By taking firm control of the company’s workflow, a business owner could create a more efficient team and generate a larger annual profit margin.

What’s more, they could potentially improve colleague communication and reduce workplace stress, which can boost employee morale and decrease turnover.

If you want to transform your company’s operations in 2019 and beyond, here are some top tips on how to streamline your work processes.

Review Your Existing Processes

Start the year off right by reviewing your existing processes with open eyes.

Not only should you personally analyze internal tasks, but you also should request feedback from your employees about processes that do or don’t work.

You can then eradicate long, frustrating and unnecessary tasks, which can speed up efficiency.

Simplify Projects with Innovative Software Solutions

There are now various software solutions that can help to simplify tasks and projects. For example, work management software allows staff to both track and manage their workflow, which can also help to prevent miscommunication or data errors.

However, rather than introducing an application to fit a problematic process, you should first study it before developing a solution to fit the task specifically.

To build custom software solutions to simplify your operations, look no further than this directory of software development companies.

Outsource Various Projects to Expert Freelancers

There is no longer a need to handle every single project internally. Free up your company’s time by outsourcing projects, so your team can focus on more important areas of the business.

For example, outsourcing content marketing to freelance writers will provide your marketing team with more time to focus on social media or email marketing campaigns.

Not only can outsourcing save your company time, but it could also:

Create a Smaller To-Do List

A long to-do list will prevent members of management and employees from focusing on revenue-generating ideas.

Encourage your team to focus on their top three urgent tasks each day so that you can maintain high standards across the business.

If they are weighed down with too many tasks, encourage them to speak up, so you can outsource jobs or invest in the tools and technologies they need to scratch it off their to-do list.

Host Regular Brainstorming Sessions

While meetings can eat away at your employees’ precious time, brainstorming sessions can lead to the development of more creative, forward-thinking projects, or could help them to identify different ways to simplify complex and/or time-consuming tasks.

Routinely Refine Your Operations

It is, however, important to remember that no internal process is perfect, as there is always room for improvement.

After you have made changes to your existing workflow, you must not wash your hands of it, as it needs to be regularly refined to improve efficiency.

To do so, you must regularly request feedback from employees, review internal tasks and introduce the best technologies for your business.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Korea, China, and Japan have been on the frontline of the development of the 5G network, referred to as the network of networks, what with Asia being a hotbed for innovation. However, as the dawn of the 5G network nighs, battle lines have been drawn between major automobile manufacturers on whether internet connected cars should use Wi-Fi-based DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) technology or the recently developed 5G C-V2X (cellular to vehicle to everything) technology. On one side of the battle line lies Toyota, Volkswagen, NXP and Renault and on the other Ford, Hyundai, BMW, Ericsson, Volvo, and Nissan.

Understanding The C-V2X Technology

The C-V2X started being developed by Huawei from China, Eriksson from Sweden and Nokia from Finland in 2016. It is the next generation of cellular wireless networks. Compared to its precedents, it is faster as it uses different frequency bands and has a larger bandwidth. The technology is set to debut in March 2019. This will be the first release phase with a second phase coming a year later in March 2020. Late last year, the technology was tried in Shanghai by Ford and Datang. It was then tried in South Korea early this year during the 2018 Winter Olympics. On April 26th, Ford, BMW, Groupe PSA, and BMW e-scooters were fitted with C-V2X chipsets from Qualcomm and tested in Washington. Another trial was conducted in Ingolstadt Germany featuring Qualcomm Technologies, Audi Q7, Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro motorbike and the A4. During the IoT Expo held in Wuxi, China just two months ago, a demonstration featuring the 5G technology was also conducted. It is important to note that out of the 6 pre-standard 5G tests conducted so far, Asia has been a major player having hosted 4 of the 6, all of which proved promising.

The Advantages of 5G

The battle between automakers when it comes to the use of 5G and DSRC is certainly justified. The argument presented by the likes of Toyota was the DSRC model created in the 2000s is a working and proven system, so why fix something that isn't broken? However, the 5G Automotive Association also have a point. Automated, efficient, safe and smooth driving are a drop in the ocean when it comes to the perks 5G connected cars have to offer. Getting reliable vehicle insurance, following the rules, avoiding distractions, driving at reasonable speeds and using technology that is already available has helped make driving a more pleasant experience and ensures safety on the road. But additionally, the benefits the C-V2X brings to the table simply cannot be overlooked.

