Category: Business Matters

Although your freight forwarder in Singapore will handle most of the negotiation and documentation throughout the transportation of your cargo, you need to know the documents and payments needed in the process. This will not only help you select the best freight forwarding company in the country, but it will also give you an idea how to simplify the process for both local freight and international freight, how much you will need to pay for the shipping, and the general trading practices in the international market.

General Rate Increase

Sometimes written as general rate restoration, the general rate increase refers to average cost of base rates plus the carrier’s tariff rates. In simpler terms, the GRI is the amount charged by a carrier, for example an airline or an ocean carrier, after increasing their base rate because of a high demand in the market. In a stable market, the GRI is usually applied annually or semi-annually, but the shipping demand can fluctuate within that year.

The changes in the GRI can still be applied to your cargo regardless of the date of the booking, because the price will still consider the date of the loading of the cargo. However, if you don’t want to be surprised by surcharge periods on your bill, your freight forwarding company in Singapore should warn you about the changes ahead.

Inland Delivery Charges

Not all cargo will be delivered by the same mode regardless if it’s for local freight or international freight. Sometimes intermodal cargo is arranged by the logistics company or the shipping company under contract with your freight forwarder to find the easiest and fastest route available. Some cargo cannot be transported port-to-port through ocean or sea freight, but they also might go through land-to-port and vice versa. Logistics company in Singapore like freightmaster forwarding services can provide means of transport of your goods, whether local or overseas delivery.

You should be specific when asking for the type of delivery you want for your cargo, because this will also affect your bill. Inland delivery charges for example isn’t just a port-to-port (or land-to-port or vice versa) but also includes a door-to-door transportation of goods. If you don’t include the inland delivery option even if you do need it, it will mean that you will have to look for a logistics services company to complete the delivery, because the freight forwarding process only covers the port-to-port delivery.

Customs Clearance

A lot of people forget that it’s important to anticipate additional fees to include customs duties, customs clearance, and other requirements. Even slight changes in the initial information about the goods transported can affect the original quoted price given to you, because customs duties will charge you for improper classification and other minor problems in the documents given to them.

Cargo Insurance

In case of lost or damaged cargo, you need to make sure that you have an insurance from both the logistics company responsible for the actual transportation of goods and from the freight forwarding services company in Singapore who will be acting on your behalf. Cargo insurance should be written in your shipping proposal or your final quotation as well as the coverage of the insurance. If possible, look for a freight forwarder who is willing to cover the insurance of the cargo from origin door or port to destination door or port.

Demurrage

There might be instance when the delivery of your cargo might be delayed due to natural causes such as weather disturbances or because of minor problems either on the part of the logistics company or the freight forwarding company. If the cargo stays too long at its destination port, you will be charged for extra fees.

To avoid demurrage, you should be aware about the allowed time for keeping cargo at the ports (this can vary in most countries) and anticipating how long the cargo will get to its destination. Making this simple mistake can cost you a lot of money, but a good freight forwarding services company should be able to help you avoid this problem.

Pallet Fee

The pallet refers to the foundation of a unit of load of cargo for handling and storage. The container is placed on a pallet and secured before it is transported through ocean or sea freight or air freight. Entrepreneurs are advised to provide their own pallets or to look for a freight forwarder in Singapore that can provide you with the pallets to save money in case the cargo is lost. You might be charged with additional pallet fees if the shipping company owns the pallets and the cargo was lost.

Courier Fees

Sometimes the freight forwarder forgets to include the courier fees in your shipment proposal or quotation, but you should look for this item especially if the freight forwarding services has yet to look for a shipping company or a logistics services or carrier. The courier is the party responsible for the transportation of the goods, as well as the arrangement of the types of transportation to deliver the goods.

The freight forwarder will be the party responsible for negotiating with the courier and how best to transport the goods in the shortest possible time, whether through land freight, ocean or sea freight, air freight, or a combination of any of the three.

Overweight Containers

When talking to your freight forwarder, you should ask about the maximum load amount of the chosen carrier. A full container load or full trailer load for example has generally lower rates than break bulk or loose cargo. You might also be charged additionally with the container management fee to cover the operational cost of container turn time.

