Tips for Doing Business in Singapore

Singapore is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s one of the thriving business travel destinations in South East Asia. Many business people travel to Singapore to do business. Doing business Internationally can be very intimidating. It is important to research before traveling and doing business in a foreign country. Below are a few tips that you can use when traveling to Singapore.

Communication

The four major languages spoken in Singapore are Mayla, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil, and English. However, the most common language used in the business field is English. It is best to avoid humor because it can be misunderstood, as well as discussing personal issues (World Business Culture, 2019). Do not get overly emotional when communicating. Speak in a low tone and do not display anger. Wait 10 seconds before responding, it shows that you are listening and have giving consideration to what you heard before responding (Kelly, 2018).

Greeting

Handshaking is common in Singapore, but not all cultures are accepting of handshakes. For example, Mayla men shake hands and Mayla women do not. If a Mayla woman crosses her hand in front of her chest, give her a slight head nod to acknowledge her (Corbin, 2016). If you are unsure of how to appropriately great, pay attention to the senior in the room and follow their lead. Also, allow counterparts to introduce themselves so you can hear how to address them properly.

Business Cards

Business cards are exchanged immediately after first meeting when doing business in Singapore. Make sure the business cards are fresh and clean. It is important to use both hands when exchanging business cards. You should also make sure the message is facing the receiver of the business card. Treat the business card with respect. You can put the card in a business card holder or face-up on the table next to you. Do not put the business card in your back pocket, it’s considered insulting in Singapore  (Corbin, 2016). It is a good idea to have business cards printed with English on one side and Chinese on the other.

Dress Code

The weather is warm in Singapore, and the majority dress business casual in business settings. Men wear dress pants, long-sleeved dress shirts, and ties. Suit jackets are acceptable in certain situations. Women wear skirts, dress pants, and blouses. The goal is to dress professional, but also cool for the weather.

 

Reference

Corbin, A. ( 2016, December 22). A Quick Guide To Business Etiquette In Singapore. Retrieved on August 10, 2019, from https://globig.co/blog/a-quick-guide-to-business-etiquette-in-singapore/

Kelly, D. (2018, July 14). Cultural Tips for Doing Business in Singapore. Retrieved on August 10, 2019, from https://www.tripsavvy.com/doing-business-singapore-4071066

World Business Culture, ( 2019). Singaporean Communication Styles. Retrieved on August 10, 2019, from https://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/singapore/culture/business-communication-style/

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5 Tips for Business Writing

Blog written by Samara J. Gaskins 

Business Writing! I know it sounds hard and intimidating, but what if I told you it doesn’t have to be. There have been times when I dreaded writing a business letter or email because I was unsure if it was being executed correctly. I have five tips that I think can help you. These tips have helped build my confidence as a business writer and I hope they can do the same for you.

Tip 1: Be Specific and Straight to the Point

Everyone time is valued and you have to make sure that you be specific and get straight to the point. You have to be able to grab the readers attention from the very beginning. This can be done by putting your main point in the first sentence (Walton, 2017). If your writing an email, make sure the subject line is specific. Let your audience know exactly what is going on. Being specific will help prevent the hassle of emailing back and forth. If your writing is going to be longer than an email, be sure to space paragraphs, use bold fonts, and section headers ( Walton, 2017).

Tip 2: Watch Your Tone

It is important to use a friendly tone when writing. Readers can tell if you’re being rude or unfriendly. Having a friendly tone will keep readers be engaged. However, in some cases, readers cannot tell if you are being friendly or rude. Be sure not to use sarcasm or write in all capital letters.

Tip 3: Know Your Facts

Make sure all your data is current. Do not use old sources from years ago. It is best to use data from government agencies, educational organizations, and established businesses(Walton, 2017). Also, be sure to fact check stats that you find inside of articles. Just because a stat is cited in an article, it doesn’t mean it’s true. Find the original study and fact check the data.

Tip 4: Proofread and Edit Work

It is really important to proofread your work. Your writing is a representation of you and misspelled words and poor grammar is not a good look. It can also be embarrassing. Sometimes we can miss the smallest things, such as the wrong punctuation or forget to capitalize a letter. It is also important to master homonyms. For example, make sure you know the difference between their, there, and they’re.

