SME Business Directory is a one stop SME information portal and Malaysia business directory for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It provides information on all aspects of SME / SMI development, including financing, advisory services, training programmes, business and networking opportunities as well as other SME developmental programmes/initiatives by the Government and private sector.

Y have MYR10,000. Should you invest in Tesla, BTC or Properties?

The year is 2021 and we literally lost a year to COVID-19 but the digital markets have been buzzing with activities throughout. A lot of things have changed in the last few years and it is no difference in any other segments.

Investments and options

A lot can happen when you invest and some decisions you made a long time ago can have very strong implications today. Some risks were worth taking and if you have kept on your investments then, you could well be a lot richer today. This is after all, how many millionaires made their first profits. Singapore’s investment market has always been promising and you could well be involved when there were more traditional platforms like Property REITs before evolving to what we have today like cryptocurrencies.

What has been the most profitable of late?

One does not need to look that far away. If you have put some money into a certain type of investment some 2 years ago, judging by the current climate and price, you could well be smiling all the way to sleep.

If you invested in Bitcoin

Who would have thought Bitcoin could reach the price it did in 2021? In early 2019, if you are to put RM10000 into investing in BTC, you would potentially buy 1 BTC. The price in early 2021 for BTC was around RM128000 which means your money has grown to about $70000 which constitutes about 1200%. In 2022-2023, it’s another year to look out for the bottom for BTC.

If you invested in REITs

Singapore’s property market has boomed and is one of the most high-cost ones in the world. With REIT, it means that you can invest in this market with a smaller capital. Real Estate Investment Trusts are not new and you could potentially enjoy dividends of about 4 to 9% annually. This does not mean that they are riskless. COVID-19 has caused a drop in the real estate market (Singapore and the world).

Judging by a RM10000 investment and 2-year period, certain REITs like Keppel DC was among the highest. With 2 calendar years, you would have received 5 rounds of dividend and that should come up to about RM1000. After the 2 years, you sell the shares back, you would have doubled up your investment to about $10,000 which additionally could come up to about 116% returns.

If you invested in Tesla shares

With RM10000, you could buy about 60 shares 4 years ago (early 2019). That was when the price of Tesla was hovering around RM250 per share. This is calculated based on the exchange rate than where you would have about RM15000. The price of Tesla in early 2021 is at a staggering RM32000  which means your investment has now grown to about RM200,000. Plus that with the current exchange rate, your money would have grown to about RM260,000 which constitutes more than an 1100% which is a crazy return for any form of investment in today’s environment.

So, which one makes better sense?

So with all that 3 compared, BTC has the highest returns in terms of overall gains. It simply means that you should not discount any potential investments that come around. That said, you should also be aware of the risks you are taking before you decide which platform you would want to invest in. You are not required to put all your money into them but perhaps a small amount that you can wait (it’s only been 2 years) might just make you a lot wealthier!

business-directory-malaysiaTo succeed in the current globalising environment the Malaysian SME will need to strive towards achieving greater competitiveness at a global level. There has to be a shift from knowledge based industries to more innovation centeredness.
By leveraging on the core values of creativity, innovation and high skills, our SMEs will make great strides towards creating and building a unique and strong Brand Malaysia.
Green technology is another area of focus as it is undoubtedly the driver for economic growth in the future. For the far sighted SME, Green technology offers opportunities and potential in economic regeneration, innovation, wealth creation and high-paying job opportunities. On its part the government has already rolled out the National Green Technology Policy.

Best Marketing Tips for small businesses

Internal Communication
Using Whatsapp for internal communication helps your small business to save cost and time. It would be the best tool to connect and keep your employees in the loop of things. In the past, emails were the de facto tool for all official communications. Now, you can use Whatsapp because you can send out information faster and obtain replies more efficiently.
When you use a quick and easy tool like Whatsapp, you can create groups in terms of departments or project groups. This then allows you to communicate with them especially when you need to reach them very quickly. You can send out changes in deadlines, reminders of deliverables and other information and gauge if they have read them.

Mobile Marketing for Small Businesses

A small business can be tricky especially in light of the ultra-competitive economy. As such, you will need to use the most cost-effective tools like Whatsapp. After all, Whatsapp has been known to be more effective than any media ever existed when it comes to reaching a target market.