The technology, unlike the DSRC which is short range, enables vehicles which are far apart to communicate. You can know if a vehicle out of your site has turned, switched lanes or stopped. In case there is imminent danger, say an across traffic turn collision risk, or an intersection collision risk, the chipsets relays a warning which depicts itself as a pop-up alert on your dashboard or windshield. Also displayed are various data such as the weather, accidents along your route, obstacles on the road and current traffic light signals. If there is a vulnerable road user, a slow-moving car, or a stationary car along your lane, you will get a warning. Foggy or bad weather has nothing on cars fitted with the C-V2X technology.

The advantages the C-V2X technology has to offer should be reason enough to convince most if not all automakers to embrace it. Its ability to communicate with traffic lights, other vehicles and pedestrians as well is nothing short of impressive. Additionally, not only will it make roads safer, the development of the tech will create employment for millions of people; 8 million jobs in China alone to be specific, according to SDX Central. Increased revenue, efficient driving, reduced road accidents, and hundreds of job opportunities all explain why the world cannot wait for the launch of 5G.

Asia continues to deliver technological innovations par excellence to the global community. Such is the unprecedented growth of Asian enterprise that more people are moving to cities, effectively expanding one metropolis after another. This has the effect of rapid and widespread urbanization with an estimated 50% + of Asian people now living in cities. No other continent on the planet boasts as many megacities as Asia, at 17 and growing fast. The implications of this urbanization are unprecedented.

For starters, the paradigm shift from rural to urban has spawned a new economic class of people, and its affecting every facet of Asian life. A thriving cultural milieu now embraces Asia, and it is expanding outwards at a rate of knots. This means that Asian enterprise and innovation are deeply entrenched in the psyche of countries across the region. This spans China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, India, Philippines and well beyond. The mass migration of people into urban areas brings with it a myriad of opportunities for new concepts, exciting ideas, and cultural growth.

This type of change comes with many challenges. Existing infrastructures are being placed under immense pressure to accommodate ever-growing numbers of people. Power grids, sanitation systems, roads and highways, housing markets, transportation facilities and so forth must grow rapidly to keep pace with these changes. Asian imaginative flair is up to the challenge, with a series of featured innovations designed to foster growth, support massive urbanization, and enhance productivity like never before. The indomitable Asian enterprises – the juggernauts of global commerce – are able to extract the best from their employees, thanks to participative styles of management, innovative idea generation through top-tier open innovation platforms, and greater efficiency across the board. Such is the broad mindedness of Asian enterprise that many exciting new processes, systems, and innovations are now available. In 2016, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) launched its Watt A Box idea. This was a limited-edition concept designed to help users with mobile phone charging. The KFC box doubles as a take-out box and a phone charger replete with USB cable and lithium-ion battery. It was released in Mumbai and Delhi in India, and proved to be a resounding success at the time.

Safety first in Asia

Chinese on-demand taxi company Didi Chuxing has always operated on the cutting edge, much like Uber and Lyft. 2 years ago, this company launched a safety feature known as an SOS button via its app. With so much congestion in Asia, and so much demand for transportation, drivers tend to rush all over the place, endangering their passengers. To prevent such reckless activity, this ride service placed another consumer-friendly feature on the app. The company gets alerted every time a rider feels at risk. Much like its US-based counterpart Uber, Didi Chuxing also allows riders to share their itinerary with friends and family who can then monitor the trip in real time. The security measures came about after a female passenger was murdered by one of the drivers.

Safety is a big issue across Asia, and for good reason. Thailand is home to many reported incidents of violence against women. However, one makeup company – Oriental Princess – is having none of it. It perfected a product known as Lip Rescue. The lipstick dovetails as an alert system when the user blows into it. It emits a 120 dB high pitched sound which can be heard within a radius of 100 m. With an estimated 3 attacks against women every minute, Thailand certainly benefits from this innovation.

Making Space in Densely Populated Cities

Cities like Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Mumbai and others face a major problem when it comes to space. People live on top of one another in high-rise apartments, often in pokey apartments. To combat this problem, companies across Japan and beyond have pooled their collective talents to conjure up workable solutions. One such company, Yves Behar in tandem with MIT Media Lab has crafted robotic furniture for micro--sized apartments. Known as Ori, this smart furniture features units that dovetail as bookshelves, beds, tables and the like. They are all fully programmable via an app, and allow for maximum space utilization. Tokyo is not alone in this, other major cities like Singapore have partnered with major multinational enterprises like 3M to create noise cancelling construction materials. These initiatives are but a handful of the many exciting innovations currently underway across Asia.

