What if you could have a career makeover in just half a day?
How much time are you willing to invest into your career? Chances are, you have already invested a lot into your career. Everyday, you are expending time, energy and effort to make your career work.
What if you could have a career makeover in just half a day? Now you can!
This specially designed half-day seminar to get you started on your career makeover. At this seminar, you will:
• Discover your personalized inventory of career strengths and how you can build upon them
• Gain fresh new perspectives on your career pathways
• Learn new strategies for achieving work-life balance and fulfilling your dreams
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Differentiating A Good Coach from a Mediocre One
If you are a female boss, have you throught of ways to coach your staffs? Although the following article is targeted on sales folks, however, therein lies essence of what differentiates a good coach from a leader who simply instructs.
A good sales leader coaches, while a poor sales leader simply directs. Most people who desire success focus almost entirely on themselves, not others. However, this is not the way to be truly successful. As a sales leader, team work is paramount and coaching, becomes a rewarding calling. Certainly, it takes work and may not have immediate returns. Yet in the long run, you get to build up a dream team, exceeding your group target beyond your wildest dreams. How do you develop sales coaching? This article seeks to demystify the area of sales coaching in 3 simple steps.
1. Getting your team members to articulate
A seasoned sales man knows how to ask the right questions to his customers. Similarly, a good sales leader coach must ask his team the right questions and get them to answer. This is truly a powerful tool as the personal articulation creates a self- realization. A good sales coach helps others learn how to analyze their own performance, take responsibility for their own development, find their own answers and gain the team members' commitment to doing it.
2. Focusing only on one priority at a time
Most of us are highly ambitious and seek to accomplish a lot at a time. Perhaps in a bid for time, we often rush through the motion. However, to engage your team and for them to be able to give issues the focus they require to accelerate change, one should not have too much on the agenda. The team member has to learn the ropes and take time to internalise the good habits. Research has shown that simple repetitive tasks require a timeframe of approximately 21 days to condition!
3. Separating evaluation from development
Your team member may feel threaten if they feel that they are being appraised when you are trying to coach them. There is a time and place for everything, thus try to separate the development and evaluation aspect. In fact, some staffs that correctly identify areas to develop may be evaluated more positively. It is good for you to have a list of your team members, with their names, greatest strength, areas to develop and resources to share clearly tabulated in a list. This will allow you to picture your dream team clearly!
When these things are in place, sales coaching become your most powerful tool in achieving results and will far surpass a directive approach. The foundation is then built on trust and strengthening relationship. When coaching your sales staff, you are better able to gain an understanding of the areas where one is stuck and can broaden their perspectives, based on your experience and help to formulate a solution for their obstacles. Sales coaching require affirmation, time and effort. However, this is resources well-invested, and this will help you, as a person to develop lasting qualities for life.
A good sales leader coaches, while a poor sales leader simply directs. Most people who desire success focus almost entirely on themselves, not others. However, this is not the way to be truly successful. As a sales leader, team work is paramount and coaching, becomes a rewarding calling. Certainly, it takes work and may not have immediate returns. Yet in the long run, you get to build up a dream team, exceeding your group target beyond your wildest dreams. How do you develop sales coaching? This article seeks to demystify the area of sales coaching in 3 simple steps.
1. Getting your team members to articulate
A seasoned sales man knows how to ask the right questions to his customers. Similarly, a good sales leader coach must ask his team the right questions and get them to answer. This is truly a powerful tool as the personal articulation creates a self- realization. A good sales coach helps others learn how to analyze their own performance, take responsibility for their own development, find their own answers and gain the team members' commitment to doing it.
2. Focusing only on one priority at a time
Most of us are highly ambitious and seek to accomplish a lot at a time. Perhaps in a bid for time, we often rush through the motion. However, to engage your team and for them to be able to give issues the focus they require to accelerate change, one should not have too much on the agenda. The team member has to learn the ropes and take time to internalise the good habits. Research has shown that simple repetitive tasks require a timeframe of approximately 21 days to condition!
3. Separating evaluation from development
Your team member may feel threaten if they feel that they are being appraised when you are trying to coach them. There is a time and place for everything, thus try to separate the development and evaluation aspect. In fact, some staffs that correctly identify areas to develop may be evaluated more positively. It is good for you to have a list of your team members, with their names, greatest strength, areas to develop and resources to share clearly tabulated in a list. This will allow you to picture your dream team clearly!
When these things are in place, sales coaching become your most powerful tool in achieving results and will far surpass a directive approach. The foundation is then built on trust and strengthening relationship. When coaching your sales staff, you are better able to gain an understanding of the areas where one is stuck and can broaden their perspectives, based on your experience and help to formulate a solution for their obstacles. Sales coaching require affirmation, time and effort. However, this is resources well-invested, and this will help you, as a person to develop lasting qualities for life.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Face Shop Inspiring Interview
The Face Shop
When we see inspiring stories of women who have it all, we realise it is possible. With that extra grit and strength (women really have the tenacity within us- see how we queue relentlessly when there is a bargain), we will reach our destination.
The Face Shop is ubiquitous in Singapore and many Asian countries. How was it brought into Singapore from Korea?
Here is an interesting interview, with The Face Shop owners, Ms Doreen Kho Ching Kim & Peggy Kho Ching Ling when they first start up.
