Friday, July 30

Virtual Office Solutions (Singapore)


We have finally re-launched our VIRTUAL OFFICE  solutions in Singapore giving you more reasons to sign up with us. Our objective is to create more value for our clients. At Paramount Assets Corporation, we don't tell you we are the best. What we do is to indetify the problems and give you solutions to it.

Reasons for choosing us....

Not all businesses are suitable to have a Central Business District (CBD) registered address; in the bid to enhance the image of your business, it may totally backfire on you.

We have noticed most if not all of the virtual offices’ addresses are exposed. It is so easily available online simply by typing the address on search engines which can hurt your business image. We do not expose any of our business registered address.

Our virtual offices are currently located in Bukit Batok and we are expanding more for you to choose from. Each of our virtual office business address has a quota to limit the number of registrants who can use our address as the last thing we want is to have the whole street of business owners exchanging name cards having the same business address.

We do not open any of our client’s letters or parcels to preserve the integrity of its contents while we have the experience to eliminate most if not all the advertisements send to you so you don't get junk mails. Mails forwarding are done on the same day we received it and a notification is send to keep you informed.

With our low-cost mail transfer service, you never have to worry where our offices are located. Our clients love it as it’s cheaper than a bus ride and they capitalize on it to save time, money and hassle.

Our clients can have a peace of mind signing up our packages. For any reasons, you have 7 days to change your mind; however we will ask for the reason because we care.

To cater to different business needs, we specially designed 4 different virtual office packages. We also have a series of comprehensive in-house corporate solutions that is fundamental to all businesses at fabulous prices to enhance your competitiveness.

Last but not least, the extravagant furnishing of our offices tells you we are very serious in our business. We put our money where our mouth is. We own every property that is listed on our website and you never have to worry if we will be asked to move and affect your business operation. Even if you have a change of business address within our virtual offices, we can still do an internal mail transfer for you. Your mails will never go missing just because you change your business address.

Do you really need another reason ?

Thursday, April 22

What about BRANDING?


If you believe driving a Mercedes will bring you prestige, you believe in branding.

Entrepreneurs must realise the importance of Branding and work towards building a brand, a brand that brings you pride and glory. It is not only a company growth, it is your personal growth as now you will be able to visualise from a broader perspective.
We classify businesses into 3 major group below.

Start-up company:

Usually the reason given is they have limited resources and they are not willing to spend on an intangible asset. There are some people who believe in making themselves to look presentable but refuse to believe that their company has the same needs.

Traditional Businessman

Branding is not a popular option for traditional businessman. These are the people generally believes in building their businesses by

• Competitive pricing and personal services

• Establishing long working relationship

• Entertaining clients

It is difficult to pass on your successor for the obvious reason. Your clients may be replaced if they are employees. Their successors may have other ideas. There are just too many reasons to get your replaced.

MNCs or Larger SMEs

Generally, these are the companies who are willing to allocate a portion of their resources on branding as they feel this is to differentiate them from the rest. They didn't stop growing and branding themselves to capture a bigger market share. That is the reason today, they are MNCs and larger SMEs.

In a free market, no products or services are exclusively for any proprietor. Anyone can find a replacement product or sell the same service as you do. How do you stand out from the rest of the thousands of proprietors who are selling the same product or service?

More commonly than common, price war is imminent. You just have to imagine during a bidding session, so many hands raising to outbid the other party to offer a lower price. Next will be a series of cost cutting approach as to balance up the deficit in the lower profit margin. Everyone knows this but not everyone UNDERSTANDS how to apply it effectively. If a cost cutting strategy affects the quality of the services or products, this is no different from suicide.

Having a price war has an adverse effect in  the long run. In the situation when operational cost increased, raw material cost increased (These are constantly increasing), maintaining the business will be more challenging as profit margins are even lower. A low margin profit will post a higher risk for businss owners as there are very little rooms for set backs. If cost cutting is not a fessible option, then BRANDING is the answer to it.

I would relate BRANDING as dressing up. We all know we need to dress up appropriately to project the right image. We use certain products to make us stand out from the rest, to make us more superior than the rest. If we drive a Mercedes, speak good english, we are percieved as the richer and more educated group. If we dress up as a factory worker, we are percieved as a factory worker. I certainly have no intention to put anyone down but this is all human perception. For all we know, he may be a millionaire in disguise but when human perception is at work, you can't really think straight.

BRANDING is dressing up the company. It is a form of indentification, a form of differeniation. In short, Branding is what makes you, You! It separates you from the crowd and makes you stand out. It defines the distinctiveness of your services and products. It is how you are percieved by others.