Thailand is in the midst of recovering from a season where a dark cloud covered much of the economy. Since its sharp downturn a few years ago, the country is making a slow comeback, and while growth is a little slower than other countries in the area, Thailand business is preparing for an upturn that will continue into next year. In anticipation of this, many in the business community are hopeful that this growth will translate into opportunities for private ventures.

These opportunities extend to foreign business interests as well. Those looking to do business in Thailand’s growing economy might find the whole process of setting up shop in a different country overwhelming, in addition to having to look for suitable office space. Of the various types of fit-outs, businesses used to the traditional office space but needing budget-friendly options should consider the serviced office for a few reasons.

Continue reading to find out more information on the various features of Thailand’s serviced offices

Affordability

The serviced office is affordable simply because the leases provide businesses with fully-furnished space, usually, in a corporate building. While your office does share the floor with other businesses, your overhead every month is much lower than it would be if you leased a conventional office and then had to fit out the office with equipment, furniture, utilities, and internet services. Take a look at Servcorp’s offices at http://www.servcorp.co.th/en/serviced-offices/ to see what is typically included in a package. This streamlining of office services makes it much easier for businesses to budget on a monthly basis.

One of the greatest features of the serviced office is the fact it is much more affordable to conventional leases. This is important because in many of Thailand’s business districts office rents are high. Additionally, those unfamiliar with the area might find themselves having to research zoning and renting laws to gain the advantage. In the end, a more convenient, budget-friendly solution is the serviced office.

Office Amenities

Included in a serviced office plan are the same amenities you would find by leasing a regular office. For one, businesses do not have to worry about staffing an information or reception desk because many of these plans come with support staff. Additionally, serviced offices provide businesses with some of the best in IT services. As a business occupying space in their buildings, most of your IT needs are taken care of by professionals.

Location

Another feature of serviced offices in this country is that most tend to be located close to business districts, which are usually characterised by high rents. The serviced office places you in proximity to businesses in more affluent areas. In terms of image, the serviced office can provide your outfit with reasonably-priced office space in a prime business location.

Scalability

Another feature of the serviced office is that it provides your business with room to grow. If your business in Thailand grows substantially, you have the option of modifying the lease to reflect your business’s new needs, and this can be done relatively quickly with no downtime for your business. For perspective, in a standard relocation situation, businesses would need at least nine months to successfully orchestrate moving from one location to another.

International Offices

Finally, look for fit-outs that have international offices. For example, Servcorp, one of Thailand’s leading office providers, has offices around the world. These offices typically provide businesses with access to conference and meeting room space. This benefits your business in that it provides you with a place to work regardless of where you are in the world.

Finding Your Space In Thailand’s Office Landscape

The serviced office can do wonders in this landscape where you really have to know the terrain to avoid entering into disadvantageous deals. Your serviced office provides you with a one-stop shopping experience that removes the hassles associated with initiating your office set up. In saving both time and money, you can focus on being more productive at work.

We all keep looking for better ways to our entertainment and most of us are fond of listening to audios and watching videos on the devices that can enhance the level and quality of movies, songs, etc. undoubtedly market is flooded with many accessories, but you can’t buy any of them until the accessories are sold by Amazon. Amazon offers many such devices that you may go with without any hesitation. You can even apply Amazon India Coupons to get concessions instantly on your purchases. Following is a list of many such audio and video accessories under Rs. 5,000.

• Pen Camera Player with Audio Video Recording by Insasta

The pen camera player device is available for just Rs. 399 and you can increase its memory up to 16 GB if you feel the need but there is no inbuilt memory. The device has a USB Digital Video Recorder with an expandable Micro SD Card Slot and it works very well to be used as a USB drive. You can never miss buying such a super compact camera player at the minimal prices.

• Terabyte Mini UP Scaler Video Converter

The mini video converter is available for Rs. 599 on Amazon India. You do not need to install any drivers. It is one of the portable and flexible devices. You just have to plug it on and play the video. It consumes considerably low power but it does not have a power adapter. The device supports NTSC and two standard formats of TV.