Tip 5: Use Online Tools

There are great online tools, such as Grammarly, Cite Machine, and Easy Word Count to assist you with your writing. Grammarly assists with checking grammatical errors, spelling, sentence structure, and much more. Cite Machine also assists with grammar and sentence structure, as well as check for plagiarism and help build citations. Easy Word Count is great because it counts the number of words your writing.

I hope these five tips can be beneficial to you. Hit me up in the comment section with your feedback. Let’s keep the dialogue going!

Walton, M. (2017, October 23). 8 Ways to Improve Your Professional Writing Skills. Retrieved on July 13, 2019, from https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/improve-professional-writing-skills/

#SundayInspiration Donnie McClurkin “Speak To My Heart”

We are starting our week off right with Donnie McClurkin’s “Speak To My Heart!” Have a blessed week!

You can purchase Donnie McClurkin’s “Speak To My Heart” here on iTunes!

#SundayInspiration Hezekiah Walker “Grateful (LIVE)”

Good Morning! We are starting our week off right with Hezekiah Walker’s “Grateful.” In life we tend to get caught up on everything that’s not going right. Take sometime out today and meditate on the things that GOD has delivered you from. Take some time and just thank GOD for allowing you to see another day! Take some time out today to show GOD your gratitude and see how he’ll work in your life!

You can purchase Hezekiah Walker’s “Grateful” here on iTunes and Amazon!

#SundayInspiration Dorinda Clark Cole “You Are”

Good morning! We are starting our week off right with Dorinda Clark Cole’s “You Are.” Have a blessed week!

You can purchase Dorinda Clark Cole’s “You Are” here on iTunes and Amazon!

#SundayInspiration Mali Music “Beautiful”

We are starting our week off right with Mali Music’s “Beautiful.” In case you haven’t heard it today, you’re beautiful! Have a blessed week!

“I put my lighter in the air for you,
I see what you doing, yeah I see what you go through,
Put my lighter in the air, the truth is you’re beautiful, beautiful…
Now put your lighter in the air for us,
Everybody singing together, sing a new song,
Put your lighter in the air for love is beautiful, beautiful”

You can purchase Mali Music’s “Beautiful” here on iTunes and Amazon!

#SundayInspiration Kurt Carr “God Blocked It (Live)”

Good Morning! We are starting our week off right with Kurt Carr’s “God Blocked It.” Just like the song says, “The devil had a plan to kill me, I know… But God intercepted his plan and told the devil, no… God blocked it, He wouldn’t let it be so…” At times in our life we may feel like we cannot shake the dark cloud that is over our life, over our finances, and over our relationships. I am here to tell you today to not give up! Continue to push through, for you have work to do. For Deuteronomy 32:6 (NKJV) says, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

 “Haven’t lived a perfect life,
Seems I’ve done wrong more than I’ve done right,
But thank God for compassion and forgiveness,
That kept me from a terrible plight…

You see, my life was spinning out of control,
The fact that I’m still a live today,
Ain’t nothing, nothing but a miracle…

God blocked it,
He wouldn’t let me fall,
No, He wouldn’t let it be so…

For I’ve got work to do,
Work to do…”

You can purchase Kurt Carr’s “God Blocked It” here on iTunes and Amazon.

#NewMusic Luke James “Bad News”

Luke James recently linked up with producers Trakgirl and Alex Diiamonds on his latest release “Bad News.” Check out Luke James new track “Bad News” below and let us know what you think!

#NewRelease Estelle “True Romance”

R&B artist Estelle recently released her fourth studio album, “True Romance.” You can buy Estelle’s most recent album here on iTunes and Amazon!

#NewRelease Raheem DeVaughn “Love Sex Passion”

This past week, R&B singer and songwriter Raheem DeVaughn released his fifth studio album, “Love Sex Passion.” Head over to iTunes and Amazon to get your copy today! Make certain to look out for Raheem DeVaughn and Leela James as special guests along Ledisi’s ‘The Intimate Truth Tour’ beginning February 27th, in Los Angeles, California.