The job market is open, and companies are hiring. Looking through the listings, you see a few openings that excite you. You locate the softcopy of your CV or resumé and proceed to draft out a cover letter.

But before you go ahead and submit your application, there are plenty of things to consider before you hit the send button. Considering how competitive the job market can get these days, it’s always worth taking into account how your application will look compared to other candidates.

Below are a few important pointers to note when crafting your next job application, that could lose you your opportunity before you even get a chance at a face-to-face interview.

1. Sending the same job application to everyone.

Don’t do this: When mass emailing job applications, it’s probably not a good idea to let your potential bosses view your whole list of recipients.

One particular habit spotted in many of today’s job applications is the tendency for applicants to send the same application email to multiple companies and hope that one of them returns with a positive reply.

However, it becomes an issue when the applicant makes the mistake of sending the same email without using the blind carbon copy function, or BCC for short. This allows the recipient (the hiring manager, usually) to see the entire list of recipients, which often leaves a bit of an unsavoury impression on the hirer. After all, attention to detail is something many companies look out for.

This also makes it look like the applicant doesn’t really care all that much whether he/she gets the gig.

How do you fix this?

If you can, it’s highly recommended that you tailor each application towards each recipient so that your emails will all seem purposeful—something all employers prefer too see.

Go ahead and be as particular as you can about the details; address the recipient and his/her company by name, mention specifics unique to the company and job position, and tell them about why you’re specifically suited to their position.

But if you still choose to go the route of mass-mailing your potential suitors, be sure to craft a cover letter that is comprehensive and that covers the relevant points about the job you’re applying to.

Also, make certain that you use the blind carbon copy (bcc) option when sending to multiple addresses at once. This ensures that recipients will not be able to see who else has received your generic email, and reduce the chances of them getting turned off

2. The wrong tone.

Don’t do this: A job application email should never sound like a conversation with your best mate.

Compared to even as recently as 10 years ago, the general attitude to applying for jobs has shifted away quite significantly from prim and proper corporate lingo to more casual and relaxed language. Today instead of cover letters beginning with sentences like “To whom it may concern”, you’ll see more instances of “Hey there”, and “How’s it going?”.

While it’s arguably become more acceptable to type out an email with a bit more of a personable flair, there’s always the inherent danger of going overboard and making things sound way too friendly and intimate for the objective you’re trying to accomplish, which is to find employment.

How do you fix this?

Go ahead, and write your sentences as friendly as you want, but be sure to also remember that you’re engaging with a prospective boss, and interact as such.

Avoid language that shows endearment and avoid the excessive use of things like abbreviations.

3. Too many errors.

Don’t do this: Emails riddled with errors like these should never leave your outbox before they’re proofread first.

As unfortunate it may be, it’s still common to see plenty of job application entries that are littered with mistakes and errors, ranging from typos, formatting problems, grammatical faux pas, or worse, addressing the wrong recipient or company.

How do you fix this?

Before you send out a job application email, always be sure to proofread your content for all of the above plus everything else that could jeopardise your chances of landing the job. If possible, grab a friend or family member to help you spot for these, and if you have to, pay a proofreader to make sure everything is immaculate before it leaves the outbox (the costs will be worth it if you land the position).

4. Putting in irrelevant info.

No one enjoys reading or hearing about things they don’t care about, so why should it be any different when it comes to job applications? When sending out CVs or resumés, applicants often make the mistake of including way too much information that does not pertain to the job position. Usually, this is done as a result of applicants hoping to impress their potential employees with all the things that they know or are capable of doing.

Sadly, this line of thinking is a misguided one.

It’s unlikely that the hiring manager going through thousands of applications won’t care that you spent a few months completing a soap-making course when the position you applied for reads “Business Analyst”, and neither will he/she care about your affinity for Pokémon trading cards.

How do you fix this?

To keep everything relevant, be sure to sift through your your application and make sure that only the most pertinent details get through. It’s one thing to showcase yourself as an interesting person that would be a great addition to the company—it’s another if potential hirers turn away your application just because they couldn’t be bothered with all the stuff that just doesn’t matter.

In fact, if you are applying for a range of different jobs or industries, it’s recommended that you tailor your resumé by job or industry, to ensure that you have the best chance of attracting a prospective employer’s attention.

5. Not knowing your prospective employer.

Knowing the company you apply to—this one is more of a recommendation than a must-do, but ultimately one that will help job-hunters just as much as all the other pointers here.

Unfortunately, plenty of young job-seekers go about applying to companies without researching them first, and having someone indicate in their emails that they don’t even really understand what the company does, but would still like to apply anyway, is usually a red flag for hiring managers.

How do you fix this?

Do this: Add in as much detail as possible about the company you’re applying to. This show’s that you care enough about who they are and what they do.

Seasoned job-hunters will know that taking extra pains to research the company will help them understand the company better and craft a better cover letter that demonstrates to the hirer that they’ve done their research.

While this may not be absolutely necessary, the benefit comes in the form of the advantage you’ll have over others who send in applications that sound and appear generic and uninformed. Plus, it can’t hurt to be extra knowledgeable about things in case you do get called up for a face-to-face interview.

6. Messy CVs and resumés.

These days it’s become incredibly easy for just about anyone to make their resumés and CVs look good, with design tools and templates available all around the web.

Understandably, it’s easy to get carried away when trying to beautify the document that showcases who you are and what you can do. Attempting to add a bit of colour or an unconventional typeface to your CV or resumé can quickly lead to your showcase suddenly looking like a promotional poster for a circus if you’re not exactly sure of what you’re doing.

How do you fix this?

If in doubt, remember that the content comes before everything else, and that simple always trumps complicated when it comes to delivering a message. Keep colour combinations to a maximum of three colours, use no more than two to three different fonts, and always make sure that each section of your document leads easily from one point to the next.

Yes, it’s perfectly fine these days to have CVs or resumés that look a a bit elaborate or at least fancier than a white page with plain text, but be sure that if you choose to spruce yours up, make it easy to read.

7. Out-of-date information.

This one is highly important, but easy to overlook. Due to sheer negligence, CVs can often contain information that is outdated or no longer true. These details can be things such as personal info or previous professional experiences, and can negatively affect your chances at landing that coveted position.

Just imagine you recently completed that software mastery course but didn’t include it in your application to that IT firm? What could have been a great boost to your chances would have gone to waste just because the hirer was not aware.

That said, be sure to always include the most up-to-date information in your CV or resumé so as not to damage your chances of landing the job.

How do you fix this?

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Be sure to do a thorough round of checks on all of your attached documents and update any information that’s old or isn’t accurate anymore.

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Now that you’ve gone through the points above, you pretty much have a good idea of what to do and what not to do the next time you plan to send out a job application. While following them won’t guarantee that you land the position, they’ll very probably go quite a long way in helping you get your application as clean, orderly, concise, and up-to-date as possible.

Happy job-hunting!

• Read our previous article on job application emails that will get trashed immediately here.

Feature Image Credit: jcomp

• We spoke to a few entrepreneurs to get their take on how effective business lunches can be in clinching client deals.

Nowadays, most people we know have schedules packed so full that they sometimes struggle to even squeeze regular meals into their daily routine. Whether it’s meetings, paperwork, or even menial tasks around the office, we can all agree that time is scarce.

A workaround usually employed by many is to have business meetings over lunch, usually in a quiet area that allows for decent conversation and a proper exchange of information or ideas.

But then again, how effective are these business lunches—a great way to utilise limited time in a busy day, or an excuse to grab an all-expense paid lunch? We spoke to Malaysian entrepreneurs for their thoughts on the issue.

Finding Time And Building Relationships

Say what you want about effectiveness, but business lunches are often a necessity for some. According to Jason Low, the Digital Transformation Director of Thunder Match Technology (TMT), the underlying reason behind many business lunches is (a lack of) time.

However, the upside of this is that relationships are then built up in a more personal way—something Jason utilises in his work. Ultimately, people buy from people, and a good personal relationship with prospective clients/partners is vital to help build trust.

Image Credit: Jason Low

This is perhaps best summed up by Epnox Technologies CEO, Sze Jun King: “If customer no like you, they no buy from you.”

A main factor in the supposed effectiveness of business lunches is also the fact that breaking bread with somebody pre-supposes trust. Josh Lim, who has experience in social media campaigns tells us, “From a purely evolutionary standpoint, we eat with people that are unlikely to poison us.”

Of course, a business lunch in itself isn’t the only thing to take into account when closing a client deal.

According to Syed Muzani, entrepreneurs may consider it a chore. Business lunches can even be taken as an indirect bribe, with Syed revealing that people might find it difficult to turn down someone who has built up a friendly relationship with them.

Three-Pronged Approach

Deciding if a client/deal is worth the business lunch isn’t as black and white as it would seem.

Image Credit: Richard Moh

According to Richard Moh from CatJira, there are 3 things to consider:

1) Stage of sales
It all depends on which stage of the negotiations you’re at. If you’re just making introductions, Jared explains that lunch would be a waste of time. Instead, a regular meeting in a more suitable setting might be a better choice for now.

On the other hand, if you’ve already got (or think you’ve got) a certain deal in the bag, business lunches could be the best time for you to upsell or even cross-sell.

2) Cost of acquisition
One lunch isn’t usually enough to close a deal, but an important thing to consider is whether the product you’re selling is you (services), or something else. As Richard states, lunch meetings may be more suitable if you’re selling your services, while you’ll have to find that balance when gauging if you’re going to close a deal or not.

3) Sales don’t happen during lunches
Instead, the main aim of business lunches should be to build relationships. If the meeting is taking place outside the office, clients shouldn’t be treated as mere bags of cash. Richard explains, “There’s only one lunch per person per day. It’s their chance to be off work. Selling to them during lunch hours is akin to robbing them”.

But Don’t Overdo It

You know how they say too much of a good thing is a bad thing? Perhaps Syed Muzani’s anecdote best illustrates the dangers of overdoing it for business lunches.

Having arrived at the pre-agreed meeting point, Syed was initially keen on the product the salesperson had to offer. However, after an awkward lunch of small talk, “rapport-building”, and political discussion, his interest in buying anything that day had waned.

Of course, it didn’t help that the salesperson had arrived late. Couple that with the fact that the meeting ran late, Syed walked away.

“Very often I want to buy something, but the salesperson (ironically) convinces me not to.”
– Syed

Location Is Everything

Let’s say you’ve decided on a day and time for your lunch meeting. Arguably, the most important decision to make now is the location of the meeting. Your choice of environment very much depends on the type of meeting you’re organising, as Brand Strategist, Klieo Lee tells us.

“I prefer a more formal, focused setting when it comes to closing deals.”