China VAT

If your cargo passes through China or is destined for China, you should expect to see a value added tax in your bill. The freight forwarder is charged directly by the carrier or the shipping company, and the freight forwarding company in turn will charge you for the additional cost. If you fail to pay the recommended VAT, you might end up paying an additional 6% of the tax in your final bill.

The process of purchasing the right CRM software for your Singapore business is time-consuming and requires thoughtful decision. It’s a meticulous process, like you’re shopping for a new home for your future family.

On one hand, you’re thinking whether you need a bigger space. You look around for options that offer more rooms, but you also got to consider that more space means bigger price. Do you really need that much space? Do you think you’ll grow enough to warrant the extra spaces, or you can do away with less? In the next five years, will you outgrow it and have to face the whole process again?

Many CRMs today try to do so many things. But what really defines a good CRM software? Is it the automation abilities, contact management or interoperability with other applications? It really depends on the user—you. It could be one or all of those features that make a customer relationship management tool effective.

However, having a few more helpful features on the table won’t hurt. Here we list some of the basic, yet extremely helpful integrations your crm software in Singapore should have.

1. Accounting

If you are using your CRM more than just a contact management app, chances are you want to integrate it with the accounting software you are using, too. Doing so will allow you to create sales quotations, invoicing, order forms and expense claims without having to switch screens. You are also able to store all your documents in the cloud CRM for easier access.

2. Business Intelligence

Your CRM system houses a lot of information, files and other important data, and you want a way to centralize all of them. While some customer relationship management tools have built-in reports, dashboards and analytics, your business may need a more advanced and dedicated platform. Centralize your data, track lead activities, customize sales reports and create sales forecasts with third-party analytics app. If not familiar with it, bring it up and discuss it with your CRM provider.

3. Social Media Integration

You will need your CRM for your social media marketing and services. Make sure that your CRM system is connected to your company’s social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter LinkedIn, Pinterest, you name it. But at the very least, your CRM should integrate the most used social networks that can help market your products, like Twitter and Facebook—which can provide real-time notifications and has the ability to post products and marketing ads from your CRM system.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the best examples and most used form of digital marketing. While there are so many areas to dedicate your digital marketing budget—online advertisements, content generation, search engine optimization—direct email marketing puts the relevant product and information right in front of the lead. With the right marketing solution, you can track responses, personalize your approach and get the most qualified leads for your sales team.

5. Computer Telephony

If your company typically spends a lot of time and generates sales through phone calls, you will find computer telephony highly useful. There are CRMs that allow one-click calls with the use of VoIP from within your CRM system. The call button is available wherever the contact info is viewed from the platform, eliminating the need to switch windows or dial the numbers manually. Just ensure to clarify with your provider whether your package allows for unlimited calls or charges you with per-minute rate.

6. Automated Calendar

Most CRMs available for Singapore businesses allow sales management, appointment scheduling, event management and task management, which all benefit from an automated calendar. Having to choose between employees’ personal calendar app and the business’ CRM system is frustrating to users, all the more having to update and maintain two different applications. Many CRMs available today integrate popular calendar apps like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook Calendar, so you and your staff can easily track upcoming business schedules.

7. Mobile Integration

Making sure that CRM features are available on mobile is essential for an efficient workforce. If your sales reps use their mobile phones to update lead information, have them download and install your business’ CRM’s mobile application for synchronized data access anytime, anywhere.

8. Analytics

Storing data in cloud CRM is the highlight of most CRMs, but you need to look beyond storage to ensure optimum functionality of the system. Centralized storage is great, but not enough; understanding the stored data and what they signify holds more importance. Your CRM software should integrate decision-making analytics and be able to present data in a way that’s easy to identify patterns, leading to better decision-making.

9. E-Commerce

A company with an online store can benefit from www.crystaldash.com in Singapore by expanding their marketing strategies to online customers and incorporating the online store’s performance data into the CRM system’s generated sales reports. This integration helps retailers to anticipate demand, minimize data loss and divide consumers by channel.

10. Mapping of Business Processes

Your customer relationship management tool should reflect your business processes. Each enterprise has its own business processes and your CRM should be flexible enough to cover your entire business processes. It should be able to secure that each stage of the process has the necessary data to proceed to the next step and that the process is executed on time. So, before deciding on a CRM software, make sure that it can assist the way your operations work and be able to help increase your efficiency and productivity.