When shopping for a pair of Jeans, you may hear your friends saying, you can't go wrong with Levis. They have been consistent in the quality of their products, designs, creativity and aftersales service to be the market leader. This is strongly percieved in the minds of the consumers. This is the kind of message you want your BRAND sends to all your customers. It makes fall in love with it, it makes you think you MUST have it and lastly, it makes you pay a premium for it.

For these reasons you need to protect your newfound identity by making sure you are consistent in what you produce, there is no glitch in your service level, communication, emails, phone call, client's visit, an event or an experience with your company( there are so many more examples). Training and educating your employees, your business partner (especially those who outsource some parts of their operation to other proprietors) is important. Everyone relating to your company is equally important as your customer do not differeriate you as a receptionist, a director, a product or services. A receptionist is as important as a director. They look at you as a whole.  It is exactly like how men evaluate the opposite sex. They don't just evaluate a lady is pretty by just looking at just the mouth, nose or eyes. The same goes to the ladies because we are all human.

Branding not only comprises of how you handle your clients/consumers, on a broader spectrum, you should also consider how you behave towards a supplier. It's naive to think that because you can get away abusing your suppliers simply because you are giving them business. It's just irrational to create a "I am good guy image" and on the other hand you turn into a psychotic monster.

Branding is huge because it is more than a logo, products or services, it encompasses so many areas. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time to build a brand. A brand is an unspoken guarantee, an assurance of its quality, services and it's commitment to the community, to it's users. Once you have build a brand, it is more challenging to be replaced by other companies. Without one, you just like any other Tom, Dick or Harry. You have an identity but just that nobody knows you.

This reminds me of a story.....
A thief wanted to break into a house, he is afraid of waking up the occupants in the house. After thinking really hard, he stuff cotton bud on each side of his ears. Smiling to himself for this smart idea, he broke into the house believing if he couldn't hear a sound, the occupants won't be able to hear him too. What happens to him? No prize for the right answer. A fool believes in what he wants to believe in.

It is foolish to believe the consumers may think otherwise when Branding has been a proven success. If you haven't start branding your company. It is high time you spend some time to think about it. Consumers are getting smarter and smarter, all thanks to Education and the poliferation of Internet.

Sunday, April 18

Pampering Your Company


Some people will take a long time to learn this, some misunderstood it.
Some know it, some refuse to acknowledge. Not acknowledging it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist………

Read on to understand the misunderstood..................'

My business doesn’t need image, it’s too small is the most common rationale which really baffle us. We always thought precisely the market is not familiar with your company that is why you need to enhance your company’s image to give your prospective client the confidence.

Things you think you do not need

• A proper company logo (that reflects your business)

• A proper business email and domain (Ahbeng@Yahoo.com.sg)

• A good quality and well designed business card ( This reflect your company's image, especially those who do not know you personally but has your business card)

• A proper business address ( You probably think an air-condition servicing firm will looks good with a CBD address or a home address will suit your business needs for those operating from home)

• A proper business website (We have seen too many company with template website, don't do something for the sake of doing. If you don't think other company's template website look good, that's what others think of your template website too.)

• A proper work place ( If you are going to work in there at least 8 hrs a day, make sure the work place brings you positive energy and stick with those with proper office management, it saves you a lot of trouble when things starts to go wrong)

• Working with Professionals (My friend can do this for me, my friend can do that for me, when things goes wrong, it's all my friend's fault. Costing cost down is not wrong but you have to know how to do it the right way and you have to remember it is your business and not your friend's)

Things you think you need

• A luxurious car ( Anything that don't add value to your business, you should be better off with any mid-range Toyota unless you have loads of spare cash, otherwise it is just for your personal vanity)

• Another branded handbag (You probably just need one if you are concern with your personal image, you could do much more branding your company with the price of another handbag)

• A $500 pen ( A $100 pen should do the same trick as your $500 pen, I would rather spent the extra cash on a nice, catchy mobile number or office number, at least it is easier to remember and makes your name card looks smarter)

• A bigger house (A bigger house comes with higher loans repayment, these higher repayments can have better use if you don't need to have a bigger house)

I would liken a company to cow. Everyone knows a cow produces milk and milk can be sold for money. As much as you may like to believe they magically produce a lot of milk under the worst environment, unfortunately, like all living things, they need proper care, proper housing, proper food and clean water.

Getting the right nutrients and proper care, they generally produce more milk and these directly translate into more profits for the owner. You couldn't be expecting to keep milking the cows without giving them food and shelter. To encourage better yield, you may have to invest a better shelter so that they don't fall sick, not forgetting proper care and better diet.

