Transporting shipments from one place to another, whether it’s to import or export goods, is something more than just the shipment, the transport carrier, and the destination – it’s also about how you handle the relationships between them.

This is where a freight forwarding service comes in to make sure your goods are delivered on time while still in good condition.

These are the benefits you can get by choosing a forwarding service for your cargo:

1. Consolidation

With a freight forwarder, you can organise shipment after shipment for your business faster and more easily.
The biggest reason why hiring a transport coordinator for global delivery is cheaper in Singapore is because of cargo consolidation—a type of cargo handling process that lets the freight forwarder combine many smaller deliveries into one large shipment.

This way, cargo is delivered much faster and more cheaply because they are done so “in bulk”, to some extent. If the size of your goods is particularly large, you might just end up paying less in your shipping fees.

2. Insurance

This is one thing you won’t be able to get when you try to approach the shipping company yourself. However, you can easily get this with a freight forwarder.

When it comes to both local and international freight, not only do you have minimal control over have your goods, but the transportation carrier ferrying your shipment may also encounter all kinds of factors that could result in the loss or damage of your cargo.

With a proper logistics service, not only will your cargo be delivered on time but also insured in case of any loss or damage during transportation.

3. Better Documentation

To forward shipment by sea from Singapore is one of the complicated shipping methods you can run into, because of the extensive travel time and the amount of logistics behind it. Plus, proper, extensive documentation can be quite confusing if you don’t know the ropes of how the shipping industry works. Thankfully, your freight forwarding agent will not only take care of your forward shipment by sea, but also the important documents that come along with it, such as the bill of lading.

Freight forwarding services make sure that the paperwork for your cargo is updated and that the different customs fees and requirements are met so that it can reach its destination through the different ports and routes that transport carriers may stop in between.

4. Cost Savings

If there is one thing that you should keep in mind, it’s that hiring a cargo forwarder for your goods will save you a lot of money.

In the world of trade, being able to negotiate everything from prices to shipping routes to temporary warehouse storage is crucial if you want your cargo to be transported to and from Singapore quickly and efficiently. Working with a reliable logistics management allows you to save money from every aspect of your shipment and ensures that your goods will arrive safely and will be stored in a secluded and safe warehouse without costing you much.

With both extensive experience and relationships with air freight and sea freight shipping companies under their belt, forwarders are sure to give you the best discounts and rates that will save you more than you would on your own.

But more importantly, freight forwarding offers you the most valuable resource that’s impossible to buy: time.

What are you waiting for? Schedule an appointment today!

(Disclaimer: this list is compiled in no particular order.)

An effective customer relationship management is one of the keys to a successful business, but you do not need to stick to traditional tools and processes to make it work. With the help of a CRM system, your staff can do better business with sophisticated tools for generating sales reports and improve the overall account management.

These are the pros of using automated sales management tools.

• Better Communication. A CRM system, such as the cloud CRM, can improve communication within any company of any size and type. Even startup companies in Singapore can now provide the best client relations solutions that will rival even that of large corporations. All the employees will have access to the same accurate data and consumer contacts to manage prospects. After all, good communication starts within an organization.

• Excellent Customer Service. A CRM software for your business in Singapore will serve as a solution for organizing consumer information. Whenever a customer calls one of the members of your sales management team, related information and the history of purchases and services availed by the caller can be accessed through the customer database software in just a matter of seconds. The records will also include past issues that might help resolve the current concern of the client.

• Data Organization. The best customer relationship management process involves a detailed identification, documentation, and recording of interactions with customers and clients. Your sales tracking team will have an easier task in providing the best possible positive experience for the customers because of a sophisticated tool that streamlines the process. Accuracy is key when it comes to categorizing and quantifying various data and that is only possible with the best CRM software in Singapore.

• Better Reporting and Analysis. Miscalculations and inaccuracy can hurt sales, but with the help of client managing solution, generating sales reports takes only a few seconds because it has various tools that will enable automatic reports. The sales team can even view important data through the customizable dashboard of the cloud CRM, allowing them more time to focus on other important tasks.

• Upselling and Cross-Selling. Loyal customers might also be interested in services and/or goods that fall within the same category of the services and/or goods they have purchased. The sales management team can also use enterprise resource planning or ERP software to sell these complementary merchandises.

