Differences Between A Business Name And A Trading Name

Differences Between A Business Name And A Trading Name

Introduction

Choosing between a business name and a trading name can be a daunting task. If you’re new to doing business in Singapore, you’re probably wondering which is cheaper or more effective for your brand.

Well, it depends.  Both business names and trading names have benefits and drawbacks, so each is suited to specific scenarios, as we shall learn in this article.

What Is A Business Name?

A business name is your enterprise’s legal name. It’s the official designation of the entity or individual that owns the company. It’s also the name you’ll put on government forms and business paperwork.

A business’s legal name may differ depending on its business structure. If the business entity is registered as a sole proprietorship, you may use the owner’s full name, i.e. Alan Khoo & Co. However, you can also use creative names like 8Eight8 Advisory Services, and so on.

Under a general partnership, an amalgam of the partners’ last names in the business’s legal name is quite common in Singapore. Private limited and exempt private limited companies usually have the suffix “Private Limited” or “Pte Ltd” in their legal names during the name application.

Unlike the other business entities, most legal names for corporations and limited liability companies do not include the names of their shareholders (or members). However, some countries will require these companies to include the term “Corporation” or “LLC” in their legal name, like New Technologies LLC.

Choosing and registering a business name

Your name is one of the first things prospective clients or customers will notice about your organization. It connects your prospects to your products and services. A good business name may not be all that’s required to make your business profitable, but it is a critical first step in that direction.

All companies incorporated in Singapore must have their names approved by ACRA. The process is a relatively simple online procedure that takes less than an hour on the Bizfile portal, provided that the applicant follows all relevant rules and regulations.

The Bizfile service will check your chosen name against its database to ensure that it hasn’t been taken. If it doesn’t find any matches, it will let you move on to the next step in the registration process – choosing a suffix.

Your suffix denotes your business structure, for example, PTE means you’re registering a Private Limited company; LLP means it’s a Limited Liability Partnership, and so on. You will need to choose the option that best suits your enterprise.

Note: Your preferred business name may be referred to the separate government agency for verification if it contains regulated business designations like legal, finance, school, or broker. This may extend the approval process to a few weeks.

If you’re planning on registering a company in Singapore, Mighty Glory Corporate Solutions is here to help.  Besides checking and reserving a company name for you, we will prepare all other critical documents needed to register your business.

What Is A Trading Name?

If you prefer to operate under a different identification from your company’s legal name, you may use a trading name instead.

A trading name does not require additional legal phrases or words (like LLC, Corp, and so on). For instance, a business’ trading name is Pinehurst, but their legal business name is Pinehurst LLC. An enterprise may choose to have their business name and trading name be the same.

Trading names are seldom displayed together with the business legal names since they are the names that the public sees but legal names are still required to be printed on majority of the documents for statutory purposes. Usually, business owners use trading names instead of their legal business names to assist in product branding that may help in attracting more customers.

Another common reason that businesses use trading names if they’re part of larger companies. A corporation may own several different companies that are independently managed. The corporation is registered under a formal business name, each sub-company gets a unique trading name to set it apart from the others.

The rules for registering a trading name vary between different countries. Some will require separate fees and applications for each trade name that are registered. You might want to check with your jurisdiction for more information regarding the trade name registration.

There are no filing requirements for trading names in Singapore. However, the applicants are required to disclose the underlying business registered name and unique entity number.

Using A Business Name Vs. A Trading Name

In most cases, a business will have both a legal name and trading name.  The legal one, as described above, must appear on all government forms and legal documents. The trading name usually appears on signages and advertisements. Whether you choose to use a trading name instead of a legal name is up to the business owner or the board of directors. Using a trading name comes with both disadvantages and disadvantages, as described below.

Benefits of using a trade name

  • It can be inexpensive to register a trade name. (In fact, there are hardly any requirements for it in Singapore).
  • It may give your enterprise more credibility
  • It enables you to differentiate your products

Disadvantages of using a trading name

  • You won’t have the exclusive rights to the name if you don’t apply for a trademark.
  • Your trademark will only be recognized in the jurisdiction where you registered.