1. Please describe your business.
Our business is made up of a group of young enthusiastic people who wants to offer our customers excellent service and good quality Korean cosmetics to customers at affordable prices. We hope to encourage Singaporeans to be more adventurous with colours for the face and for Singaporeans to have a wider choice of skincare choices formulated from unique natural ingredients.
2. What made you embark on this venture choice?
Personally, I have always been vain at heart and I have a deep passion for cosmetics. I can spend hours at cosmetic counters and experimenting new products. In particular, Korea's cosmetics have caught my attention as they have one of the best technology for skincare development. The ingredients used are also very unique and since Korea has just opened their markets, it is a good opportunity for Singaporeans to finally discover their secret to great skin.
3. How does your business work?
We import our products from Korea and retail them in our outlets located at Bugis Junction and Plaza Singapura. Currently all our shops are self owned as we are apprehensive about franchising too soon.
4. Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
Our partnership includes me, my sister Peggy, my husband Leslie and 2 sleeping partners. Together, we have enough capital to invest into this venture.
5. Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
No, my parents do not own businesses. My mother passed away when my sister and I were young and my father passed away recently, both from illness. Yes, they have inspired us but in a different kind of way. Both our parents fought their illnesses, patiently and silently. When they are in pain, they hide in their rooms to weep and would never let us see their sufferings as they do not want us to feel sad. Seeing their resilent nature in overcoming adversities has made us stronger people. We learnt never to complain no matter how tired we are so that we will not demoralize the people around us. My grandmother and father had come from very poor families. They had worked very hard to make a living. My father had to study at the corridor because they could not afford the electrical bills. But because of that, he was even more determined to succeed so that he could get out of poverty and he did. He had passed on to us his spirit of determination.
Join our mailing list to read the full interview article!
When we see inspiring stories of women who have it all, we realise it is possible. With that extra grit and strength (women really have the tenacity within us- see how we queue relentlessly when there is a bargain), we will reach our destination.
The Face Shop is ubiquitous in Singapore and many Asian countries. How was it brought into Singapore from Korea?
Here is an interesting interview, with The Face Shop owners, Ms Doreen Kho Ching Kim & Peggy Kho Ching Ling when they first start up.
1. Please describe your business.
Our business is made up of a group of young enthusiastic people who wants to offer our customers excellent service and good quality Korean cosmetics to customers at affordable prices. We hope to encourage Singaporeans to be more adventurous with colours for the face and for Singaporeans to have a wider choice of skincare choices formulated from unique natural ingredients.
2. What made you embark on this venture choice?
Personally, I have always been vain at heart and I have a deep passion for cosmetics. I can spend hours at cosmetic counters and experimenting new products. In particular, Korea's cosmetics have caught my attention as they have one of the best technology for skincare development. The ingredients used are also very unique and since Korea has just opened their markets, it is a good opportunity for Singaporeans to finally discover their secret to great skin.
3. How does your business work?
We import our products from Korea and retail them in our outlets located at Bugis Junction and Plaza Singapura. Currently all our shops are self owned as we are apprehensive about franchising too soon.
4. Did you have the capital to start the business or did you have to borrow from someone to get started?
Our partnership includes me, my sister Peggy, my husband Leslie and 2 sleeping partners. Together, we have enough capital to invest into this venture.
5. Do your parents have their own businesses too? Have they inspired you in one way or another?
No, my parents do not own businesses. My mother passed away when my sister and I were young and my father passed away recently, both from illness. Yes, they have inspired us but in a different kind of way. Both our parents fought their illnesses, patiently and silently. When they are in pain, they hide in their rooms to weep and would never let us see their sufferings as they do not want us to feel sad. Seeing their resilent nature in overcoming adversities has made us stronger people. We learnt never to complain no matter how tired we are so that we will not demoralize the people around us. My grandmother and father had come from very poor families. They had worked very hard to make a living. My father had to study at the corridor because they could not afford the electrical bills. But because of that, he was even more determined to succeed so that he could get out of poverty and he did. He had passed on to us his spirit of determination.
Join our mailing list to read the full interview article!
3 Money Saving Tips In Singapore
Saving Money in Singapore!
(And where/ when to get cheaper movie tickets)
Do you have a habit of compliling your monthly expenses? Each time I tabulate my monthly expenses, the huge proportion of my expenses that goes to food never fail to amaze me. I have to admit a good 30% of my expenses go to food! How do I cut back on my expenditure while enjoying that occassional high teas and nice restaurants? I do want to save, but not live life painfully. This list came about due to my own money saving circumstance.
Let's think creatively of ways to to live decently and learn how to spend wisely! Everyone do chip in! :)
1. Save Money On Food
For a little luxury (try to limit the number of such occassions), scour through the credit card brochures and find 1 for 1 treats! Check out those restaurants and instead of going for the same restaurants, introduce some variety into your chill out spots! You never know when you might find a gem in the making! This gives you the perfect opportunity to try new places.
Another smart move will be to cook at home! The first thing to take into account is where to eat and where to buy your food from in order to save money. The wet markets and supermarkets are definitely cheaper alternatives! (I will look into introducing easy to cook and economical receipes for busy women in Singapore). One of my greatest desire is to cook for my loved ones! Perhaps you may want to whip up a meal at home and invite your friends over for the weekend.