The setting of the lunch meeting can very often be the catalyst to closing business deals. For example, a focused environment makes it easier to get to the point, and for clients to stay in the conversation better.

However, Klieo further explains that she prefers this formal setting for corporate clients, while meetings over coffee/tea work better for smaller clients.

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Image Credit: Sunway

Everyone has a different opinion or strategy when it comes to closing deals, or client meetings. However, the underlying message with most of the entrepreneurs we spoke to is that the location and environment you choose for your meeting is vital to succeeding.

Finding a location where you can have a variety of food and a conducive environment for meetings can be difficult. After all, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Depending on the situation, hotels can offer a balance of the aforementioned elements when it comes to business lunches.

If you’re located in Penang, the Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya might just be the ideal place to have one of these business lunches—they offer a variety of cuisines within their lunch and dinner packages. A 30-minute drive from the Penang International Airport, the hotel is designed specifically with corporate executive clients in mind, while they also cater to a wide range of travellers.

Image Credit: Sunway

The next time you’re organising a business lunch, keep in mind that the environment of your lunch is arguably the most important factor to the success of your meeting. And a hotel might just be the most balanced option around.

• To find out more about the packages available at Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya, click here.
• You can book meeting rooms here.

This article is written in collaboration with Sunway.

Feature Image Credit: Chevanon / Freepik

Last Friday, news broke that Singapore retailer IUIGA has been sued by Japanese competitor MUJI on grounds of “trademark infringement and passing-off under Singapore law”.

MUJI was reported to be “seeking for orders to stop the use of the MUJI trademark in IUIGA’s statements” and “seeking compensation for damages and losses”.

According to MUJI, its manufacturing contractors have also “denied manufacturing or supplying products to IUIGA”.

In response to the accusations, IUIGA’s chief growth officer Jaslyn Chan insisted that the company “maintains that they have done nothing wrong” and that “the information on their website is factually accurate and their manufacturing processes are legal”.

Chan also stated that they work with “original design manufacturers (ODMs) and that there is no direct ownership of the product by any single brand entity, allowing the original design manufacturers to produce for more than one brand”.

Today, IUIGA got in touch with us, and asserted that they “are working with manufacturers that also work with MUJI”.

In the statement, IUIGA added that their bean bag sofa is made by the same manufacturer of MUJI’s bean bag sofa, but the product listing was revised “because IUIGA has been informed by the manufacturers that MUJI has pressured them to have IUIGA remove the label”.

IUIGA’s bean bag

MUJI’s bean bag

“Given that MUJI’s business still occupies a large portion of the manufacturer’s overall revenue, IUIGA is in no position to work against their manufacturers, and they acceded to [the] manufacturer’s request in taking down the label.”

IUIGA also brought up the example of their eyelash curler, stating that while it is “indeed from MUJI’s manufacturer”, it is not the manufacturer that MUJI is taking stocks from.

“MUJI works with many manufacturers, some of which have overlapping expertise. This product is produced by one of MUJI’s plastic manufacturers that also supplies to IUIGA.”

IUIGA’s eyelash curler

MUJI’s eyelash curler

As clarified for all of IUIGA’s products, the design rights belong to [the] manufacturer and they are free to work with any other brand. As such, IUIGA is not infringing on design or product rights.

Lastly, IUIGA revealed that they are currently in the midst of preparing a list of manufacturers that both IUIGA and MUJI work with.

This list will be released to media at a later date, so watch this space for updates.

As swiftly as they arrived in Singapore so are they exiting.

According to a report on Channel NewsAsia, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) revealed that bike-sharing firm Mobike has made an application to seek consent to surrender its bicycle-sharing license in Singapore.

Mobike has also been reported to have withdrawn its applications for a PMD-sharing license and to increase its maximum allowed shared bicycle fleet size.

LTA revealed that it is currently assessing Mobike’s request, and “will work with the company to ensure that it has fully explored all options, including its proposal to transfer existing assets or operations to existing licensees, to minimise impact to consumers”.

In the case that its application to surrender the license is granted, Mobike will be required to conduct a “proper exit”.

This includes removing all bicycles from public places and providing refunds for user deposits and pre-paid credits.

Just last month, bike-sharing firm ofo’s operating license was suspended by the LTA, and was required to remove all its bicycles from public places.

Singaporeans love convenience, and above all, Singaporeans love free things.

From now till June 30 this year, patients under the SingHealth group of healthcare institutions can enjoy free delivery of their prescribed medicine — after which, they will be charged S$8 per delivery.

This service is available for hospital patients from Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Changi General Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).

Patients at the Singapore National Eye Centre, the National Cancer Centre Singapore, and the National Heart Centre Singapore, as well as SingHealth Polytechnics, can also leverage on this service.

According to SGH’s director of pharmacy Lim Mum Moon, this service will greatly “benefit patients who are prescribed long-term medications” such as those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

After consulting with the doctor, patients can skip the medicine collection queue and opt for their medication to be delivered instead.

Patients can sign up for the service at the outpatient pharmacy in the institution that issued their prescriptions. Payment-wise, it can be made online or at payment kiosks in the pharmacies.

Delivery Takes 3 Working Days

The medication will be delivered within three working days, either to the patient’s home or to various collection points islandwide.

Some of these collection points include Prescription in Locker Boxes (also known as Pilboxes), which are located at SingHealth polyclinics in Bedok, Marine Parade, Punggol, Sengkang, and Tampines.

SGH and KKH patients can also opt for delivery to 18 bluPort self-collection lockers, which are mostly located at FairPrice Xpress outlets in Esso petrol stations and Cheers convenience stores.

For subsequent medication refills, patients can request via a phone call to the pharmacy or the SingHealth Health Buddy app.

The app also lets you reschedule medical appointments, set up reminder alerts to take the medicine, check information such as dosage, side effects and storage instructions for over 300 commonly prescribed medications.

Featured Image Credit: National University Hospital 

• MaGIC has just launched the Innovation Week event that runs throughout March 11-15.
• The Innovation Week event will see speakers from different industries providing insights and tips into entrepreneurship, starting with new MDEC CEO Surina Shukri.

After former CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Datuk Yasmin Mahmood resigned on Dec 7 last year, there were plenty of rumors as to who would take over the role.

It was then announced by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo that Surina Shukri would be the CEO of MDEC, effective January 16, 2019.

Surina moved out of Malaysia to New York in 2001 and has lived there until she took up the role of MDEC CEO. She has accumulated around 20 years of experience working in multinational companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co and startups in industries such as finance, natural resource, energy and technology.

After being in office for a little less than two months, Surina Shukri visited Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) for their Innovation Week event as one of the speakers.

The Innovation Week event will see speakers and guests coming from different industries providing insights into entrepreneurship, with Surina Shukri kicking it off.

Life Is Full Of Surprises

With the crowd that comprised of mostly entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs, Surina began by explaining that as an entrepreneur herself, she understands the hardships of being one.

Surina founded SheNovation Ventures in 2018 which was based in New York, SheNovation Ventures focuses heavily on the blockchain sector and in addition to providing capital, also advocates and provides education and insights into using the technology for social good.

“The entrepreneurial journey is not an easy journey, it is very hard but very exciting and rewarding at the same time,” she said.

She was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. As a survivor, she has then become an advocate for breast cancer awareness and emphasised to the crowd to make every second count.

“Life is short, family is important, your health is important, you yourself is important, be true to yourself.”

What Makes An Entrepreneur?

As for advice when it comes to entrepreneurship, she said it comes down to 5 things when you run a company.

1. Always have the right team with you.
2. Solving problems and creating an experience that’s better, faster and cheaper versus your competitors.
3. Thinking creatively and “entrepreneurial-y”.
4. Understand your core strength and focus on it.
5. Be honest about things that you need to change.

According to Surina, the best founders are the ones who have vision and a really strong “Why”.

“If your why is not strong, you’re not purpose driven, mission driven, then you’re not going to be very successful and you will have trouble with most challenges,” she explained.

As she just spent a whole week at a new economic workshop in China, she had the chance to visit one of the largest Chinese conglomerates headquarters—Alibaba. Founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, she was amazed to see how the company has grown in the span of 20 years.

Alibaba has operations in over 200 countries and is the world’s largest retailer, e-commerce company with Taobao and Tmall, one of the largest Internet and AI companies, one of the biggest venture capital firms, and one of the biggest investment corporations in the world.

“What was profound was that the founder had a clear vision of what he wanted to build, in this case he wanted to build a company that the world will be proud of and stuck to it.”

And finally, she touched upon on the government’s and MDEC’s role in helping local entrepreneurs grow further.

Where Does The Government Come In?

Surina provided an example of how the government works like a company: it’s all about delivering a good experience and solving problems for clients and customers.

“At the end of the day, ‘how can we make things easier for the people in our ecosystem?’ is the question that the government and MDEC strives to solve for entrepreneurs.”

She also added that they’ve been looking at liberalising certain laws and acts that have actually been in place since the 1950s and 1960s.

“Of course there’s an opportunity to relook at them to make sure that its consistent with how we are doing things today,” she explained, touching on outdated laws and regulations that may stifle entrepreneurship.

“For example we do a lot of work with drones. A few drone companies have highlighted that there are certain rules that makes it hard to operate,” she said. “We’re taking note of that and going back to figure out how we can make that easier.”

“Our role is to make sure we don’t stifle innovation, that’s our biggest responsibility as the government.”

We’ve reached out to Surina Shukri to find out more details about MDEC’s plans and will work on an update piece when we get a reply.

• If you would like to learn more about Surina Shukri, you can check out our previous coverage on her.

• Macarons By Madeleine is a solo F&B business run by 24-year-old banker Madeleine Lew.
• She offers up macarons that are hand-painted and customisable based on the demands of clients, and delivers to central regions of the Klang Valley.

Lately, it’s become common to see young enterprising individuals go out into the world and try to build themselves a successful business creating things that today’s discerning market can appreciate.

From hand-made leather wearables to goods made from recycled materials to food items made using high-grade ingredients, there have been an increasing number of these local brands started by these ambitious young entrepreneurs.

One such individual traversing this route is 24-year-old Madeline Lew, a Business and Commerce graduate from Monash University Malaysia who decided to pursue a baking career in addition to her weekday occupation as a banker.

To be exact, Madeleine runs a home business called Macarons By Madeleine that offer artisanal macarons made to order, and markets them to most central areas within the Klang Valley, including Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Selangor.

Her prices start at RM42 for a minimum order of 12 undecorated macarons, but rise to RM60 for customised, hand-painted pieces. For delivery, she charges a minimum of RM5, with prices differing based on location.