Choosing Between A Legal Business Name And A Trading Name

Choosing between business name or trading name is an important decision, as it will affect your company in several ways. If you’re considering using a trading name instead of your business name, there are several factors that you will need to consider.

Your customers

Adopting a trading name after starting a business for a few years could be a wise choice, but it will likely confuse your existing customers. Be ready to address questions about why you’re using trade names and clearly communicate that your business will remain the same despite the change in name.

Your reputation

As a business owner, you have probably put a lot of effort into building a strong, reputable brand. If your customers can no longer recognize your brand due to a name change, adopting a trading name could diminish any rapport you’ve established over the years. Consequently, you should carefully assess whether the benefits of taking on a trade name are worth the potential disadvantages.

The cost

Before you start trading under a different name, you’ll need to ensure you have the resources to have it displayed everywhere it needs to be. This might require getting new signage, stationery, and/or editing your website and social media pages to show your new name. These changes come aren’t free, and the costs could be high.

You’ll need to carefully evaluate if you can afford to invest the money and time required to implement these changes. If your business is struggling to cover bills and other expenses, it may be unwise to invest in name changes until your revenues are more stable.

Legal protection

Once you register a trade name, other companies won’t be able to use it. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s fully legally protected. To do that, you will need a trademark. It allows you to:

  • Prosecute anyone legally who uses your name without your consent
  • Use the trademark symbol
  • License and sell your name

Conclusion

Trading names and business names are suited to specific situations. If your company has several product lines, adopting trading names will help you differentiate your offerings in the eyes of your customers.  On the other hand, if you’re offering a single product/service and have already built a reputation, adopting a trading name may hurt your brand.

Why Outsourced Accounting Services in Singapore Are Worth to Consider?

Why Outsourced Accounting Services in Singapore Are Worth to Consider?

Many start-ups and small business owners in Singapore are outsourcing their accounting duties to other firms. It might seem counter-intuitive: Why would a small business entrust another firm with their finances? However, there is wisdom in this practice. Outsourced accounting services might seem like an unnecessary expense, but the costs of hiring and maintaining an in-house accountant are far more.

There are many benefits to outsourced accounting services, especially in Singapore. The expertise and professionalism that comes with accounting firms make them reliable and trustworthy. In this article, we shall look at some of the positive outcomes of outsourced accounting services in Singapore.

When to Consider Outsourcing Your Accounting Duties?

Small businesses need to consider outsourcing their accounting function before hiring an in-house accountant. Here are some of the scenarios when outsourced accounting services work best:

  • A small business that doesn’t need an in-house accountant.
  • A company fails to find a suitable accountant at an affordable cost.
  • A growing business with the need for accounting services to meet changing financial needs.
  • Temporary assistance due to manpower constraint, for example, when the staff in charge is away for personal reason.

Benefits of Outsourced Accounting Services

Outsourced accounting service providers exhibit professionalism and expertise in financial matters. They offer a wide range of services, including bookkeeping, daily administrative support, payroll-related, managing accounts payable and accounts receivable, filing income tax returns, ECI (or Estimated Chargeable Income), and preparing other reports for special reasons. On the other hand, hiring an in-house accountant can lead to less accuracy and maybe even losses when it comes to misinterpretation of any financial laws.

Here are some of the benefits of outsourcing accounting services in Singapore:

No Need to Hire Full-time Accountant

Small business enterprises may not need to hire a full-time accountant for their firm. They deal with a limited volume of work, which means they can do without a fully paid accountant. That is why hiring outsourcing accounting services is a more feasible approach. With outsourcing, a firm can review their finances and periodically plan for the future, while freeing up time to create new business strategies.

Cost Savings

Setting up a company in Singapore and maintaining it require a lot of work – not to mention that it is very costly. Outsourcing might seem like an expensive venture, but you’d be surprised to learn that outsourcing saves a lot of money in the long run. Outsourced accounting services reduce expenses, usually attributed to a full-time employee. It removes the need to pay the salaries, bonuses, pension or levies, and other benefits for an accountant. With outsourcing, you only pay for accounting services, nothing extra. You get better quality services for less money than it would take to hire and maintain a full-time employee. There is no loss in productivity that usually affects employees in a company.