• Task Automation. Manual recording and organization of customer information can take up time and resources that are better used for other tasks. Although there are programs that can make data gathering easy, it is designed for the specific purpose of simplifying the task of the lead management team because it already anticipates what is needed. Closing sales with potential customers need various smaller tasks that can be completed without having to worry if the sales team has the right data or not. With a CRM software, it’s just one click away.

• Increase Revenues. The more sales leads are pursued, the better are the chances of increasing customer revenues. With consumer info organization, it is easy to create a profile of potential customers or clients who might be interested in your services and/or merchandise. The sales management tools simplify the task in searching for prospects and leads.

In a highly competitive environment, every company working towards growth would eventually start looking into ways to extend their brand, whether it’s to cover more products, services, or even to reach a wider audience.

There are a lot of advantages you can get with brand extension for your business in Singapore. Not only will it be less costly for your launching campaign, but you also cut down on costs for your labeling and packaging.

Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to advance your branding successfully:

1. Keep your product line consistent.

You want your products to stay consistent with your brand, so your audience will still be able to remember and associate your name with your products. You can do this by expanding your brand to include products similar to the ones you already market.

However, consistency with your product line also means that you get to widen your platform in new and creative ways. It becomes a matter of proper planning—and perhaps a little bit of luck.

2. Transfer a component.

Brands can also find success expanding when they take a certain component that’s already closely associated with it and proceed to expand there.

With component transferring in brand extension, you position yourself in a way that lets you to fill a certain niche in the market. You might be surprised that it can cater to a surprising amount, and your extension can even draw in more consumers.

3. Make sure your brand is registered.

One of the best ways on how to stop branding theft is to register your trade mark here in Singapore. This crucial step allows you to protect your brand and make sure that no competitors would infringe your intellectual property rights. Contact a business name registry company to know more about the different plans and coverage available.

With trademark registration, not only do you have the full protection that allows you to explore your brand, but you also have access to other features of a fully-owned brand name that you otherwise wouldn’t.

To register trademark, find out first whether your mark isn’t owned yet by doing a quick search at the brand name registry.
Having a registered mark basically gives you full control. Once your intellectual assets are certified through brand indexing, your assets become properties that you can take full advantage of to advance your business.

Advancing Your Brand with Copyright Registration

The best part about trademark registration in Singapore is that it’s easy and economical to create a TM. In fact, the cost of filing a trademark is quite affordable than expected, considering the scope of protection that your brand can enjoy for an extensive span of time.

Start off your trademark application with a thorough trade mark search of the logo or name you wish to legally enlist. Then, get in touch with a registration company for a step-by-step guide and to get a full list of the requirements you need to comply for your brand application.

A company that will constantly need logistics services to transport its goods from the suppliers and to its customers is familiar with the problems of finding the right shipping company, which mode of transportation is appropriate for the goods, documentation and fees for both local freight and international freight, the regulations set forth by Customs, and the laws on importation and exportation.

Add to that the problem of transporting sensitive cargo or perishable goods that need to be delivered on time and in good condition. These setbacks can cause extra charges and even cancelations, not a good record for your company.

What should you look for in freight forwarding services in Singapore to minimize the transportation and logistics services problems?

What a Freight Forwarder Can Do for You

A logistics company not only provides or look for transportation services for your goods, but they essentially perform these five basic tasks regardless if you need to send or receive the goods in Singapore or overseas:

1. Special Handling. The freight forwarder should be able to handle sensitive, oversized or dangerous goods properly and assist you in its documentation.

2. Storage. Some goods will need temporary storage before they can be transported, but this should be provided by the shipping company.

3. Packaging. The best logistics company like http://www.freightmaster.sg/ in Singapore should be able to anticipate if some of the goods need special packaging for safe transportation.

4. Customs Clearance. The freight forwarder services in Singapore can assist you in the document processing, Customs clearance, miscellaneous paperwork, and fees for freight forwarding and transportation.

5. Inventory Management. Multiple cargo should be handled in an organized manner by an experienced logistics company in Singapore, whether it’s from the point of origin or at its destination.

Modern freight forwarders, however, can do more than these, so ask for a list of services that a freight forwarder offers.

