Day: October 28, 2024

Mega sales are coming up in M’sia, here’s how to ensure that your parcels don’t go missing

[This is a sponsored article with Sunway Popbox.]

The year-end is just around the corner, and with it comes the excitement of mega sales events like 11.11, Black Friday, and Year-End Sales. 

It’s time to snag those long-awaited deals, but with the thrill of shopping comes the risk of parcels going missing or being delayed. Amidst the chaos, it’s not uncommon for packages to get lost or stolen.

To help you enjoy a worry-free shopping experience, we’ve collaborated with Sunway Popbox (PopBox) to bring you essential tips to keep your deliveries safe and sound.

1. Make sure your delivery address is correct

It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often mistakes happen. Double-checking your delivery address can prevent your parcel from taking an unexpected detour. 

Ensure that your address is complete and accurate, including any unit numbers or additional notes to the courier service.

A small error can lead to big headaches, so take a moment to verify before confirming your purchase.

2. Choose a delivery time that works for you

Why wait around for your parcel when it can wait for you? 

Instead of guessing when your delivery might arrive, choose a delivery time when you’re certain someone will be around to receive it. 

Alternatively, take advantage of a service like PopBox, which allows you to pick up your package at your convenience.

With PopBox’s 24/7 automated lockers, your parcels are securely stored until you’re ready to collect them. Simply use the unique PIN code sent to you via the PopBox App to retrieve your package.

You have up to three days to pick up your parcel, so there’s no need to rush or stress over missed deliveries.

3. Get parcel insurance

Consider investing in parcel insurance, especially for high-value items. 

It provides peace of mind knowing that you’re covered in case of loss or damage during transit. 

Many delivery services offer this option at checkout, so take advantage of it to protect your purchases.

4. Keep your delivery’s tracking number

A tracking number is your best friend when it comes to online shopping. It allows you to monitor your parcel’s journey from the seller to your doorstep. 

Save the tracking information and check it regularly to stay updated on your delivery status. If something seems off, you can contact the courier service for assistance.

5. Use PopBox for hassle-free deliveries

PopBox offers a convenient way to ensure your parcels are safe yet accessible to you. With nearly 300 automated lockers across Malaysia, you can pick up your packages at a time and place that suits you.

Here’s how you can use PopBox:

• Select a PopBox location

Instead of using your home or office address, find the nearest PopBox and use that as your delivery address when checking out on online shopping platforms. 

Just input “PopBox @ [location name]” and choose the location that’s most convenient for you.

This way, you can choose a pick-up point that fits your routine, like at your office, residential building, university campus, a nearby mall, or a train station.

• Collect your parcel 

Once your package arrives, you’ll receive a notification through the PopBox App, which is free on the App Store, Google Play Store, or ​​Huawei App Gallery.

The app will provide you with a unique PIN code to unlock the locker and collect your parcel whenever it’s convenient for you.

PopBox lockers are available 24/7, allowing you to pick up your package whenever it suits you. This flexibility helps you avoid missed deliveries and reduces the risk of package theft, making your online shopping experience smoother and more secure.

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As you gear up for the year-end sales, keep these tips in mind to safeguard your shopping spoils. Don’t let the fear of lost parcels dampen your excitement, especially when services like PopBox can help relieve them. 

Happy shopping and here’s to catching those deals without any delivery woes!

• Learn more about PopBox here.
• Read other ecommerce-related articles we’ve written here.

Featured Image Credit: Freepik / PopBox

Singapore is the 3rd most burnt-out city in the world, here’s why & what can be done

Singapore has always been known for its dynamic work culture and bustling pace, but the pressures seem to be taking a toll. 

In a recent study of 30 cities by Instant Offices, a workspace solutions provider, Singapore was named the third most burnt-out city globally, following London and Melbourne. 

This burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s becoming a harsh reality for Singaporean employees struggling to stay motivated and energised. 

Let’s break down what this means and what people can do to cope.

The rise in burnout searches

Across the world, burnout is on the rise. Online searches for terms like “burnout signs and symptoms” have surged by 50% over the past year. 

Instant Offices analysed burnout-related searches in 30 cities, including phrases like “Am I burnt out?” and “How to cope with burnout?” 

Unsurprisingly, Singapore landed near the top of the list, ranking third in burnout sentiment after London and Melbourne, with 950 burnout-related searches.

For comparison, London registered a staggering 2,240 searches, and Melbourne trailed with 1,040. Singapore’s high rank signifies an increasing number of people actively looking for answers, likely driven by the city’s notoriously fast-paced lifestyle and demanding work culture.

Why Singaporean workers are feeling the burn

According to the study, 47% of Singaporean workers report feeling mentally or physically exhausted at the end of their workday. Nearly half of the city’s workforce is dealing with a persistent feeling of depletion, struggling to recharge for the next day.

A deeper issue that emerged was motivation. Over two in five Singaporean employees reported difficulty finding the drive to complete their daily tasks. 

This erosion of motivation not only impacts job performance but also takes a toll on mental well-being. 

Chronic stress in high-demand environments is often the culprit here, a point that resonates with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) characterisation of burnout.

