Whether you like it or not, the Holiday Season is almost over.
After a substantial amount of time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is time to get back to your “normal” life. Gone are the few days of feast and serenity!
As you return to your regular routines at work, school, or home…you may feel stressed, uncomfortable, and disoriented. This unwanted feeling is called Post-Holiday or Post-Vacation Blues. However, with a bit of conscious planning and other strategies, you can actually ease back to normalcy without feeling its burden.
1. PLAN AHEAD
Instead of having the stress of last-minute preparations, it is best to come back from your overseas trip on Saturday instead of Sunday. The extra day will give you enough time to fix your things, to pick up a few essentials, and to browse your emails. Thus, it will lessen the impact and load of your “first” working day.
2. REVIEW YOUR CALENDAR
Since you have been away for quite some time, you will probably need to be reminded about what is going on. Regularly browse and mark your calendar for the next couple of days to stay updated with the upcoming projects, meetings, and other concerns. By doing so, you will be able to come prepared and avoid the embarrassment of being caught off guard.
3. CLEAN YOUR WORKSPACE
Upon entering your cubicle or desk, you may see stacks of unopened documents, scattered files, and untidy stationery items. Take a few minutes to take it all in. After which have a rubbish bin near you while you filter through the envelopes, emails, and files. Recognize what needs to be junked and what needs to kept. The earlier you complete this, the more time you have for other important tasks.
4. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS
To make your work as quicker and as efficiently as possible, you must remove all the unnecessary distractions such as electronic devices. Turn off your handphone and close your social media accounts for at least 20 minutes.
Use a productive writing tool such as Q10 to allow you to scribe without interruptions from your desktop clutter. Or you may install a free site blocking extension such as StayFocusd. With fewer or no distractions, use your time to focus on the task at hand!
5. SEEK HELP
In the early days of your transition, keeping up with your daily workloads may feel like a circus. Do not fret, as it is unavoidable. Ask for your co-worker or manager’s help. A well-staffed business should be more than capable to assist or even absorb your task.
Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)
Remember, you do not always have to do everything by yourself!
Working from the comfort of your own home may sound like a dream come true. However, just like any other working conditions, it has its disadvantages. Be completely honest with yourself and consider these disadvantages before you take the leap!
INCREASE IN UTILITY COSTS
One of the inescapable costs that come with working at home is utility. And if you are inside your home 24/7, it can cause the bills to shoot up!
This is why you should make it a habit to conserve energy through simple strategies such as scheduling your air conditioning use, reducing indoor heat by painting your rooms white, or working at the brightest part of the house.
Since most people meet new people and make friends in the workplace, professionals who are working from home may experience loneliness, isolation, and depression. As they are plucked away from your previous co-workers and bosses, staying in touch with them is a must! In fact, Global Workplace Analytics showed that teleworkers who maintain consistent communications with traditional co-workers and bosses find career impact to not be an issue.
You can also use social media or join Yoga groups, photography clubs, or other types of support groups to creatively meet new people whom you share the same interests with.
INCREASE IN DISTRACTIONS
Distractions from accessible electronic devices, noisy family members, and many household tasks can be very disruptive. Sometimes these distractions can draw you away from your career responsibilities and later lower your income. Thus, keep your focused by turning off your devices or by using free Website blocking applications such as SelfControl (for Apple users) and SelfRestraint (for Microsoft users).
Also, use your home office space solely for making projects and crafting items so your brain can associate the space to automatic “work mode”.
DECREASE IN PERSONAL TIME
Based on personal experience, there will be days when you are tempted to work any time when you are hired to work from home. The lack of a management enforcing strict working hours and the lack of physical separation between home and work may add to the pressure of working endlessly.
Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)
So if you are under one company, consider setting your daily hours to avoid phone calls and emails that are conflicting with your personal time. Working from home requires time management and organization skills that not everyone has!
While banking and finance professionals are still struggling with a decline in demand, Singapore and the Philippines are likely to see some pick-up in 2016.
22nd DECEMBER 2015 – According to the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines experienced a drop in demand for banking professionals amid the volatile economic conditions in November.