Expertise

Outsourced accounting services provide the option of hiring professional accountants with high levels of expertise at an affordable price. Small businesses in Singapore can benefit from a team of highly qualified accountants who provide integrity and deliver work on time. Accounting services make sure to cope in a competitive market by continually improving their qualifications and skills. These are all readily available to companies should they choose to outsource their accountants. Moreover, external auditors do a better job of reducing errors in their work – considering that they may lose a contract if they mess up.

Accuracy

When it comes to outsourced accounting services, the margin of error reduces significantly. Accounting firms will usually utilize accounting automation software to save time. Using accounting software reduces the amount of time spent in preparing tax returns, tracking expenses, and producing financial reports. In addition to saving time, automation reduces the number of human errors. Using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) result in a high level of accuracy.

Scalability

When it comes to outsourced accounting services, one of the most significant benefits lies in the ease with which the business can expand without requiring any additional employees. Most accounting firms in Singapore can accommodate small to large corporate sizes when it comes to accounting services. If a business gets a sudden growth in its finances, there will be no requirement to hire extra accountants. The outsourced accounting service will step up to the job without any lags.

Conclusion

Taking accounting into your own hands may not be the most feasible option in the current Singapore’s economic climate. Businesses and start-ups are popping up all over the country, and starting up a business is no easy feat. Consider the following: registering a business, preparing all the documentations required under the Companies Act, getting licenses and permits, and registering for Goods and Services Tax (GST). These are time-consuming tasks that cannot be done by a single individual. That is why outsourced accounting services are so prevalent in Singapore today.

Connect with us today to get a suitable package under our accounting services for your business in Singapore.

Challenges that e-Commerce Brings to Retailers: 7 Tips on Navigating Change

Challenges that e-Commerce Brings to Retailers: 7 Tips on Navigating Change

Introduction

On 30 October 2020, one of Singapore’s biggest names in retail announced its closure. Robinsons will be closing its last two stores in Singapore: its flagship store at The Heeren, and its 85,000 sq ft department store in Raffles City Shopping Centre. Robinsons Singapore has long been a fixture in the city, being in operation for 162 years. More than a business, the well-loved brand has been a huge part of Singapore, creating traditions and evolving through the times with the society it serves. The announcement sent shockwaves around the city, but it was imminent for retail giant Robinsons, which has seen over six years of operational losses.

End of an Era

The first Robinsons store opened in 1858, functioning mainly as a grocery store. By 1957, it has established prominence and became renowned all through the Far East. The conglomerate also stood through unfortunate disasters – its Raffles Chambers store was bombed during World War II, and the store was razed by a massive fire in 1972, with nine people left dead in the blaze.

In the 2000s, the company started to expand and restructure. A new $30 million store opened in Raffles City and from 2006 to 2008, the company went through changes in ownership, with Indonesia’s Lippo Group, and the Al-Futtaim Group of Dubai holding stakes in the company. In 2013, the new flagship store at The Heeren was opened.

In a bid to boost its decreasing sales, Robinsons launched its e-commerce platform in 2016. However, the shrinking demand for retail renting and the shift of shopping preferences from brick-and-mortar stores to virtual continued to plague the company. The COVID-19 epidemic and its economic repercussions proved to be the nail in the coffin for Robinsons. The former shopping giant in Singapore is closing down.

Why is e-Commerce the Biggest Challenge for Traditional Retailers?

Although many were saddened by it, the closure of Robinsons did not come as a total surprise. Physical retailers from all over the world are closing down. Giant brands like Walmart, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, Forever 21, and Sears have all closed shops. The convenience and accessibility of online shopping have caused a massive shift in buying behaviours and a fast-dropping demand for brick-and-mortar shops, shopping malls, and department stores.