“I’m still personally delivering them, so there are limitations on which areas I can reach,” she explained. “But recently, I’ve been exploring delivery platforms as I hope to reach a wider audience in the future.”

Friendly Origins

Madeleine explained that she got started baking macarons after getting taught how to make them by one of her buddies.

“I’ve a close friend—Lynn—who has some culinary skills, and she just decided that one day we’d meet at her place and she’d demonstrate how to bake macarons,” she explained. “I saw how she did it, and even without having any hands-on experience at the time, I thought to myself ‘hey, this seems pretty easy!’, and that was that.”

But for a few months after that, Madeleine never made moves to use her new-found knowledge until the beginning of 2018 when she wrote down her New Year’s resolutions.

“I jotted down in my journal that in 2018, I wanted to bake macarons as birthday gifts for my close circle of friends, because what could be a better gift than something hand-made right?” she revealed.

So after a period of trial and error—20 tries over a couple of months to be exact, Madeleine eventually got the hang of macaron-making and proceeded to create her business account on Instagram in mid-August of 2018, aptly naming her new brand Macarons By Madeleine.

Madeleine said that she now uses her businesses not only as an income platform, but also as an avenue where she could showcase her creativity.

“I wanted Macarons By Madeleine to be a platform where I present my creativity—art can come in many forms and for me, it’s expressed through adding some colours and designs onto the typical meringue-based cookie.”

True to this statement, Madeleine differentiates her offerings from other cafés and bakeries by adding all sorts of designs to her macarons. These designs range from floral patterns and cute illustrations to letter designs and custom messages, and have so far been successful in drawing attention from not only individual clients, but corporate ones as well.

Madeleine explained that she got educated in beautifying her macarons mainly through online tutorials and having Lynn give her critique through WhatsApp.

“I did not attend any proper macaron-making classes, but I searched a lot online for tutorials on YouTube,” she said. “Trust me, there’s tons for you to learn—if one video’s method or recipe doesn’t suit you, move on and try another video tutorial.”

“As for my designs, I got my ideas mainly from Pinterest and Instagram.”

Any Demand Is Good Demand

One of the concerns when it comes to food trends like these is longevity, with some trends able to stay evergreen while much more come and go in the blink of an eye.

Addressing these concerns, Madeleine expressed that she felt there would always be a place for macarons in Malaysia despite there not being crazy hype or demand for them.

She admitted she understood that compared to brands such as Tealive, macarons would probably never hit such levels of popularity—which by all accounts is fine by her.

“To be honest, I never saw macarons as a huge thing in Malaysia compared to other famous trends such as bubble tea,” Madeleine said. “I would even say that there’s a portion of Malaysians who are pretty health-conscious and deem macarons or any other sweet desserts as sinful to consume.”

But despite this, she said there would always be some demand for food products like hers, mainly due to the fact that people always need options for special occasions.

“Demand-wise, I feel there is always an occasion or function,” she said. “I still get enquiries every now and then, and they’re almost always ordered as gifts for someone special.”

As proof of this, Madeleine revealed that on one such occasion, she received an order from a corporate client for 1,000 boxes to be used as door gifts for their event.

“It wasn’t an easy order for me, but I’m truly grateful for the help I got from my friends, and especially my mom since she helped me from the start.”

Steps To Expansion

Looking ahead, Madeleine is currently facing two distinct challenges in trying to grow her business—labour and logistics.

For labour, she realises that eventually her business will need more hands on deck, and as such is considering bringing in another individual to help her manage growing demand and expectations.

“In terms of labour, you don’t hear the term ‘freelance baker’ in the same way other industries can easily hire freelancers to complete a job,” she said. “For bakers and bakeries, you usually need to hire someone permanently to grow your business, which I’ll definitely consider in the future.”

As for the logistics portion, Madeleine hopes to be able to expand her delivery reach to accommodate larger orders during high seasons and also extend beyond the Klang Valley to perhaps places such as Singapore.

“For 2019, my plans are to overcome the challenges mentioned above as well as to do more collaborations to boost brand awareness,” she said. “I enjoy meeting other talented local entrepreneurs—getting to understand and be inspired by each brand’s story is also one of the fun elements whenever I approach them to collaborate.”

• To know more about Madeleine’s business, you can check her out on Facebook or Instagram.

Feature Image Credit: Macarons By Madeleine

• A banker and an interior designer decided to quit their full-time jobs in 2012 to go to Shanghai to learn about the furniture business.
• In 2014, the two JC-mates invested less than $100,000 to start up SCENE SHANG and two years later, they opened their first flagship store at 263 Beach Road.
• They are due to open their second store in mid-2019.

Have you ever been so inspired by a place you visited that you wanted to create something?

In 2007, Pamela Ting and Jessica Wong visited Shanghai, China, on separate internship programmes and they were struck by the “mix of heritage and cosmopolitan vibe that the city had”, they told Straits Times (ST).

Seven years later, they founded SCENE SHANG, a bespoke furniture brand influenced by Chinese designs and clean-cut, contemporary forms.

“SCENE SHANG (新赏) literally means ‘new’ and ‘appreciation’. It is also a play on the Chinese words for appreciation ‘欣赏’ also pronounced xin shang,” founder Pamela explained in a 2016 interview.

East Meets West Meets Form

Both 35-year-old founders, who met at Raffles Junior College through a mutual friend, share an “appreciation for the Chinese culture”.

When they were on their internships, they noticed how Singapore and Shanghai had similar eastern and western influences that they could draw on both cultures to make something.

But at that time, they felt limited in their skills and lacked the know-how to start on it and returned to Singapore.

Pamela graduated from the Singapore Management University (SMU) with a degree in Economics and Finance and worked in a bank, while Jessica, who holds an Honours degree in Architecture from the National University of Singapore (NUS), became co-founder and director of a graphic and interior design firm.

While she enjoyed what she did in wholesale banking, the former vice-president with an American bank told ST she couldn’t envision herself doing it forever.

When she got promoted, she realised that she’d be taking on more responsibilities and embarking on a different chapter of her career.

Her job was stable but she was searching for “something more”.

“That got me thinking ‘it’s now or never’. I think that was the defining moment,” she said.

As for Jessica, that moment came to her when she shopped for furniture with her clients in her line of work as an interior designer.

She recalled when a customer wanted Chinese-style furniture but couldn’t find one that was modern enough.

“So I suggested adding traditional Chinese brass knobs or handles – which I had gathered from Shanghai – to the carpentry. I started doing this for more clients and they really liked these little touches,” Jessica told ST.

“I started questioning the work I was doing and wondered why so many people came to me asking for Scandinavian design when we have such a rich culture of our own.”

As a designer, she realised she could play a role “in extracting beauty” – in this case, she could give Chinese furniture a contemporary twist.

Pamela said they left their jobs after five years and went back to Shanghai some time between 2012 and 2013 to learn about the furniture business.

They met with many craftsmen and decided that Jessica could come up with the designs and then bring it to them to make it.

When asked how sure were they about establishing SCENE SHANG, Pamela replied, “We were not one bit sure.”

“The only thing we held on to was our mutual appreciation for culture and heritage, and our frequent discovery travels to China that was always exciting for us.”

In 2014, they took a leap of faith and launched SCENE SHANG online, working in a studio located at Institution Hill in Singapore, with Pamela leading the business development front and Jessica leading the creative and design direction.

To raise awareness about their brand, they participated in pop-up events and fairs and SCENE SHANG was later stocked at local retailers.

They invested in a figure less than $100,000 to start up.

“We don’t come from wealthy backgrounds so whatever savings we had we put into building the brand.”

Their parents were worried when they decided to leave their stable and, probably, well-paying jobs to start their business but they still allowed them to do what they wanted, while friends were supportive and lived vicariously through them, Pamela told me.

“It was scary but also liberating because our lives became an open book.”

Past Influences Present In Products

Despite taking the “sensible” and “easier” path her pragmatic mother wanted her to take, Pamela said finding “…beauty in art and design has never left [her]”.

She was always surrounded by art and design as her father was “one of Singapore’s preeminent ‘Second Generation artist'”, who came here 50 years ago to study at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).

“So growing up with a house filled with canvases, sculptures, scrap craft material is a different kind of playground for a kid,” Pamela told Asian Entrepreneur in 2016.

Having always been a creative, Jessica said she has a penchant to “create spaces and objects that are emotive, relevant, and beautiful” and would chase after memories and shifus (mastercraftsmen).

“Most, if not all, of our designs draw from a story or an experience in childhood; it could be grandma’s stories while on her rocking chair, or laughing over dinner around the marble table,” Pamela explained.

“It is the essence of our inspirations for our modern designs.”

The popular SHANG System, a Ming dynasty-inspired stackable set of hand-carved drawers and trays, won a special commendation at the 2014 President’s Design Award, Pamela told ST.

It also won the Golden A’ Design Award in Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design in Italy in 2016.

She added, “There’s also the Jia Ju range, which draws upon memories and emotional bonds that people have with certain pieces of furniture as they were growing up.”

Jessica said that they surveyed people on their “feelings and memories of furniture” in their childhood and what would be considered an heirloom to them.

“We noticed that people developed feelings for certain pieces of furniture, for example, a rattan rocking horse, which still looks good in a home today but may not be so functional now that you’re grown up. That gave us the idea to create the Jia Ju Rocking Stool.”

It’s become a habit of theirs to observe the little nuances of their own lives or others at home or while travelling for inspiration or an idea for a design.

“We then discuss and brainstorm between ourselves before taking it to the larger team,” Pamela shared.

Then they would make a prototype and critique it before deciding on whether to produce it.

“A lot of factors go into deciding if an item goes into production – Does it have a story? Is it beautiful? Is it functional? Is it marketable? What is the product lifespan?”

She continued, “How much does it cost? Which maker is going to do this best? How much are we going to sell it for? How many units over how long? What is its packaging like? Can we distribute? Can we deliver overseas? And it goes on…”

Enjoying The Scenery

At the start, crystallising and communicating what their brand is about to people was a challenge, so they kept talking to friends and family until they were both satisfied with the direction.

Five years later, the challenges they face “are the same and more”.

“[All] I can say is tackle them one at a time, breathe, sip some whisky, surround yourself with a beautiful scent and grow some plants,” Pamela said purposefully.

In every business relationship, there is bound to have its difficulties and victories, and theirs is no different.

They revealed that they have had quarrels so bad that it almost ended the business.

But eventually, they learned to communicate better, be more understanding respectful, and that has translated to their success today, to which Pamela credits it to their longstanding friendship.

“In that same way, we apply that to our team as well, guiding them but also giving them respect and space to grow,” she added.

Pamela described SCENE SHANG’s growth as “extremely encouraging”.

