Originally posted by HyperFocal:
... if victory over trivial banter is what you seek, I give it to you... you win! ;P
... as for whch ship is sinking, I've reserved the last laugh...
a joke is never funny if you have no one to share with
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
Perhap, Temasek and GIC would like to announce their investment amount, where they invest, how much was made/loss. They can keep their strategies. Futhermore, it is of even more public interest than HyperFocal private business practice.
Even the former president did not get that info.
HyperFocal is fiction, Temasek and GIC is not. :P
Originally posted by TCH05:
HyperFocal is fiction, Temasek and GIC is not. :P
So be it. let HyperFocal bullshi t all he wants. lets have facts than fiction.
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
So be it. let HyperFocal bullshi t all he wants. lets have facts than fiction.
Temasek or GIC recently invested in some finnish and italian shopping mall I think. I wonder how come they are not afraid that others will copy their business strategy.
Originally posted by TCH05:
Are you still in school?
Yes, and I'm starting an online business at the same time. Do more research and you can also find my name on the Dean's List at NUS. I've been doing my research on the net for starting the business, and in the end, my information have to come from asking people and calling up companies. If I had the information much easier, I would not have to spend so much time to find a source.
Originally posted by eagle:Yes, and I'm starting an online business at the same time. Do more research and you can also find my name on the Dean's List at NUS. I've been doing my research on the net for starting the business, and in the end, my information have to come from asking people and calling up companies. If I had the information much easier, I would not have to spend so much time to find a source.
There are loads of information on the internet but not all are reliable, hence it is always better to cross reference with phone calls, financial reports, business jounal, research papers from analyst etc.
If you are starting a totally new business, you might want to pay some attention to the entry barrier, ie. how to prevent others from duplicating your business when it comes on stream. If is not a new business, you must try not to reinvent the wheel.
Originally posted by TCH05:
There are loads of information on the internet but not all are reliable, hence it is always better to cross reference with phone calls, financial reports, business jounal, research papers from analyst etc.
If you are starting a totally new business, you might want to pay some attention to the entry barrier, ie. how to prevent others from duplicating your business when it comes on stream. If is not a new business, you must try not to reinvent the wheel.
which still means: information is power. The power does not diminish even though the internet is so prevalent in our society.
I'm copying a few business models and strategies, modifying, and putting it up.
But it's not easy, having to juggle studies, projects and social life at the same time. This is what I pride myself in, doing many things at the same time without comprising a lot on quality, something which I'm very sure most foreign students can't do.
Originally posted by eagle:which still means: information is power. The power does not diminish even though the internet is so prevalent in our society.
I'm copying a few business models and strategies, modifying, and putting it up.
But it's not easy, having to juggle studies, projects and social life at the same time. This is what I pride myself in, doing many things at the same time without comprising a lot on quality, something which I'm very sure most foreign students can't do.
how can that still be power when informations are so easily available? Didnt you just said that you copied some business models, make some phone calls etc? What is stopping others to do the same if they are interested to do what you are doing?
To a newbie, some information might be new and ground breaking, to other who have been in the industry for years, it might considered as yesteryear story.
I think it too prematured to say if the information you have is power unless you have tested your business in the market.
Originally posted by TCH05:
how can that still be power when informations are so easily available? Didnt you just said that you copied some business models, make some phone calls etc? What is stopping others to do the same if they are interested to do what you are do?
To a newbie, some information might be new and ground breaking, to other who have been in the industry for years, it might considered as yesteryear story.
I think it too prematured to say if the information you have is power unless you have tested your business in the market.
Seems like you have grossly misunderstood the phrase of information is power. Ease of availibility of information merely means ease of obtaining the power. Either that or you have a warped understanding of the term information.
Certain other information I will need will be doing some market surveys, of which the questions I'm crafting at the moment. Do you think such information is as widely available? I can get survey answers easily from the net (ease of availibilty), yet the analysis of the data that I want to do, how could others know what I want without much deeper analysis on their part? The power would be the analysis I have done by myself.
Of course, others can repeat too. But if you don't do it, you don't get the information, and thus, you don't have the power. The question will be, will they do the same thing or want to do the same thing to obtain that information? It is just like the theory of gravity; everyone have the piece of information that things will fall, but no one bothers to make use of that information to write out a theory before Newton came along. Similar concept, I would say.
Every single information, be it useful a not, I will still take and keep. An understanding that the particular information is not useful is still "power" to me. It is just like doing reconnaisance in the army; no news is also news.