Across the three markets surveyed by the Index, the Philippines reported the least year-over-year decline at -3%, down from October’s 25% year-over-year growth. This is the market’s first negative growth in three months and the steepest month-on-month decline registered among all markets.
The BFSI sector in Malaysia registered the steepest year-over-year decline at -24%, falling six times as much as October’s -4% decline. This is the sector’s third consecutive month of annual decline.
E-recruitment in Singapore’s BFSI sector experienced a slight drop between October and November, at -5% year-over-year. Despite this, the three-month growth rate for November has improved marginally by 3%, compared to 2% in October.
The MEI is a monthly gauge of online job hiring activity, which records the industries and occupations that show the highest and lowest growth in recruitment activity in Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines.
Recruitment trends in the BFSI sectors have also led to the sluggish demands for Finance professionals in the three markets. Despite the overall negative growth, Finance and Account roles are the top growth occupational groups in Malaysia and Philippines.
Malaysia reported the steepest decline between November 2014 and November 2015 at -23% year-over-year, a sharp year-over-year decline from October’s -11%.
Singapore witnessed the least year-over-year decline at -9%. This is a marginal drop from October’s -8% year-over-year. The Philippines reported a -12% year-over-year decline, down from the -3% year-over-year reported in October.
“As the global economy leans towards greater uncertainty, each market will need to take measures to build greater resilience against any vulnerabilities that can potentially deteriorate the country’s economy and affect recruitment,” said Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong).
“While the demands for Finance professionals in the Singapore and Philippines markets appear to remain on the decline, Singapore’s vigilance to any potential economic risks and the Philippines’ strong economic fundamentals in its domestic systems should help see them through external threats.”
The Monster Employment Index is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity, based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career websites and online job listings. The Index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.
See below for countrywide trends in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines for November 2015:
Singapore Highlights:
The Monster Employment Index Singapore declined -8% year-on-year.
No industry sectors or job roles registered positive year-over-year growth.
The Healthcare industry registered the least decline in online hiring at -2% year-on-year, while Healthcare jobs saw the highest demand – although at 0%.
Malaysia Highlights:
Online hiring in Malaysia declined by -31% year-on-year.
Not a single industry sector witnessed positive year-over-year growth in online hiring.
The Production/ Manufacturing, Automotive and Ancillary sector saw the least decline at -10%, while Oil and Gas registered the biggest drop at -40%
Demand for Marketing & Communications professionals takes lead at 0% year-over-year, while Software, Hardware, Telecom roles fared the worst at -60%.
Philippines Highlights:
The Monster Employment Index Philippines registered a -46% year-on-year decline.
The BFSI industry had the least year-over-year decline at -3%, while the Production/Manufacturing, Automotive and Ancillary sector fared worst at -68%.
Customer Service jobs experienced the least decline at -9%, while Hospitality & Travel jobs reported the steepest decline at -64%
– Ends –
About the Monster Employment Index
The Monster Employment Index is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity in Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia conducted by Monster India. Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of online career outlets, including Monster Singapore, Monster Philippines and Monster Malaysia, the Monster Employment Index presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide. Monster has taken due care in compiling and processing the data available from various sources for Monster Employment Index, but does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or action / decision taken or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In the South East Asia region, Monster Employment Index was first launched in Singapore in May 2014 with data collected since January 2011 followed by Philippines and Malaysia in May 2015 with data collected since February 2014.
They may no longer be breathing in this world but they probably earn more in one year than most of us will in our entire lives!
These numbers, accumulated by Forbes, show the top earning dead celebrities in 2015…
7. JOHN LENNON
Yoko Ono’s soulmate that is better known as the singer-songwriter of the Beatles – John Lennon takes the 7th spot.
With a whopping total of US$12 million (S$16.9 million) in 2015, this iconic musician continues to share the revenue of his recorded and published music. Other ventures such as the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show are also earning him money even after death.
6. MARILYN MONROE
One of the famous entertainers of the 50s is the dashing Marilyn Monroe. Although she died more than 50 years ago, her legend continues as the Authentic Brand Group bought the rights to her brand. Her branding consists of a lingerie line, clothing label, perfume, and spa treatments. In 2015, these earned her US$17 million (S$23.9 million).
Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)
This proves that her beauty still captivates the hearts of many!