What exactly is burnout?

Burnout is officially recognised by the WHO as an “occupational phenomenon” stemming from ongoing, unmanaged workplace stress. According to WHO, burnout is marked by three main symptoms:

1. Energy depletion: Persistent exhaustion that doesn’t go away with a good night’s sleep.

2. Negativity toward work: Feelings of cynicism or detachment, making work feel like a burden.

3. Reduced efficiency: Difficulty performing tasks, even those that were once manageable.

If left unchecked, burnout can manifest through physical symptoms too, like headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, and even changes in appetite or sleep. 

Recognising these signs is the first step toward managing this pervasive issue.

Top five tips for managing burnout

Fortunately, there are practical strategies that can help ease burnout. Here’s what Instant Offices recommends:

1. Prioritise physical health

Exercise, nutrition, and adequate sleep all play a major role in combating stress. Even small lifestyle changes, like a morning walk or a switch to a balanced diet, can provide an energy boost and improve mood.

2. Talk about it

Talking about burnout can be the first step to recovery. Chat with a manager about redistributing work, or share your feelings with friends and family who can offer support. For ongoing stress, consider seeing a mental health professional who can offer tools to manage anxiety and stress.

3. Take a tech break

Scheduling daily “tech breaks” can be a game-changer. Unplugging from screens for even 30 minutes can offer much-needed mental rest and allow the mind to recharge.

4. Focus on priorities 

Knowing which commitments matter most can help eliminate unnecessary stress. Declining low-priority tasks frees up time and energy for high-impact work and personal pursuits, promoting a better work-life balance.

5. Relax and reconnect

Mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can ease stress. Building these activities into your daily routine creates space for relaxation and mental clarity.

Reducing burnout in a fast-paced world

As cities like Singapore face rising burnout levels, businesses and organisations can take steps to create a healthier work environment. This includes advocating for work-life balance, offering flexible work options, and cultivating a culture where mental health is prioritised, according to Instant Offices.

Personal initiatives, however, are equally vital. Whether it’s practising self-care or talking openly about stress, taking small steps can make a big difference.

With a better understanding of burnout, employees and employers alike can foster a work culture that not only enhances productivity but also well-being.

Also Read: This Microsoft Copilot workshop convinced me that AI can help content creators, here’s how

Featured Image Credit: Reeracoen Singapore

This M’sian quit accounting to focus on her online bakery specialising in flavoured loaves

If you click on the local online bakery Butter Loaf’s website, one of the first things you’ll notice is their promise of free shipping on their bread—no minimum spend needed.

You’d be amiss to think that this is a poorly thought-out initiative that might be bad for the business’s books, though. After all, the woman behind Butter Loaf is Annisa, who was an accountant long before she was a baker by profession.

Leaving corporate for the baking life

It was during the pandemic that Annisa began baking in earnest.

Working as an account executive in a corporation, Annisa started baking for friends and family initially to pass the time during the pandemic, taking advantage of the fact that she was working from home.

Noticing the bread shortages during the pandemic, she realised she could actually fill the gap in the market with her fresh bakes. Especially with the MCO, Malaysians have become accustomed to ordering online, so it made sense to open up a bakery despite having no physical presence.

“And, I also have a friend—who is now my business partner—who is recovering from cancer and hence was looking for alternative bread with minimal preservatives used,” Annisa opened up. “These got us thinking and discussing ideas on whether it is feasible for us to start off a business with these two main aims.”

When in-office work resumed, she decided to continue running the business part-time with her business partner for around a year.

“When we saw that there was demand for our bread, we foresaw that it would be hard for me to continue this on a part-time basis as my job was also very demanding,” she explained. “Since the plan is to grow the business further, I have decided to put my 100% focus on this.”

As such, she decided to resign from her corporate career and pursue Butter Loaf full-time.

Flavourful offerings

Standing out against other bread brands, Butter Loaf specialises in flavoured loaves. To ensure freshness and minimal waste, the business operates on a pre-order basis.

“Customers can place their order on our website up until 9PM for next-day delivery,” Annissa elaborated. “The delivery dates are open up to one month in advance, so they can also pick a date that they want for the delivery.”

Once orders close at 9PM, Annisa’s partner will compile the orders and pass them to her during the night. Production of the bread typically starts at around 7AM the next day. Currently, the team is using Lalamove as their delivery partner.

“The quantity varies; sometimes we have a big order and sometimes none—that’s the nature of the business,” Annisa said.

She also revealed that the highest single order Butter Loaf has received is just over RM400, where a customer had ordered the bread as farewell gifts to her colleague. 

Butter Loaf also offers a monthly subscription model, allowing loyal customers to reliably and regularly get their loaves.

Free shipping for all

Of course, we had to ask about the free shipping. As a small business that relies on Lalamove for its deliveries, it seems like a sizeable expense for the team not to charge a shipping fee.

“After studying our customers’ patterns during the early days of our business, we noticed that customers tend to abandon their shopping cart at check-out due to the additional delivery fee imposed,” Annisa explained.

