Bernadette Giam

It's simple: If you want to check in early, then the person before you needs to check out early too. Otherwise there are no rooms for you to check into. If you want a late check out, then the guest after you cannot check in early. Rooms also need to be thoroughly cleaned and this takes time and manpower. I would rather wait for them to clean my room properly, than to demand or force for an early check in. Besides, you can always store your luggage at the concierge first and do other stuff while waiting for your room to be ready. Don't people know this?

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What does a surfer and entrepreneur have in common? Questions were fired and answers were candid during the a private discussion + a fireside chat at the The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore) with Mr Ho Kwon ping from banyan group a few weeks back. From why a multi millionaire decides to shop at Uniqlo and Muji to picking himself up after business failures. I went from nervously shaking his hand (I blame the aircon 😂) to an engaging and lively conversation with him in the room (and even letting him taste our brownie brittles!) I loved his raw honest personality. Here’s what I learnt: Surfing 🏄 and entrepreneurship have a lot in common- need skill, timing, luck(to catch the right wave) to bring you back to shore (or closing that deal)💰 🔍Find your why – what drives you to wake up each morning, fueled and focused. Don't sleepwalk through life. Live with intention. 🤔When faced with a tough business decision, I always ask myself: What are the pros and cons? And, honestly, is my ego getting in the way? ⚖️Take calculated risks: He Invest up to 25% in new ideas, never 100%. Only bet what you can afford to lose. I highly recommend his book that I’m currently devouring - Behind the Banyan So any surfers (or entrepreneurs) here identify with what he said? P.s. He nodded in approval after tasting and later mentioned (to the entire crowd) how he actually enjoyed them and said ‘her cookies are nice!’ - I was over the moon!

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Leon Foo knows coffee. For a decade and a half, he has played a pivotal role in Singapore’s exploding café scene.    From founding Papa Palheta Coffee (now PPP Coffee), to opening popular café Chye Seng Huat Hardware, to co-founding coffee equipment distributor Stellar M Pte Ltd, he has used his love of coffee and his entrepreneurial spirit to develop new coffee experiences.   He noticed an experience gap, however, in home brewing – specifically with coffee capsules. Convinced that there must be a way for convenience to be matched by quality and customisation of the brew, he co-founded Morning.    After working with designers at STUCK DESIGN and ACRE Design and taking a fast-tracked iterative approach to design and prototyping, the capsule coffee machine start-up launched its first model in 2021. MORNING created its own niche based on an unarticulated need in the market – one that Leon keenly felt but nobody else had addressed. He hasn’t looked back since.   Swipe left to read about how seeing things from a different perspective gave Leon the vision to embark on a business that has changed the game internationally.   –    Organised by the DesignSingapore Council, People of Design celebrates the everyday visionaries who are delivering extraordinary impact through design. These innovators defy the stereotype that design is only for designers or that it is merely about aesthetics – it is a tool for positive change that is accessible to everyone.    Know someone who’s making a difference through design? Nominate them at https://lnkd.in/g_FVhH-P for a chance to be featured.    #DesignSingaporeCouncil #PeopleOfDesign

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Over the past 3 years especially post Covid-19 era, we are seeing F&B outlets in Singapore from hawkers, restaurants, bars, and take-ousts are closing down rapidly due to 2 main issues, which are high cost of rental and availability of manpower. Chains such as Spinelli, Bakers'in, Charlie Brown, Imperial Treasure, and more. (https://lnkd.in/g7dabH_m) Other factors are also affecting both retail and F&B industries in Singapore from lower spending, higher competition, and most important of all, absence of unique value proposition for many of these service businesses. In contrast however, food catering, central kitchen, food manufacturing, and so on have been gaining growth as technology today brings food and beverage closer to their consumers. But neither front and back facing businesses in F&B can survive without both sides doing well. F&B in general will always be one of the main contributors to the economy from property rental, tourism, employment, and so on. The question is that, "is F&B no longer attractive to do in Singapore?". In my opinion any business regardless of what industry, will deem to fail or be obsolete when they failed to innovate and same goes for new businesses. One fact remains, new F&B businesses will need to more and work harder to ensure that the business survives and scale. A few tips that I would recommend to adopt and do when you are planning to start your own F&B business as follows: 1. Embrace Technology at least for VISIBILITY, MARKETING, and AWARENESS.  2. F&B business is about referrals and loyalty. Be sure that your PRODUCT is the BEST and not READILY AVAILABLE.  3. Start SMALL by OEM your PRODUCTION, showcasing your BUSINESS ONLINE, and focus on MANAGING it YOURSELF.  4. Think GLOBAL for your MARKET ACCESS and beat your compeition through GUERILLA WARFARE. Focus on Niche Marketing and Value Added Services Should you be keen to learn about how to build a sustainable and profitable F&B businesses starting small, you can find out more about Walker Enterprise Pte Ltd's F&B Entrepreneurship course that teaches beginners and also professionals on how to plan, concept, and manage your very own F&B businesses starting from home or starting small. This course of F&B Entrepreneurship also gives you over 14 hours of cooking, baking, dessert, and mixology training. To top if off, there is a government support of up to 70% funding for Singaporeans. For more information on this, you can visit the following link: F&B Entrepreneurship (WSQ) – Walker Enterprise Pte Ltd

