Business Tips Founded in 2007, Kairos Global Pte Ltd is a boutique financial management, branding and digital solution consultancy firm and a qualified EDG consultant. http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tips 2024-05-19T01:56:44+00:00 Kairos Global kairos@kairos.sg Joomla! - Open Source Content Management Financial Management is Everything Everywhere All at Once 2024-05-06T08:11:36+00:00 2024-05-06T08:11:36+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/178-financial-management-is-everything-everywhere-all-at-once Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Spiral_Staircase.jpg" alt="A Spiral Staircase" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Traders and investors know very well how tough it is for precise, accurate and timely financial management projections, except those who boast - often falsely - about their flawless track records! Real-world economics seldom behaves what economics textbooks are depicting. There isn't any ceteris paribus (other things being constant) condition to the multifaceted reality of "<a title="Everything Everywhere All at Once" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_Everywhere_All_at_Once" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything Everywhere All at Once</a>!"</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Spiral_Staircase.jpg" alt="A Spiral Staircase" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Traders and investors know very well how tough it is for precise, accurate and timely financial management projections, except those who boast - often falsely - about their flawless track records! Real-world economics seldom behaves what economics textbooks are depicting. There isn't any ceteris paribus (other things being constant) condition to the multifaceted reality of "<a title="Everything Everywhere All at Once" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_Everywhere_All_at_Once" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything Everywhere All at Once</a>!"</p> Black Forest Strategy for Business 2022-11-02T11:53:55+00:00 2022-11-02T11:53:55+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/159-black-forest-strategy-for-business Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Coniferous-forest.jpg" alt="black forest" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Strategy reigns supreme. In "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Forest-Remembrance-Earths-Past/dp/0765386690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dark Forest</a>," the second book of Liu Cixin's acclaimed "Remembrance of Earth's Past" trilogy, humanity must devise a response to an impending attack by a vastly superior alien civilization set to occur just over 400 years in the future. Despite Earth being monitored by a subatomic computer from the invading force, this device is unable to decipher human thoughts. Consequently, the United Nations appoints four individuals, known as Wallfacers, to devise plans to save Earth.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Coniferous-forest.jpg" alt="black forest" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Strategy reigns supreme. In "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Forest-Remembrance-Earths-Past/dp/0765386690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Dark Forest</a>," the second book of Liu Cixin's acclaimed "Remembrance of Earth's Past" trilogy, humanity must devise a response to an impending attack by a vastly superior alien civilization set to occur just over 400 years in the future. Despite Earth being monitored by a subatomic computer from the invading force, this device is unable to decipher human thoughts. Consequently, the United Nations appoints four individuals, known as Wallfacers, to devise plans to save Earth.</p> Exit as a Financial Management Strategy 2023-12-17T19:09:27+00:00 2023-12-17T19:09:27+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/177-exit-as-a-financial-management-strategy Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Footpath_leading_to_a_gathering_place.jpg" alt="A Footpath to a Destination" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Is an "Exit in a Financial Position" considering a success or a failure in financial management? It depends on one's objective. There are thousands of reasons to liquidate a position in an asset or a business.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Footpath_leading_to_a_gathering_place.jpg" alt="A Footpath to a Destination" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Is an "Exit in a Financial Position" considering a success or a failure in financial management? It depends on one's objective. There are thousands of reasons to liquidate a position in an asset or a business.</p> Branding and Physical Availability 2023-08-14T08:47:16+00:00 2023-08-14T08:47:16+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/176-branding-and-physical-availability Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Physical_availability_is_Branding.jpg" alt="A famous food street in Singapore" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Branding is about mental and physical availability through which options are retrieved by buyers to make a purchase decision. Branding certainty affects our buying decisions.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Physical_availability_is_Branding.jpg" alt="A famous food street in Singapore" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Branding is about mental and physical availability through which options are retrieved by buyers to make a purchase decision. Branding certainty affects our buying decisions.