• Boya Omnidirectional Lavalier Condenser Microphone

The microphone comes with 20ft Audio Cable and it is available for Rs 999. It has a few features like a clip-on mic to be used on smartphones, DSLR, Camcorders, Audio recorders, computers etc. the device has an amazing sound and gives super cool presentations and video recording experience. It has an omni-directional condenser microphone with the low handling noise. The order will include a label clip, a foam windscreen, and comes with 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter.

• Extension Cable, RCA with Connector Jack Plug Extend Video Audio Wire by MA RCA

The extension cable is just for Rs. 279 and it is made in India. The device further has a branded MX connector and has a digital cable for the perfect signal through any distance. The device gives 90 percent shielded digital cable along with a foil wrap and emits amazing sound with less noise or disturbance. It is the most flexible cable that can withstand up to the 360-degree rotation. You can extend your existing cable for home theatre and speaker, or DVD, and TV using the extension cable by MA RCA.

• Rewy Neckband Bluetooth Wireless Sports Stereo Headset with Microphone for all Smartphones

The wireless headset is listed for Rs. 399 on Amazon and it offers high-rated sound with modern audio features with the enhanced bass response in HD Voice and the compatibility with aptX for the unbelievable listening experience with the rich and authentic sound for any kind of music with a crystal-clear voice calls. The device is compatible with any standard Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, or other media devices.

• SeCro RCA Jack Connecter Audio Video Adapter

The adaptor is available for Rs. 159 which is friendly to pocket. It further has a triple RCA cable coupler for the best quality and constituent Videos. You can use this Adapter by joining two A/V stereo and a component video or the RGB cables. The coupler is a perfect fit for connecting to any RCA cables to use as a long cable. This adapter is also suitable to be used as a gender bender.

• LCD full HD Monitor with LED Reverse Camera by AMSIK

The camera has a feature of Bluetooth for the input of Video and Audio. It is of 7-inch and is available for Rs. 2,599. The device supports Bluetooth, MP5, and FM transmitter features. It is known for working perfectly in the camera, DVD, STB, VCD, satellite receiver of cars, and other video equipment. The device is seven inches long with TFT LCD widescreen and a rear view mirror monitor.

• Audio Video 2RCA Cable 3.5mm Aux Jack

The audio-video device is available for Rs. 2,045 on Amazon and entails the amazing features. The device is designed and built keeping in view the fragility of LCD, LED, and PLASMA TV screens. The device is appropriate for 32 to 55" LCD, LED, or the Monitor TV. It has the integrated cable management and a clip of steel.

• Qualtos Portable 2. 5" Full HD Car DVR Vehicle Camera and Video Recorder

The device is available for Rs. 1,149 with a unique adjustable Design that offers Automatic ignition to start the recording session. It has a low light compensation technique that ensures amazing video recording quality even in low light areas. The company gives one-year replacement warranty to the buyers. The device and the facility by Qualtos are available all over India.

As a business, improving your online presence is an absolute necessity nowadays. Not only is it the first point of contact for a lot of people, but additionally a hub for almost everything you do and are. And while being great at online marketing might sound complicated, with the right steps, it doesn’t have to be as bad as you might imagine. Here’s how:

Reassess Your Brand

Although it’s not always the most fun thing to hear, reassessing your brand might be necessary if you want to improve your online presences. After all, while online can be one of the best places to gain from the amount you invest, having a solid brand to back your outreach is going to be crucial. Realistically, your brand should represent a set of morals or ideals, because as noted by Zimmer Communications, 64 percent of consumers say that shared values are the main reason they did business with a brand. And if you don’t feel like your brand can compete against the best, then it might be time to reassess.

With branding, the hardest part is being able to objectively look at what you’ve created and how others might perceive it. For example, most people could say that Google’s use of a mix of vibrant colors in their logo could signify the wide range of accuracy you’ll receive digging into your curiosities with their search engine. Try to exemplify items like that with your logo, giving you the best shot at attracting people. From there, it’s all about your accessory elements, such as the tagline and aesthetic kit to influence your brand.

Get More Active On Social

Once you’ve got a good grasp on who your brand should be, the next step is getting active on social to represent. With social media, the balance is largely part science, as well as part storytelling in getting more people engaged with your brand. Which, while that might sound high minded, it’s also one of the more genuine ways of bringing about a social media strategy that’s more consistent and streamlined.