“We started with just the two of us and our ‘first two interns’ – my cats – and [we] literally had to do everything ourselves,” she recalled.

“We now have a very capable team of 10 of us, each one having full ownership of the brand.”

On top of a larger customer base, their main and biggest customers are their returning customers.

They went from selling their wares at fairs and events to stocking at retailers to opening their first flagship store in 2016.

Come mid-2019, SCENE SHANG will open its second store in a “beautiful and prominent building”, Pamela teased.

They are also looking to work with partners in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China to expand to these markets.

Pamela thinks that they haven’t “achieved longevity” as they’re only five years old and “have many more years to go”.

“But for all that we have now, it is by the grace of God.”

If she could go back in time, Pamela said she would tell herself to not worry so much.

“Everything happens for a reason – whether they seem good or bad in the moment that it happened, there is a reason for it,” she mulled.

“And if you can see things in that perspective, it’ll be easier to move through the journey.”

Visit their website here, and find furniture inspiration on their Facebook here or Instagram here.

• As the coworking trend continues to grow, a new trend similar to that is starting to take shape in Malaysia—coliving.
• Coliving is all about community, but it also supports individuality. It’s about sharing rather than consumption, and collaboration rather than competition.
• In this article, we take a look at the early movers in the market, their prices and what they have to offer.

We’ve all heard of coworking spaces as it’s the rage nowadays but there’s a new term similar to coworking called coliving. 

In short for those who are still unsure of the term, coliving is a modern housing option that gives residents an opportunity to not only share their living space with one another, but also share similar intentions, values, and interests. As the millennials love to call it: collaboration.

According to coliving.com, coliving is all about community, but it also supports individuality. One of their catchphrases? Sharing over consumption, and collaboration rather than competition.

The concept is already present and very active in other parts of the world thanks to multi-billion startups such as Shanghai-based Harbour and San Francisco-based OpenDoor dominating their local markets. 

Even coworking giant WeWork has begun to delve into this space with their subsidiary WeLive.

Malaysia has yet to fully see coliving take off as there isn’t any dominant player yet in the market. 

However, we’ve recently seen a few pop up, and as with new concepts, quite a few spaces claim to be the first ones in Malaysia. Here’s a list of them, and what they have to offer.

Note: This article is not sponsored and the spaces are arranged alphabetically. 

1) Co-Coon Co-Living KL

Located at Damai Residence in Kuala Lumpur, Co-Coon has shared spaces that were created throughout the building that accommodates both “Work” and “Play” needs. The space claims to be the first coliving concept for early career professionals, students, urban millennials and Gen Z’ers.

Speaking to Tan Yee Seng, the CEO of Tan & Tan Developments Berhad who are the people behind Co-Coon Co-Living KL, he mentioned that the space is not a hotel or a hostel.

“Instead, Co-Coon is an accommodation where multiple people live together and enjoy the benefits of collaborative and communal living through shared spaces,” he explained.

Co-Coon has the typical facilities of a coliving space such as meeting rooms, communal lounges and shared kitchens but with the addition of a skydeck at the top floor which has facilities such as BBQ and yoga/ meditation deck.

A stay at Co-Coon starts from RM800 per month with a minimum lease of 3 months and the space has what you need to stay and work comfortably.

2) JL Co-Living

Self proclaimed as also the first co-living space in Malaysia, JL Co-Living is situated in USJ 21, Subang Jaya. According to their website, the space was founded by Jessica Lee in 2018 and it was born out of her personal experience where she sought to solve a problem within community living in Malaysia.

She realised that there was a major lack in communication between housemates; people were becoming more isolated, and safety was a major concern.

The space has the facilities of a backpacker hostel such as shared bathrooms but with amenities of a coworking space like meeting rooms and hot desks.

As their website doesn’t show room rates or accepts bookings, a check on Booking.com showed that you can only stay in the space for a minimum of 3 nights at RM297 for the Deluxe Double Room.

3) LVE Space

Not much is known about LVE Space but they also claim to be the first coliving space in Malaysia. After contacting Ming, one of the people behind the space, we found out that the space is yet to be launched but they will be having a preview event on March 13.

“We will be having an event that’s a preview to show people the location, its not renovated yet,” he explained. “It’s more of to get people’s feedback and hear their thoughts.”

He further mentioned that this space will just be a pilot test as they want to work out the kinks and only after 6 months will they get another bigger space if this one is successful.

With plans to re-innovate the spaces in urban Malaysia, Ming and his team will be looking at utilising old and unused spaces to make them livable again.

4) The Bed KLCC

Located in the heart of KLCC at Vortex KLCC, Jalan Sultan Ismail, The Bed KLCC is more known for being a capsule hotel rather than a coliving space.

According to RojakDaily, The Bed KLCC is Malaysia’s first ever interactive coliving accommodation that offers a luxury capsule hotel experience fit for all. Although their website doesn’t specifically mention that they’re a coliving space, we reached out to them and their representative has confirmed that it is indeed a coliving space.

It really brings up the question that, what if hostels just start building up workstations around their space? Can they then be called a “coliving” spaces?

Although they consider themselves as a coliving space, their facilities are more hostel-like at the moment; there are no hotdesks, just common areas to work at.

The Bed KLCC’s specialty is actually their capsule rooms, but they also have private rooms for families or friends to stay in. Their prices range from the cheapest one at RM55 to RM170 per night.

Here are some bonus coliving spaces that don’t claim to be the first but are worth mentioning:

1) Sama co-living

Another player who has yet to launch officially, Sama already has big plans to launch a total of five spaces in the future although they’re still working on their first space at D’Latour Bandar Sunway.

The space offers fully-furnished move-in ready accommodation to make it a seamless experience for their residents. They also have a total of three different rooms for residents to choose from and it costs RM371 per night.

The representative mentioned that the monthly rates are still not available and although it’s not officially launched, interested customers can book tours to view the space now.

The space offers facilities such as a common living room, fitness center and even a swimming pool, hopefully once they have finalised the price for monthly rates, it will be much more affordable.

2) The Hatchery Place

The Hatchery Place is both a hybrid of a coworking and coliving space as they offer both options for customers to choose from.

Unlike most of the coliving spaces mentioned in this article, this space is located in a home. Although they don’t claim that they’re the first coliving space in Malaysia, having started in February 2016, they might just qualify as that.

During the day, the space is a shared coworking space and at night it turns into a shared coliving space. The rates for monthly hot desks specifically for coworking are RM320 and residents can also go for the coliving + coworking package that ranges from RM385-RM490 a month.

The upper floor is where the rooms are located at, while the lower floor is where the coworking happens. The space provides all basic facilities from washing machines to pantry areas (like a normal home) and offers occasional meetups and workshop events. There’s also a resident cat called Ginger.

-//-

It’s interesting to see so many new players coming into the coliving industry and although some of them claim to be the first in Malaysia, it won’t matter much. What does matter is whether they can sustain the business.

There are also pockets of coliving spaces turning up in places like Penang and Ipoh, though quite a few of them appear to be hostels that have adopted the terminology of coliving spaces as part of their evolution to attract digital nomads.

If the trend continues to pick up locally, we might even see giant coliving companies from overseas setting up shop in Malaysia. Since WeWork has recently expanded in Malaysia, they are possible candidates, with both the reputation and the venture capital money to roll out more coliving spaces in short amounts of time.

It should be noted that coliving is more than just physical spaces being set up. Some coliving groups actually don’t have permanent venues. Instead, they are nomadic, moving from place to place, but keeping the “coliving” aspect intact by living, and often working, together.

• Other than coliving spaces, we’ve also covered coworking spaces and you can check it out here.

Feature Image Credit: Pexels / Afta Putta Gunawan

In April last year, food delivery giant Deliveroo launched its second Editions site in CT Hub 2 at Lavender, following its first site at Katong in 2017.

Yesterday (March 11), Deliveroo launched its third site in Singapore — which is also the biggest globally — at ALICE@Mediapolis.

Called Deliveroo Food Market, this new space is seen as an “upgraded version” of Deliveroo Editions. It builds on the concept of delivery-only kitchens to add a fully-automated dining experience for consumers.

This is done in collaboration with eatsa, a San Francisco-based technology automation company, marking their first foray in Asia.

“The restaurant industry is evolving to accommodate today’s on-demand consumers. We’re thrilled Deliveroo has selected our technology platform to realise their vision of delivering the best customer experience in the world,” said Tim Young, CEO of eatsa.

“Together, we’re ushering in new, unique, efficient ways for people to get their next meal.”

11 Food Concepts Under One Roof 

Exterior of Deliveroo Food Market at Alice@Mediapolis

The dining space can accommodate 40 people

Spanning over 3,000 square feet, Deliveroo Food Market houses 10 kitchens and a dining space that can accommodate 40 people, making it the “largest dining site globally for Deliveroo”.

Besides the (bigger) dining space, what’s unique about this third Editions site is that it has a dedicated waiting area for riders to rest and recharge while food is being prepared.

Plenty of new additions to Deliveroo’s list of restaurants partners

It’s also home to 7 restaurants with a total of 11 food concepts that include a diverse range of cuisines such as Japanese, Korean, Greek, Western and Vietnamese.

Some of the menu offerings from EZO Hokkaido Eats, Chop Shop and NamNam

Some of the menu offerings from Omakase Burger, Delismith and Bonchon

Some of the menu offerings from VIOS and The Flying Squirrel

The restaurant partners are namely Bonchon, Rasa Rasa, The Flying Squirrel, Chop Shop, Delismith, Ezo Hokkaido Eats, Omakase Burger, Comnam by NamNam, NamNam, Lucky Souvlaki, and VIOS.

Nineteen95 Espresso Bar is the only customer-facing joint at Deliveroo Food Market

The dining space also features a cafe called Nineteen95 Espresso Bar for consumers to get their caffeine fix.

Besides VIOS, the rest are new additions to Deliveroo Editions. While this list is pretty much fixed, Deliveroo says that they are definitely open to expanding the list in the near future.

Do also note that while Rasa Rasa is typically Halal for all its Singapore outlets, it is not Halal-certified here.

According to Deliveroo, the requirements to apply for Halal certification for a central kitchen is “different and difficult” compared to a restaurant. As such, they have no plans to introduce any Halal brands to Editions for now.

Chop Shop and Delismith are brands under Potluck Club

Meanwhile, Chop Shop and Delismith are “virtual brands” helmed by Potluck Club. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar outlet, so the Deliveroo Food Market serves as a testbed for them to trial their menu.

This delivery-only concept offers them a platform to grow their business and take their menus to a new location without having to incur the huge upfront costs of fitting and opening a physical restaurant space.

“Deliveroo Food Market has low overheads, and it [serves as a] good exposure to get our brand and concept out,” said a spokesperson from the Potluck Club.