2. Locate Those Warehouse/ Factory Outlet Sales
Check out the Straits Time for the ads (Especially Saturday's paper) and you will find a lot of warehouse sales in Genting lane, some obscure places in Tampines or Jurong! Get your comfortable footware and rush for the great bargains. They can range anything from furniture, to Scholl shoes and more. Just look for advertisements in the newspapers to find out where and when the next warehouse sale will be. You can expect prices with more than 50% discount. Be prepared that it may be last season, but still good value nonetheless!
Other great places to go, if you are travelling to nearby Malaysia, check out the Factory Outlet Stores (FOS)!They used to have an outlet at Le Meridien in Singapore, but I wonder where has it gone to.
3. Take Public Transport
For a long while, I have been pampered and often tout sticking my right arm and hailing a cab one of my capability. That is until I started collating my taxi receipts and getting another rude shock there. My transportation expenses (or well, taxi expense), was draining my piggy. Piggy needs a new breath of life, and that is where I figured- make use of the public transport.
I do occassionally treat myself to that cab hailing exercise, but that sense of awareness has taught me better to keep my hands to myself and use my legs a little more. Oh well, nice shapely calves after taking that brisk walk can't hurt!
P.S- Having a car in Singapore is one of the most expensive things. Not only are car prices about five times higher than the European car prices but the maintenance costs are huge as well. Do I have to mention ERP? If you really need one for a special occassion, maybe think og renting? If not, buy a weekend car (with it's more user- friendly scheme). Or try car pooling with your friends!
Join our money saving mailing list for more great tips! We will let you know where to get the cheapest movie tickets!
Online exclusive Deal: You can also check out OCBC MSA 123 (which is the monthly Savings Account (As Easy as 1-2-3!) and start saving regularly for your dream goal with very attractive rates! Plus, they're giving away free Shaw movie tickets if you sign up now (Online Exclusive!)
(And where/ when to get cheaper movie tickets)
Do you have a habit of compliling your monthly expenses? Each time I tabulate my monthly expenses, the huge proportion of my expenses that goes to food never fail to amaze me. I have to admit a good 30% of my expenses go to food! How do I cut back on my expenditure while enjoying that occassional high teas and nice restaurants? I do want to save, but not live life painfully. This list came about due to my own money saving circumstance.
Let's think creatively of ways to to live decently and learn how to spend wisely! Everyone do chip in! :)
1. Save Money On Food
For a little luxury (try to limit the number of such occassions), scour through the credit card brochures and find 1 for 1 treats! Check out those restaurants and instead of going for the same restaurants, introduce some variety into your chill out spots! You never know when you might find a gem in the making! This gives you the perfect opportunity to try new places.
Another smart move will be to cook at home! The first thing to take into account is where to eat and where to buy your food from in order to save money. The wet markets and supermarkets are definitely cheaper alternatives! (I will look into introducing easy to cook and economical receipes for busy women in Singapore). One of my greatest desire is to cook for my loved ones! Perhaps you may want to whip up a meal at home and invite your friends over for the weekend.
2. Locate Those Warehouse/ Factory Outlet Sales
Check out the Straits Time for the ads (Especially Saturday's paper) and you will find a lot of warehouse sales in Genting lane, some obscure places in Tampines or Jurong! Get your comfortable footware and rush for the great bargains. They can range anything from furniture, to Scholl shoes and more. Just look for advertisements in the newspapers to find out where and when the next warehouse sale will be. You can expect prices with more than 50% discount. Be prepared that it may be last season, but still good value nonetheless!
Other great places to go, if you are travelling to nearby Malaysia, check out the Factory Outlet Stores (FOS)!They used to have an outlet at Le Meridien in Singapore, but I wonder where has it gone to.
3. Take Public Transport
For a long while, I have been pampered and often tout sticking my right arm and hailing a cab one of my capability. That is until I started collating my taxi receipts and getting another rude shock there. My transportation expenses (or well, taxi expense), was draining my piggy. Piggy needs a new breath of life, and that is where I figured- make use of the public transport.
I do occassionally treat myself to that cab hailing exercise, but that sense of awareness has taught me better to keep my hands to myself and use my legs a little more. Oh well, nice shapely calves after taking that brisk walk can't hurt!
P.S- Having a car in Singapore is one of the most expensive things. Not only are car prices about five times higher than the European car prices but the maintenance costs are huge as well. Do I have to mention ERP? If you really need one for a special occassion, maybe think og renting? If not, buy a weekend car (with it's more user- friendly scheme). Or try car pooling with your friends!
Join our money saving mailing list for more great tips! We will let you know where to get the cheapest movie tickets!
Online exclusive Deal: You can also check out OCBC MSA 123 (which is the monthly Savings Account (As Easy as 1-2-3!) and start saving regularly for your dream goal with very attractive rates! Plus, they're giving away free Shaw movie tickets if you sign up now (Online Exclusive!)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Being her own boss = time for kids
Being her own boss = time for kids
Former SingTel manager runs two gyms and invests in shares and properties
By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent (source: http://meltwaternews.com/prerobot/sph.asp?pub=ST&sphurl=www.straitstimes.com//Invest/Story/STIStory_498936.html)
Ms Priscilla Lim, franchisee of women-only gym Contours Express, with (from left) sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four, and daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two. Running her own business has given Ms Lim more time to look after her children. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
After working for more than a decade as a manager at SingTel, Ms Priscilla Lim hung up her power suits in 2008 and became a franchisee of an all-women gym, Contours Express.