These integrations are the most basic that any CRM system should have, regardless of the type of business you have. The right CRM features should be able to bring your company together and increase creative focus for better profitable opportunities.

Aside from distinguishing your business from others, there are several reasons why trademark registration is important for your company to grow. A registered mark can be viewed as another way to refer to specific brands. That said, you are basically dealing with an organization’s identity whenever you deal with trademarks in Singapore – which happens more often than you think.

Intellectual property is also covered by local statutes and laws. As a business owner, you are obliged to abide by the laws if you don’t want to get in legal trouble in the long run. Think of it as hitting two birds with the same stone: you’re not only saving yourself from paying expensive Singapore court ruling fees but legally registering your trademark is also one way to protect your brand.

Influence

Most consumers’ purchasing habits and decisions are influenced by brands, trademarks, and the reputation these brands uphold. Hence, it is only fitting to view trademark in Singapore as an important asset to help propagate one’s business. It’s not enough to just register trademark. You must help cultivate the organization’s name and reputation so consumers can trust your brand in the long run.

In a world where competition exists wherever you go, it is encouraged to establish why people must come to you for their needs. It’s one wise rule if you want your company to thrive in the cutthroat business world.

Communication tool

Your brand/logo can tell a lot about your organization at one glance. Trademarks convey emotional and intellectual attributes regarding your business, as well as the products and services that you offer. Before you register TM, therefore, ensure that your trademark isn’t only effective in persuading consumers but also keeps your company’s professional reputation.

It’s not only limited to words. You can also choose to go by designs, which is far more notable because it goes beyond language or alphabet system. The iconic check/’swoosh’ design of Nike, for one, is easily recognized around the globe even with people from Thailand, Japan, and Germany.

Uniqueness

Then again, you should always consider the other competitors in the market. For people to recognize your brand, you must go with a logo which stands out from the rest. Go with a trademark that is easy to remember, intriguing and/or catchy. Doing so is effective in gaining people’s interest than having a logo that is complicated, difficult to understand, and doesn’t describe your brand at all.

Consumers would always go for something they feel like they could trust. Your trademark must be effective enough in inviting people to put their trust in your business and the services/products you offer.

Protection

Trademark registration enables you to show your legal ownership over your product/brand to the public. That said, having a registered trademark gives you the right to use it as you deem fit without having to worry about legal repercussions. For instance, you can use it on the products your business offers to prove that the product belongs to you. That means: you have every right to use, sell, or modify the product in whichever way you want.

In so doing, you are also allowed to stop anyone else from using the trademark. If another company applies with the same name/logo as yours, you legally have the right to stop them from doing so (if you registered your trademark in the first place, that is).

Value

It is important to register trademark with www.brandmark.sg in Singapore because it can become valuable over time. There is a positive correlation between your trademark’s value and the growth of your business. As your business grows, the value of your registered trademark also goes up at the same time.

Therefore, you have more reasons to celebrate if business is doing great. You also have more reasons to strive harder each day and aim for the best. Give yourself a pat in the back when it’s due, because you deserve it!

Promotes business growth

At some point in your business’ development and success, you might want to consider expanding on other ventures. For instance, if your shop offers cakes and patisseries, you may want to jump in the coffee business as well. If your shop remains unknown to consumers, there is a likely chance this new endeavor might lead to failure.

However, if your shop is known and has a solid and good reputation among loyal customers, consumers can easily trust your brand without any second thought. They will easily trust the brand and their services regardless of what field the business is planning to expand in.

Social media following

We now live in the digital era. Most people would hop on Google and search for the available establishments nearby. If your business has a registered trademark, you can effectively use it as a marketing tool on the Internet and various Social media platforms. This can help gain more potential customers who are looking for your products and services.

The good news is, putting up your brand on the front page of a search page or a social media platform is something you can achieve through the popularity of your trademark. Higher traffic can yield higher rankings, which likely translates to more customers and more positive brand recognition.

Trademark registration is truly crucial in any business. The corporate world is of cutthroat nature, so you will be left vulnerable to lawsuits and other legal issues if you don’t get your brand registered. If you want your company to thrive and flourish in the long run, it is encouraged to have your trademark registered as early as possible. Think of it as a worthwhile investment as well – because your business will surely reap its fruits over time.