According to Deliveroo, their list of restaurant partners has been carefully curated based on user demand and ordering patterns by consumers in the area.

“It’s all about demand and supply. We want to fill in the gaps of what customers are searching for in the area, and supply beyond what’s already available to provide diverse options. Since the Deliveroo Food Market is located in a commercial setting, we figured that food like grain bowls (from Chop Shop) and sandwiches (from Delismith) will be a favourite go-to,” said a Deliveroo representative.

It’s clear that this new space is targeted at offices and professionals in the one-north area, and the available plug points and wi-fi access will definitely serve as a huge draw for this crowd.

Just Tap To Order, Pay And Self-Collect Your Food

Deliveroo has gone full swing on technology with its new Food Market, promising to give customers “a taste of dining in the future”.

How to order at Deliveroo Food Market

Self-serve kiosks and automated digital cubbies from eatsa power the order and pick-up process, making the entire experience easy, seamless and fuss-free for both customers and restaurants.

Ordering process is idiot-proof. It’s the same like ordering via the Deliveroo app!

Customers have to first place and pay for their orders from any one of the 5 self-serve kiosks onsite, which is reminiscent of those commonly seen at fast food restaurants like McDonald’s.

Needless to say, payment is strictly cashless

Just wait for your name to appear here after you’ve placed an order

According to Deliveroo, the average waiting time is around 8 minutes.

Once the food is ready, customers will see their name and the number of their assigned cubby on the digital status board.

The customer name will also appear on the cubby ‘door’

To collect the food, customers have to tap twice on the ‘door’ of the cubby for it to unfold.

Since Deliveroo Food Market is very focused on self-service, customers are also encouraged to clear their own trays. Otherwise, the small number of Deliveroo staff onsite will help clean and clear the tables.

Siddharth Shanker, general manager of Deliveroo Singapore

“We are committed to growth in Singapore and Deliveroo Food Market at Alice@Mediapolis is our biggest and most innovative site yet, with self-serve kiosks and digital cubbies making the order and pick-up process much more efficient for both customers and restaurants,” said Siddharth Shanker, General Manager of Deliveroo Singapore.

“As a company, we are all about food and believe in investing in the latest technology to provide the best experience for all customers, whether they choose to dine in or have food delivered to their doorsteps.”

Do note that the Deliveroo Food Market is only open for dining during lunch (11am to 2.30pm) and dinner (4.30pm to 9.30pm) hours.

However, customers can still order in via delivery from Editions until 10pm.

Address:
Deliveroo Food Market 
29 Media Circle, #01-02/03
Singapore 138565

Featured Image Credit: Deliveroo

Apple is partnering with SkillsFuture Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), RMIT Online and Pathlight School to make coding more accessible to Singaporeans.

Announced by Ms Lisa Jackson — Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives — at the ArtScience Museum earlier today, these collaborations will leverage on Apple’s Swift programming language and cater to developers of all skill levels.

“At Apple, we believe education is one of the most powerful tools we have to make the world a better place.” Ms Jackson said. “We’re thrilled that students of all ages in Singapore will now be able to tap into the language of coding, gaining the skills they need to grow and succeed in the app economy and beyond.”

The event was also attended by Minister of Education Mr Ong Ye Kung, who stressed the importance of coding in an increasingly digital landscape.

“Digital literacy could well be considered critical third form of literacy for the future,” Mr Ong said. “Not everyone needs to be an IT expert, a cyber-security specialist or a professional coder, but digital technology is going to be ubiquitous and drive many things we do.” 

Coding For Everyone

SUTD has worked with Apple and SkillsFuture Singapore to design two new short-term courses — a five-day session on Swift App Development Fundamentals, as well as a 3.5-day “Augmented Reality with ARKit” course.

Both courses will teach participants basic app design and development, and are targeted at working adults looking to learn new skills for the fast-growing software economy.

RMIT Online, on the other hand, will be bringing their “iOS App Development with Swift Course” to Singapore. Following a highly successful launch in Melbourne in late 2017, this fully online, self-paced programme features mentoring from global industry partners such as Tigerspike and Accenture.

These courses will be available through SUTD’s SkillsFuture series, as well as RMIT’s iOS App Development with Swift programme.

Pathlight School — Singapore’s first autism-focused school — will also be offering a Swift Accelerator programme to a select group of its Secondary School students.

Choosing participants based on aptitude and interest, this 144-hour program will be conducted by Apple Certified Trainers and help to deepen skills and competencies in coding.

Also taking the stage earlier today, Ms Denise Phua — president of the Autism Resource Centre and co-founder of Pathlight School — was thankful for the initiative.

“Pathlight’s work with Apple through the Swift Accelerator Programme signals the importance of training students with special needs to be future-ready for a rapidly changing society.” she said.

“It is even more exciting as persons on the autism spectrum have a natural interest in and aptitude for IT. I am heartened by this thoughtful and inclusive move by Apple.”

• We speak to Malaysian millennials about changing their smartphones and how long they wait before they switch up.

You might have come across someone who switches their smartphone everytime a new model is released.

But looking at top-range smartphones these days, how is everyone affording these crazy prices? It’s not a surprise to see them go above RM4000.

While some may argue that regularly switching mobiles is largely a case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), others insist that the technological advancements in mobile smartphones make them worth the frankly incredulous prices from today.

We conducted a survey of approximately 50 Malaysian millennials to see how often Malaysians actually change their phones, and the thinking behind it.

Till Death Do Us Part

The vast majority of respondents answered that they only ever change phones when their previous phone stops working. This is unsurprising, as many Malaysians cite budget as the main issue when it comes to switching up their phones.

Mei Yi explains, “I can’t justify paying for a new one when I feel I have a lot of expenses to cover. And yes, the new phones are gorgeous, but a lot of the specs and features they have are ‘wants’, not ‘needs’.”

It isn’t exclusively a financially-based decision, however. Another respondent, Fud, said that it all depends on the needs of the situation. “If it’s for work, it’d be better to upgrade. But in my opinion, it’s way better to save up for other important life needs.”

This is in stark contrast with the thinking of other respondents such as Dave—he feels that the right time is whenever the technology in his current phone is outdated.

Some throw logic out of the window entirely. Sarah explains that she’d prefer to change her phone every 2 years because she gets a high/rush out of using the new model.

Jen cites one of the best things about switching to a brand new phone is the increase in capabilities of the smartphone. “Performance and specs have come in leaps and bounds since my last phone.”

However, many of the respondents didn’t regret making the switch once they had changed up their smartphones. One respondent described the best thing about changing phones as, “Literally everything was an improvement, I’d say. Most importantly, I bought my previous Note 3 for RM3000+ in 2013, but my new Nova 3i only cost me RM389. Value for money.”

What’s The Verdict?

Malaysian millennials aren’t quite as frivolous as some say they are.

While there are some who still fork out big sums every year for the latest and best version on the market, most millennials still consider budget a reason to hold off from enjoying the perks of a brand new phone.

No matter if you’re considering an Android flagship smartphone that can go from RM2,500 to RM4,000 or an iPhone that can cost up to RM5,000, you’d still need to fork out a big sum.

Thankfully, there are other options now for you to look at if you’re itching to try out all these new exciting smartphones with less financial worries.

Digi has announced an enhanced PhoneFreedom 365 plan that lets you experience a wide range of smartphones, including new releases like the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, the iPhone XS Max, and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.

New and existing Digi users can both enjoy this plan where you can own the phone and pay monthly instalments at 0% interest, with no upfront payment required.

You can get your hands on phones like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro for as low as RM68/month or the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S10+ for as low as RM97/month.

Compared to other telcos where you could end up paying around RM500 to RM1,000 more for your phone overall, Digi tells us that theirs is the most valuable phone ownership plan currently on the market.

In addition to that, there will be free phone upgrades so you can keep up to date on the latest smartphone trends and models.

If you’re worried that your phone could face accidental or liquid damages, the plan includes a free phone protection deal called Digi Shield which basically covers and protects your phone.

The Digi PF365 is available to all existing and new Digi postpaid with 4 different plans to choose from—including one with a massive 200GB internet quota that also comes with free roaming and IDD.

So whether it be to stay on trend or your phone is on its last leg, plans like Digi’s PhoneFreedom 365 is something you can check out without making your wallet feel too terrible.

• You can find out more about Digi PhoneFreedom 365 here.

This article is written in collaboration with Digi.

Earlier this year, a love story that blossomed over chicken chop went viral on social media.

In an interview with Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, co-owner of Western food stall Wow Wow West Elizabeth Huang (30) recalled how husband/co-owner Jayden Cheong (31) used to visit the stall with his girlfriend every week.

Then, she was also dating someone else, and only saw him as another customer.

“[This was the case] until I realised that he was coming to the stall alone. As someone who’s rather outgoing, I asked him (about his girlfriend) and found out that they had broken up.”

As he was one of the stall’s regular customers, she passed him her name card, never realising that this would bring their relationship to the next level.

Soon, he started texting her, and they began dating in Jan 2012.

By March, the pair was engaged, and they got married in May.

Now in their 7th year of marriage, the couple are partners both in life and the business, which commands long queues at ABC Brickworks Food Centre.

Queue at Wow Wow West

It Started In A School Canteen Over 20 Years Ago

Elizabeth and Jayden are the 2nd-generation owners of Wow Wow West, which was started by the former’s parents at Raffles Institution (RI) over 20 years ago.

The stall was very popular, and its name was actually given by RI students during a ‘name the stall’ challenge.

“Students not just enjoyed our food, [they also] approached my parents just to chat. Today, a bunch of these students even patronise our shop at ABC Brickworks,” said Elizabeth.

As cheap as the rental was, there was a huge disadvantage of operating in a school – the holidays.

“There were simply too many school holidays – Wow Wow West had to grow.”

The chicken chop at Wow Wow West

They moved to Henderson Market at Jalan Bukit Merah, and in spite of strong competition from stalls selling local fare, Wow Wow West still managed to win over patrons with their generous portions of Western food.

The oldest of three daughters, Elizabeth helped out at the stall from the age of 12, and remembers the hard work that was put into the business.

The journey wasn’t a walk in the park. Early mornings, late nights…we hardly got to see our parents.

A Business With A Social Mission

But more than just being a popular stall for affordable Western food, Wow Wow West is also a business with a social mission.

This turning point happened when Elizabeth ran away from home when she was 17.

“I think it was because of the exposure I got [from being homeschooled]. It was extremely different from the typical Singaporean kid, [so my] rebellious phase was somewhat different too,” revealed Elizabeth.

