Web Stimulus package for SMEs

How many companies in Singapore has a website ? According to the IDA Annual Servey on Infocomm Usage by Enterprises, only 12 per cent of Singapore SMEs have company websites.

Wow, so an 88 per cent still do not own a company website. Is a big market to tap into.

SME Infocomm Resource Centre (SIRC), established in Jun 16, 2007, is a not-for-profit organisation. Google, SME Infocomm Resource Center (SIRC) @ Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and PurpleClick are partnering together to offer Singapore businesses a stimulus package to attract new customers and grow sales by tapping into the power of the Internet.

Just a quick statistics, over 60 billion searches conducted on the internet worldwide per month and over a billion people around the world search on Google for information every day. Among Singapore's 3.1 million Internet users, nearly 7 out of 10 search on Google every day. Capitalising on this trend, many SMEs are shifting their budgets to search marketing and growing their business.

The business stimulus package aims to help local SMEs:

• Be available 24/7 by establishing an online presence on the Internet
• Grow the business cost-effectively with a user-friendly website and search marketing
• Go global and connect with over one billion Internet users in the world

Recipients of the business stimulus package will enjoy:

• A company website developed at no cost by SIRC @SP (Applicable only to businesses without a website. The no-cost offer applies to the first 100 SMEs who apply; subsequent applicants need only pay a one-time fee of S$180 to SIRC @SP for the development work.)
• S$100 worth of free credits from Google to start using its premier search marketing platform, Google AdWords.
• A free one-on-one tutorial from PurpleClick (worth $550) or a Google authorised representative on how to set up and maintain a search marketing campaign.
  
  
  Interested SMEs can sign up for the business stimulus package at www.google.com.sg/stimulus.
  You are welcome to come back and share with your experience with this stimulus package.

New 7 wonders of Nature - Voting

The Official New7wonders of Nature voting is on again. It was started in 2007. A very successful campaign, 100 million votes were cast over 440 participants representing over 220 countries- more countries participation than the Olympic Games. It took democracy to a new global level. The Official New7Wonders of Nature is now in its third and final phase in which the wonders themselves will be chosen by an estimated 1 billion votes. The Official Declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be in 2011.

Sighted one of the representing wonders - Angel Falls.

Angel Falls is located in the Canaima National Park in Bolivar State, along Venezuela's border with Brazil. It is the world's tallest at 1002m.

At 979 meters (3230 feet) with an uninterrupted drop of 807 meters (2663 ft), Angel Falls is sixteen times ( some recorded as 19 times - have yet to check ) the height of Niagara Falls. Appreciate this picture, such an awesome waterfall.

Pictures from : http://www.new7wonders.com/

& http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/topdestangelfalls/ig/Angel-Falls-Photo-Gallery/Angel-Falls-and-Waterfall.htm

Cast your votes and enjoy the awesome photos that are shown there.

Do let us hear some of your comments about the Wonders of Nature.

We welcome your sharing.

What are the plans for your retirement ?

How much does it cost to retire ? Recently read an article in ST dd 16 July 09 - about the basic care in Britain to cost retirees $48k (GBP 20k) per person after retirement to guarantee basic social care and support if they need it at the end of their lives, under new overnment propsals.

Britain has more pensioners than children. Unless urgent action is taken, there may be a GBP 6 billion hole in the funding of social care within 20 years.

Three models to fund a new national care service that give the same basic entitlement. A top-up, voluntary insurance or compulsory insurance. The bottom line is it requires the elderly to pay up around S$48k. According to Times of London, the legal retirement age of 65 would be scrapped or raised. The age from which the state pension is payable is also due to increase to 68 for both sexes by 2046. The consultation on the proposals will run until November, with the chosen system expected to be published in a White Paper next year and phrased in from 2014.

Singapore's compulsory annuity plan.

By 2030, one in five Singaporeans will be over the age of 65 as compared to one in seven at the moment. WIth this fast ageing population issue, The Government, all this while has been implementing plans to provide them with a lifelong income into the old age so that they have the means to pay for the services they need as they grow older.

An extract from the CPF board website. In Singapore, one recent innovation is the introduction of CPF Life. Upon a member’s enrolment into CPF LIFE, a portion of the cash savings in his Retirement Account (RA) will be set aside as the premium for an annuity. Combined with the remaining cash savings, the member will get a lifelong monthly income from his Draw Down Age (DDA). For refundable plans, depending on the member’s age when he passes away, his beneficiaries would be able to receive a bequest.

These are some of the plans the Government is implementing for the country. Do you have anything to share about your country. We welcome your sharing here.

Xiluodu dam is China's 2nd largest hydro-electric dam

Xiluodu dam, China's 2nd largest hydro-electric dam, is built along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. This dam is also due to be the world's third-biggest hydropower project.

However, such a big massive dam projects lately got the alarm bells rang after builders brought forward by moe than two years their deadline for finishing the Xiluodu dam. A sum of 1.4 billion yuan earmarked for resettlement has yet to be disbursed. The project was schedules to start in 2002 but was postponed for 15 months. Other issue on relocation for more than 61,000 people since its launch in 2003 are some of the controveries and often riddled with corruption.

Some statistics on this project :

• Cost of construction : 68 billion yuan ( S$14.4 billion )
• Power generation : 60 billion kWH
• Height : from 278m revised to 285.5m
• Maximum water level : 600m deep

Article extracted from STimes 22 July 2009.