The changing retail landscape removed stores and physical outlets from the equation. eCommerce opened a new dimension in shopping, one that is preferred by most consumers today. Here are five major advantages of e-Commerce that are plaguing department store retailers:

1. Online platforms are cheaper

Setting up and maintaining an online store is a lot cheaper than a brick-and-mortar outlet. The costs of building a website and an online store are just a fraction of the costs of constructing, decorating, and putting together a brick-and-mortar shop. Overhead costs are also lowered as less staff are required to man an online shop, compared to a physical one. No rent, electricity, and water bills!

2. Sellers can set up their own shops

Anyone can easily set up their own online shop or hire an outsourcing firm in Singapore to build one for them. This convenience gives the sellers an option to go directly to their customers, thus effectively lowering costs and increasing profitability. The low barriers for new retailers to set up virtual stores further decreased the need for sellers to rent retail spaces in physical departmental stores.

3. Shopping is more convenient

Convenience and accessibility of online shopping tipped buyers and customers to favour the virtual stores. Multiple payment options give buyers the flexibility and ease of shopping. The remote and cashless transactions afforded by e-Commerce resolved many shopping problems during the pandemic with its lockdowns and travel restrictions.

4. Operations are streamlined

No more restocking of shelves, cash handling, keeping the store neat and tidy, price tagging, holiday staffing, and tiresome inventory monitoring. With e-Commerce, everything is automated, thus, operations are fast, simple, and efficient.

5. Round-the-clock operations and worldwide reach

As consumers flock online, shopping becomes something that can be done around the clock as there are no fixed operating hours for online stores. You continue selling while you and your staff are asleep, at a meeting, or on vacation. You are also maximising your reach as you can now sell to anyone around the world.

How can Retailers Overcome the Threats of e-Commerce?

The overwhelming edge that e-Commerce offers to consumers is proving to be a threat to retailers – one that has reduced many big names and retail brands to bankruptcy. As many welcomed the convenience and accessibility of shopping online, not all retailers are adaptive enough to accommodate the change. Thus, many of them are rapidly losing customers and losing the business.

Change is always a tumultuous stage. But, oftentimes, it is the only option we have if we are to survive the evolution and stay in business. Here are some tips that could help business organisations weather the threats of e-Commerce and the massive disruption it has brought to the business industry.

1. Embrace change

The best way to overcome the threat of e-Commerce is to embrace it. Recognise its advantages and apply them to your organisation. Launching an online store will significantly widen your client base, give your current customers more options, and increase revenue. Expand your reach and operations by establishing an online presence, on top of your brick-and-mortar stores.

Take advantage of government grants such as the Digital Resilience Bonus, where you can receive up to $10,000 for adopting digital solutions in accounting, HR/payroll, inventory management, data analytics, e-Commerce, e-Procurement, food ordering and delivery. Enterprise Singapore (ESG) also provides a 90% support on qualifying costs (capped at $9,000) for retailers looking to list their products for sale online via one of four e-Commerce platforms providers: Amazon, Shopee, Qoo10 and Lazada Singapore. For those unfamiliar with the grant applications, support can be found in SME Centres, or you can opt to work with a corporate service provider in Singapore with proven experience in helping businesses go digital effectively.

2. Highlight your brand

What makes your store or shop unique? What brings people in? Is it the family-friendly ambience of the store? The trendy and fashionable selection of goods? Is it the little extras in the services you offer? Remind people of why they love your store. Highlight your brand and provide the special shopping experience that only you can provide, whether it’s online or offline.

3. Improve your response time

Whether you add a virtual store to your mix or not, it is important to strengthen your customer engagement. e-Commerce has spoilt shoppers with the expectation of instant gratification. People are no longer willing to wait. Prioritise your customer service responsiveness, whether is it answering queries, addressing complaints, and delivering goods. Make sure you provide your customers with what they need, as soon as possible. Empower your customer service team by allocating more human resources to provide personalised support to your customers, while outsourcing administrative tasks such as by engaging accounting firms in Singapore to streamline other parts of your business operations.