Customer Relationship

Using Whatsapp for Customer Relationship Management may sometimes sound very trivial but it is absolutely effective. When you use Whatsapp, your customers become aware that you are using a recent tool which they can associate to.
This could be part of your multi-channel customer support strategy. They are connected to you in real time which means you can gauge responses almost immediately. Besides being able to send out broadcast messages to a large group of people, you can get answers instantly which can help you to improve your service or products.
On the other hand, you can use Whatsapp to connect with your customers so that you can learn about what they like and what they don’t. Companies are now using Whatsapp to send out surveys and pre-launch product reviews to their customers.

Promotions and Marketing

Whatsapp is now one of the most used advertising and promotions medium. Unlike previous platforms like SMS or email, Whatsapp allows you to send long messages that include multiple media like images and sound. And this is somewhat different with the likes of Facebook.
You can send short videos where it has been found that about 80% of Whatsapp users will open and view. With Whatsapp, you can reach a large group of recipients at a fraction of the cost of an SMS and gauge responses in terms of whether they have opened and read your message or alternatively, you can allow your customers to send replies for free.

A healthy economy like Malaysia has a lot of organisations and agencies that protect the interests of business owners. Whether it is a business agency, a government related authority or any organisation, you need to be in the know if you want to run your business in any sector.

Best resources for import and export

This directory contains a comprehensive collection of all the chambers of commerce, trade associations, government related or private institutions and international commerce agencies, among others.

Get important information about Malaysia tax and official import rules

This is the best place to start if your business deals with import and export commerce. Learn more about who the related agencies are so that you are aware of any regulation or legislation. Find out who the authorities are and who you can work with to expand your business.

Internet businesses

Online retail

Collectively, online retail businesses form the largest group of businesses. This is one type of business which is easy to start and maintain. All you need is a good range of products, a good payment engine and you are good to go and be like Amazon, Zalora, Lazada and such.

Finance and Legal Services

Whether you are offering accountancy, taxation, audit or legal services, you can now reach a wider set of audience over the internet. Your options are unlimited and you can now reach a large group of potential customers online. All you need is to get the word out and then provide your consultancy services online.

SEO Services

Offer your services to help businesses gain more exposure on search engines like Google and Yahoo! If you have the expertise and know how search engines work, then provide your services to help any upcoming businesses to grow via this organic method which has since built some of the top companies worldwide.

Content Development

Are you a freelance writer who can offer content writing? The internet is constantly changing and growing in terms of content and that is where you will find a lot of potential business owners who are looking for such services which could include copywriting, content for portals as well as business documents.

Web Design

Websites need to constantly evolve to keep their visitors at their site. As such, website owners would need new designs with the latest platforms. If you are totally web-savvy and know the ins and outs of how a website works, then you want to advertise your services and design sites for companies and businesses.

Group Buying

Names like Groupon and Mysale are among the most used sites when it comes to group buying. Join these businesses if you have what it takes to buy and sell in bulk and offer these products and services in discounted prices. This is quite common with branded goods as well as personal home-made items.

Affiliate marketing

You can become an affiliate marketer by working with brand owners and providing word-of-mouth services. After all, reviews and product opinions are very crucial for products and their campaigns. You can do so as a consumer or through your own website or social media account and start harvesting the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

Social Media Expertise

This is one service that requires experience and skill. It is not about being able to use social media like Facebook and Instagram but being able to use it for business purposes. Sell your expertise and help smaller businesses grow in social networks because no business today can survive without them.

Blogs

If you have a large following in your blog site, then cash it in with product reviews and other related services. Work with brand owners and companies and see how they can further market their products through your blog sites. With a large following and readers of your blog, you are sure to attract a lot of businesses.

Video Marketing

Did you know that video marketing is one of the most effective form of advertising today? YouTube has changed the entire advertising and marketing industry. If you have what it takes to create compelling videos that captivate an audience, your services will be extremely sought after by top brands in every industry.

Mobile Apps

Mobile applications for businesses today are among the top and most effective marketing methods. If you have the experience and expertise to develop mobile apps for businesses, then this sector would be extremely beneficial to you. Whether it is on Google Play Store or Apple Store, showcase your previous works and invite anyone interested to work with you.

Travel Services

From airline bookings to hotel reservations, F&B reviews and other travel related services, this is one of the fastest growing businesses that benefited from the internet. You can provide reviews and even vehicle rental services and experience a new method of profitability. With successes like AirBnB and such, this is one platform that will sure to work if you are in this industry.