The core of your social media presence is going to boil down to your voice, as well as your engagement. For the former, the name of the game is taking what personality you’ve developed with your brand and showcasing it consistently in a broader audience; while this might sound tricky, with a little getting used to, will become easier with time. Furthermore, when it comes to engagement this is a mix of both posting and commenting, as much as it is utilizing certain social media hacks to reach a broader audience; for example, as noted by Sprout Social, Instagram posts with hashtags receive 12.6 percent more engagement than those that don’t. Taking the time to implement strategies like this will not only improve your company’s online presence but give you the chance to truly build a community that will stick with you for a long time.

Don’t Forget About Content

Another important piece to consider with your marketing mix is the type of content you’re producing, as well as how that’s attracting people. While this doesn’t necessarily imply you have to be a thought leader in your industry, it does mean that you need to provide entertaining, concise content that others can understand. Even if that sounds like a breeze, it can be a much more challenging endeavor than you might imagine, especially if you haven’t been producing work on a consistent basis, which is a requirement if you’re looking to thrive.

With content, the goal is production on a consistent basis. Although it’s common stress to spend a lot of time writing thought-provoking contributions to your industry, that’s not always necessary. In fact, as noted by the Content Marketing Institute, the median time people spend on articles is 37 seconds, which goes to show that producing more content rather than hoping one goes viral is a much more efficient strategy. Look at what your strengths are in producing posts and try to work from there, giving yourself the best shot at reaching more engagement.

Email Is Still Effective

Finally, while a lot of us hate receiving mass emails, they’re still one of the most effective forms of advertising. According to Constant Contact, for every dollar you spend on email marketing, $38 is seen in return, which goes to show that the ROI on this can be much more efficient than you might have imagined. And if you’ve never compiled a campaign like this, it’s become pretty simple.

With email marketing, utilizing programs like SendGrid or MailChimp is going to be one of the more profitable routes to go. Not only do these programs help with the design templates but additionally tracking how successful your campaigns were. Go through a few of these and try to determine which one will be the most intuitive for you, as the goal here is to find something you can contribute to monthly. Try to send something that you would want to read weekly or so, making it informative or so captivating of a sale that people have to pay attention.

What are you most excited about in improving your company’s online presence? Comment with your answers below!

Large or small, all businesses must promote themselves to be successful. Unfortunately, marketing is not always cheap, especially if yours is a small business with a limited budget. When cash-flow is tight, your first inclination might be to cut your marketing funds, but that would be a mistake.

Small businesses have more inexpensive marketing resources today than ever before. The digital world is full of trackable, cost-effective tools, and all you need to do is take advantage. Here are five ways to promote your business without breaking the bank.

1. Promotional Products

Everyone loves getting free stuff, so why not give prospective clients and potential partners something by which to remember you? One way to promote your brand and place your company at the forefront of everyone’s minds is by giving away promotional products.

Promotional products can take pretty much any form; from a ballpoint pen to an ice bucket emblazoned with your company’s logo or advertising message. This type of promotion is very cost-effective, and it adds a personal touch to your marketing strategy.

2. Social Media

Social media is potentially the fastest way to reach millions of people without spending a great deal of money. In fact, it is free to promote your business on social media, and you can do it yourself with a bit of research and practice. Paid advertising on social media, if done expertly, can be incredibly cost-effective.

Sites like Facebook, Linkedin, Google+, and Instagram all allow companies to market to the masses, and since these platforms are where most people go to find the things they’re looking for, it makes sense you should be there, too. The secret to successfully promoting yourself on social media is to provide high quality, helpful content your customers can use and enjoy.

3. Email Marketing

Email marketing is the use of email to promote products and services, as well as to build relationships with potential customers and clients. The secret to creating a successful email marketing campaign is to grow a robust, organized list of email addresses of people you already do business with and prospective future clients. Email marketing is another low-cost promotional tool you can do yourself. Mastering email marketing gives you a leg up on the competition because you can customize it to fit each client persona.

4. Networking Events

Networking is a process of meeting new people, collaborating, and building and fostering relationships to further grow your business. Attending networking events is perhaps the lowest-cost, most effective way to market your business in person.

Networking events can take place over the phone, through email interaction, at casual and formal social events, networking sites such as LinkedIn or in face-to-face meetings. All these methods are highly effective, and the cost factor is minimal compared to the return on investment they deliver.