With her savings of $120,000, Ms Lim, 36, set up her first gym at Block 253, Serangoon Central Drive, in September of that year. So far, it has more than 300 members. Last December, she opened her second gym at Block 930, Yishun Central, with a partner with a capital of $130,000. It has attracted nearly 150 members.
Ms Lim said she went into business because she wanted the challenge of starting something on her own. Her working hours would also be more flexible, so she could look after her four young children.
Both her father and husband, who run their own firms, were supportive of her move.
Besides her fitness business, Ms Lim likes to invest in shares and commercial properties like shophouses for their stable rental yields. In 2006, she and her husband, Mr Chua Bin Leong, 36, set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, to hold their investment properties, which currently stand at three.
She graduated with an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Bradford University, Yorkshire, England, in 1997.
Her husband is a businessman who manufactures plastic bags. They have four children: daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two, and sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four.
Q: Are you a spender or a saver?
I consider myself very generous when it comes to my children's well-being, especially in the areas of education and food. I'm a saver but at times will pamper myself with facials and spas. I use all of my income for family expenses. My hubby saves about half of his every month.
Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?
I use three credit cards out of the six that I have, and I pay off the bills in full every month. Typically, I charge about $4,000 a month, mainly for my children's enrichment and tuition fees. I withdraw about $200 every week from the ATM.
Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?
My hubby and I are mainly invested in properties and shares and a small amount in fixed deposits and life insurance. I am currently looking into health policies. We have one commercial property and two residential properties. We are also looking into more commercial properties.
Besides property investments, we have about 45 per cent invested in shares, 30 per cent in fixed deposits,
20 per cent in savings and the balance of 5 per cent in US-dollar fixed deposit. We have a few counters - SGX, SingTel and Wilmar, among others - and some are paying regular dividends. We invested earlier in Genting as we saw great potential when its casino here on Sentosa opened.
My hubby helps me to pick stocks and monitors the stock market daily. He does his own research on dividends, growth, management and upcoming trends, through reading company reports and prospectuses. We may hold stocks for six months to a year. And we may let go when we see a 5 per cent rise. For our total portfolio, we have target returns of about 10 per cent for short-term investments and about 30 per cent for longer-term investments.
Q: Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?
I have an older brother and two younger brothers. My father is a businessman providing fittings and fixtures to shopping malls, and my mother is a housewife. They complement each other and are not spendthrifts. I did not ask for money from my dad unnecessarily when I was young. We lived in my grandmother's shophouse in Albert Street with her and an aunt, before moving to a three-room HDB flat in Bedok when I was seven. During that year, my father started his business with his savings. Prior to that, he was a carpenter and a part-time salesman. He inspired me to work hard and set up a business on my own. My mother is very caring and dedicated. I appreciate every meal she cooks for us and I am now learning from her and have been cooking for my children for a year now.
Q: How did you get interested in investing?
I started my first investment with an initial public offering of China Milk back in 2006 and made a modest profit upon the listing. Slowly, I learnt to invest in shares. The first one was a Singapore-listed China property counter, Pan Hong Property. I made $40,000 out of the $200,000 invested in just a few months in 2005.
Q: What properties do you own?
My hubby and I set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, for our investment properties in 2006. Our first investment was actually back in 2000, when we got married. It was a 1,300 sq ft condominium unit in Sengkang. We bought it for $570,000, and the current market value is estimated to be about $650,000. We are renting it out for $2,500 a month.
I also own a 1,600 sq ft unit in Marine Vista in East Coast, which I bought for $1.4 million in end-2008. It is rented out at $2,600 a month and is currently valued at about $1.2 million. The commercial property we own is a 1,500 sq ft, two-storey shophouse in Bedok, which we bought for $1 million in 2008. We rent it out for $7,500 a month. Its value has also appreciated, although I don't know by how much.
Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have bought?
I bought a Rolex watch with a pink mother of pearl face for $11,000 in 2008. The most extravagant gift I've received is a one-carat diamond ring from my hubby on my birthday last year. He knew I would not have bought it on my own. It cost $16,000.
Q: What's your retirement plan?
We plan to be financially independent when we are 50. We intend to invest in a few more commercial properties and be able to have a passive income of $12,000 to $15,000 a month. My hubby and I would require about $5,000 a month when our kids are independent.
Q: Home is now...
We live in my parents-in-law's three-storey semi-detached house in Upper Paya Lebar. It has a land area of 7,000 sq ft. We live here with my parents-in-law, two brothers-in-law and their families and my sister-in-law. My father-in-law runs a plastic-making business.
Q: I drive...
A silver Toyota Picnic.
lorna@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORST AND BEST BETS
Q: What has been your worst investment to date?
I started trading in shares in 2005. In early 2007, I began to invest more in the stock market. I bought 100 lots of the property share LC Dev at $62,000 with just a forecast of the company from my broker and without exploring further. I have since lost about 70 per cent on paper.
Q: And your best investment?
My best investment is the two-storey shophouse in Bedok.