During these troubled times, her father, Mr Eric Huang, turned to God for help and “made a deal […] that if his daughter returned home, he would dedicate his life to serving Him as a counselor with a halfway house”.

A few years later, Elizabeth returned home and “the dynamics of [the Huang family] changed for the better”.

Elizabeth and her dad, Mr Eric Huang

To fulfil the deal he made with God, Mr Huang began to take in ex-offenders sent by halfway houses as full-time employees, even counselling them into the wee hours of the morning after the stall closed.

“They learnt [how to cook] under strict guidance from my folks, and grew to reintegrate into the society, once they were ready,” shared Elizabeth.

Beyond the stall, Mr Huang continued to conduct cooking lessons regularly at halfway houses.

At one point, he even gifted the Henderson Market stall to an ex-drug addict who had “proved to be hardworking and excelled at his performance”.

Around then, Elizabeth opened the second Wow Wow West outlet at ABC Brickworks Food Centre, fulfilling a longtime wish of hers to start a business.

Mr Huang, Elizabeth, and local celebrities Bryan Wong and Calvin Soh

Unfortunately, the new owner of the Henderson Market outlet reverted to his old ways after taking over the stall.

“Many customers started patronising our second shop at ABC Brickworks Food Centre instead. [Most of them complained about] the quality of food and the unstable opening hours [at the Henderson Market stall].”

“While we tried to mentor the new owner and acted as advisors, he wasn’t receptive and remained obstinate in his old ways.”

“There Were Customers Who Asked If I’m A Hawker Because I Did Something Wrong In Life”

As a first-time business owner, Elizabeth needed to deal with full brunt of challenges faced by hawkers – one of it being stiff competition from fellow stallholders which already had established customer bases.

There were [even] some customers who asked if I’m a hawker because I did something wrong in life.

“I think there’s […] stigma towards hawkers in Singapore. I have very strong opinions about this, but that’s a story for another time.”

In spite of the “doubts and questions thrown [her] way”, Elizabeth held her head up high and won over patrons with warm smiles and delicious food.

Running the business eventually led her to that fateful meeting with Jayden, and their relationship quickly evolved from customer-hawker to husband-wife.

“After marriage, [Jayden also] wanted to start his own business. He got tired of being in the financial industry,” said Elizabeth.

Knowing that Jayden would encounter difficulties without any solid foundation or knowledge in running a business, the Huangs “gifted him” the family business, and he has been the co-owner of Wow Wow West for the past 5-6 years now.

As someone with no experience in the trade, Jayden too needed to learn a lot of skills from scratch while fending off doubters along the way.

Blood, sweat, and tears would be most apt to describe [his experience].

Currently, Elizabeth and Jayden run the show at Wow Wow West, while her parents work behind the scenes, mentoring and helping out at the stall whenever they can.

On future plans for the brand, Elizabeth revealed that they’re looking to open more outlets, so do look out for Wow Wow West at a hawker centre near you!

I’d like to thank Elizabeth for her time!

Wow Wow West
ABC Brickworks Food Centre, 6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-133, Singapore 150006

Ever since I watched the film Her back in 2013, I’ve been kind of obsessed with the concept of smart homes — the technology has the potential to create a very tangible change in our daily lives, and controlling your devices with nothing but your voice feels like the closest thing to living in a science fiction movie.

Of course, smart homes have literally been a thing for years, and the main reason why I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon sooner has been the price.

A 2-metre Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus starter kit, for example, costs S$129 on Lazada, and you’d probably have to spend upwards of S$500 to cover a single room with it.

Thankfully, we’ve reached a point where smart home technology has become a little more affordable, and these days you can give it a try without too high an investment.

So if you’re looking to give your room an upgrade, here are three devices (all tested by yours truly) that’ll help you get started on your smart home journey.

Yeelight Aurora Lightstrip Plus

‘Affordable’ and ‘reliable’ don’t usually mix, but Xiaomi’s extensive catalogue of products have more often than not been an exception to that rule — from power banks to electric scooters, the Chinese company has a pretty good track record of making electronics accessible to the masses. 

It should come as no surprise, then, that their Yeelight Aurora Lightstrip Plus is the way to go when it comes to smart lights. At S$49 for a 2-metre starter kit, this is less than half the price of the aforementioned Philips Hue, and works just as well as its more expensive counterpart.

Considering that the Hue also requires a Philips Hue Bridge hub (that’ll set you back another S$66.50) to connect to your smartphone, the Yeelight is actually the more convenient option — just plug it into into an AC wall outlet, download the Yeelight or Mi Home app, and you’re pretty much good to go.

With a whopping 16 million colours at your disposal, these strips will quite literally put your room in a whole new light. Despite being extendable by up to 10 metres you shouldn’t expect them to replace your actual lights in terms of brightness, but as far as ambient lighting goes the Yeelight definitely gets the job done.

Google Home Mini

The Google Home is probably the most important part of your smart home setup — not only is it a voice-enabled Google search bar that can play music and set alarms, but it more importantly acts as a hub for all your smart devices.

Running on Google Assistant — which you might be familiar with if you’re using a Pixel phone — the Google Home has by far one of the most intelligent AI’s I’ve seen. “She” managed to answer some surprisingly obscure questions (“Play John Cena’s theme song on Spotify”), and could recognise commands even when my speech wasn’t that clear.

Of all its features, however, the most standout one has to be Google Home Routines, which allow you to line up multiple commands with a single phrase.

When I say “Okay Google, I’m up”, for example, my Google Home mini tells me the time, turns on the Yeelights, reminds me of any events I might have on my calendar, and then tells me the morning news. With similar commands for leaving the house and going to sleep, I’m able to turn everything in my room on and off without having to flip a single switch.

At S$189, the original Google Home is a pretty big investment for non-enthusiasts, but the S$79 Google Home Mini is a much easier pill to swallow. The main difference between the two is sound quality, but in my experience, the Mini is more than serviceable for the average bedroom.

Ambi Climate 2

So far we’ve been talking about adding devices to your room, but what about upgrading existing ones? Unless you’re moving into a new house, longstanding appliances like your air conditioner probably won’t be of the ‘smart’ variety.

And that’s where the Ambi Climate 2 comes in. Acting as a proxy for your remote (it’s compatible with over 1,200 models, so don’t worry), the device allows you to control your air conditioner with just your voice via Google Home.

On top of that, the Ambi Climate 2 also takes note of your feedback, and automatically adjusts the temperature to a comfortable level. Thanks to some cool machine learning the device will…well, learn your preferences, and make more accurate adjustments the more you use it.

With the Ambi Climate app you can control your air conditioner from pretty much anywhere, but its geofencing capabilities take things one step further. If you turn this feature on, the app can actually detect when you’re in the area and turn on the AC automatically, ensuring that you have a cool room even before entering the house.

If there’s one argument against the Ambi Climate 2, it would be its price — at S$189, it’s more expensive than the Yeelight and Google Home Mini combined, and its usage is a lot more singular as compared to those two.

By regulating the temperature of your room, however, you might be saving on your energy bill in the long run (by up to 30%, according to them), and this is the final piece of the puzzle to having a completely voice-activated room (barring an automatic door, but I’m not holding my breath for that one).

If you have the dough to spare, the Ambi Climate 2 should be one of the first additions to your setup.

Welcome To The Future

Smart rooms are by no means a necessity — their functions can easily be circumvented with your already-intelligent phone, or flipping a few switches like you’ve been doing your entire life.

The convenience that these devices provide, however, has definitely improved my quality of life, and I honestly don’t think I could go back to a time without it.

We have reached a point where pretty much everything is serviceable (even the cheapest smartphones will do the trick these days), so this truly feels like the next logical step when it comes to technology.

• Santhi and Sari Tunas left their careers in architecture to start their own brand of scarves, that showcase detailed patterns of life, culture and history in Singapore.
• Binary Style has worked with other homegrown brands, as well as large names like Singapore Airlines and the National Heritage Board’s Museum Label.

Draped, wrapped, or knotted around the wearer’s neck, Binary Style’s scarves give an outfit some flair with their kaleidoscopic bright colours.

But when fully unravelled, their patterns reveal vivid pictures of Singapore’s landmarks, nature, and architecture.

These prints, that capture the culture and history in different parts of the island, are designed by twin sisters (as the brand’s name hints) Santhi and Sari Tunas, who make art that reflects their dwellings.

Although they were born in Indonesia, the sisters have lived as Permanent Residents (PRs) in Singapore for years and call it their home, where “multiculturalism and beautiful greenery [are like] bottomless sources of inspiration” to them.

Since 2015, they have been sharing visual stories of the local life here through the scarves they design.

At that time when they decided to create their own brand four years ago, Santhi and Sari became first-time business-owners who were totally new to entrepreneurship, coming out of the careers they established in the architecture industry.

“But we had come to a point in our lives when we finally thought, if we don’t do it now, we will never do it,” Santhi says.

A Pair Of Sisters With Crea-twin-vity

Santhi and Sari are now in their early 40s, but their interest in art goes all the way back to when they were children, using their bedroom walls as their first canvas, to the chagrin of their landlords.

In typical twin fashion, they shared many things in common, and an artistic inclination was just one of them.

“[Being twins makes us] very close to each other, and sometimes we think alike,” Santhi shares. “One Christmas, we actually gave each other the same gift—a daily planner book—that we both bought separately.”

As they were growing up, they pursued the same field of study, completing their Bachelor’s degrees in architecture in Indonesia, and subsequently taking further studies together in Belgium.

They were only apart for long when Santhi moved to Singapore in 2002, while Sari stayed in Europe to get her PhD in Urbanism in The Netherlands, and continued for a stint in academia. She only rejoined her sister in Singapore in 2013.

With their expertise, Santhi has been involved in several residential and hospitality architecture projects in Singapore and Bali, while Sari worked with the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a researcher for sustainable cities.

Art That Imitates Life In Singapore

While the sisters shared in a separate interview that they’d talked about “doing something together to pursue [their] shared passion of graphic art”, the push truly came when Sari was in between jobs.

She spent much of her time going on walks and runs, and the rest of it creating digital art inspired by whatever she saw on her treks all around Singapore.

Considering what to do with the artwork, they came to the conclusion of making something wearable, and decided that scarves—which they both love to wear—were the perfect medium to showcase intricate patterns.

“When we first started Binary Style, a lot of people said that Singaporeans don’t wear scarves,” Santhi shared.

Through that hurdle, they learnt that “the key is to educate your customers”, after receiving plenty of surprised reactions when they showed people how many ways they could style a scarf.

They took just four months to turn Binary Style from a hobby into a business, and by launching in the year of the SG50 celebration, gained positive responses right from the start.

At the time there was, and still is now, a heightened interest for things [that celebrate] Singapore.