5. Go Local

Your local community is a veritable wealth of cost-effective marketing opportunities. For example, your company could sponsor a little league team or host a charity fundraising event. Even printing up bookmarks to place at the public library gets your company’s name out for local customers to see and remember. Once you’ve established your organisation as a local hotspot, you can continue to figure out where and when to target even more current and future prospects.

These five ways to promote your business without breaking the bank will help you find new customers, build upon those relationships, and ultimately, keep your brand in the forefront of everyone’s minds. Marketing doesn’t have to be a race to see who can spend the most. Rather, it’s about how much time and effort you put forth to make it relevant to your customers’ needs.

Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash

The word communication gets thrown around a lot in business, but it isn’t always put into practice. It makes a huge difference in how smooth or rocky your company operates on a regular basis. It becomes quite obvious to everyone involved when there’s a miscommunication occurring.

That’s why it’s important to take a good look at what areas of business communication plays the biggest role, so you can make changes on your end. Focusing on these main categories will help you better succeed. Keep in mind that communication skills can always be improved when carefully attended to and made a priority.

Business Plan & Strategy

You need to use your communication skills when you’re writing and reviewing a business plan and strategy. There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into this project, so it only makes sense you’d want to do it right the first time. It also does you no good if you write the business plan and then no one understands it clearly. Get rid of the fluff: You should always be as concise as possible and remove any filler language (Forbes). You have to not only be able to record it on paper, but also verbally describe it to other important people.

Project Initiatives

One way to grow your company is to launch an online store. It allows for increased visibility for your business. With investment in search engine optimization and online promotion, an online shop becomes more accessible to customers searching for your products. This isn’t a project you’d want to tackle alone. You’d want to hire a company like Eventige to help you design and develop it to get the most ideal outcome. With a team dedicated to customizing your look and feel, your online store will make your brand and product shine like never before. It’s not enough to hire them and be hands off. You’ll need to be clear about what you’re picturing, so they can help you achieve the best results.

With your Employees

Your employees aren’t going to do what you want them to unless you can make it clear what you want out of them. You need to be able to hold conversations with each other, explain directions and give feedback. Your business will suffer if you’re not getting your message across. It should be professional, to the point and not leave a lot of questions up in the air when the conversation is done. It’s important you hire people who have strong communication skills, so you’re not always running into issues.

With your Customers

Your customers matter the most and how you communicate with them can make or break a sale. It’s important to be consistent, clear and provide enough information that doesn’t leave them hanging. Be aware of how you’re talking on the phone to a client and what information you’re posting on your website. Ask for feedback, so you know if your business is effectively communicating with consumers and clients.

Conclusion
Always keep communication at the forefront of your mind when interacting with business colleagues or clients. Keep current with your skills by participating in professional development courses. Never be afraid to ask more questions or check if your message is being heard correctly.

It might surprise you to learn that the Arab world is growing at an alarming rate. According to a 2014 report from Elance/oDesk (the leading freelancing site), UAE companies were responsible for the 5th largest spending budgets. Technology was a leading focus, with almost three quarters of the spending going towards improving technology outcomes.

The UAE business sector is comprised of SMEs (60% share) with a vibrant startup community and ready pool of entrepreneurs starting new businesses and investing in others too. Companies in the UAE are keen to take advantage of an affordable global workforce.

Here are five notable Arab businessmen who bring capital, fresh ideas and vision to their business ambitions.

Eyal Ofer

Both Eyal Ofer and his brother Idan complete in the wealth stakes and are active businessmen. Heir to Sammy Ofer, Eyal has produced his own $8.8bn fortune. Originally from Israel but now based in Monaco, he continues to invest in real estate, shipping, cruises including a piece of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and Mizrahi Tefahot Bank too. He is also a prodigious collector of art.

Fahad Al Rajaan

Up until 2015, Fahad Al Rajaan was the Chairman of the Al Ahli United Bank which is the largest lender in Bahrain but also operates in the UK, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, Kuwait and Iraq. The bank offers commercial and investment advisory services to businesses. They cover corporate, retail, offshore services, wealth management, treasury and private banking to select clientele.