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Quote: "There is no way to sugar-coat this: 2024 has been a bad year for restaurants in Singapore. Chefs and owners who were predicting a tough year have found the going worse than they had dreaded. Every kind of food and beverage business has been hit – casual, mid-price, upscale, fine dining. The strong Singapore dollar has made the Republic expensive for tourists. People here are saving to spend overseas. The goods and services tax hike has made diners more wary of spending. People are going across the Causeway for groceries, haircuts, meals and entertainment. According to data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra), 3,616 food businesses started in 2023 and 2,748 stopped operating. Figures for 2024 run until October and, so far, 3,301 food businesses started up. Another 2,747 have wound up, one fewer than the whole of 2023." An interesting article with strategies from owners and chefs who are pulling out all stops to survive, worth a read 📰 There is no clear light at the end of the tunnel in terms of policies, direction as well as economic outlook and it will only get worse once the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is completed in 2026, leading to further consumption outflow. A bumpy ride ahead into the perfect storm 🌩️🚈

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We have had a lot of questions about non alcoholic wine since last week, and to respond to all the insightful queries, I thought I would put together an article which demystifies the category. Is Alcohol-Free Wine Halal? How is non-alcoholic wine made? Does non-alcoholic wine taste the same as regular wine? Is non-alcoholic wine suitable for pregnant women? Can non-alcoholic wine be used in cooking? What are the health benefits of non-alcoholic wine? Are there less calories in non-alcoholic wine? Can non-alcoholic wine age like regular wine? Is non-alcoholic wine suitable for people with dietary restrictions? All the answers are in the below blog post: https://lnkd.in/guWVD9B8

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Digital transformation has been one of our top priority long term projects since 2022, and we couldn’t have asked to get off to a better start with the completion of our first project. Huge shoutout to the team at Canon Singapore Pte Ltd for helping us lay the foundations in this long and exciting journey; we couldn’t have done it without your incredible support. We would also like to thank our customers, suppliers and partners for adapting to our new working model and helping us to accelerate our transformation. As we’ve always said, digital transformation is not a one-off process, but rather a continuous and iterative one. We can’t wait to continue building on this momentum as we explore various ideas and grasp opportunities to take our company to the next level! #digitaltransformation

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Hong Kong's liquor tax reduction opens doors for the spirits industry, offering potential for premium imports and brand growth in Asia. However, challenges including trade fees and high logistics costs remain. To rival hubs like Singapore and Taiwan, Hong Kong must overcome these hurdles as it strives to become a leading global spirits trading centre.

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An interesting opinion piece from a couple of days ago on the correlation between the health of food & beverage (F&B) tenants versus the value of suburban shopping malls in Singapore. My personal observations (2005 ➡️ 2024): Increase in number of shopping malls: 2005: 90 versus 2024: 171 (90% ⬆️) Increase in F&B occupancy of net lettable area (NLA) in shopping malls: 2005: 18.8% versus 2024 30.2% (37.7% ⬆️) Assuming an average of 18.8% (NLA) x 150 units x 90 malls in 2005 = 2538 F&B outlets in shopping malls (2005) Assuming an average of 30.2% x 150 units x 171 malls in 2024 = 7746.3 F&B outlets in shopping malls (2024) Average increase in F&B outlets in shopping malls from 2005: 2538 versus 2024: 7746.3 (205.2% ⬆️) On top of a 205.2% increase in F&B outlets (competition) in shopping malls to compensate for the demise of the previous golden goose (retail), operating costs have also doubled to tripled at minimum over the years. In addition, shopping malls have lost most of their traffic generating trades such as Unique Retail Offerings, Local Heritage Brands, Cinemas, Arcades, Post Offices and Supermarkets amongst others without replacement or reinvention leading to a loss of relevance and a cookie-cutter experience. Questions❓ 1️⃣ Given the scarcity of land leading to high real estate costs which significantly impacts cost of living, why does Singapore need 171 shopping malls? In comparison New York City (NYC), the most populous City in the United States with a population of 8.25 million has only 27 shopping malls compared to Singapore's 6.04 million population and 171 shopping malls. 2️⃣ How can shopping malls continue to stay relevant when most traffic generating trades such as Unique Retail Offerings, Local Heritage Brands, Cinemas, Arcades, Post Offices and Supermarkets amongst others continue to decline without replacement or reinvention? 3️⃣ Why do rentals continue to defy gravity and sky rocket despite the ominous data? 4️⃣ What happens when the last golden goose (F&B) is cooked?🪿 5️⃣ Bonus question: When was the Control of Rent Act abolished in Singapore? Closing quote from the article 📰: "Certainly, a myriad of factors make the going tough for F&B players. Operating costs can be high, including rental and manpower costs. And getting adequate and suitable manpower is challenging in a tight labour market. Also, competition is intense as existing players scale up and introduce new concepts while new entrants try to make inroads. Meanwhile, customers can be fickle and price-sensitive. Facing cost of living pressure, many customers are closely watching discretionary spending and highly selective on where to splurge. In the near term, mall owners may also be able to count on further expansion in Singapore by Chinese F&B groups." Have a blessed weekend everyone! 🙏

