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R Theyvendran
Chairman/Managing Director
Stamford Media
International Group of Companies
THE furniture sector model can be replicated in several other sectors. In trade and economic matters, Singapore has an excellent reputation. Our tourism sector has has concentrated on attracting visitors here and to the region. Why not organise trips for travellers that want to go to other places - say, from London to Paris, Venice or Florence? The industry should set up a new wing to tap such business. Another sector set for growth is healthcare. Singapore should set-up of more medical centres and hospitals in other countries to offer quality services at competitive rates. We should learn from 'Japan Incorporated'. Singapore-based companies, especially SMEs, can and should do the same leverage on Singapore's quality brand - 'Singapore Incorporated'.
Tay Chin Ann
Managing
Director
Bio-Design
HAVING grown to become a custom furnishing and design consultancy since 1996, Bio-Design strongly believes in the model of leveraging on the Singapore brand to seek opportunities abroad. Our belief stems from understanding and experience. Our company has expanded rapidly because of the niche service it provides. We are re-branding ourselves as a uniquely Singapore company. Our local and international clients already recognise our heritage, background, reliability, integrity and quality. We believe our re-branding exercise we boost the confidence our clients already have in us. Having witness first-hand the benefits of this business model, we believe it can be replicated in many sectors if brand management and investment in branding is in place and well thought out. Local sectors such as food and beverage, retail and perhaps even the IT industry are ripe for a collective approach and will benefit from leveraging on the Singapore brand.
William Wong
Managing Director
RealStar Premier Property
Consultant
REALSTAR recognises the potential of the Singapore brand in garnering consumer confidence and success. In 2005 we went through a re-branding exercise to switch from mass-market property sales to private landed property. Since then we have built a strong corporate identity among landed home buyers. We agree that finding a niche and establishing this in the consumer's mind reaps large, long-term rewards for any organisation. We will be reviewing possible ways to incorporate PM Lee's business strategy in our long-term marketing plans over the next few months. We have experienced the benefits of communicating a unique brand and we believe that leveraging on the Singapore brand can strengthen our position as a trusted professional company that can meet the needs of its clients.
Arthur Tan
Executive
Director
Dashmesh Singapore
THE Singapore brand name is useful for any trade or service that that has an 'audience' outside Singapore. Food distributors like ourselves are warmly accepted as partners of integrity as we consolidate and re-export foodstuff to the region. Feedback from our customers indicates we are trustworthy and reliable and will make good any issues that may arise occasionally. This 'branding' does not need to manifest itself in the form of tangible goods - such as furniture - made in Singapore. As long as the businesses and services relate intimately to companies and people in Singapore, it will work. It is up SMEs to capitalise on the strong Singapore Brand more efficiently. There are a few black sheep in our community - like any community. This has not dented our image. However, I believe we must immediately address any credibility issues surrounding the private education sector. We must make sure that no one capitalises on the Singapore brand for doubtful purposes.
John Koh
Managing Director
WMRC
Private
IT is laudable that our SMEs are finding new opportunities overseas. Every country develops at a different economic pace to its peers. A sunset industry in one country could well be a booming industry in another. The key is identifying your niche and knowing how to capitalise on it in another market. Given our relatively small domestic market, it is conceivable for SMEs here to be able to offer greater value-add in countries that are less developed but present vast opportunities. Besides furniture, another industry ripe for overseas expansion is in the human resource consultancy and recruitment industry. Singapore has progressed significantly in HR practices. Leveraging on this track record, I believe countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand would benefit greatly from our experience and expertise.
Ryan Lee
Chief Executive Officer
Xmi
I BELIEVE many industries can leverage on the Singapore brand. Having travelled quite a bit, I have spoken to many foreigners. And their view of Singapore is often that of a fast-growing nation that is organised, clean, green and efficient. Our fame as a country is not industry-related - it's the role we collectively play that gives credit to our nation and the Singapore brand. Having sold our products worldwide, we are proud to declare our brand as innately Singaporean. Branding is very much about leveraging and scalability. Starting out as an unknown company trying to sell our products to the world, many customers' first impression of us was our nationality. The Singapore is a brand of great repute. We must leverage on our national pride to export our brands and innovations.
Fong Loo Fern
Managing Director
CYC The Custom
Shop
THE Textile and Fashion Federation is working actively to encourage local designers and fashion retailers to export their products. With the various grants and incentives for companies to explore new markets, Singapore designers and fashion businesses are a group that can benefit from a collective approach. The Singapore brand is recognised and respected in many countries, especially neighbouring countries. I think we need to focus in our approach for opportunities abroad. There are always niches in different markets - success depends on finding a niche that is suitable for each of us, who have different business models and product lines.
Patrick Liew
Chief
Executive Officer
HSR Property Group
AS business becomes more globalised and technology-driven, it demands a wider range of talent, skills and other resources to capitalise on new markets and opportunities. No company can do it alone. One way is to bond together under the Singapore brand to enhance profits, advantage and growth. From new start-ups to iconic giants, strategic alliances - including networks, coalitions and joint ventures - are not an option but a necessity to achieve competitive success. Companies must have the competence to initiate, shape, sustain, and grow a network of strategic partnerships to leverage on complementary insights, strengths and resources. This is not limited to a few industries. Alliances can be formed in a plethora of industries - from manufacturing, telecommunications, finance, transport and pharmaceuticals to healthcare, life science, real estate, the media, entertainment and even professional business services. Local companies will gain an edge by creating strategic alliances that ride on the Singapore brand. Singapore is generally respected for professionalism, a law-abiding culture, efficient systems and productivity. The challenge is that not many managers can bridge the gap between competition and collaboration. They need to re-shape their thinking to do so.
Dhirendra Shantilal
Senior
Vice-President,
Asia-Pacific Kelly Services
THE collective approach in which members of the same industry band together under the broad Singapore umbrella brand is not new. It has already used in many industries, including healthcare, education and food and beverage. The degree of success differs from industry to industry. Much also depends on the industry associations and members themselves - their concerted efforts to market themselves and promote their business interests. While leveraging on the Singapore brand helps, businesses must take a pro-active approach towards branding themselves and raising their quality to obtain maximum impact regionally and globally. In addition, employers need to attract and retain the right talent by building a robust employer brand that reinforces an organisation's vision, culture and growth opportunities.
Low Cheong Kee
Managing Director
Home-Fix D.I.Y.
HOME-FIX is very keen to explore new markets and overseas opportunities to support our growth. The experience of the furniture industry offers valuable insights that are relevant and useful as we position ourselves to expand further. In particular, I admire how they have been able to create competitive world-class products for advanced economies with highly sophisticated consumers. We certainly want to work with likeminded retailers and others on the value chain to emulate their success, coming together as an industry, to forge an effective partnership that has been helpful to each company as well as propel the industry forward as a whole.
The topic for next week's SME Voices Column is: "What is your opinion on the declaration by major world economies that the worst global recession is over? Do you expect rising orders flowing up until or beyond Christmas? "
If you are an SME owner or leader, we would like you to share your views with us. Please email your comments - in less than 250 words - with your name, designation and company's name, to . Mention SME Voices as the subject of your email. Please email your comments by 5pm on Monday, Aug 31, to ensure they are in time for publication.
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