Originally posted by eagle:Seems like you have grossly misunderstood the phrase of information is power. Ease of availibility of information merely means ease of obtaining the power. Either that or you have a warped understanding of the term information.
Certain other information I will need will be doing some market surveys, of which the questions I'm crafting at the moment. Do you think such information is as widely available? I can get survey answers easily from the net (ease of availibilty), yet the analysis of the data that I want to do, how could others know what I want without much deeper analysis on their part? The power would be the analysis I have done by myself.
Of course, others can repeat too. But if you don't do it, you don't get the information, and thus, you don't have the power. The question will be, will they do the same thing or want to do the same thing to obtain that information? It is just like the theory of gravity; everyone have the piece of information that things will fall, but no one bothers to make use of that information to write out a theory before Newton came along. Similar concept, I would say.
Every single information, be it useful a not, I will still take and keep. An understanding that the particular information is not useful is still "power" to me. It is just like doing reconnaisance in the army; no news is also news.
like I have said, information can only be POWER if it is being put to the TEST.
ie., You dont run a 1 man race and call yourself a winner.
Originally posted by eagle:Seems like you have grossly misunderstood the phrase of information is power. Ease of availibility of information merely means ease of obtaining the power. Either that or you have a warped understanding of the term information.
Certain other information I will need will be doing some market surveys, of which the questions I'm crafting at the moment. Do you think such information is as widely available? I can get survey answers easily from the net (ease of availibilty), yet the analysis of the data that I want to do, how could others know what I want without much deeper analysis on their part? The power would be the analysis I have done by myself.
Of course, others can repeat too. But if you don't do it, you don't get the information, and thus, you don't have the power. The question will be, will they do the same thing or want to do the same thing to obtain that information? It is just like the theory of gravity; everyone have the piece of information that things will fall, but no one bothers to make use of that information to write out a theory before Newton came along. Similar concept, I would say.
Every single information, be it useful a not, I will still take and keep. An understanding that the particular information is not useful is still "power" to me. It is just like doing reconnaisance in the army; no news is also news.
i got another few ideas that i can bounce them off you, see if u find them feasible or not. msn me.
Originally posted by TCH05:
like I have said, information can only be POWER if it is being put to the TEST.
ie., You dont run a 1 man race and call yourself a winner.
You can continue in your own warped beliefs if you like. Information are not things which you put to test; they are things in which you gather, just like any assets that you gather. It is power only if you use it. There's no need for me to continue correcting you and I hope you succeed with your beliefs. Sharing too much sometimes will only let more people ride over, something I'm not prepared to do with strangers.
Originally posted by eagle:You can continue in your own warped beliefs if you like. Information are not things which you put to test; they are things in which you gather, just like any assets that you gather. It is power only if you use it. There's no need for me to continue correcting you and I hope you succeed with your beliefs. Sharing too much sometimes will only let more people ride over, something I'm not prepared to do with strangers.
I hope you will be successful one day, just remember not to reinvent the wheel and thinking that because you are who you are, thats why people need to do business with you.
Originally posted by TCH05:
I hope you will be successful one day, just remember not to reinvent the wheel and thinking that because you are who you are, thats why people need to do business with you.
Seeing your this posts, I can still see that your mind is still in a confused state, and you have no idea on what is meant by innovation. Even for the wheel, technological advances have been made; if everyone thinks like you, the world will have no progress.
Originally posted by eagle:Seeing your this posts, I can still see that your mind is still in a confused state, and you have no idea on what is meant by innovation. Even for the wheel, technological advances have been made; if everyone thinks like you, the world will have no progress.
When I ask TS about where he shift his business, you argue that it is a PERSONAL question and claim that by telling me he will be exposing his BUSINESS "STRATEGY".
I asked you, supposed if he said Vietnam, what sort of business strategy will you have gathered from just the name of a country.
I then tell you that we no longer live in the age where "information is power" because information (like the one I am asking the TS) are easily available in the internet.
You then talk about gathering and copying business model to help your start up business and I ask you, if you can copy those information so freely, what makes you think that others wont be able to do the same if they are interested in your business. and will that make you more powerful than others?
And now you are shifting this discussion to talk about technological innovations, which eventually will lead you to talk about IP protection and copyright laws etc.
Dont you think that is too far off from a simple question like asking where is he shifting his business to?
Since you say information is so widely available on the net, do you need me to post out the questions I'm trying to find out the answers to for you to show me the websites and sources in which you can get good information? Yes, information is widely available on the net, but not all are.