Are you one of those property investors feeling jittery about the TAX POLICY

The property market is Ministry of Finance (MOF) to propose to clarify the law on taxing profit from property sales. If it succeeds, property sellers will not have to worry about being taxed on their profit - as long as they let at least four years pass between each sale.

The clarification of the four-year period which MOF says is meant to provide reassurance to property owners - has sent a wave of jtters through the property market just as it is starting to pick up. Overall, one of the main gripes is that the four-year period seems arbitrary. In the first place,for new HDB flats, you can't sell until five years later. For resale, it's one year. So how did they come up with four years for this rule ? Specifically, how IRAS could deem one a "trader" which means that he relies on property transactions for income is up to IRAS to decide.

Whether or not a property seller is taxed on his profit is ultimately up to IRAS.

The tax agency does nto require individuals to alert it when they sell their properties. IRAS will use its own yardsticks such as the circumstances leading to the sales, how long the investor has held the disposed property and how frequently he has been selling properties in the past.

Take an example to show the implication of the tax consequences if IRAS decides that he should be taxed. If he earns an annual income of $100,000 and he has made a gain of $300,000 on selling his properties, his total assessable income for the year will now jump to $400,000

His income tax will aso soar by $51,600 - from $7,000 to $58,000 The surge in his income has pushed him into a higher tax bracket, from 14% to 20%

In Singapore, individuals do not pay tax on the 1st $20,000.

Just take a look at the tax rate :

1) 3.5% on the next $10,000

2) 5.5.% on the following $10,000

3) 8.5% on the income above $40,000

4) 14% on the income above $80,000

5) 20% on the income over $320,000

Above info extracted from Sunday Times - Home #7 - 12 July 2009

Care to share your view on this tax issue ? We hope to hear from you.

Bull's eye for BLIND ARCHERS

Blind people are not useless. Mr Ken WOng, 61, and Mr William Hiu, 55, both are legally blind, but the two competitors came in third and fourth spots at the recent archery meet. This event was organised by the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) on June 13. They have stunned the field and left sighted competitors slack-jawed.

The pair really give sighted rivals a run for their money. So how did they do it ? The answers lies in training, repetition and focus. Aiming and keeping in mind his "anchor point" at all time during the training sessions.

Having proven themselves in competitions for the disabled, Mr Hiu and Mr Wong are aiming higher. They will shoot against able-bodied competitors in an international meet in Bangkok, later this month.

What is the moral we can learned from their story and can be applied to Internet Martketing for frustated IM beginners ?

1) Do something, do not let the fear that holds you back.

2) Do not be afraid of failure. Every failure we endure, puts another notch in our delicate egos.

3) Those we succeed in life, are the ones that take chances. The one that take action.

4) Do not just want to be successful but YOU MUST BE SUCCESS

5) Never limit yourself to think small, THINK BIG

6) Perseverance and a strong burning desire to succeed

7) Focus, Focus and focus.

ZAP FOR FREE PHONE DOWNLOAD

Zap for free phone downloads. What is this all about ?

What do you think of this promotion from Coca-cola ? Buy Coca-cola and download free ringtones, wallpapers and games onto your mobile phone.

Is this cool ? This promotion will run till end of this month. Colour squares called Zapcodes will be printed on millions of cans of Coke, Coke Zero and Sprite.

A user just needs to download a free software program developed by technology company ColorZip onto his mobile phone. This transforms the phone into a scanning device that can read the code on the cans, so users can download ringtones, wallpapers and games, etc onto their mobile phones.

ColorZip SEA is the company that holds the rights to this patented technology, ZapCode. It is now in partnership with SPH to extend their strategy into the Singapore market.

ZapCode - is a breakthrough technology that is set to revolutionise the way you use your mobile phone to access information from the Internet. It is launched in Singapore exclusively by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.

Coca-Cola Singapore is the latest company to make use of the digital marketing tool.

World economy in crisis - financial panic: where are we now?

Is the world still facing economies crisis and recession ? Yes and no. It is becoming increasingly clear that Asia is emerging from the global economies crisis faster than the rest of the world. Over the past five years, China contibuting to world gross domestic product growth from one-fifth to one-third. India's contribution from 6 per cent to 16 per cent.

Different economic indicators from different parts of the world have brightened. China’s economy is picking up. The slump in global manufacturing seems to be easing.

According to IMF, China, a land of 1.3 billion people and India — the only sizeable economies likely to record growth rates of over 5% — will prevent the world from recording negative growth in 2009. Ironically, while the US — where the current global crisis originated — will suffer a decline of only 1.6%, the UK will see its economy shrink by 2.8%, Japan by 2.6% and Germany by 2.5%. The Euro area as a whole will fare worse than the US with a 2% drop in output in 2009, the IMF projected.

With another six months turning to 2010, Asia is looking forward the positive forecast from IMF to foresee an impressive global recovery to 3% growth, with China's 8% and India's 6.5% once again leading the way. Once again, while the US will bounce back to grow by 1.6%, the Euro area will grow by a minuscule 0.2%, the UK by a similar rate and Japan by a somewhat better 0.6%.

US weakened by the financial crisis, deeply indebted, bogged down in Irag, facing major challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and feeling psychologically humbled. It is expected that US may no longer be in the same position as before to lead the international community.

All the nations, especially the Asian countries, all working together to revise their models for international co-operation in a way that incorporates the global shift in economices, will assume more meaningful responsibilities in managing global crises.