Platform responsiveness is also important – Recapture your sales lost to slow or unresponsive webpages by doing regular checks on your site speed and optimising webpage loading times. Work with an outsourced web agency or business consultant who can help to accelerate your business digitalisation.

4. Study your competitors

In the changing business climate, take a closer look at how your competitors are doing. They are your best sources of information and guidance on how to navigate this crucial stage. For the old-timers that have retained their stature, what changes have they adopted? What practices have they retained? For the newcomers, what are they doing right? What is their edge? For those who failed – where did they fail? Learn from these lessons and make use of data and statistics to inform your business strategy and decisions.

5. Bank on customer loyalty

You can alienate loyal customers by changing or not changing at all. The key to securing their loyalty is to know your customers. Conducting a survey or doing interviews will give you a good idea of how they stand on accepting changes. Age, location, social standing, and income range of your target audience are just some of the factors to consider when deciding whether or not to make the change.

6. Invest in a secure platform

Online security is fundamental to any virtual store or website. Ensuring the security of your customers’ information is also a company compliance requirement in Singapore. People are aware and are just too afraid of scams, frauds, and other cybercrimes that are pervasive on the internet. If you are making the move to e-Commerce, make sure that you are building a secure environment for you and your customers, be it via ensuring personal data protection, or using trusted and secure payment gateways.

7. Innovate your marketing plan

The internet has evolved from a connectivity tool into a place where people socialise, communicate, work, and shop. Your current marketing strategy may no longer be the most efficient to reach your target market. Television viewing is on the decline, newspapers are all but phased out, and local radio stations are no longer the primary music source of the masses. Study where you can reach your customers at the present, reassess if your marketing strategies still apply, and make the necessary changes.

Conclusion

Need support to take on the challenges of the digital age for your business? We offer comprehensive business and accounting services in Singapore. Connect with us today to discuss more of your company compliance requirements in Singapore. We look forward to helping you identify your business needs and providing you with efficient and holistic solutions.

Government Grant: PSG for Laptops

Government Grant: PSG for Laptops

Update: The grant application had ended on 31 December 2020.

 

Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) includes Laptops for SMEs

The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) is a strategic program implemented by the government to simplify processes and enhance productivity and operational efficiencies of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Singapore. Under the Resilience Budget, the PSG was expanded to boost business transformation by addressing the needs of Singapore businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s new in PSG?

  1. The scope of pre-approved digital solutions was widened to include those which help in implementing Covid-19’s safety measures, such as online collaboration, virtual meetings, queue management, and temperature screening. Each eligible SME can receive support for up to 3 laptops bundled with online collaboration tools (such as Zoom and Microsoft Office 365) within each package. The 2 laptop-bundled remote working solutions, pre-approved by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG), are offered by M1 and Singtel.
  2. Government support increases from 70% to 80%
  3. Valid until 31 December 2020

Who are eligible for the PSG?

The business can apply for PSG if:

  1. It is registered and operating in Singapore.
  2. The purchase, lease or subscription of the IT solutions and equipment are to be used in Singapore.
  3. At least 30% of its shares are held by Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents (for selected solutions only).
  4. The company’s group annual sales turnover is not more than S$100 million, or the company’s group employment size is not more than 200.

Grant application will not be accepted if the business has:

  1. Made any payment to any party in relation to the purchase, lease or subscription of the IT solution or equipment.
  2. Signed any contract with any party in relation to the purchase, lease or subscription of the IT solution or equipment.

What are the laptop models and pre-approved solutions? Please complete this form and within 1 working day, we shall send you the current laptop model available as well as the latest list of other pre-approved solutions, which are regularly reviewed by the government bodies.

Check out the details on Singtel’s laptop packages while here are also the details for M1’s laptop bundles.

FAQ

1. What are the laptop brands?

Due to the lack of guaranteed supply, laptop brands cannot be promised. Subject to the stock availability, the brand and model are subjected to change without prior notice. However, the minimum laptop specifications required by IMDA are guaranteed.