Former SingTel manager runs two gyms and invests in shares and properties
By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent (source: http://meltwaternews.com/prerobot/sph.asp?pub=ST&sphurl=www.straitstimes.com//Invest/Story/STIStory_498936.html)
Ms Priscilla Lim, franchisee of women-only gym Contours Express, with (from left) sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four, and daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two. Running her own business has given Ms Lim more time to look after her children. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
After working for more than a decade as a manager at SingTel, Ms Priscilla Lim hung up her power suits in 2008 and became a franchisee of an all-women gym, Contours Express.
With her savings of $120,000, Ms Lim, 36, set up her first gym at Block 253, Serangoon Central Drive, in September of that year. So far, it has more than 300 members. Last December, she opened her second gym at Block 930, Yishun Central, with a partner with a capital of $130,000. It has attracted nearly 150 members.
Ms Lim said she went into business because she wanted the challenge of starting something on her own. Her working hours would also be more flexible, so she could look after her four young children.
Both her father and husband, who run their own firms, were supportive of her move.
Besides her fitness business, Ms Lim likes to invest in shares and commercial properties like shophouses for their stable rental yields. In 2006, she and her husband, Mr Chua Bin Leong, 36, set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, to hold their investment properties, which currently stand at three.
She graduated with an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Bradford University, Yorkshire, England, in 1997.
Her husband is a businessman who manufactures plastic bags. They have four children: daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two, and sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four.
Q: Are you a spender or a saver?
I consider myself very generous when it comes to my children's well-being, especially in the areas of education and food. I'm a saver but at times will pamper myself with facials and spas. I use all of my income for family expenses. My hubby saves about half of his every month.
Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?
I use three credit cards out of the six that I have, and I pay off the bills in full every month. Typically, I charge about $4,000 a month, mainly for my children's enrichment and tuition fees. I withdraw about $200 every week from the ATM.
Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?
My hubby and I are mainly invested in properties and shares and a small amount in fixed deposits and life insurance. I am currently looking into health policies. We have one commercial property and two residential properties. We are also looking into more commercial properties.
Besides property investments, we have about 45 per cent invested in shares, 30 per cent in fixed deposits,
20 per cent in savings and the balance of 5 per cent in US-dollar fixed deposit. We have a few counters - SGX, SingTel and Wilmar, among others - and some are paying regular dividends. We invested earlier in Genting as we saw great potential when its casino here on Sentosa opened.
My hubby helps me to pick stocks and monitors the stock market daily. He does his own research on dividends, growth, management and upcoming trends, through reading company reports and prospectuses. We may hold stocks for six months to a year. And we may let go when we see a 5 per cent rise. For our total portfolio, we have target returns of about 10 per cent for short-term investments and about 30 per cent for longer-term investments.
Q: Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?
I have an older brother and two younger brothers. My father is a businessman providing fittings and fixtures to shopping malls, and my mother is a housewife. They complement each other and are not spendthrifts. I did not ask for money from my dad unnecessarily when I was young. We lived in my grandmother's shophouse in Albert Street with her and an aunt, before moving to a three-room HDB flat in Bedok when I was seven. During that year, my father started his business with his savings. Prior to that, he was a carpenter and a part-time salesman. He inspired me to work hard and set up a business on my own. My mother is very caring and dedicated. I appreciate every meal she cooks for us and I am now learning from her and have been cooking for my children for a year now.
Q: How did you get interested in investing?
I started my first investment with an initial public offering of China Milk back in 2006 and made a modest profit upon the listing. Slowly, I learnt to invest in shares. The first one was a Singapore-listed China property counter, Pan Hong Property. I made $40,000 out of the $200,000 invested in just a few months in 2005.
Q: What properties do you own?
My hubby and I set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, for our investment properties in 2006. Our first investment was actually back in 2000, when we got married. It was a 1,300 sq ft condominium unit in Sengkang. We bought it for $570,000, and the current market value is estimated to be about $650,000. We are renting it out for $2,500 a month.
I also own a 1,600 sq ft unit in Marine Vista in East Coast, which I bought for $1.4 million in end-2008. It is rented out at $2,600 a month and is currently valued at about $1.2 million. The commercial property we own is a 1,500 sq ft, two-storey shophouse in Bedok, which we bought for $1 million in 2008. We rent it out for $7,500 a month. Its value has also appreciated, although I don't know by how much.
Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have bought?
I bought a Rolex watch with a pink mother of pearl face for $11,000 in 2008. The most extravagant gift I've received is a one-carat diamond ring from my hubby on my birthday last year. He knew I would not have bought it on my own. It cost $16,000.
Q: What's your retirement plan?
We plan to be financially independent when we are 50. We intend to invest in a few more commercial properties and be able to have a passive income of $12,000 to $15,000 a month. My hubby and I would require about $5,000 a month when our kids are independent.
Q: Home is now...
We live in my parents-in-law's three-storey semi-detached house in Upper Paya Lebar. It has a land area of 7,000 sq ft. We live here with my parents-in-law, two brothers-in-law and their families and my sister-in-law. My father-in-law runs a plastic-making business.
Q: I drive...
A silver Toyota Picnic.
lorna@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORST AND BEST BETS
Q: What has been your worst investment to date?