</p> Digital Branding 2023-02-18T12:01:10+00:00 2023-02-18T12:01:10+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/174-digital-branding Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/image6.jpg" alt="a laptop on a desk" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>As people are spending more time on-line talking to friends, finding new information, playing games, having funs and watching videos, businesses are moving in the digital spaces through social media, websites, search engines, influencers and virtual reality for branding and pushing sales. </p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/image6.jpg" alt="a laptop on a desk" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>As people are spending more time on-line talking to friends, finding new information, playing games, having funs and watching videos, businesses are moving in the digital spaces through social media, websites, search engines, influencers and virtual reality for branding and pushing sales. </p> Real Luxury 2023-01-20T09:43:19+00:00 2023-01-20T09:43:19+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/173-real-luxury Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Burj_Al_Arab_Hotel_Dubai.jpg" alt="Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Many products - bags, jewelry, watches, hotels, condos... try very hard to brand themselves as "luxurious" so that they may command top prices and maximum attention.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Burj_Al_Arab_Hotel_Dubai.jpg" alt="Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>Many products - bags, jewelry, watches, hotels, condos... try very hard to brand themselves as "luxurious" so that they may command top prices and maximum attention.</p> Success Formula in Business? 2023-01-05T15:34:21+00:00 2023-01-05T15:34:21+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/172-success-formula Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Arc_de_Triomphe_tips.jpg" alt="Arc de Triomphe" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>What is success? It is where you have achieved your goals. Hence a success formula will embrace the principles that will get you to where you endeavor to be.</p> <p>In my earlier bloc "<a title="Interpreting the Facts: Critical to Financial Management" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/158-interpreting-the-facts-critical-to-financial-management-decisions">Interpreting the Facts: Critical to Financial Management</a>", I said that "Financial management objectives are achieved when a businessman applies the relevant facts to his situations... Facts, however, may not be the truth." If we are not able to get the facts right, we are doom to fail, </p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Arc_de_Triomphe_tips.jpg" alt="Arc de Triomphe" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>What is success? It is where you have achieved your goals. Hence a success formula will embrace the principles that will get you to where you endeavor to be.</p> <p>In my earlier bloc "<a title="Interpreting the Facts: Critical to Financial Management" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/158-interpreting-the-facts-critical-to-financial-management-decisions">Interpreting the Facts: Critical to Financial Management</a>", I said that "Financial management objectives are achieved when a businessman applies the relevant facts to his situations... Facts, however, may not be the truth." If we are not able to get the facts right, we are doom to fail, </p> Effective Communication - Critical to a Manager 2022-12-31T15:55:56+00:00 2022-12-31T15:55:56+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/171-effective-communication-critical-to-a-manager Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Admiral_ChengHo_fleet_model_KGPL.jpg" alt="A replica of Admiral Cheng Ho&#039;s fleet" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>We think we are effective communicators such that we know what we are supposed to do and that our team all fall into place with one accord. How many times would we realize that we are very wrong. The link between action and ideas, the process driven by our KPIs that would result in profitability, our emotional glue with co-workers, clients and business partners are at stake if we fail in communicating - encoding and decoding the meanings correctly across to our counterparties.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/Admiral_ChengHo_fleet_model_KGPL.jpg" alt="A replica of Admiral Cheng Ho&#039;s fleet" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>We think we are effective communicators such that we know what we are supposed to do and that our team all fall into place with one accord. How many times would we realize that we are very wrong. The link between action and ideas, the process driven by our KPIs that would result in profitability, our emotional glue with co-workers, clients and business partners are at stake if we fail in communicating - encoding and decoding the meanings correctly across to our counterparties.</p> Branding - Critical to Financial Management 2022-11-30T13:43:21+00:00 2022-11-30T13:43:21+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/143-branding-critical-to-financial-management Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Jewel - a brand created for Singapore Tourism"></p><p>Branding has become even more critical to financial management decision-making in the age of disruptive technological change. When we buy a top-end mobile phone, branding rather than technology, appears to be the critical factor for us to make the purchase decision.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Jewel - a brand created for Singapore Tourism"></p><p>Branding has become even more critical to financial management decision-making in the age of disruptive technological change. When we buy a top-end mobile phone, branding rather than technology, appears to be the critical factor for us to make the purchase decision.</p> Don't Let it Rot - Critical to Financial Management 2022-12-07T12:39:28+00:00 2022-12-07T12:39:28+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/142-dont-let-it-rot-critical-to-financial-management Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="An old and rusty pier"></p><p>Financial management will never "Bai lan (摆烂)" or "let it rot". Bai lan has been a meme amongst the Chinese youths as they are unwilling to make any effort to resolve current issues for they believe they will not succeed however they try hard.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="An old and rusty pier"></p><p>Financial management will never "Bai lan (摆烂)" or "let it rot". Bai lan has been a meme amongst the Chinese youths as they are unwilling to make any effort to resolve current issues for they believe they will not succeed however they try hard.