Some companies also need special arrangements for transportation, whether you need air freight or sea freight, to transport your goods by local freight or by international freight. If you have a logistics staff in your business, they should be able to determine if the freight forwarding services will meet your needs; such as determining the type of trade you want performed (door to door, door to port or vice versa, and port to port); ability to handle special requirements for a competitive price; your intended budget versus the rate and the premium charges of globally-competitive freight forwarders; and your expectations in terms of the speed and service level of freight forwarding.

Benefits of a Freight Forwarder Services

Freight forwarding can help your business transport your merchandise safely, whether you’re an importer or an exporter. Among the numerous benefits are the following:

1. The merchandise will be delivered on time and in good condition, because the freight forwarder is an expert in the transportation of goods.

2. The shipping company has an insurance and risk assessment and management in case your merchandise is lost or damaged, making it easier for your company to recover, although these incidents are rare.

3. Freight forwarding services can provide you with a way to track your merchandise anytime, anywhere.

4. You don’t need to worry about transporting goods through special requests, because most freight forwarding companies accept customized cargo arrangements.

5. Fewer headaches when it comes to documentation, because the logistics company is an expert in local freight, international freight, Customs clearances and permits, and transportation.

You need to understand, however, that the freight forwarder is not the party that will transport your merchandise, but they will act as your agents to negotiate which carriers, whether you need sea freight or air freight, can provide you what you need. They are your negotiators who will handle everything from documentation to warehousing to insurance.

What to Look for in a Freight Forwarder

Each business that needs to transport its goods has a different expectation when it comes to freight forwarding. Some clients might want the logistics company to take a product from one point to another, but there are industries that have special needs and special cargo.

Ask yourself before contacting the freight forwarding services if they can handle any type of problem from any type of business or industry. Moreover, you need to ask the following questions when choosing which freight forwarder in Singapore is the right one for you.

1. Can the freight forwarding services handle the type of goods you want transported or do they handle only specific or special items?

2. Is the freight forwarder affiliated with various global businesses other logistics services? Do they have overseas agents? Can they find alternative options for transportation during the peak seasons?

3. Is the freight forwarder financially stable? Do they have a good reputation among the customers?

4. Can the freight forwarder provide you with the right information and document you need as soon as possible?

5. Do they have cargo insurance?

6. Are they able to secure competitive prices for air freight, trucking, and sea freight?

7. Is their communication level satisfactory?

Research about the services of the different logistics services online or ask for recommendations from other businesses or companies that have had experience with a freight forwarder. Don’t forget to look for reviews of present and past customers and what type of problems the logistics company runs into and how these are resolved.

Lastly, you need to know the basic rules of international transportation, the free trade zones, importing and exporting laws and requirements, Customs clearance requirements, list of permits, the list of dangerous and prohibited goods, warehousing, penalties and common offences, and documentation. Singapore Customs has a list of all the requirements for importation and exportation, as well as a best practice guide to avoid the penalties.

You don’t have to be an expert in these, but knowing what you’re getting from your freight forwarder can help you decide what’s good for your business.

In this day and age, you’d think that everyone has mastered the art of writing emails. Well, you’re wrong. The truth is, most people still get confused between personal and professional emails. Such confusion, while fairly understandable, is still unacceptable in the professional world. So whether you’re applying for a job, or just writing an email for business-related communications, following these tips will ensure that you give your mails the professional touch it needs.

1. Be Descriptive With Your Subject Line

Since we’re all coping with cluttered inboxes every day, ensure that your subject line conveys exactly what your whole message is about – especially in a professional setting, where the person on the receiving end can be insanely busy.

Be as descriptive as possible in writing your subject line. Something as vague like: “Thought you’d like this” works fine if you’re passing a helpful article to a friend. But something as detailed as “Great article for networking” is better for your professional contact.

2. Use the Traditional Greeting and Signoff Components

We understand that you want to keep your email as brief and direct as possible, but there’s no need to eliminate the traditionalcomponents – greeting and signoff – just to write a concise email. The greeting and signoff is what ties your whole message together, and maintains a certain level of professionalism.

Whether you want to use something more conversational or go with a super formal greeting is completely up to you. The important part is you include these standard elements into your emails.