2. Can I purchase the laptop first without PSG approval and apply for the grant later?

No, the PSG approval number Singtel and M1 will require a grant number upon purchase. Thus, any laptop purchased before the application is not valid for the grant.

3. Can the equipment or IT solution be used for the company’s subsidiary or related party?

No. the equipment or IT solution should only be used by the applicant entity and not by a related party.

4. How to apply for the PSG laptop grant?

We can provide you with a step-by-step guide. Whatsapp us and we shall send you within 1 working day.

5. What is the processing time for applications?

Applications are processed within 4 to 6 weeks from the submission of all required information.

6. What is the annual grant cap for PSG?

Each company supported by Enterprise Singapore, ESG is subjected to an annual grant cap of S$30,000 for the solutions pre-approved by ESG, starting on 1 April and ending on 31 March of the subsequent year.

7. What happens when the grant cap is fully utilised?

Companies that have fully utilised their grant caps will not be eligible for further support within the validity period. They may apply for new solutions in the next period when the grant caps are refreshed.

Above the other existing schemes, the company can also bear the out-of-pocket expenses (up to 90%) with the one-off S$10,000 credit, under the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit, SFEC.

SFEC scheme encourages employers to invest in enterprise transformation and the capabilities of their employees.

Seven Tips on Efficient Bookkeeping for SMEs in Singapore

Seven Tips on Efficient Bookkeeping for SMEs in Singapore

As you establish your business, you need to consider a lot of aspects – from doing extensive research on your target market, creating a positive work environment, managing your staff in keeping financial records. All these factors are essential in having a successful business venture.   

More importantly, you must understand that sound financial management is the key to sustaining any business. For it to be financially sound, you should implement a proper bookkeeping process. But how? Well, most organisations struggle to keep their own financial records. And when negligent financial reporting happens, they suffer. 

The absence of an excellent financial bookkeeping process may lead to low cash flow margins, significant financial problems, audit risks, and missed growth opportunities. As a business owner, what should you do if you are faced with these situations? Start by getting to the root of the problem. If you’re not number savvy, it’s best to avail of bookkeeping services in Singapore rather than running the risk of non-compliance.   

However, if you want to do your own book, consider these tips for efficient bookkeeping for SMEs. We’ve made a list to help you out!


1. Know compliance guidelines and statutory laws.

As a business owner, you need to know the ins-and-outs of your business. You need to understand the compliance regulations set by Singapore Financial Reporting Standards (SFRS.)

It’s also good to have extensive knowledge of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) regulations. It can significantly help businesses in claiming tax credits. For example, both local and foreign companies can be eligible for tax incentives.

2. Develop a detailed and streamlined bookkeeping system.

Other than understanding the principles behind bookkeeping for small businesses, the company should streamline its processes. You can even purchase accounting software for convenience and seamless bookkeeping.

Every software program has its own unique features. But more than anything, it can help you achieve your goals and comply with your bookkeeping requirements. So, whether you want to invest in a sophisticated accounting software program or manually manage your books, you must develop a detailed system that addresses your needs.

3. Be consistent in doing your books.

Are you tired of working on piles of source documents? The best thing to do to avoid this situation from happening is by consistently updating your books. Record your business’ daily transactions. When you do it on a monthly basis, it will become a more tedious task than you thought.  

Imagine bookkeeping a year’s worth of financial records. Doing this task will take your time and other valuable resources. So, practice dedicating at least ten minutes of your time for bookkeeping.

4. Record ALL your transactions.

One of the most common problems finance managers experience is that businesses don’t have all the necessary records to address financial discrepancies. And when this happens, they are faced with compliance violations and penalties.   

Be sure to keep the records properly to avoid any financial complications. You can create your own system for the receipts, invoices, purchase, and business expense records, income records, statements, and accounting records to identify each from the other.  

In some instances, it may seem impossible for a bookkeeper to record every single transaction. However, it’s the bookkeeper’s responsibility to comply with the SFRS.

5. Go cashless.

Going cashless is one of the most efficient ways to keep track of your transactionsIf you are wondering why, well, most cash payments give you receipts. And it can be overwhelming to keep track of all them.   