I started trading in shares in 2005. In early 2007, I began to invest more in the stock market. I bought 100 lots of the property share LC Dev at $62,000 with just a forecast of the company from my broker and without exploring further. I have since lost about 70 per cent on paper.
Q: And your best investment?
My best investment is the two-storey shophouse in Bedok.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Being a Stay Home Mum (Part 1)
Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/becomingaSAHM
There is no greater joy than watching your children grow and learn, especially when you are the one teaching them. Being a stay at home mom is indeed rewarding, exciting, exhilarating, gratifying and precious. However, it can also be exhausting, stressful, busy, lonely and financially difficult. Consider these points to help you make your decision:
Finances- Living from only one income is often the biggest tie-breaker when making this decision. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be. Many at home parents find a happy medium supplementing with part time or work from home jobs. This helps to offset the stress of drastically reducing your family's income. In most cases, living on a reduced income means that sacrifices are in short order.
What expenses are you willing to cut back on in order to make your goal a reality, like:
- Family vacations
- Eating at home vs. eating out
- Cable TV
- Cut back to one vehicle
- Buy generic brand products
- Clip coupons
- Car Pool
- Make your own bread and other baked goods
- Do your own manicures
-Creating a budget
There is no greater joy than watching your children grow and learn, especially when you are the one teaching them. Being a stay at home mom is indeed rewarding, exciting, exhilarating, gratifying and precious. However, it can also be exhausting, stressful, busy, lonely and financially difficult. Consider these points to help you make your decision:
Finances- Living from only one income is often the biggest tie-breaker when making this decision. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be. Many at home parents find a happy medium supplementing with part time or work from home jobs. This helps to offset the stress of drastically reducing your family's income. In most cases, living on a reduced income means that sacrifices are in short order.
What expenses are you willing to cut back on in order to make your goal a reality, like:
- Family vacations
- Eating at home vs. eating out
- Cable TV
- Cut back to one vehicle
- Buy generic brand products
- Clip coupons
- Car Pool
- Make your own bread and other baked goods
- Do your own manicures
-Creating a budget
Women- You are an Amazing Juggler! Learn how to juggle the many balls in our lives
Women- The Best Juggler on Earth!
It is certainly interesting that a recent MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement 2010, a biannual survey that measures consumer confidence amid prevailing market expectations, studied a total of 3,306 women and 3,316 men in Singapore. The index, which surveyed 200 women and 200 men in Singapore, shows that the proportion of women in Singapore forming a larger proportion of the labour force than before and women’s regular income has also improved against men. Throughout the region, an estimated 66.5 per cent of women are taking on the role of decision-makers, up from 45.6 per cent last year.
The survey results have certainly highlighted how a woman undergoes to be the “perfect juggler”! Women are known to be better multi- taskers, but even that alone, means juggling between a career women, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and other multiple ad-hoc roles we are expected to play. Now, how does one find better ways of navigating through the landmines? Here are 3 possible solutions to the perennial problem of your juggling act.
1. Defining your priorities
Women do have to recognise that we have to balance and adjust our priorities along the way. There is a season for everything. At times, we may have to put family ahead and take a slower pace at work, while at other points, career can take greater priority if we have good family support. It is certainly helpful to identify the goals you are trying to achieve in your life, write them down and stick them on your fridge or the whiteboard at work to make sure the constant sight of it reminds you to head down the right path.
2. Setting Boundaries to Work Smarter
Very often, we are inclined to say yes, even when our gut feel says no. One of the biggest mistake is to take on a job which requires frequent travelling, when you are not the sort who likes to be away from home. Say no to non-family-friendly assignments and set limits at work, even if you are a perfectionist. As women, we need to learn to be more strategic about the work we take on to survive in the long run. Most of the time, things do not have to be perfect, to move on.
3. Protecting your "ME" time
Most of us do not skip work unless there is something important, so make sure you treat your private time the same way. If celebrity couples take time off to have romantic strolls in the park, so can you. It is important to schedule some precious time together with your spouse, to recreate the romance within. It is very important for ladies to remember their spouse need their companionship too! You may don that managerial outlook when you are at work, but give your men the respect they require back home. Just like scheduling meetings at work, schedule in that movie with your husband and make sure you keep the date.
It is certainly interesting that a recent MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement 2010, a biannual survey that measures consumer confidence amid prevailing market expectations, studied a total of 3,306 women and 3,316 men in Singapore. The index, which surveyed 200 women and 200 men in Singapore, shows that the proportion of women in Singapore forming a larger proportion of the labour force than before and women’s regular income has also improved against men. Throughout the region, an estimated 66.5 per cent of women are taking on the role of decision-makers, up from 45.6 per cent last year.
The survey results have certainly highlighted how a woman undergoes to be the “perfect juggler”! Women are known to be better multi- taskers, but even that alone, means juggling between a career women, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and other multiple ad-hoc roles we are expected to play. Now, how does one find better ways of navigating through the landmines? Here are 3 possible solutions to the perennial problem of your juggling act.
1. Defining your priorities
Women do have to recognise that we have to balance and adjust our priorities along the way. There is a season for everything. At times, we may have to put family ahead and take a slower pace at work, while at other points, career can take greater priority if we have good family support. It is certainly helpful to identify the goals you are trying to achieve in your life, write them down and stick them on your fridge or the whiteboard at work to make sure the constant sight of it reminds you to head down the right path.