3. Ditch Emoji’s and Shorthand’s

Although the two forms of communication became remarkably similar, understand that emailing is still not the same as texting. This means completely skipping shorthand’s and acronyms like OMG and LOL, and using complete phrases like “That’s so funny” or “Wow” to get your point across in a more polished and professional way.

4. Proofread Your Emails Before Sending

It goes without saying, but we’ll remind you again to proofread your mails before sending it. Check for typos and grammatical errors, and ensure that you correctly spelled all the proper nouns. Also, don’t neglect to check your recipient’s email address (you’d want to make sure you’re emailing the right person) and the subject line.

5. Respond Promptly

When it comes to responding to professional emails, make it your goal to reply on time – typically within one business day. Even if you can’t produce a detailed reply in that span of time, you should at least let the sender know that you received his or her message, and you’re working on it.

However, don’t sacrifice the quality of your reply for speed. You wouldn’t want to send a reply too quickly that you neglect crafting a beneficial and thoughtful response. Remember, people won’t be happy to receive a reply that fails to answer all of their questions.

We’re all chained to our inboxes, so who can blame us if we let our email etiquette slide a bit? When it comes to career- and work-related emails, however, it’s crucial that you do your best to be as professional as possible. Put the aforementioned tips to work, and you’re sure to craft professional emails in no time.

As a platform dedicated to networking concept, LinkedIn is an undeniably powerful tool for boosting your professional reputation and making new connections. Sadly, it’s a social networking site that most people fail to put much interest and effort into. But if you’re willing to give the account a chance, we’ve got you covered. Here are six tips you need to know to leverage the power of LinkedIn, and get the most out of the account you used to ignore.

1. Frequently Update Your Profile

Before you start making the most out of LinkedIn, you’ll want to make sure that your profile is in its pristine form. After all, you’d want your new connections to see the most updated and accurate portrayal of your knowledge and skills.

Instead of plainly writing down the university where you graduated or the number of years you’ve been in the working world, tune up your profile by switching out your photo to a more recent one, adding new positions and job descriptions that adequately captures your duties, and adding some personality to it. Lastly, put in some little elbow into re-writing your summary. Also, make it a habit to read through your profile every now and then to double-check if everything’s still accurate, as well as to add new career developments to it.

2. Use the “Who’s Viewed My Profile” Feature

Even if you’re currently not seeking new work opportunities, using this feature will still be beneficial. In fact, it’s actually a great spot to start your goal of expanding your network and making meaningful connections. These people viewed your profile for a reason; they probably got interested with your professional identity.

So the next time you see someone in your ‘who’s viewed my profile’, take some time to send them an invitation to connect. It may seem creepy, but it’s actually not. In fact, you can start several professional relationships using this same tactic.

3. Practise Sending Connection Requests

Another way to effectively use LinkedIn is to proactively reach out to people you admire or want to get to know more about. That photographer in Singapore you’re hoping to work with, that marketing manager you’ve always admired, or that magazine editor you’d love to talk – you surely want to connect with all of them. But chances are, they won’t approach you out of nowhere. So go ahead, send them a connection request and start a conversation. You’ll never know what may happen.

4. Create and Send Personalized Connection Message

Before sending out any connection request, you need to be aware of one of the golden rules in LinkedIn: Always personalize your connection message when you’re requesting to connect with someone. Instead of settling with the generic request message, get a little personal and tell the person why you’d want to connect.

5. Focus on Creating Meaningful Relationships

Sure, adding lots of people in LinkedIn is fun, but it’s also important to remember that your goal is to establish meaningful and quality relationships through the site. So spend your time looking for people whom you think could benefit your career path. Whether they’re frontrunners in your industry, or people with skillsets that could help you later on, focus your energy and time on creating valuable connections.

Use your connect requests as a starting point for your conversation. Then ensure to stay in touch by congratulating them on new accomplishments or simply liking their interesting posts. There’s no need to send and answer lengthy emails every day, but make some effort to ensure you stay in the loop.

6. Utilize the LinkedIn Pulse Feature

LinkedIn Pulse is a site feature that allows you to self-publish a content. It’s a space meant for sharing your views and skills even if you’re not a writer. You can use this platform to publish your original content and give you some credibility, thus taking your LinkedIn profile up a notch. So go ahead and write about your favourite photography equipment and style to use, or your views on the changes in the healthcare industry.