For you to avoid losing a copy of your financial transactions, you can either pay via credit or debit card. This method ensures that you have created records of your purchases because they will be reflected in your bank statements.

These alternative forms of payment will significantly help you to check and trace your business’ expenses.

6. Separate personal and business finances.

Having trouble with your books? It’s likely that you didn’t keep personal finances separate to your business. To avoid recording private expenses in your books, you can do the following:     

  • Pay yourself a salary.
  • Start a bank account solely dedicated to your business.  
  • List all the things you’ve paid for your business and transfer the money to your personal account.   

By doing these things, you can accurately track your finances, both for your personal and business account.   

7. Hire professional bookkeeping services in Singapore.

Starting a business can be an overwhelming and tedious journey. While you’re at it, you need to focus on what really matters for your business. That’s why it is best to outsource your bookkeeping needs.   

If you don’t have the time and skills to manage your business’ booksyou can consider outsourced bookkeeping services in Singapore. Most service providers consist of a team of experts that can take the load off your hands. Whenever you have no idea where to start, seek the help of professionals like Mighty Glory Corporate Solutions.   

Mighty Glory Corporate Solutions is a virtual accounting practise that offers bookkeeping and accounting services for small businesses in Singapore.   

Our team is proficient in different accounting software and platforms to help you with your requirements. Want to know more about our services? Let’s arrange a meeting to discuss more. Call us at (+65) 6677 4258 today!

How To Improve The Company’s Cash Flow?

How To Improve The Company’s Cash Flow?

Introduction

Cash flow is the amount of money coming in and out of the business. It is a great indication of an entity’s liquidity or its ability to short term obligations. Positive cash flow in the form of cash sales and collections means that the incoming cash is higher than what is going out like purchases and payments. A shorter cash flow cycle or the amount of time needed for a business to convert assets to profits indicates robust profitability. Accounting services in Singapore include cash flow audit and design to improve liquidity and profitability.

The goal is to sustain a positive cash flow at a shorter cash flow cycle. However, the cycle is also dependent on one’s business model and operations. The time between spending cash in making the purchases of raw materials to collections on sales is not totally controllable. But, there are ways we can liven up sustained positive cash flow.

1. Improve collection processes

A significant amount of your cash inflow could be stuck in cash receivables. These liquid assets can easily turn bad and hold up your access to cash. Take a closer look at your Accounts Receivables (commonly known as Trade Debtors). How long is the average collection? Do you see a lot of overdue accounts? Give incentives to good clients and early payors and apply more aggressive collection efforts to delinquent accounts. You may also have to cancel the bad accounts.

2. Keep a closer eye on expenditures

Review your expenses. Check on the items that take a chuck of your expenditures. You might want to find more affordable alternatives or shift to better suppliers. Also, take a look into the smaller items, many of these are avoidable like the interest expenses and penalties.

3. Improve sales campaigns

Call on your sales team to boost their marketing efforts. Are your marketing campaigns still relevant and effective? Is your packaging outdated? Discounted sales and promotions are great at driving up sales, but could negatively affect profitability. Review your customers’ buying patterns and behavior. Do you have more repeat customers or complaints?

4. Open new markets

Widening your customer range will bring in more buyers and improved sales. There are plenty of ways to open new markets – branch out to a new market segment with different products, develop new products relevant to your existing ones, open stores in new locations, or open an online store to capture the online market.

5. Manage inventory

Inventory is ready-to-sell items that are kept in the warehouse. They are liquid assets stuck in storage. Furthermore, keeping your inventory safe costs money, which adds your expenses. Good forecasting and inventory management will ensure enough goods at hand while keeping the warehousing expenses at a minimum.

What Affect Company’s Cash Flow

A business, economic, or environmental crisis can throw off even the most careful and intensive business planning. Natural disasters and unforeseen events are unpredictable and immeasurable. Although we can set aside funds and prepare procedures in preparation for it happening, we cannot fully assess its effects on the business.