Fahad Alrajaan is now the Chairman of the Wafra Investment Advisory group operating out of New York, and the Director General of the Public Institution for Social Security out of Kuwait. He has been named as one of the top 500 influential Arabs in the world.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud

The Saudi prince, Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud, is a well-known figure in global investment circles, having invested in many prominent businesses over the years. His net worth is thought to be close to $17bn. He has holdings across the world spread between banking and retail, which are held in the Kingdom Holding Company (the largest of its kind). His approach to socially minded investment along with his investing principals set him apart from other wealthy investors. His results have supported his views of what the right approach should be.

Mohammed Al Amoudi

Mohammed Al Amoudi was born with both Ethiopian and Saudi heritage, providing him with a different lens with which to view his culture and surroundings. He moved quickly into building and buying up companies in both Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia. He is involved in many industries including coffee beans, cement, energy, construction and gold. Among the notables, he sells tea leaves to Lipton and beans to Starbucks. He’s also very involved with philanthropy too.

Hayek Family

The Hayek Family which is based in Lebanon has acquired the Swatch brand of watches. The Swatch Group also owns the Tissot, Omega (of James Bond fame), Breguet and Longines watch brands too. The Swatch company is still based in Switzerland post-acquisition, as one would expect from a great watchmaker. The business is valued at just under $2.9bn, but that will need to be adjusted upward since it bought prestigious Hollywood jeweller to the stars, Harry Winston.

The leading businessmen in the UAE continue to grow in wealth and influence. No longer is investment limited to oil fields & development, with most large investors now extremely well diversified across regions and industries.

When starting a business, or looking to transition into a new market, it’s important to plan for as many of the potential issues and pitfalls as you can. This can be difficult, however, as unfamiliar business landscapes come with a myriad of considerations that can be difficult to adapt to all at once.

Hong Kong, especially for those that have little entrepreneurship experience in Asia, can be especially daunting, due to demanding expectations that don’t always mimic those in other countries. This, coupled with a highly competitive market that sees a considerable amount of turnover, has meant that businesses have had to get creative when planning the success of their new ventures.

With that said, for those that are willing to put in the effort, success in Hong Kong can be incredibly valuable for business growth and development. So, how can serviced offices assist with this process? That’s what we’re here to discuss today.

Easing In

As with any large venture, establishing a company in Hong Kong comes with a variety of associated risks. Given that no business is assured success, the ability to avoid overly exorbitant expenditure at first can allow you peace of mind before you are able to find your footing.

Serviced offices offer a short stay, no obligation location for startups and companies that would otherwise be unable to commit themselves to a 12-month lease. This means that, if circumstances change and new arrangements need to be made, things don’t have to get tricky when you look to leave earlier than expected.

Finding Your Footing

Companies that don’t have a stable office space quite often aren’t financially prepared to own all of the necessary equipment they need to run on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this is hard to alleviate without the capital to back it up, which can only come from growing said business.

One of the many perks of serviced offices is stipulated in the name itself.
These services range from cleaning and maintenance to all of the equipment a company needs to operate smoothly. This includes everything from base amenities like water and electricity, work stations and stable wifi connections.

Potential Growth

Just because your business is growing, it doesn’t mean that your office space is.
The difficulty of attempting to place your workforce within the confines of a smaller office can quickly take a toll on your working conditions. This is especially pertinent for companies that find themselves going through unexpected expansion, not allowing for time to plan out future changes.

With the flexibility of serviced offices, businesses are given the chance to alter their conditions where necessary. This can include moving between larger and smaller spaces depending on the current needs of your employee base. Most serviced office solutions are priced based on size. Therefore, companies aren’t obligated to pay for space that they aren’t using and can adapt their plan to match their immediate requirements.

Strategic Location

Given that Hong Kong is centrally located at the heart of the Asia Pacific (otherwise referred to as APAC), it allows for simple transportation between other highly lucrative countries, such as Beijing and Singapore. This can be enormously useful, both for connecting with clients and taking other beneficial opportunities that could otherwise be out of reach.

Serviced offices act as a gateway for these potential opportunities, giving companies a low-risk chance to branch out and widen their reach far past that which may have been possible from their initial location. As an added bonus, given that most serviced office locations are in desirable locations, these spaces add a level familiarity and clout to your business in the eyes of clients.

So, whether you’re attempting to start a new venture in a luxurious, low-obligation workplace, or testing the waters to see if your business can expand into Asia, serviced offices in Hong Kong can be a highly valuable investment.