</p> Losing is to Succeed 2022-12-01T13:16:57+00:00 2022-12-01T13:16:57+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/166-losing-is-to-succeed Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A missile firing from the sea"></p><p>Failure is the mother of success! How many of you really believe it? We are given many examples how great people have left legacy of audacity for humankind against all odds. How about many of us who have tried our best yet fail?</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A missile firing from the sea"></p><p>Failure is the mother of success! How many of you really believe it? We are given many examples how great people have left legacy of audacity for humankind against all odds. How about many of us who have tried our best yet fail?</p> Business Continuity Plan in time of a Crisis 2022-12-01T13:10:08+00:00 2022-12-01T13:10:08+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/165-business-continuity-plan-in-time-of-a-crisis Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A speaker addressing a big audience"></p><p>During a crisis, certain business sectors will have been severely affected. While no business can be totally shielded off from a sudden incident, some are more prepared than others in handling the crisis.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A speaker addressing a big audience"></p><p>During a crisis, certain business sectors will have been severely affected. While no business can be totally shielded off from a sudden incident, some are more prepared than others in handling the crisis.</p> Experiences - Critical to Financial Management 2022-11-09T12:43:40+00:00 2022-11-09T12:43:40+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/154-experiences-critical-to-financial-management Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Accident with the help of paramedics"></p><p>Experiences and track records are critical for a company in making smart business and financial management decisions. Indeed, financial forecasts are based not only on the best assumptions of the core business development and the financial data projected in the future, it is also a continuation of the past performances, except when it intends to abandon all its current and past businesses for a completely new line of business.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Accident with the help of paramedics"></p><p>Experiences and track records are critical for a company in making smart business and financial management decisions. Indeed, financial forecasts are based not only on the best assumptions of the core business development and the financial data projected in the future, it is also a continuation of the past performances, except when it intends to abandon all its current and past businesses for a completely new line of business.</p> Interpreting the Facts - Critical to Financial Management 2022-11-16T12:51:21+00:00 2022-11-16T12:51:21+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/158-interpreting-the-facts-critical-to-financial-management-decisions Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Church of Nativity, Bethlehem"></p><p>Financial Management objectives are achieved when a businessman applies the relevant facts to his situations. Very often when we credit a businessman of his acumen, we are actually praising him for his right extraction of the facts into somethings he can exploit to achieve his financial management objectives.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Church of Nativity, Bethlehem"></p><p>Financial Management objectives are achieved when a businessman applies the relevant facts to his situations. Very often when we credit a businessman of his acumen, we are actually praising him for his right extraction of the facts into somethings he can exploit to achieve his financial management objectives.</p> Financial Forecast - Critical to Financial Management 2022-11-23T12:46:45+00:00 2022-11-23T12:46:45+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/156-financial-forecast-critical-to-financial-management Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Dark cloud over Hong Kong"></p><p>Financial forecast is good and critical to prosper an organization, yet very few SMEs have done any <a title="Financial Capabilities Project Proposal" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/edg-proposals/financial-capabilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budgeting nor financial projection</a>s in their decision-making processes.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Dark cloud over Hong Kong"></p><p>Financial forecast is good and critical to prosper an organization, yet very few SMEs have done any <a title="Financial Capabilities Project Proposal" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/edg-proposals/financial-capabilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budgeting nor financial projection</a>s in their decision-making processes.</p> Momentum - Critical to Financial Management 2022-12-01T12:48:48+00:00 2022-12-01T12:48:48+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/157-momentum-critical-in-making-financial-management-decisions Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="flash flood"></p><p>In making financial management and business decisions, momentum has cast a much bigger shadow than business owners would have ever imagined. Business owners would prefer seeing their sale/profit numbers higher and higher than having sustainable success in their business.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="flash flood"></p><p>In making financial management and business decisions, momentum has cast a much bigger shadow than business owners would have ever imagined. Business owners would prefer seeing their sale/profit numbers higher and higher than having sustainable success in their business.</p> Integrating Business with Our Passion 2022-11-06T13:06:09+00:00 2022-11-06T13:06:09+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/164-integrating-business-with-our-passion Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Chinese calligraphy t-shirt "></p><p>While it is "<a title="Uncommon Sense investing" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/162-uncommon-sense-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common-sense</a>" to say that we should integrate our business with our passion, I wonder how many of us have applied this concept seriously in business and in career.