With designs that depict tropical flora at Botanic Gardens, landscapes at MacRitchie Reservoir, colours of Little India, Peranakan tiles, old school games like chapteh, Cantonese opera masks, and dragon boats racing at Kallang River, the sisters believe Singaporeans relate to the stories they narrate on their textiles.

One of their scarves that represents the Tiong Bahru estate quickly emerged a bestseller.

“It’s about telling the story behind Singapore’s first housing estate, its community spirit, and the gentrification that the area is undergoing.”

Expanding Through A Network Of Local Brands

Without any business background, Santhi says picking up from scratch was “a great learning curve”, where lessons came in the form of mistakes.

But the sisters are grateful to have met some seasoned entrepreneurs in the local scene, like Carolyn Kan, who founded the jewellery brand Carrie.K and lifestyle retail store Keepers.

Besides Carolyn who took the new founders “under her wing”, their brand also received support from Singaporean fashion personality, Daniel Boey.

The spirit of local creators supporting other local creators in Singapore benefits emerging brands like Binary Style, giving them new opportunities with stockists and collaborators.

They started having their scarves stocked at homegrown retailers like Naiise and Keepers at the National Design Centre, but didn’t stop with one product.

They also expanded to create new products in collaborations with other local brands, reaching new customers as they branch beyond just scarves.

With fashion label Ans.Ein, they designed dresses to complete matching sets with their scarves. They even had their hand at designing furniture, working with modern oriental furniture brand SCENE SHANG to create statement pieces.

Just two years after starting up, Binary Style found itself building up a reputation with larger names in Singapore.

They now count Isetan and The Fullerton Shop as some of their major stockists. They were also chosen as one of the 61 brands to be featured at Design Orchard, a new mall opened by the Singapore Tourism Board that exclusively showcases local entrepreneurs.

2017 was noteworthy for Binary Style, as they scored Singapore Airlines as a client. They were commissioned to design a scarf for the airline’s 70th anniversary, which was available for passengers to buy on KrisShop.

It was also the same year that the National Heritage Board asked the sisters to create an entire new collection for the Museum Label, focusing on Singapore’s historical artefacts.

Following that, they worked with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to design neckties that were worn by liaison officers at the 2018 ASEAN Summit and its related events, in the year that Singapore held the ASEAN Chairmanship.

Binary Style continues to play a part in mapping Singapore’s historical journey. Joining in the commemoration of our Bicentennial in 2019, which marks the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival, they’ve made new designs to reflect the occasion.

Santhi shares that the Bicentennial scarves feature “a vignette of Singapore before and around 1819”, with layers of imagery showing how the nation began to morph from a sleepy fishing village when the British arrived—and they’ll be released in April.

New Yorkers Get To Know Singapore

Santhi and Sari’s finesse at weaving local stories into designs also took them beyond our shores.

Not only did they explore patterns with the padi fields of Bali and wildlife of Borneo, and work on collaborations in London and Sydney—they also brought Singapore’s art and culture over to New York.

Binary Style, along with six other Singaporean labels, was featured by Asia Society, a non-profit organisation promoting Asia in the United States.

Their scarves were carried at Asia Society’s retail arm, AsiaStore, for a few months, where Santhi and Sari used their designs to take people through the history of Singapore.

They explained in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar that they showcased their scarves with an intentional chronological order—the first depicted Sang Nila Utama encountering a lion, the next showcased samsui women as labourers in the 1920s, followed by the scarf featuring our oldest estate, Tiong Bahru.

As someone who’s not originally from this country, there is a bit of a twist in our perspective of Singapore. We’d like to invite others to see Singapore through our eyes.

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone, Again

After four years as business-owners, Santhi and Sari have grown more confident, but not without stepping out of their comfort zones, even in their close relationship as twins.

“We thought we knew each other so well, being twin sisters. But we [ended up] rediscovering so much about each other and ourselves,” they say.

“We learn about each other’s working styles, strengths, and weaknesses. [And although] running a business puts us out of our comfort zones, one thing we know now, is that we’re more capable than we thought we were.”

Stretching themselves from designing graphic art, to producing scarves, and expanding into other products, has pushed them into new challenges each time, and they intend to continue exploring outside their circle.

“We plan to expand our offering beyond scarves, while still maintaining our core products. The big dream is to go big in Asia.”

To find out more about the binary twins behind Binary Style, click here, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Image Credit: Munn Iskandar / Binary Style

• Happy2U is a women’s fashion brand that was founded by Madelyn Chin at the age of 15.
• After 10 years of operations, the local fashion brand has over 40,000 registered members on the platform and helped more than 1,000 sellers sell their products online and offline.

Starting at the age of 15, Madelyn Chin already had a passion for fashion and she turned her passion into a business with Happy2U.

Founded in 2009 when she was just a student in high school, she went out to make a fashion brand that was affordable for everyone.

No stranger to the fashion industry, she’s been an active member for 10 years. Now 25 years old, she has built Happy2U into a successful brand that is specialised in selling shoes.

The O2O Model

As fashion continues to grow its presence online thanks to the help of e-commerce, Madelyn has also taken steps to grow the company in the e-commerce space by offering a dropshipping programme and also transforming their physical store to a fulfillment center.

“By having a physical store we aim to improve customer purchase experience and increase basket value of the customer,” she explained.

Dictionary Time: Fulfillment centers enable e-commerce merchants to outsource warehousing and shipping. This relieves online business of the necessary physical space to store all products, which is beneficial for merchants without the capacity to directly manage inventory.

bigcommerce.com

Furthermore, Happy2U has also been in collaboration with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for the past few years in the MDEC’s eRezeki programme.

One of the objectives of eRezeki programme is to educate Malaysians on how to earn extra money by doing dropshipping businesses. The way the programme works is by registering as a dropshipper with Happy2U, they can sell the products to customers via social media or marketplaces.

“Happy2U will ship on behalf of the dropshipper to their customer; the dropshipper actually saves their time and effort on managing warehousing, packaging, photoshoots and product sourcing,” explained Madelyn.

Keeping Prices Down

Following their motto of “Fashion Ain’t Expensive”, the prices of products on the platform that range from shoes to clothes are at an average of RM50.

When asked how she manages to keep her products affordable she said, “We believe small is beautiful and also flexible.”

“Our team only has 10 staff which consist of customer service, sales, marketing, design, human resource, warehousing, and accounts,” said Madelyn.

Currently, all of Happy2U’s employees are female.

“I believe women can do great things if there is no glass ceiling.”

Retaining talent is also her key to building and growing a company. Furthermore they monitor their inventory constantly and avoid slow moving designs. When they do encounter one they will aim to clear it as soon as possible.

As the fashion space is incredibly saturated, Madelyn and her team have to make their products stand out. They focus on branding and content creation to ensure that customers always have trust in them.

“We always believe added value can make you stand out from competitors,” she said. “Besides, the decision of opening a physical store/ flagship store has great branding impact on our brand.”

She explained that with a physical store, customers will be more confident to shop with them as they can get after-sales service if needed.

Although the store is located in Melaka (and that could hinder some customers), Madelyn mentioned that she decided to run the business in Melaka after considering the costs involved and finding manpower.

“Happy2U’s warehouse is based in Melaka and it enables us to enjoy cheaper rental and it just takes me 1.5 hours just to reach KL if I have any appointments there,” she added.

Surviving A Decade And More

Since 2009, Happy2U told us that they now have over 40,000 registered members on their platform, helped more than 1,000 sellers sell their products online and offline, and has around 200 different Stock Keeping Units (SKUs).

“Funding is the most challenging thing while running Happy2U as we don’t have investor or partners,” Madelyn explained.

As Happy2U doesn’t have any investors or partners, all the capital is funded by Madelyn herself and from the company’s profits throughout the years of operating.

Throughout her years of operating the business, her biggest accomplishments would be having her factory as the warehouse and opening the flagship store within 2 years after graduating from university.

Furthermore in 2018, she told us that the business brought in 6 figures in sales, and she’s not planning to stop there yet as she believes that “new retail” will be the next big thing in Malaysia.

Editor’s note: The figure in the previous paragraph has been updated based on new information from the founder.

The term “new retail” is coined famous by Alibaba as their strategy to redefine commerce by enabling seamless engagement between the online and offline world.

It’s about building a retail ecosystem that blends online and offline channels in a unified way that features the consumer at the center.

“Utilising the benefits of both e-commerce and physical store provided to the business can definitely improve overall performance,” she said.

With the ultimate goal of bringing affordable fashion to customer’s doorstep, Madelyn plans to open up a few more flagship stores in other states in the near future.

• If you would like to find out about Happy2U, you can check out their website here and social media here.

Feature Image Credit: Happy2U

We think of Grab mostly as a ride-hailing app in day to day life, but the firm does much more, from food delivery to financial services.

Grab Financial was set up in March 2018 as the fintech arm of the tech company’s ecosystem, encompassing payment and reward services, and newly adding loans and insurance.

Its loan capability has been made possible by Grab’s partnership with Japanese consumer financing company, CreditSaison.

A year later, Grab is now offering loans of up to S$100,000 to small businesses.

According to SGSME.SG, the company had been advertising this loan option on Facebook earlier this week, with an interest rate of 1% per month.

Interested parties can apply for the loan online in a process that will only take about two minutes to complete.

Upon a successful loan application, they’ll then be able to receive the money in three days.

While its financial loans were introduced for both consumers and businesses, Grab says the focus of this new initiative is to support “micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses”.

A Grab spokesperson says the company wants to provide “working capital support which [they] know is a key area of concern” as small businesses try to scale up.

However, the firm has yet to reveal other details like the initiative’s launch date, loan volume, and assessment criteria at this point.

• Telegram group called ‘SG Hitch’ offers carpooling services in Singapore
• It has been set up to help provide a “cheaper alternative” following the termination of late-night GrabHitch services
• The platform serves only as a “bridge between drivers and hitchers” to facilitate matching
• Fares are not fixed, and are subject to mutual agreement

Last year, ride-hailing company Grab disabled its GrabShare and GrabHitch services between 1am and 5am, citing safety concerns for its drivers.

This has inadvertently pushed users to book their more expensive ride options such as JustGrab services.

To put things into perspective, GrabShare rides are up to 35 per cent cheaper than JustGrab, while GrabHitch is 20 to 40% cheaper than taxi fares.

So as a workaround, a Telegram group called SG Hitch has been set up in February 2019 to “provide a cheaper alternative [to riders] with the demolition of late-night GrabHitch services”.

With over 5,000 members already onboard, the group strictly claims that it only “serves as a bridge between drivers and hitchers” and operates on a voluntary basis.

How Does It Work?