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Sometimes the biggest lessons come from unexpected moments. As a catering business owner, I pride myself on meticulous planning and perfect execution.   But nature had other plans during the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium, and what a profound teacher it turned out to be! The Reality Check  📝 ➡️ Months of preparation ➡️ Detailed contingency plans ➡️ Expert team in place ➡️ Everything perfectly timed And then... rain. Mother Nature reminded us all who's really in charge. The Beautiful Lesson ✨ What touched me most wasn't our response to the challenge - it was the collective spirit I witnessed: ✅ Athletes staying positive ✅ Spectators keeping their spirits high ✅ Teams adapting with grace ✅ Staff showing incredible flexibility What I Learned 👉 Control is an illusion - but adaptability is power 👉 Sometimes "good enough" in difficult conditions beats "perfect" in ideal ones 👉 It's not about the circumstances, but how we respond to them 👉 The best plans include room for the unplanned The Silver Lining ☁️ Watching world-class athletes like Jasper Philipsen and Mark Cavendish handle the delay with such professionalism reminded me: true champions aren't just defined by their victories, but by how they handle challenges. To my fellow business owners: sometimes our biggest growth comes not from what we can control, but from how we handle what we can't. #BusinessLessons #Entrepreneurship #LifeLessons #TourDeFranceSG #SmallBusinessOwner #Resilience

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As of today, new regulations have come into effect allowing restaurants in South Korea to sell all types of alcoholic beverages by the glass. This change, approved during a recent Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, marks a significant shift in the liquor licensing landscape. Under the amended Enforcement Decree of the Liquor Licensing and Related Laws, selling alcohol by the glass is now considered an exception to the cancellation of a liquor sales license. This decision recognizes the act of serving alcohol by the glass as a permissible form of liquor handling in restaurants. Previously, cocktails and draft beer were the primary beverages that could be sold by the glass, while restrictions existed for popular choices like soju and makgeolli. The updated regulations provide a clear legal basis for establishments to offer a wider variety of alcoholic drinks in individual servings. Moreover, the amendment includes provisions allowing comprehensive liquor wholesalers to supply non-alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages alongside alcoholic products to restaurants. Previously limited to distributing alcoholic beverages with 1% or higher alcohol content, wholesalers can now distribute non-alcoholic drinks with lower or zero alcohol content. Industry experts anticipate a surge in the promotion of non-alcoholic and alcohol-free products in the market. Companies like OB Beer are introducing innovative offerings such as 'Cass 0.0', a non-alcoholic beer with less than 0.05% alcohol content, now available in 330ml bottles for sale in restaurants nationwide. The revised regulations are expected to spur growth in the non-alcoholic beverage sector within the liquor industry, providing consumers with more diverse and healthier options when dining out. Source: The Seoul Economic Daily #AlcoholRegulations #LiquorLicensing #RestaurantIndustry #NonAlcoholicBeverages #SouthKorea #BusinessNews #Innovation #IndustryDevelopment