A company works the same way. When are ask to spend some money on your company like re-designing your logo, reprinting your name cards to better quality cards, a new website, upgrading to a better workplace, it terrifying to know that most people think otherwise! It's obscene to know that when it comes to pampering yourself, you are more than willing. You have forgotten that it is your company that brings you to have that extra cash to pamper yourself, sustaining your monthly household expenses. For some it may even allow you to buy those Rolex watches, those Gucci bags and of course that Mercedes.

When a prospective client don't know you, it is likely they evaluate you through your name card, your business website and the experience they encounter when they visit you. It is unlikely they evaluate you through the car you drive, the watch you wear or the handbag you carry. If you have all the right ingredients, you should be under their top priority consideration even you are charging at a slight premium.

We all know the saying don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Do everything right the first time and you don't have to spend extra money rectifying it. All our clients understand this, do you?

Friday, March 19

Punctuality


Ever had the thought of showing up slightly later than the appointment time because you think :

• The other party may be late

• It's okay to be late

• I do not want to wait for the other party

If you are guilty of any of the above, you may want to do some self-reflection after reading the following.
In Singapore context, when two parties fixed an appointment to meet, the party playing the role of the consumer assumed the rights to be late because he/she may be giving you a business.

We are constantly puzzled by people who fixed an appointment and cannot be there at the stipulated time and date. In order for the society to progress, the people must change, the mindset must change. If time is precious to you, it is so everyone too.

You couldn't be expecting your potential clients to be on time and you are late for an appointment when you are a potential client to someone else.

There is a high influx of foreign entrepreneurs in Singapore. Some of them are from countries that are very precise in the time. You certainly don't expect to fare too well with these entrepreneurs if you don’t have the habit of keeping track of time. It relates a lot on your responsibility, self-respect and respect for others.

We have our fair share of people who are late for an hour, 2 hours, 3 hours; some never had the intention of turning up, and we also have people who turn up a few days later. You may think it is funny but I can tell you it is not when you are waiting for these people.

Especially the recent years, we have provided support to a few of MNCs and foreign entities coming over to set up Rep Office and branches. Being punctual for appointments and on time delivery, it gives them more confidence to entrust greater responsibilities to us. We are also impressed by their working culture, every employees are punctual. Punctuality doesn't mean being early, it means being at the place at the stipulated time. It some countries, if you are early, you are still not punctual. I personally feel we still are far from this.

Let's cut out the bad habit.

Saturday, February 27

Wednesday, February 10

Competition gone wrong!


How do you response when someone asks you what business are you in? Shiver? Stammer? Hesitate? Errrr.........then push this question to another person??? You don't have to be a genious to know that person must have something to hide and is caught off guard.

Story begins....

A lady called to ask for a viewing appointment and came to our boutique office. 3 of them came, a couple in their 40s and a younger chap came over. As we spoken earlier in the Feng Shui article, some people are more sensitive. The moment they step in, I caught an strange feeling. I stop my work immediately, walk out of my office and saw my colleague serving 3 person. Particularly that lady, is emitting out a strange "Qi" or what we call aura. Aura is like a smell, if you have the right vibes, you smell like perfume, if not it's fermented toufu.

Observation is a fundamental feature to determine your Feng Shui as what we discuss earlier. You just need to observe their behavior carefully, each action, response and expression drops you a hint, piece them together and you will get the whole story. Never go against this theory, words can deceptive but actions don't lie. The wily tail of the sly fox will show, if you pay due observance to their strings of leery actions and questions.

After establishing their intention, I approach the woman to ask for name card, my colleague cut in inadvertently and ask for their trade before I can do that. Have you seen chickens jump before? That's what we saw. This simple question send them into frenzy panic-mode and that lady is dumb enough to re-direct this question to this inexperienced chap in his 30s who happen to be their Interior "Designer" or affectionately known as COPYCAT. This chap had made a joke out of his own career by doing that. You don't call yourself a designer if you can't conceptualise. It's may not be his wish to tag along but as a designer, you really need to learn how to respect yourself. The other thing I cannot understand is why they engage a designer who cannot conceptualise, why not bring a contractor instead? It's cheaper and anytime you miss out something, our doorbell is always there.

The moment they knew they have been caught, I was treated to a intimidating stare by the woman. I didn't know what was that for. I could have ask them politely to "GET OUT". After 5 seconds of that, her 360° transformation shocked me. I guess she finally realised we didn't ask to be spied on. She make a quick attempted to get out of the embarrassing situation by putting on her most pretentious smile and claimed they are entrepreneurs and they still haven't decide what business to do and I could join them for coffee. They are interested in anything that makes money. No prize for guessing I didn't want to be associated with such people. Is Entrepreneurship is all about making money? That's simply superficial. It's about achieving the standards set and monetary benefits should be considered part of the package for doing your job well. I still remember clearly when we first started, we WANT to change what we dislike in the leasing industry and certainly not because we found a brilliant idea to replicate.

