The How What and Why of Starting an Online Business in Singapore

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With everyone steadily moving towards the world of Digital everything, it is no surprise that there have been a rise of online businesses being set up in Singapore. With the rise of technology and also, unfortunately, the rise of costs associated with maintaining a physical business in Singapore, owners are now turning to the online world.

Aside from reduced costs, online businesses are a much easier way for individuals to set up shop, keeping overhead costs low and profits high. E-commerce is one of the up and coming markets in the industry and one that is certainly extremely promising. and it is certainly extremely promising. In today’s article, we bring to you The How, What and Why of Starting an Online Business in Singapore. Read on to find out more.

Quality Hosting Is Key

Before you can embark on running your online business, you will also need to ensure that you have purchased quality WordPress hosting. Hosting can truly make or break a website. If your host or their hosting plan is unreliable, you are setting yourself up for a lot of problems down the line.

Research, Plan and Get Writing

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were any businesses. The first step in your journey is to structure a good business plan. Research into what the market needs at this point of time, and try to cater to said needs. There is no point in catering to a need that has already been met. Market research is crucial, and can assist you in building the stepping stones of your business. Research can give you a thorough idea on how successful your business will be or if you will need to alter and fine tune things in order to be the best version of yourself, on this this case, your business. Only the best version of the business should be advertised to the world!

Now, there is no point in planning everything in your head –  you need to put it down on paper. This is to ensure that you don’t forget anything, and so you can show your investors or business partners what you actually mean. You can use visuals, you can write an essay or make diagrams – just make sure that everything has been penned down and is kept safely! This is called your working plan of action and will eventually be turned into the blueprints for your ecommerce business.

Time To Get Started

Now that you have your business plan, blueprints and web hosting in order, it’s time to enter the playing field. Of course, with each country comes different laws. Singapore is no different. Below we will look a little deeper into some of the laws in Singapore which you will need to familiarize yourself and abide with.

Funding and Financial Assistance

The Singaporean government is always trying to ensure that the nation’s economy stays stabilized and prosperous, and thus tries to ensure that all businesses manage to stay afloat and succeed. When it comes to registering your business, setting your website on and so forth, things can start to get expensive and frustrating. Thankfully there are ways around this with government funding and financial assistance.

Business Loans

Most of us would probably be familiar with the age old business loan. The plus side of a bank loan is that you will always remain the sole owner of your business. However, on the flip side, you will also forever be indebted to your lender and be free of debt once it is fully paid off. In an instance where things do not take off, you are putting yourself at risk. With regards to bank loans, it is something you need to take time to ponder over thoroughly in order to ensure that your credit is secure and not tarnished.

The Other Option, Government Funding

One of the perks of starting your online business in Singapore the fact that the government has been extremely hands on when it comes to new startups and are always on the search for new opportunities. There are a number of initiatives that allow start-ups and specific industry businesses to access government funding. Some of the perks will include grants, business incubator schemers, and tax incentives.

Next Step, Incorporating Your Business

Once you have finances set up, the next step is incorporating your business. Business incorporation is extremely important because when you register your business, you will need to decide on your business structure. The structure you choose will then be a gauge or measure for your taxes, how much you are liable to pay and will also determine how you are supposed to run your business.

The most common business structure chosen is to incorporate a private limited company. This has numerous advantages and it will assist in helping your company rise at a quicker pace. The registration process is simple and only takes up to a day to complete.

Finally, Gather Your Arsenal

Last but not least, it’s time to gather your arsenal. This is a step that will rely heavily on the service or product you are planning to sell and is not as simple as it seems. There are a few infrastructural things need to be sorted in order to ensure the diligent sale and delivery of items and services to your customers. Choosing the correct infrastructure will reduce your workload and benefit your business by leaps and miles.

So, what are some of the infrastructures that you need?

Website Development

You will need to ensure that along with your reliable web host, you have a great domain name, and proper design and development for your website. Your website is essentially your online space, and you want it to look as good as a physical store would.

Marketing/Advertising

The best way to ensure you get as much traffic to your website as possible is to create consistent, quality content and dip your toes in online marketing and social media advertising. Starting Instagram, Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter pages are also a fantastic, cost-free way of marketing your products and services. People can also leave you reviews on these platforms, ensuring that everyone knows how great your products and services are.

Bookkeeping

Lastly, bookkeeping. Finances need to be handled with a great deal of care, and can be managed on your own or by hiring a professional, which is what we would advise doing. Even when hiring a professional, always remember to play it safe and still check the finances yourself make sure they all balance out at the end of the day. Keeping on the ball ensures no disasters occur in the future.

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We hope that this article has been useful in educating you about the steps you need to take when starting up an online business in Singapore.

Opening a Business in Cyprus

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Nowadays, opening a business in Cyprus seems to be more appealing to several people. Yes, of course, the reasons are quite obvious. Firstly, Cyprus gives you a warmer Mediterranean climate. We can a slow-paced lifestyle here. And finally, the country reports a low crime rates. Above all, the world language “English” is known to almost everyone there. Undoubtedly, Cyprus is a hot spot for conducting businesses abroad. To open a business in Cyprus, you must learn how to get Cyprus passport as the first step. Then, read the following article to know about the essentials here…

Conduct Extensive Research:

So, you know how to get a passport to Cyprus. Now, what? You must conduct an extensive research about the place, its history, culture, demographics, and business settings. In this line, as Cyprus has become a part of the European Union, all the EU citizens are free to open a business or carry out a self-employment here. As such, these people don’t require a local partner or a minimum investment to start a business here. So, if you are an EU citizen from another country, you are good to go! However, I would ask you to make sure about the business regulations before stepping foot.

Select a Name and Register:

As a first step, you will have to select a proper, as well as distinctive name, which you can check at the “Registrar of Companies”. Then, you must submit it to the “Registrar” for approval. After you have been granted the name, the articles of association must be prepared. Then, your incorporation process will continue with your submission of the registration files. These would include the following essential things:

  • Articles of Association
  • Appointment statements for the secretary and the director
  • Registered office
  • Lawyer statement

If the registration is successful, you would receive the following certificates:

  • Incorporation
  • Shareholder
  • Directors/Secretary
  • Registered Office

Once this process is over, you will receive a unique tax number along with a VAT. Remember, opening a business in Cyprus is said to be one of the easiest as the entire process is quick. The whole process will not take more than ten days. After the successful registration, one must also register his/her business for social contribution at the country’s labor ministry.

Cyprus Business Ideas:

It’s been observed that most businesses that are started by foreigners in the country are associated with catering and leisure activities. The next common businesses include property development and related investments. Overall, the interests of the foreign businessmen lie in the areas of:

  • Bed & breakfast
  • Villa
  • Apartment
  • Cottage
  • Bars
  • Café
  • Restaurant
  • Shop
  • Property agency
  • Translation Bureau
  • Language school
  • Watersports
  • Tennis
  • Golf

No matter what type of business you set up, you must first establish the required infrastructure, which includes the bank accounts, lawyer, and an accountant. This way, you can make sure that you are heading towards the success in your new business.