Copying information is not the same as knowing how to use them. Copying information partially is also not useful enough. In which part of this common sense statement do you not understand?
Finally, your argument that "information is power" because information is easily available in the internet does not hold at all. The internet is merely one source of information; there are too many sources in which you have to dig out. Obviously, you have not done reports, analysis or surveys in this internet age. If you think the information widely available makes the phrase "information is power" redundant, you need to go back to school again to understand that it is not.
And suppose you know what Hyperfocal is doing for his business (and there are definitely people who will know), he telling you publicly the answer is tantamount to telling his competitiors what his business strategy is. In that sense, you are indirectly asking him to expose his strategy. In which part of this paragraph do you not understand at all?
The thing is, you cannot comprehend simple common sense, which is why we will keep on being off track.
Originally posted by eagle:Since you say information is so widely available on the net, do you need me to post out the questions I'm trying to find out the answers to for you to show me the websites and sources in which you can get good information? Yes, information is widely available on the net, but not all are.
Copying information is not the same as knowing how to use them. Copying information partially is also not useful enough. In which part of this common sense statement do you not understand?
Finally, your argument that "information is power" because information is easily available in the internet does not hold at all. The internet is merely one source of information; there are too many sources in which you have to dig out. Obviously, you have not done reports, analysis or surveys in this internet age. If you think the information widely available makes the phrase "information is power" redundant, you need to go back to school again to understand that it is not.
And suppose you know what Hyperfocal is doing for his business (and there are definitely people who will know), he telling you publicly the answer is tantamount to telling his competitiors what his business strategy is. In that sense, you are indirectly asking him to expose his strategy. In which part of this paragraph do you not understand at all?
The thing is, you cannot comprehend simple common sense, which is why we will keep on being off track.
Yes, you should post those questions here
So what would you have gathered if TS said he is shifting his business to Vietnam. Business strategy?
And if he is running a highly confidential business, why do you think he will be talking about it here in this forum?
It seems to me that you are just making up stories along to way just to defend your claims.
Originally posted by TCH05:
Yes, you should post those questions here
So what would you have gathered if TS said he is shifting his business to Vietnam. Business strategy?
And if he is running a highly confidential business, why do you think he will be talking about it here in this forum?
It seems to me that you are just making up stories along to way just to defend your claims.
I just post you one small simple area:
with regards to the store by Spa Treasures, where do you think they sourced their products from? And in addition, why is it that their products are not HSA notified at all even though they have to since they are catering to the local market? => Find the answers on the internet please.
Btw, have TS tell you exactly what business he is doing? Talking about doing business is different from telling you what he did. Think, suppose he is doing on telecoms, moving to Vietnam could be a move to break into the growing market and economy there. It could be that some private research he conducted has showed promising results, and as a competitor, I will definitely look into what he is doing to see if doing the same thing can reap more benefits. In addition, knowing it earlier, I could even pre-empt him if my research is done quick enough and I act quicker.
Originally posted by eagle:I just post you one small simple area:
with regards to the store by Spa Treasures, where do you think they sourced their products from? And in addition, why is it that their products are not HSA notified at all even though they have to since they are catering to the local market? => Find the answers on the internet please.
Btw, have TS tell you exactly what business he is doing? Talking about doing business is different from telling you what he did. Think, suppose he is doing on telecoms, moving to Vietnam could be a move to break into the growing market and economy there. It could be that some private research he conducted has showed promising results, and as a competitor, I will definitely look into what he is doing to see if doing the same thing can reap more benefits. In addition, knowing it earlier, I could even pre-empt him if my research is done quick enough and I act quicker.
Spa Treasures is a web based e-com company that has is a "virtual" (shared) office at Maxwell Road. This is locally registered company and probably a one-man show business that is own by a lady call Miss Laetitia and her number is 97845134. and their products they are coming from Isreal.
If you want to find out if setting an online web based company dealing with cosmetic requires HSA approval, you can always write to
Cosmetics Control Unit.
Centre for Drug Administration.
Health Products Regulation Group.
Health Sciences Authority
11 Biopolis Way
#11-03 Helios
Singapore 138667
Tel: 65 6866 3474
Fax: 65 6478 9754
Email: [email protected]
It is funny that you ask me if TS has mentioned anything about what kind of business he is running, when I already told you that I am not even interested to know because it is irrelevant to the purpose of asking those 2 simple questions.
Telecom? These are utility businesses regulated by the government. If there is a licenses for grab, you can rest assure that it will be awarded by public tender and not first come first serve basis.