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Straits Times: "Wave after wave of closures have battered the food and beverage scene this year – and the last quarter of 2024 has not spared long-time establishments. Tippling Club in Tanjong Pagar closes on Dec 31 after more than 16 years, following the shutting of several restaurants in November. Three restaurants ended their leases on Nov 30. They are 10-year-old vegetarian restaurant Joie at Orchard Central, as well as Italian restaurants Gemma and one-Michelin-starred Art di Daniele Sperindio – with their nine-year lease up at the National Gallery Singapore. Prior to this, 16-year-old Japanese restaurant Akanoya Robatayaki at Orchard Rendezvous Hotel shut on Nov 26, while four-year-old Portuguese restaurant Tuga in Dempsey also bowed out in the same month. All these add to the slew of Michelin-starred establishments that ceased operations in 2024, including Sommer, Chef Kang’s, Braci, Beni, La Dame de Pic and Sushi Kimura. And there are more to come, with popular wine bar Wine RVLT in Carpenter Street announcing on Dec 6 that it will not be renewing its lease in 2025." The same points keep coming up- 1. Landlords not collaborative either in rental terms or other aspects 2. Rising food costs 3. Rising labour costs 4. Decreasing Demand. With more and more spaces opening up for F&B in practically every area in Singapore and no shortage of new entrants either foolhardy enough or those with a huge cash backing, I reckon the Seating to Stomach Ratio has increased way above Pre Covid. And since then, inflationary effects via Progressive Wage Model as well as logistics and food manufacturing costa rising, plus... wait for it... every item increased or increasing such as utilities, insurance, uniforms, repair. Will there be an inward rationalising way into 2025/6 as what we see in 2024? seems likely this will continue. Big or small, many are impacted as can be seen by recent publicly listed results. Thankfully our diverse portoflio and synergy in terms of our resources across our brands is helping us. Am open to share any advice or pointers with anyone else as well as learn from you. Please PM me. In meantime, hold fast! Commonwealth Concepts Commonwealth Capital Group

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I love collaborations with customers. In this case, Dr Vivien Ng challenged us to this batik tiffin order. If you search online for batik tiffin, it's always slightly costly and I was about to tell Vivien that we will not be able to fulfil her order. However, customers as our community always have a way to share their ideas to us and we are always open to experimenting them to make sure that PichaEats as a brand and its cause is widespread to more people. After a few discussions and tweaks, we managed to work out a product that would satisfy the people at Ernst & Young. What's most amazing is how we could take this idea, incorporate into our product line and open up more opportunities to people who would work on the product in the long term. This is one of the few successful cases that happened and definitely looking out for more in the future. P/S : Do note that we don't necessarily execute all the ideas but those that we know we have the capacity and operational ability to fulfil.

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Changi Business Park (CBP) and International Business Park (IBP) may be “hollowing out” with “sub-par” occupancy rates as companies downsize, but UOB Kay Hian Research analyst Jonathan Koh is undeterred, maintaining “overweight” on Singapore REITs with a few select picks. Nationwide, occupancy for business parks has languished, falling 8.0 percentage points (ppt) to 79.1% over the past three years. But Koh notes a bifurcation for the performance of business parks. Occupancies for one-north and Queenstown (including Science Park 1 & 2) were healthy at 91.0% and 85.5% respectively. Meanwhile, IBP and CBP are “hollowing out”, he adds. IBP has the lowest occupancy of 61%, followed by 70% for the Eastern Suburbs, including CBP. “IBP suffers from poor transportation connectivity and a lack of amenities,” writes Koh. “Standard Chartered Bank, UBS and IBM have downsized their footprint at CBP.” Much more supply is coming onstream. JTC Corporation's Punggol Digital District has eight business park towers with net lettable area of 1,951,700 sq ft, which will be completed in phases starting 4Q2024. Another upcoming business park is Geneo at Science Park 1, a life science and innovation campus with three Grade A business park towers with column-free floor plates of more than 32,000 sq ft and an event plaza. CBRE expects new supply and shadow space to exert downward pressure on rents and occupancy. Read the full story and find out Koh's top picks on The Edge Singapore.

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“Why Is the Government Like That?” Whether we like it or not, the government is deeply embedded in our lives. They ensure our water is safe to drink, provide affordable pre-schools for everyone, and attract MNCs to invest in Singapore, creating jobs for Singaporeans. For social enterprises, NGOs, SSAs, and similar organizations, achieving the impact you aspire to can be challenging. Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience and are looking to level up your organization, partnering with the government could be a valuable strategy. They can offer connections, guidance, and resources to support your mission. However, working with the government can be complex and, at times, frustrating. That’s why I’m excited to share insights from my 10 years of experience across the public, private, and people sectors with participants in the Specialist Diploma in Social Entrepreneurship at SIMGE (SIM Global Education). This will be an interactive workshop where I’ll dive into how the government thinks, talks, and acts. I’m also looking forward to learning from the leaders in their respective fields. Can’t wait to meet everyone and exchange ideas.

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