What amazed me is their lack of knowledge in basic Telco equipments like phone system. Based on their questions, chances are they haven't use one before. B2C business model is different from B2B business model largely by B2B customer requirements are more unforgiving for mistakes. You need to be really sure of what you are doing or you are just messing up other peoples' businesses. There are still a lot of technical knowledge required other than counting money. Of course one may argue everyone has to start somewhere. When we first started, businesses are still using 256 Kb internet broadband, now the fastest is 10 Mpbs. Considering the pace of business in today's context, there is no longer room for mistakes.

The other thing I find peculiar is our boutique office appears to fascinate them so much; their uninhibited excitement on their faces is exceptionally amusing. They simply couldn't stop poking their fingers at every corner. We couldn't understand why.

We also couldn't understand why they have to barge unexpectedly into our tenant's office suite when we told them it's tenanted. It gave our tenant a pretty rude shock. Usually if that is unintentional, an apology is expected. It's a shame that these self-proclaimed "Entrepreneurs" didn't even have the basic courtesy. I presume these "entrepreneurs" still have a lot more to learn.

Business is not about sniffing out one's ass. Not that we are afraid of competition but to bring a designer with the intent of copying is just so disgusting. I believe all business owners will not want their brainchild to be copied and replicated it without "contents". A computer cannot function without software.

An entrepreneur is someone who assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. An entrepreneur is also someone who observes his/her own conduct and possesses leadership, management ability, and team-building as essential qualities. I wrote this welcome message to encourage all Entrepreneurs. We recognize the adversity of all Entrepreneurs and have respect for all them. Not everyone in business is an entrepreneur and not everyone who call themselves entrepreneurs are true blue entrepreneurs.

Usually, we don't blog about such thing; they are not the first and certainly won't be the last. We decided to blog this because they are most underhanded.


Thursday, February 4

Feng Shui For Business

Feng shui is part of an ancient Chinese philosophy. Feng shui is a form of geomancy, divination by geographic features, but it is mainly concerned with understanding the relationships between nature and ourselves so that we might live in harmony within our environment.

We have encounter some people who brought their Geomancer AKA Feng Shui Master to audit our offices. For harmony and mutual respect, we would appreciate we are informed of such visits. We have something to share about what we think of Feng Shui too.
Nope, we are not going into anything superstitious. We will be revealing what has brought us good "Feng Shui" for so many good years. We have been doing very well for many years and certainly want to have many more good years.

Disclaimer : It may not work for you as it works for us.

Before we go into that, We seriously feel that we should get a free audit if you are bringing in a Geomancer to see if we will continue to do well. We have to do well in order not to affect your business. Agree?

The Secret

1 . The "Qi" of our offices or better known as vibes has always been good. This is what attracted good tenants and bad tenants. It is your judgement to select the right tenant and turn away the bad ones. ( It's easier said than done, especially at a time like this, we have been put to many tests.)

2. The people managing the place is great importance. We encountered some proprietors who call themselves Entrepreneurs, they are so sneaky that they brought their interiors designers and ask alot of sensitive questions. You certainly do not want to be associated with such people. If an Entrepreneur cannot be upright and has to resort to sneaky means, what makes you think your deposit is safe? What makes you think that this sneaky mindset will not be used against you? Even if the Fengshui is good for you, you don't even need to consider.

3. Sincerity. If you believe, humans can feel each other. Do this experiment, if someone close to you or you know very well step in, you will be able to feel the mood of the person. Some people are more sensitive, they can feel anyone. Actually how we discovered the sneaky proprietors is through this feel. The moment they step in, they emitted a bad feeling, like a suspicious character. You just need to catch this feel and observe carefully. You should get enough signals to determine. It's not a 1-way road, whether it's the Landlord or the Renter, both parties need to be sincere.

4. Observation. If you observe a person long enough or how to company is projecting themselves, you can evaluate a person or a business easily. Through the first face to face encounter, you have to observe if the person is a serviced oriented person if service is what you are looking for.

In a good working environment where you can have a peace of mind to concentrate building up your career and the Landlord has good faith in the renter to keep the property in good condition, more time and effort can be spend on improving the services and watching out for each other instead of keeping a close tab on each other. This is what it means by Harmony breeds prosperity.

These are some effective Feng Shui tips we use faithfully and it has work well for us. Nonetheless, we hope you find your set of good Feng Shui guidance to bring prosperity to your business. Paramount Assets Corporation take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and prosperous lunar new year.