5. ELIZABETH TAYLOR
Aside from her movies, this legendary leading lady has been reigning supreme in the celebrity fragrance business. One of her top fragrance called “White Diamonds” is still continuing to sell even after 24 years.
All in all, Elizabeth Taylor earned about US$20 million (S$28.1 million) this year!
4. BOB MARLEY
Bob Marley, a reggae superstar, may not be an outright entrepreneur when he was alive but he became one in his death. This is due to three reasons namely: his Marley Beverage Company, his House Of Marley, and his music royalties.
He really does not need to worry about money as he is still earning US$21 million (S$29.6 million) after his death!
3. CHARLES SCHULZ
It is rare to see people who cannot recognize who Snoopy and Charlie Brown is! With the release of the “Peanuts Movie”, their creator named Charles Schulz who died in 2000 earned about US$40 million (S$56.42 million) this year. He is said to be earning a cut from the licensing revenue of the popular comics too.
2. ELVIS PRESLEY
The King of Rock and Roll’s magic lives on until the present day as his brand and name is still earning an impressive amount of US$55 million (S$77.5 million). This is largely due to the sales of his albums, memorabilia, and Graceland ticket sales.
Elvis, we can’t help falling in love with you!
1. MICHAEL JACKSON
Smooth as his pipes were, Michael Jackson has been bringing home the bucks gracefully since young. Consistently, he has been earning triple-digit millions every year after his death in 2009. Thought that was thrilling? How about if I told you that he earned US$115 million (S$162.1 million) this year alone?
Well, his undying talent still drives the force of his Cirque du Soleil show, his Mijac Music catalogue, and his music royalties including the half of the Sony/ATV publishing empire.
As a budding entrepreneur, your new business is tied with cash. With hundreds of things on your plate, you are either looking for more ways to boost your profits or more ways to save money.
Look no further as this list will explore smart ways where your small business can save money in its early phases…
1. SAY “YES” TO FREE AND CHEAP ADVERTISING
You do not need the fanciest commercials or the flashiest banners to bring in more customers. For now, all you need are free websites to post your ads.
Online classifieds are a good choice as these are cost-effective, convenient to relay contact, visible to a large-scale of consumers, and the you are able to edit a listing anytime. Browse a list of premier advertising websites here.
2. ONLY HIRE PEOPLE WHEN YOU NEED THEM
As a start-up, you are testing every aspect of your business including the amount of labor necessary. Do really a marketing team or can you handle the marketing aspect by yourself?
Instead of hiring professionals to do the job for you, you can commit several hours in developing skills. This is why it is not a good idea to hire a huge team of workers and waste a hefty amount on wages earlier on.
And when you decide to hire help, good sources of quality yet low-cost labor are university or polytechnic interns. If you are willing to supervise and devote your time to training, both of you can benefit from the experience. Think about it! You are giving a worthwhile experience and good recommendation for the intern while the business is receiving low-cost (and sometimes free) services.
3. USE A BUDGETING SOFTWARE
If you have zero knowledge on accounting or you need more help in your budget planning, then you must consider accounting software.
Aside from using an Excel spreadsheet, you may budget like a pro by using accounting software called inDinero. inDinero helps you run the small business better as it safeguards your transactions, your cash flow, and your expenses. It connects the bank accounts so you can visualize where your money goes. Furthermore, it helps you with your payrolls and taxes.
4. ARRANGE ONLINE MEETINGS
Globalization paved way for international affairs to be easily accessible. So if you have clients or workers who are overseas, what better way to hold meetings than by using inexpensive online tools such as Skype video conferencing or Facebook video chat?
To save even more, invest in laptops instead of desktop computers, as these laptops are not only less expensive but also consume less energy. Whenever possible, use these laptops and Internet tools to communicate effectively.
5. SAVE ON YOUR WORKSPACE
Office spaces in Singapore can get very expensive! Instead of forking out your wealth, you can consider sharing your space and splitting the rent with another small business. In fact, you can rent a flexible space for as low as S$450 a month with Regus.
Regus is a global company that has been around for more than two decades. With over 25 building locations islandwide, you will be able to find a space that suits you best! 🙂
Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)