At first, LinkedIn may seem like a useless and stuffy site that you only signed up in because you felt like you had to. But if you just spend some time exploring it, you’ll realize how amazing and powerful it can be. So sign into your account now, put these tips to work and prepare to get some great results.

Mobile devices govern today’s world of communication. Without it, most people would have the hardest time communicating and business owners would find it impossible to connect with their employees from remote places. Because of the usefulness of mobile devices, VoIP Singapore companies find ways to let consumers make free or cheaper calls using their mobile phones, anytime, anywhere. A few VoIP Singapore providers have already pioneered and made a promising start in the industry of mobile VoIP.

Traditional mobile communication works because of GSM networks, while voice over IP works with IP networks like 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE, and GPRS. Due to very limited network sources, Voice over IP telephony is less preferred by consumers. If you want to make free calls through your mobile device, you’ll need to first find a way to connect to the Internet. For mobile phones, data plan is required if there’s no access to free wireless internet connection. However, there’s a way to still make free calls with a VoIP service through GSM networks, though the GSM network will still need to charge you for the data plan.

Software

For mobile voice over IP, make sure that the phone system singapore software you choose is compatible with your mobile device. Then, download and install Softphone application, which is available in the Internet, and use it to make and take calls to and from people with the same service. Other Singapore providers have successfully integrated voice over IP over GSM, and embedded IP functionalities into SIM cards.

Cost

Free calls are possible through VoIP service on mobile devices, but through a wireless internet connection and as long as the people you call are using the same service. However, you might be charged with a certain fee if you’re using a data plan. For absolutely free calls, connect your mobile device to a WiFi network.

Users

Anyone can use mobile VoIP service, provided that they have an Internet connection and a device capable of connecting to it. Mobile voice over IP is a great solution to cut down expensive cost of communication and conveniently call anyone from any place you may be. It is more beneficial for heavy mobile users and business people who tend to travel and work on the road more often.

Pros and Cons

Since mobile VoIP allows you to bring the service anywhere with you, the obvious pros are: free or cheap mobile communication cost, portability, availability of service worldwide, and other useful features.
On the other hand, mobile voice over IP also has its downside. Some of its recognizable disadvantages are the need for wireless network or data plan to be able to connect to the Internet, the compatibility of mobile VoIP services is not available for all mobile models, and the quality of voice calls are not always at its best due to some network barriers.

Though the technology of mobile voice over IP isn’t yet fully developed, the key to finding the best services is to look for a reliable Singapore voice over IP provider that specializes in the internet telephony service you wish to deploy.

Singapore’s labor market has faced numerous problems. In the last year, many Singaporean employees were laid off due to business restructuring and reintegration process. This phenomenon has severely affected the economic progress of the city-state. Such economic parasite couldn’t be denied. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) declared newly-devised regulation, Monday, September 23.

Prioritizing Native Citizens

The said regulation has mandated private firms or employers to recruit local job seekers before turning to foreign ones. However, the new recruitment framework centers on two objectives and is deemed important to eliminate Singapore’s dependency in hiring foreign workers and in order to provide fair hiring process to jobless Singaporeans, the Ministry of Manpower, added.

Searching Jobs Online

In August of 2014, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency will launch a government-run portal to cater job posting advertisements exclusively for managerial or professional vacancies of most companies. This project will be offered exclusively to companies with more than 25 employees only. Such companies are billed less than S$12,000 and will last to 14 days. After such time, the firm can officially handpick foreign workers from neighboring countries.

Securing Uniform Salaries

Singapore is expected to implement uniformed wage standards, and to issue employment pass holders starting January 2014 which ranges from S$3,300 a month, little bit higher than S$3,000, current wage. In a press statement, Tan Chuan Jin acting manpower minister once said that Singapore shall remain open to hire foreign labor workers as counterpart of local workforce.

Employers’ Responsibilities

Each firm must find ways to consider Singaporeans fairly, Mr. Tan stressed. The government undertakes to provide high-paying jobs to its local subordinates. As for local employers, the labor market will expect competitive and cutting-edge employees for the increasing demand of employment. On the other hand, the Ministry of Manpower the newly-established framework will monitor and scrutinize certain companies’ low-cost wages for management or professional positions.