapes up for upturn
LOCAL sportswear manufacturer Bodynits is riding out the global recession by investing in itself - getting into top shape like an athlete readying for the next race.
Sep 30, 2009
Value meals for 25,000 every day
MR DAVID Tan, 47, started out running small snack bars in local supermarkets 21 years back.
Sep 30, 2009
Sep 30, 2009
Here, there and everywhere
LOCALLY listed communications company Kingsmen Creatives is building itself an impressive presence across the region.
Sep 27, 2009
Transforming family-owned business to modern enterprise
TRADITIONAL Chinese businesses are usually family-run and passed down from generation to generation.
The traditional Chinese medicine industry is one of the most old-fashioned but a daughter-in-law has taken over the herbal oil business of her father-in-law and implemented modern management methods to transform the company.
Sep 23, 2009
Courier king pledges to keep zero-layoff record
SINGAPORE'S courier king V.S. Kumar is still delivering strong business results - with fresh branding, state-of-the-art online customer services and plans to expand abroad.
Sep 23, 2009
Furniture firm sitting pretty now
FURNITURE trader Raymond Toh, 39, still remembers the sweet satisfaction of earning his keep after selling chocolate wafers for the first time.
Sep 20, 2009
Playing around with success
A GROUP of youngsters who had just left school founded Playpoint in 2000 when the dot-com bubble was about to burst.
Sep 18, 2009
Goldman to sell Sanyo stake
TOKYO - WALL Street giant Goldman Sachs said Friday that it had agreed to sell a 15.7 per cent stake in troubled Sanyo Electric to Panasonic Corp for about 126 billion yen (S$1.98 billion).
Sep 16, 2009
Change in strategy goes well for Dynaforce
IT'S useful that Ms Annie Sun sells fitness equipment, given the arduous and at times rocky road that she has trekked to get to her high-flying job here.
There is the journey itself - she was born in China, and raised and educated in Australia before she moved here in 2001 - as well as the many twists and turns she has encountered on the career path.
Sep 14, 2009
Merging mobile operations
TOKYO - JAPANESE high-tech makers NEC Corp, Hitachi Ltd and Casio Computer Co said on Monday that they had agreed to merge their mobile phone businesses in a bid to improve profitability.
Sep 14, 2009
More firms getting flexible
MORE local companies have begun to realise the importance of adopting flexible work arrangements and promoting work-life balance.
Sep 13, 2009
More companies adopting flexible work system
MORE local companies have begun to realise the importance of adopting flexible work arrangements and promoting work-life balance.
Sep 9, 2009
The brand master
NOT many people would know much about Mr Luke Lim or the company he founded in 2001.