There are currently 190 drivers and 248 hitchers on the platform.

Those looking to hitch a ride have to leave a message on the chat stating details such as a) pick-up and drop-off point b) pick-up time c) number of riders (up to 4 people).

Keen drivers who are willing to accept the hitch request are to personally message the said rider via Telegram and discuss the pricing.

Fares are not fixed, and both driver and hitcher have the right to reject if price is not acceptable. In other words, the price is set based on “mutual agreement”.

Drivers can also choose to offer the ride for free out of goodwill.

Another thing worth noting is that there is zero commission fee for the drivers, and the group itself also do not stand to earn anything from offering this service.

SG Hitch emphasises that the group’s sole purpose is to “help hitchers find a cheaper ride” and for “drivers [to earn] extra cash for coffee, cover fuel cost, or just be a kind soul.”

Is This Illegal Though?

Singaporeans love anything ‘cheap’ or ‘free’, but before you blindly jump onto this platform, there are some things worth discussing about this platform.

Firstly, this platform is not approved by the Land Transport Authority and is not regulated or governed.

While SG Hitch says that drivers must possess a valid driving license, there is no proper system in place to check if the driver is indeed licensed or have insurance to drive the car.

Moreover, there is no minimum age or minimum driving experience imposed on SG Hitch drivers.

If the rider’s safety is compromised, how do they work on tracking down the driver?

Drivers’ vehicle details are not registered on the platform, and riders cannot even complain to SG Hitch if anything goes wrong since they’ve already claimed that they will not be “liable for any disputes, accidents or issues arising from any rides.”

While the intentions of the platform is indeed good, riders who are still keen on trying out the platform have to bear the consequences at their own risk.

Over the past decade or so, Malaysians have seen plenty of food trends come and go, with only few lasting the long race, with bubble tea being one of them.

These days no matter where you look, there’s a good chance that you’re probably within eyeshot of a bubble tea shop or kiosk, and seemingly every one in three people holding a cup as you walk around shopping malls or your neighbourhood shops.

But it wasn’t always the case. At one point the now incredibly popular drink faced a dip in popularity in Malaysia, with many of its early-day purveyors now gone, and only the bigger brands like Chatime and Gong Cha left as remaining survivors.

It wasn’t until mid-2017 or early 2018 that bubble tea once again started coming to the fore of Malaysian minds, thanks in part to the Chatime legal debacle that ended up spawning Tealive, coupled with the entry of several large new bubble tea chains like Koi, followed more recently by The Alley and a whole spate of other international chains.

So now with a resurgence in popularity, it seems the beverage has a genuine second shot at claiming a place among Malaysians as an everyday F&B consumable.

But before it can get there, there remains plenty for its proponents—both sellers and buyers—to do.

What’s In A Cup?

To start, let’s talk about the beverage itself. From the outset, the humble bubble tea—with or without milk, pearls, or what have you—is possibly one of the food trends in recent memory with a great chance to become a real local mainstay.

Its ease of consumption, inexpensive manufacturing, ready accessibility, and affordable price all lend to the bubble tea’s attraction factor as an everyday beverage after lunch, during dinner, or just about whenever.

And unlike many other food trends that ended up not making it, you really can drink a cup of bubble tea every day without tiring, thanks to the endless variety of flavours and condiments.

Most of the drinks are also customisable to your tastes—have it with extra sugar or none at all. Also not to mention, the added benefit of the slight caffeine kick that you can get.

The teas are generally now all brewed (as opposed to the old powdered forms), and many of its key components are even made in-store.

But moving on, let’s discuss how the bubble tea scene itself can actually step up and make the beverage a proper mainstay here.

The Caffeine Comparison

If you want to an example of how a product or concept can transcend from mere trend to public mainstay, you only need to look at the modern coffee industry—the one where humble shoplots have expensive roasting machines and fashionable individuals pouring pretty-looking cups of cappuccino.

When the scene was still budding and people were still used to shelling out only a couple of ringgit for a Kopi O, there was much debate regarding whether or not this new, costly trend of foreign origin would be able to last locally.

During the days when cafés like Artisan Roast, Pulp, and Red Beanbag were relatively new, I remember hearing people calling the concept “fleeting” and “unsustainable”, and I’ll admit that at first I felt the same way.

But in the years since, the coffee industry has gone on to thrive—hundreds of establishments in malls and neighbourhood business centres, and there are plenty of consumers willing to stop by their favourite café for a casual coffee at any time of the day.

The reason? The coffee culture in Malaysia as you see it today was largely built with cohesion and out of passion.

For starters, there’s a considerable amount of love and care thrown into the craft by coffee business owners, and with good reason.

Plenty of the successful coffee joints around the Klang Valley have owners that actually love coffee, and started their enterprises as passion projects—platforms to expose others to the more intricate aspects of espresso consumption and preparation.

You’ll be able to spot plenty of opportunities to engage with the community and get schooled on the intricacies of espresso.

So far, I’ve seen workshops that educate on the unique traits that different beans offer, new methods for brewing, and also the art of an aesthetically-pleasing pour, and barista competitions to see who can craft the best cuppa on the spot.

Add on other opportunities for engagement, and you now have a community that’s become equally as passionate about drinking coffee as much as the people making and selling them, and therefore producing a market that keeps on coming back for more again and again.

If you want proof of this, you only need to trawl social media to find Malaysian groups dedicated to the discussion of coffee, beans, baristas, and cafés worth a visit.

Compared to most other F&B trends, these groups contain members that are more animated and excited about the subject of coffee, and that’s proof enough that you now have a trend that’s here to stay.

Now, before we move on to the next point, let’s also keep in mind that no industry is perfect, and the same applies for the local coffee scene.

But its the inherent concepts that we’re focusing on and that’s where there’s plenty to draw from in terms of elevating an ecosystem from being hype-filled to legitimately self-sustaining.

An Engaging Bubble

You might be thinking.. why compare bubble tea and coffee? Obviously, the bubble tea industry is vastly different with regards to production, manufacturing, and operations, but what’s to say that it all can’t emulate the same success as its espresso-based counterpart?

Taking a step into the real world, the bubble tea industry as it currently stands is seeing a sudden and heavy influx of newer businesses (SS15 in Subang Jaya alone has more vendors than you’d bother counting).

But while it all seemingly bodes well for the longevity of bubble tea in Malaysia, the truth is that the hype could very well die down as soon as it picked up for the second time.

To prevent this from happening, the first thing to be remedied here is the disparity between the two industries with respects to mindsets—there’s more regard for bubble tea as a consumer product rather than something to be crafted with care and passion, and this trickles down into the overall bubble tea culture itself.

For the most part, no real connections exist between bubble tea enterprises and their patrons except for the exchange of money for a product.

There haven’t been workshops, classes, competitions, or community events relating to the craft of bubble tea-making on a scale worth talking about. This has in turn led to a market that doesn’t really care about anything other than sipping their favourite flavours and nothing more.

Proving my point, let’s go back to the part about how there are so many Malaysian coffee groups on Facebook.

Here, the opposite is true for bubble tea—there are hardly proper groups devoted to the beverage, and posts pertaining to the topic on social media are mostly Instagrammable glamour shots.

A bleak prognosis? Not just yet.

If anything, bubble tea aficionados should see this as an opportunity more than a setback, and should be encouraged when you consider that there is already a market that’s ready and waiting for the next step in the bubble tea evolution.

There are consumers that have already accustomed themselves to the idea of making bubble a part of their everyday lives. They’re more than willing to shell out their hard-earned money for tea and pearls in the same way people shell out for a latte.

Don’t be surprised at how much more of their time and money they’re willing to invest if they see more new ideas and more opportunities to get more involved.

So What’s The Next Step?

Although we can’t expect the bubble tea scene to emulate coffee’s in its growth, bubble tea lovers can take heart in the fact that there are at least signs to indicate its players want more for the industry than just to make a financial killing.

Case in point: this week Tealive launched their Breakthrough Moments festival that centred around success—not only theirs, but also their patrons.

Aside from offering cool new flavours and fun activities, the event also provided provided opportunities for community engagement such as getting behind the counter and crafting your own bubble teas, or the opportunity to win cash to achieve a life goal.

I’m not saying that all of this is a sure signal of a shift towards a more inclusive ecosystem—I’m just pointing out that the bubble tea scene could attempt to emulate the coffee ecosystem’s success in different ways if it really wanted to.

The enterprises also need to stop seeing each other as competitors, and instead, become comrades with a shared goal: making bubble tea a staple for Malaysians.

Instead of having individual events, why not collaborate for a large carnival, to showcase each and every brand’s signature brew?

For competitions, their tearistas should take the forefront, showcasing how they ensure the best flavour of the beverages.

It’s a mindset shift that both the brands and consumers need to make.

If the enterprise players—old and new—begin treating their consumers more than just people to sell to and positioning the beverage the right way, there’s a very good chance the second revival of bubble tea in Malaysia could be one that’s permanent.

Feature Image Credit: Tealive

Razer products are the gold standard when it comes to gaming peripherals, but that premium quality also comes with a premium price tag.

The iconic Razer DeathAdder Elite gaming mouse for example, costs S$109, and you’ll probably have spent upwards of S$300 by the time you reach a basic mouse-keyboard setup.

In a continued effort to become the quintessential gaming brand, however, the triple headed snake have just released three new products that cater to the more budget-conscious consumer, and our wallets couldn’t be happier.

Same Same, But Cheaper

Razer seems to have adopted an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with this new lineup, opting to base their designs off the brand’s existing best-sellers.

The Razer Blackwidow, for example, is a stripped-down version of the flagship BlackWidow Elite gaming keyboard, and possesses many of its features such as mechanical switches, programmable keys and 1,000hz Ultrapolling at a much cheaper price (S$80, to be exact).

Similarly, the Razer Kraken is the successor to the Razer Kraken Pro V2. While the price remains unchanged, this new offering takes a few hardware upgrades seen in the Kraken tournament edition, featuring 50mm Drivers for crisp, powerful audio and an improved microphone for clearer communication.

Finally, there’s also the Razer Basilisk Essential, which is – you guessed it – is based off the Razer Basilisk mouse. The star of the show here is the award-winning multi-function paddle, which allows you to programme and additional function that can be utilised with your thumb.

The Razer BlackWidow, Razer Kraken and Razer Basilisk Essential are going for S$199, S$129 and S$79.90 respectively, and are available at leading retailers and Razer.com right now.

For reference, the original BlackWidow Elite, Razer Kraken Pro V2 and Razer Basilisk cost $279.90 $129.90 and $109.90 respectively.

Gaming has always been an inherently expensive endeavour, but it looks like you might not have to compromise quality for price anymore.