In any business crisis, there are several ways we can quickly implement in order to sustain positive cash flow and save the business.

1. Injecting fresh capital

Find new investors who can bring in new capital to the company. Owners can also add in new financing to ensure liquidity and continued business operations.

2. Emergency loans

You can secure term loans to carry the business over the rough patch. Your business bank can offer quick business loans at reasonable interest rates.

3. Discounted Sales

Converting liquid assets to cash through discounted sales is a good way of bringing in badly needed cash. It will also eliminate old stocks and slow-moving items.

4. Government Aids

Governments often provide a helping hand during economic disasters and business crises. In Budget 2020, Singapore Government has announced relief measures to help businesses tide over the trying times. Any business entity can claim for government help, provided that they fulfill the key eligibility criteria. Here are the few statutory bodies and organizations in Singapore that help companies to cope with the company cashflow during this coronavirus crisis:

a. “Helping Our Promising Enterprises” (HOPE) Fund

S$5-million was launched through the partnership between Singapore Business Federation Young Business Leaders Network (SBF-YBLN) and Goldbell Evolution Network (GEN) to provide an accessible short-term working capital loans for local SMEs. Each company can take a fixed quantum of S$50,000 with a tenure of 12 months, at a minimal administrative fee. The affordable interest rates range from 0.5% to 0.75% per month. Funding is secured over the personal guarantee of the company’s directors or shareholders. The allowance to defer the first loan repayment to start from the third month onwards is the HOPE Fund’s attractive feature.

b. Enterprise Financing Scheme – SME Working Capital Loan (EFS-WCL) by Enterprise Singapore

The loan quantum capping is increased to S$600,000 from the previous S$300,000 and the life-span’s extension to March 2021 enhance the previous scheme to help in financing a company’s daily operational cashflow needs for the unexpected COVID-19 challenge. Despite that the risk-share is also increased, the standard loan recovery procedure remains. If the company has an on-going overseas project, the management may also consider the Project Loan scheme.

c. Singapore Budget 2020

Generous provisions in the Budget 2020 were set to provide for the different needs of households, workers, and businesses affected by the pandemic COVID-19. The obligations to pay are reduced through these useful schemes such as the popular Corporate Income Tax Rebate, Property Tax Rebate (up to 30% of the property tax payable) and one-time offset for 3 months of staff wages under Jobs Support Scheme. The enhanced Wage Credit Scheme gives 20% of co-funding for salary increments in 2019, which is higher than the rate for 2020. This is a valuable benefit as a result of a past event. Additional support is also available to help the industries affected by the coronavirus – tourism, aviation, food and beverage, retail, and point-to-point transport services.

d. Temporary Bridging Loan Programme (TBLP) for Tourism Sector

TBLP, an additional cashflow support for local SMEs in the tourism industry, is a newly-introduced measure. Eligible enterprises can obtain loans, from participating financial institutions, of up to $1-million, with the interest rate capped at 5% per annum. It is open for application till March 2021 and the maximum loan tenure is 5 years.

e. DBS Relief Measures and Support

DBS Bank Limited understands that managing the cash flow needs is the top priority of every company. Besides being one of the participating financial institutions under TBLP, the other short-term liquidity relief measures and initiatives offered by DBS include but not limited to:

• DBS customers with existing secured property loans would only need to service the loan interest for the next 6 months, upon effect.
• The due dates for import facilities will be extended up to 60 days.
• Rebates are offered for certain bank services.
• Small business loans (up to S$50,000) can be obtained within 1 working day upon loan acceptance, without the need to submit any financial report.

Singapore Finance Minister will deliver the supplementary Budget on the coming Thursday, March 26. The supplementary measures are additional support to assist households, workers and businesses in surviving through the coronavirus outbreak. We will share the business-related measures in our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Stay tune!

Do you have other questions or want to know more on how to improve your company’s cash flow? Get the right advice coming from the experts on accounting and corporate secretarial solutions.

Contact Mighty Glory Corporate Solutions today and let us discuss your business needs.