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/

#NewRelease Mila J “M.I.L.A.”

Recently, released her official EP M.I.L.A. You can purchase Mila J’s EP here on iTunes and Amazon!

Sorry for the Lack of Updates

We are truly sorry for the lack of updates. We have a lot going on. We will be back with full updates soon.

Idealistic Ambition’s 25 Days of Christmas: Day 23 Aretha Franklin’s “Winter Wonderland”

Day 23 of our Idealistic Ambition’s 25 days of Christmas countdown goes to the queen of soul Aretha Franklin’s “Winter Wonderland.” You can purchase Aretha Franklin’s “Winter Wonderland” here on iTunes and Amazon!

Congratulations: Serena Williams “Wins Fifth U.S Open”

Congratulations!!! Serena Williams won her fifth U.S Open singles title and her seventeenth Grand Slam. She beat her opponent Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-1. What a great birthday gift for herself? Serena’s birthday is September 26. Take a look below to see her accept her trophy.

Tour: Jay Z “Magna Carter World Tour”

Jay Z will be in a city near you. He has extended the “Magna Carter World Tour” to North America. The “Magna Carter World Tour” starts in ST. Paul, Minnesota on November 30, 2013, and ends on January, 31, 2014, in State College, Pennsylvania. Tickets go on sale September 12, 2013, at 10AM EST. Click to purchase at Live Nation or Ticketmaster. Pre-sale tickets will be available for RSVP on September 11, 2013.  Mobile users can get pre-sale tickets on September 11, 2013,  by downloading the Live Nation app. Pre-sales end at 10PM EST on Wednesday, September 11, 2013. Citi Bank card members have access to download tickets now by clicking here.

MAGNA CARTER WORLD TOUR – NORTH AMERICA

November 30th           St. Paul, MN               Xcel Energy Center
December 1st              Lincoln, NE                 Pinnacle Bank Arena
December 2nd             Denver, CO                 Pepsi Center
December 6th              Anaheim, CA              Honda Center
December 7^th               San Diego, CA            Valley View Casino Center
December 9^th               Los Angeles, CA         Staples Center
December 10^th             Fresno, CA                 Save Mart Center
December 11^th             San Jose, CA               SAP Center at San Jose
December 13^th             Las Vegas, NV            Mandalay Bay Events Center
December 18^th             Oklahoma City, OK   Chesapeake Energy Arena
December 19^th             Houston, TX              Toyota Center
December 20^th             San Antonio, TX        AT&T Center
December 21^st             Dallas, TX                  American Airlines Center
December 27^th             Atlanta, GA                Philips Arena
December 28^th             Birmingham, AL         BJCC Arena
January 2^nd                  Ft. Lauderdale, FL      BB&T Center
January 4^th                  Charlotte, NC             Time Warner Cable Arena
January 5^th                  Greensboro, NC          Greensboro Coliseum Complex
January 8^th                  Cleveland, OH            Quicken Loans Arena
January 9^th                  Chicago, IL                  United Center
January 10^th                Detroit, MI                 The Palace Of Auburn Hills
January 12^th                Brooklyn, NY             Barclays Center
January 13^th                Brooklyn, NY             Barclays Center
January 16^th                Washington DC          Verizon Center
January 17^th                Uncasville, CT            Mohegan Sun Arena
January 18^th                Boston, MA               TD Garden
January 19^th                Uniondale, NY            Nassau Coliseum
January 21^st                 Pittsburgh, PA          CONSOL Energy Center
January 22^nd                Newark, NJ                 Prudential Center
January 24^th                Montreal, PQ              Bell Centre
January 27^th                Toronto, ON               Air Canada Centre
January 29^th                Philadelphia, PA         Wells Fargo Center
January 30^th                Buffalo, NY                First Niagara Center
January 31^st                 State College, PA        Bryce Jordan Center

Tour: Kanye West “The Yeezus Tour”

Kanye West is heading out on his North American tour. “The Yeezus Tour” will start on October 19, 2013, in Seattle, Washington and end on December 7, 2013, in Houston, Texas. Kendrick Lamar will be the opening act. Make sure to check the dates for your city because Kendrick will not be doing five of the shows. # means Kendrick Lamar will be there, ^ means he will not and a special guest will be announced. Tickets for select shows will go on sale Friday, September 13, 2013. Tour dates are listed below. Click to purchase tickets from Live Nation or Ticketmaster.

Today in Black History: September 9, 1915 “Association for the Study of African American Life and History was Founded”

Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) on September 9, 1915. ASALH was founded in Chicago, Illinois. Their mission is to “Promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.” Carter G. Woodson is the father of Black History. ASALH created Negro Week in 1926, which eventually turned into Black History Month in 1976. Below are a list of activities ASALH contributes to making Black History Month successful.

Sets the annual theme for Black History Month. Establish Annual Black History Theme Publish Annual Black History Theme Learning Resource Package Sponsor annual Black History Kick-Off Events Host Annual Convention and Black History Month Luncheon Establish, nurture and grow ASALH Branches, including campus-based branches & youth guilds. Manage professional Speaker’s Bureau Establish national and local Partnerships Host Essay Contest for undergraduate and graduate students Promote oral, public and local history projects Commemorate the birth of our founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson

To learn more about ASALH, click here to visit their official website.

Today in Black History: September 7, 1954 “Start of Public School Integration for Maryland and Washington D.C”

September 7, 1954,  was the start of public school integration for Maryland and Washington D.C. students. Public schools had been segregated up until Brown vs. The Board of Education.

Barnard Elementary in Washington, DC [Source: Library of Congress]

Gwynns Falls Elementary School [Source:Richard Stacks, Baltimore Sun]