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="Chinese calligraphy t-shirt "></p><p>While it is "<a title="Uncommon Sense investing" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/162-uncommon-sense-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common-sense</a>" to say that we should integrate our business with our passion, I wonder how many of us have applied this concept seriously in business and in career.</p> Uncommon Sense Business 2022-11-01T11:59:42+00:00 2022-11-01T11:59:42+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/162-uncommon-sense-business Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A lady selling pork on a stall"></p><p><span class="ember-view">Many of us fail to make common-sense business decisions. I recently came across a book "<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/mark-homer/uncommon-sense/9781473657700/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uncommon Sense</a>" by Mark Homer, a property investor who has bought over 350 properties since 2003. The book was said to be the guide to unique, little-known and misunderstood strategies for profiting by going against the tide.</span></p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A lady selling pork on a stall"></p><p><span class="ember-view">Many of us fail to make common-sense business decisions. I recently came across a book "<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/mark-homer/uncommon-sense/9781473657700/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uncommon Sense</a>" by Mark Homer, a property investor who has bought over 350 properties since 2003. The book was said to be the guide to unique, little-known and misunderstood strategies for profiting by going against the tide.</span></p> Uncommon Sense Investing 2022-11-08T12:58:19+00:00 2022-11-08T12:58:19+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/161-uncommon-sense-investing Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A flower girl walking down the aisle"></p><p><span class="ember-view">"<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/162-uncommon-sense-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uncommon Sense</a>" investing appears to be common sense for many investors except not many have acted upon good investing principles constantly and consistently.  <a title="Mark Homer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Homer</a> in his book "<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="https://www.amazon.com/UnCommon-Sense-Mark-Homer/dp/1909846643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uncommon Sense</a>" stated his investment is guided by the following 5 points and I have added the last point which is implied in his book:</span></p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="A flower girl walking down the aisle"></p><p><span class="ember-view">"<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/162-uncommon-sense-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uncommon Sense</a>" investing appears to be common sense for many investors except not many have acted upon good investing principles constantly and consistently.  <a title="Mark Homer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Homer</a> in his book "<a title="Uncommon Sense" href="https://www.amazon.com/UnCommon-Sense-Mark-Homer/dp/1909846643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uncommon Sense</a>" stated his investment is guided by the following 5 points and I have added the last point which is implied in his book:</span></p> Moving Other People's Cheese is Financial Management 2022-10-26T11:55:30+00:00 2022-10-26T11:55:30+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/160-moving-other-peoples-cheese-is-financial-management Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="cheese"></p><p>In business, there are constant challenges for our "cheese" may be moved or even stolen by our bigger competitors, ex-employees, overseas dealers, e-commerce merchants and the next-door Ah Bengs. Covid-19 has accelerated these stresses and makes business transformation a matter of survival.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg/" alt="cheese"></p><p>In business, there are constant challenges for our "cheese" may be moved or even stolen by our bigger competitors, ex-employees, overseas dealers, e-commerce merchants and the next-door Ah Bengs. Covid-19 has accelerated these stresses and makes business transformation a matter of survival.</p> Who Stole My Cheese 2022-10-19T12:29:35+00:00 2022-10-19T12:29:35+00:00 http://www.kairos.sg/index.php/business-tip/168-who-stole-my-cheese Kairos Yu kairos@kairos.sg <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/cheese-variety.jpg" alt="cheese" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>"<a title="The book &quot;Who Moved My Cheese?&quot;" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Moved_My_Cheese%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who moved my cheese</a>?", a book written by Dr Spenser Johnson 2 decades ago has sold 26 million copies in 37 languages and remains one of the most popular business books since. In the book, it talks about 2 mice and 2 littlepeople and their responses to changes symbolized by the supply of cheese gradually moved away from the stations they have frequented. When the supply of cheese dwindles, some will work hard looking for other sources of supplies, while others may just sit still and angrily putting the blame on the system or even fate.</p> <p><img src="http://www.kairos.sg//images/tips/cheese-variety.jpg" alt="cheese" width="462" height="374" loading="lazy"></p><p>"<a title="The book &quot;Who Moved My Cheese?&quot;" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Moved_My_Cheese%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who moved my cheese</a>?", a book written by Dr Spenser Johnson 2 decades ago has sold 26 million copies in 37 languages and remains one of the most popular business books since. In the book, it talks about 2 mice and 2 littlepeople and their responses to changes symbolized by the supply of cheese gradually moved away from the stations they have frequented. When the supply of cheese dwindles, some will work hard looking for other sources of supplies, while others may just sit still and angrily putting the blame on the system or even fate.</p>