2. Setting Boundaries to Work Smarter
Very often, we are inclined to say yes, even when our gut feel says no. One of the biggest mistake is to take on a job which requires frequent travelling, when you are not the sort who likes to be away from home. Say no to non-family-friendly assignments and set limits at work, even if you are a perfectionist. As women, we need to learn to be more strategic about the work we take on to survive in the long run. Most of the time, things do not have to be perfect, to move on.
3. Protecting your "ME" time
Most of us do not skip work unless there is something important, so make sure you treat your private time the same way. If celebrity couples take time off to have romantic strolls in the park, so can you. It is important to schedule some precious time together with your spouse, to recreate the romance within. It is very important for ladies to remember their spouse need their companionship too! You may don that managerial outlook when you are at work, but give your men the respect they require back home. Just like scheduling meetings at work, schedule in that movie with your husband and make sure you keep the date.
Women Here Doing Better in Workforce
Women Here Doing Better in Workforce
by Pamela Chow(MyPaper March 3,2010)
MANAGING director Joni Ong, 49, is feeling upbeat about her finances, her independence and, indeed, about her place as a woman in Singapore's working world.As a young graduate, she had ambitions of climbing the corporate ladder but, at 27, her plans took a back seat after she and her husband started their family.Eight months after giving birth, she went on to take her master's degree in Education and continued to make progress in the field of human resource.
"Women are very much a presence to be reckoned with... We've always been able to make decisions for ourselves," she said.She continues to feels positive about the economy, even in the wake of the financial crisis, and recently started a training consultancy."This is the year to start... It's time to move forward," she said.Ms Ong is just one example of a Singapore woman who feels she's on solid ground, just a year after the global economic meltdown.The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement 2010, a biannual survey that measures consumer confidence amid prevailing market expectations, studied a total of 3,306 women and 3,316 men in the region.The survey compiles an index to compare whether expectations of economic performance favour men or women.A figure of 100 indicates equality between the sexes.Numbers less than that mean that expectations favour men, while numbers higher than 100 indicate that expectations favour women.
The index, which surveyed 200 women and 200 men in Singapore, shows that:
* Women here form 51.3 per cent of the labour force, up from 51.1 per cent last year.
* Women's regular income has also improved against men's, doubling from 34.9 to 68.9 index points, from the first to second half of last year.
* Singapore women's expectations of future economic performance have also gone up, from 31.4 index points to 86.5 over the same period.
* More women are also taking charge in the household.
* Throughout the region, an estimated 66.5 per cent of women are taking on the role of decision-makers, up from 45.6 per cent last year.
Women continue to make strides in labour-force participation and tertiary- education enrolment, and we are glad to see this translating into a greater sense of self-worth," Ms Georgette Tan, MasterCard's vice-president of communications for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.
The survey also received responses from people in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
by Pamela Chow(MyPaper March 3,2010)
MANAGING director Joni Ong, 49, is feeling upbeat about her finances, her independence and, indeed, about her place as a woman in Singapore's working world.As a young graduate, she had ambitions of climbing the corporate ladder but, at 27, her plans took a back seat after she and her husband started their family.Eight months after giving birth, she went on to take her master's degree in Education and continued to make progress in the field of human resource.
"Women are very much a presence to be reckoned with... We've always been able to make decisions for ourselves," she said.She continues to feels positive about the economy, even in the wake of the financial crisis, and recently started a training consultancy."This is the year to start... It's time to move forward," she said.Ms Ong is just one example of a Singapore woman who feels she's on solid ground, just a year after the global economic meltdown.The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement 2010, a biannual survey that measures consumer confidence amid prevailing market expectations, studied a total of 3,306 women and 3,316 men in the region.The survey compiles an index to compare whether expectations of economic performance favour men or women.A figure of 100 indicates equality between the sexes.Numbers less than that mean that expectations favour men, while numbers higher than 100 indicate that expectations favour women.
The index, which surveyed 200 women and 200 men in Singapore, shows that:
* Women here form 51.3 per cent of the labour force, up from 51.1 per cent last year.
* Women's regular income has also improved against men's, doubling from 34.9 to 68.9 index points, from the first to second half of last year.
* Singapore women's expectations of future economic performance have also gone up, from 31.4 index points to 86.5 over the same period.
* More women are also taking charge in the household.
* Throughout the region, an estimated 66.5 per cent of women are taking on the role of decision-makers, up from 45.6 per cent last year.
Women continue to make strides in labour-force participation and tertiary- education enrolment, and we are glad to see this translating into a greater sense of self-worth," Ms Georgette Tan, MasterCard's vice-president of communications for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.
The survey also received responses from people in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Be a Star Performer at Work with Minimal Effort
Be a Star Performer at Work with Minimal Effort
"What's the big secret? What really separates star workers from average performers?" you ask. How will you like to be a star performer without much effort? The article below is written with the simple objective of directing you to the blueprint for success in both your work and life, with minimal effort required.
Now start unveiling that star performer within you, as you equip yourself with the strategies for success.
1. Network
Networking is more than a stack of business cards. It involves identifying contacts and relationships with others who have similar interests, ideas and goals. The purpose is to draw benefit from these relationships. It is important not to have a misconception that networking manipulates people. Instead think of it as synergy, because networking benefits are usually of value to all the parties involved.