Talk about doing business, i think you still have alot to learn.
... the casualties begins now...
OCBC's Q4 net profit down 16% to $428m
Posted: 21 February 2008 1545 hrs
SINGAPORE - Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) said Thursday its fourth quarter net profit fell 16 percent from a year ago in the absence of one-time gains and higher expenses offsetting strong revenues.
Net profit was S$428 million compared with S$510 million a year ago when it was bloated by divestment gains. Revenue totalled S$1.08 billion, up 19 percent from the same period last year, the bank said in a statement.
Net interest income - difference between the interest earned and interest paid on deposits and other liabilities - climbed 25 percent from the year before and 9.0 percent from the previous three months as loans expanded.
Non-interest income, including earnings from fees and commissions, was up 12 percent from the same quarter last year.
Expenses during the quarter jumped 42 percent to S$485 million as the bank raised salaries and gave out incentives.
For the full year, net profit rose 3.0 percent to S$2.07 billion on revenue of S$4.12 billion, up an annual 29 percent, on higher income from interest and fees.
OCBC's loan book rose 19 percent, boosted by growth in business loans in Singapore, Malaysia and other overseas markets.
Expenses for the financial year rose 26 percent to S$1.68 billion, about 41 percent of which was associated with overseas business expansion in China and Indonesia.
For the full year, OCBC said it made allowances of S$226 million for investments in collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) with some exposure to risky US mortgages.
Bank chief executive David Conner was cautious about prospects for 2008. "Given the ongoing concerns over the effects of the US sub-prime crisis and a possible US recession, the economic outlook for 2008 is uncertain," he said.
"We will nevertheless continue to work hard to deliver growth by expanding
our customer franchise throughout the region." - AFP/ir
--------
Originally posted by eagle:Their products come from Israel, but do they come from a importer in Singapore or do they import it themselves. You might as well say that Kose products sold in Venus or Sasa are products that come from Japan. Yet did these shops sourced it from Japan? That is the main question, what is the source, or rather, supplier. There is no way they will tell you on It is just like for the product of SKII, both counters, HDB shops, Sasa etc, all got from only 1 importer. None imported such products specially from overseas. Importer information is pasted on the products, and such information can only be found when you take the products from them. Again, shops like Onlineshopping.com.sg sell products like clinique. Where do they get them from?
Again, my outside research also tells me that Clarins product comes from KNKK Enterprises. Yet when I tried searching on the net, there's no company information in which I can get their contact information or telephone number.
I have emailed HSA yesterday, and they have told me before that it is necessary to do so. Yet Spa Treasures do not do it. Why? Is Spa Treasures doing an illegal thing by not notifying HSA about the products they are bringing in? Or are they merely taking the products from a local supplier such that there is no necessity to notify? If so, who is the supplier? These are information not easily released. Yet it is these information that are required so that you can start a competing business. The information required is not as simple and easily available as those you made out or searched. Each information that is digged out requires even more information for it to be well used, and these are extra information you can hardly get from the net. The concept to earning from retail is simple: you buy things cheaper and you sell them more expensive. The information required is, where are you going to get the things cheaper. These are all required things before even embarking on marketting. You can't market your products when you don't have products!
Again, using Spa Treasures as an example, do you have any idea how much their original products are? And how much they could possibly earn from each sale or purchase? Are you very sure that you can get them off the net just like this? This is again important information which will help one plan the viablity of such a business. Of course, I have already sourced such information, and of course, not by google or any search engine at all.
Then again, even if you do find the contact of the supplier, how would you know if they will definitely supply to you to retail? This is just like for Usante at Vivocity, their products came from a trading company (supplier) which is owned by them. Do you think their supplier will supply you products for retail such that you compete with them?
In addition, the telecoms part is just an example. The circumstances I have stated applies for any other businesses for that matters. Are you that silly to think only in terms of one market?
Lastly, I didn't say I do not need to learn more things about business. However, I'm taking the first step towards learning and doing it just near to graduation. I'm still in the process of doing major data collection. So did you ever try?
If you or anyone have more ideas, feel free to speak up or continue on pm. Whatever comments you give, be it good or bad, will also be taken note of.
You are so concern about TS disclosing the NAME of the country where he does his business, while you are sharing with us all the details of your research on the comsmetic industry.
I am not sure what is your motive behind all these. To prove you have more power than others?
fairy tale? omg it AINT TRUE!?
Originally posted by HyperFocal:... the casualties begins now...