Be proactive in getting direct and immediate access to coworkers with technical expertise and sharing your own knowledge with those who need it. The goal is to minimize the knowledge deficit that is inherent in every brain powered job.
The first trick to being a star performer is to know where to get help. By knowing where to get help when you need, you are able to do things faster and more easily. Star performers may not know everything. However, they are people who know where to go for the cooperation, support and expertise they need to do their jobs. Furthermore, they are able to recognize the places where their own knowledge and expertise can contribute to team results.
2. Perspective
Getting the big picture and knowing how you fit into the organization is essential for a star performer like you. Having such a perspective allows you to see a project or a problem in a larger context and through the eyes of the other stakeholders.
By putting yourself in other peoples' shoes, you are able to evaluate the relative importance of various viewpoints. Thus, by being a star performer with a perspective, it gives you an edge by allowing you to pre-empt what other stakeholders will require. This minimizes your effort in doing a task repeatedly and reflects positively on you for having taken the initiative.
3. Self-management
To become your best self - a star, a great leader, a fulfilled worker - you need to know yourself and your goals very well. Take some time to think through what you really desire in life.
No one else but yourself is responsible for your career development. If you feel that you require certain courses to improve your expertise and be better able to handle your work scope, highlight this to your Human Resource department. The onus is on you to convince them of the benefits this will bring to them as you are more equipped to handle the job.
By planning ahead and knowing what is required of you and your job, you are able to minimize your effort in redoing things. Do practice to perform a task so well that you would only have to do it once.
"There is no better time than now." - Start being a Star Performer Today
Star performance on a work-place team follows the same principles as star performance on an athletic team. A talented quarterback on a football team will get nowhere without knowing who is good at running for short yardage, who is good at receiving a long pass, and who is good at the sweeping end run. He also needs to know who will protect him against a rushing offense.
The traits that make stars different from everyone else are the strategies they use to do their own work and to work well with other people. By learning what others have done right, the effort that is required of you is also now minimized.
Exercise:
Take some time today to ask yourself, "Are you well- equipped to be a star performer?"
1. Are you able to get help from others when you need them?
2. Do you often get caught up with the minute details instead of the big picture?
3. What are your goals in life? Is your current skillset aligned with them?
Awake the star potential within you, with minimal effort required. Note that this is also applicable to entrepreneurs as you can excel in your own business too!
"What's the big secret? What really separates star workers from average performers?" you ask. How will you like to be a star performer without much effort? The article below is written with the simple objective of directing you to the blueprint for success in both your work and life, with minimal effort required.
Now start unveiling that star performer within you, as you equip yourself with the strategies for success.
1. Network
Networking is more than a stack of business cards. It involves identifying contacts and relationships with others who have similar interests, ideas and goals. The purpose is to draw benefit from these relationships. It is important not to have a misconception that networking manipulates people. Instead think of it as synergy, because networking benefits are usually of value to all the parties involved.
Be proactive in getting direct and immediate access to coworkers with technical expertise and sharing your own knowledge with those who need it. The goal is to minimize the knowledge deficit that is inherent in every brain powered job.
The first trick to being a star performer is to know where to get help. By knowing where to get help when you need, you are able to do things faster and more easily. Star performers may not know everything. However, they are people who know where to go for the cooperation, support and expertise they need to do their jobs. Furthermore, they are able to recognize the places where their own knowledge and expertise can contribute to team results.
2. Perspective
Getting the big picture and knowing how you fit into the organization is essential for a star performer like you. Having such a perspective allows you to see a project or a problem in a larger context and through the eyes of the other stakeholders.
By putting yourself in other peoples' shoes, you are able to evaluate the relative importance of various viewpoints. Thus, by being a star performer with a perspective, it gives you an edge by allowing you to pre-empt what other stakeholders will require. This minimizes your effort in doing a task repeatedly and reflects positively on you for having taken the initiative.
3. Self-management
To become your best self - a star, a great leader, a fulfilled worker - you need to know yourself and your goals very well. Take some time to think through what you really desire in life.
No one else but yourself is responsible for your career development. If you feel that you require certain courses to improve your expertise and be better able to handle your work scope, highlight this to your Human Resource department. The onus is on you to convince them of the benefits this will bring to them as you are more equipped to handle the job.
By planning ahead and knowing what is required of you and your job, you are able to minimize your effort in redoing things. Do practice to perform a task so well that you would only have to do it once.
"There is no better time than now." - Start being a Star Performer Today
Star performance on a work-place team follows the same principles as star performance on an athletic team. A talented quarterback on a football team will get nowhere without knowing who is good at running for short yardage, who is good at receiving a long pass, and who is good at the sweeping end run. He also needs to know who will protect him against a rushing offense.
The traits that make stars different from everyone else are the strategies they use to do their own work and to work well with other people. By learning what others have done right, the effort that is required of you is also now minimized.
Exercise:
Take some time today to ask yourself, "Are you well- equipped to be a star performer?"
1. Are you able to get help from others when you need them?
2. Do you often get caught up with the minute details instead of the big picture?
3. What are your goals in life? Is your current skillset aligned with them?
Awake the star potential within you, with minimal effort required. Note that this is also applicable to entrepreneurs as you can excel in your own business too!
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