OCBC's Q4 net profit down 16% to $428m
Posted: 21 February 2008 1545 hrs
SINGAPORE - Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) said Thursday its fourth quarter net profit fell 16 percent from a year ago in the absence of one-time gains and higher expenses offsetting strong revenues.
Net profit was S$428 million compared with S$510 million a year ago when it was bloated by divestment gains. Revenue totalled S$1.08 billion, up 19 percent from the same period last year, the bank said in a statement.
Net interest income - difference between the interest earned and interest paid on deposits and other liabilities - climbed 25 percent from the year before and 9.0 percent from the previous three months as loans expanded.
Non-interest income, including earnings from fees and commissions, was up 12 percent from the same quarter last year.
Expenses during the quarter jumped 42 percent to S$485 million as the bank raised salaries and gave out incentives.
For the full year, net profit rose 3.0 percent to S$2.07 billion on revenue of S$4.12 billion, up an annual 29 percent, on higher income from interest and fees.
OCBC's loan book rose 19 percent, boosted by growth in business loans in Singapore, Malaysia and other overseas markets.
Expenses for the financial year rose 26 percent to S$1.68 billion, about 41 percent of which was associated with overseas business expansion in China and Indonesia.
For the full year, OCBC said it made allowances of S$226 million for investments in collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) with some exposure to risky US mortgages.
Bank chief executive David Conner was cautious about prospects for 2008. "Given the ongoing concerns over the effects of the US sub-prime crisis and a possible US recession, the economic outlook for 2008 is uncertain," he said.
"We will nevertheless continue to work hard to deliver growth by expanding
our customer franchise throughout the region." - AFP/ir
OCBC profit for last quarter was up by $3m compared to last year if you exclude the extra ordinary gain from asset sale.
Originally posted by eagle:Their products come from Israel, but do they come from a importer in Singapore or do they import it themselves. You might as well say that Kose products sold in Venus or Sasa are products that come from Japan. Yet did these shops sourced it from Japan? That is the main question, what is the source, or rather, supplier. There is no way they will tell you on It is just like for the product of SKII, both counters, HDB shops, Sasa etc, all got from only 1 importer. None imported such products specially from overseas. Importer information is pasted on the products, and such information can only be found when you take the products from them. Again, shops like Onlineshopping.com.sg sell products like clinique. Where do they get them from?
Again, my outside research also tells me that Clarins product comes from KNKK Enterprises. Yet when I tried searching on the net, there's no company information in which I can get their contact information or telephone number.
I have emailed HSA yesterday, and they have told me before that it is necessary to do so. Yet Spa Treasures do not do it. Why? Is Spa Treasures doing an illegal thing by not notifying HSA about the products they are bringing in? Or are they merely taking the products from a local supplier such that there is no necessity to notify? If so, who is the supplier? These are information not easily released. Yet it is these information that are required so that you can start a competing business. The information required is not as simple and easily available as those you made out or searched. Each information that is digged out requires even more information for it to be well used, and these are extra information you can hardly get from the net. The concept to earning from retail is simple: you buy things cheaper and you sell them more expensive. The information required is, where are you going to get the things cheaper. These are all required things before even embarking on marketting. You can't market your products when you don't have products!
Again, using Spa Treasures as an example, do you have any idea how much their original products are? And how much they could possibly earn from each sale or purchase? Are you very sure that you can get them off the net just like this? This is again important information which will help one plan the viablity of such a business. Of course, I have already sourced such information, and of course, not by google or any search engine at all.
Then again, even if you do find the contact of the supplier, how would you know if they will definitely supply to you to retail? This is just like for Usante at Vivocity, their products came from a trading company (supplier) which is owned by them. Do you think their supplier will supply you products for retail such that you compete with them?
In addition, the telecoms part is just an example. The circumstances I have stated applies for any other businesses for that matters. Are you that silly to think only in terms of one market?
Lastly, I didn't say I do not need to learn more things about business. However, I'm taking the first step towards learning and doing it just near to graduation. I'm still in the process of doing major data collection. So did you ever try?
If you or anyone have more ideas, feel free to speak up or continue on pm. Whatever comments you give, be it good or bad, will also be taken note of.
you might want to stop revealing your plans online especially to TCH05 and other forumers. from all the posts that i read in this forums, he has been asking questions all the time without revealing his background nor his profession.
Rule #1 - trust no one. no matter how people will appear to be nice to advice and consult u, always think it thru' and never accept it as gospel truth. some have the intention to deceive and wreck you and your business.