“To counter this, we have changed our pricing strategy to account for inflation at the time and also absorbed the delivery costs.”

For now, the team only delivers within the Klang Valley area, so it still makes sense fiscally not to charge an extra fee.

And once the team’s orders are big enough, they do plan on looking for a permanent rider to handle deliveries.

“But for now, using Lalamove is still cost efficient for the business,” Annisa said. “At times, when there are big orders, we have had instances where we hire a part-time rider.”

Rising to the occasion

Butter Loaf isn’t the only brand that has popped up in response to the demand for fresh bread, though. And beyond other online bakeries and home bakers, they still have to compete with the commercial offerings on the market.

But Annisa doesn’t seem to be too worried about the competition and instead simply focuses on baking healthy, freshly baked loaves of bread with a Japanese style.

In fact, she said that the most challenging aspect of the business is the breadmaking itself. Since the dough is sensitive to temperature and time, it was initially hard to gauge and match the rising time of the dough until the time it was ready to be baked, especially when orders piled up.

“Baking a loaf of bread versus 20 loaves requires a different strategy and production schedule,” she explained. “During those days, there were issues with over-proofed dough, and we had to remake the batch from scratch.”

Through time and experience, though, Annisa has grown leaps and bounds with her baking chops. To accelerate her growth, the self-taught baker has recently also enrolled herself in a baking course.

Not loafing around

Starting out, Butter Loaf had been a home-based business, but the team has now moved to a baking studio to cater for the higher demand and future plans.

“For now, the plan is to operate fully online from the baking studio while my partner sources for potential collaborations with cafes and stores,” Annisa said.

The aim is to either offer a combo delivery of Butter Loaf bread with their products or place the bread at their store.

“So far, we have managed to secure one consignment placement with a café,” Annisa said.

In the next three to five years, though, Annisa hopes to open up a physical bakery. With that ambition in mind, the team will focus on R&D to produce more bread varieties while drumming up the necessary capital to facilitate the shift.

Given how the team was able to critically solve problems such as the cart abandonment issue, it seems like they’ll be able to rise to the challenges that may come as they continue to scale up.  

• Learn more about Butter Loaf here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Also Read: Sidec aims to nurture 300 startups and SMEs to grow Malaysia’s GDP, here’s the game plan

Featured Image Credit: Butter Loaf

HDB publishes apartment resale prices by town, listing the cheapest and most expensive areas

Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed below belong to the author. Data comes from the latest official release by HDB.

While much attention is given to average price growth in the public housing market in Singapore, tracked by the Resale Price Index, as ever the situation is considerably more complex on the ground, with significant differences between towns—not only in terms of reported transaction prices, but their pace as well.

As it happens, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has just published the latest data on median resale prices for the last quarter (i.e. Q3 of 2024), allowing us to take a closer look at the cheapest and most expensive areas—as well as how they have evolved over the year.

Disclaimer: Please note that in certain cases the year-on-year change is higher than could be reasonably expected (particularly in Geylang and Clementi), suggesting that the data might be skewed by specific characteristics of the apartments sold at that time or a relatively low number of transactions at unusually high prices.

Median resale prices of HDB apartments in Q3 of 2024

These are the latest prices for transactions registered in Q3. 1R and 2R apartments were excluded for the sake of brevity as few to none were sold across most towns in that period. Lowest and highest prices per type of apartment have been highlighted in green and red respectively.

As you can see, a 4R flat in Queenstown, Toa Payoh, Kallang or Bukit Merah could afford you a 5R or even an Executive one elsewhere. A small 3R in Bishan could be enough for a 4R or almost a 5R in some towns.

If one thing is clear, however, it’s that the West remains the most affordable, with all of the cheapest HDB apartments in their respective classes reported in Jurong.

Year-on-year change (Q3/2024 vs. Q3/2023)

I thought it would be useful to compare the change in transacted prices over the entire year, to see what the trends show. The Resale Price Index indicates that the annual inflation in public housing stands at around 8%, but in some places, the prices have not only not gone up but even dropped.

However, do bear in mind that any visibly outlying figures—whether low or high—should be treated with caution, as they may be skewed by insufficient data or the specifics of the apartments sold.

The best idea is, probably, to look at where the averages between different apartment types were relatively consistent. CCK, Hougang, Punggol, Sengkang, Tampines, and Woodlands all reported figures around or above the national average across the board.

Jurong West, on the other hand, not only is the most affordable but has seen the lowest inflation over the past 12 months (again, when taking all apartment types into consideration).

Other towns should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, looking at the apartment size and its value relative to what’s available elsewhere, while extreme differences should be taken with more than a grain of salt.

3R apartments in Bukit Merah, for example, registered a 6% drop in median transacted prices, while 5R in Toa Payoh stayed almost perfectly flat. 44% and 26% inflation in Geylang’s 4R and 3R flats, on the other hand, is likely a major fluke.

Of course, whether or not these changes are good for you depends on your goal.

Are you buying or selling? Are you looking for an apartment with a higher return potential? Or maybe one where you believe the prices have already topped off for a while and it’s time to sell or buy now? Do you prefer convenience of location or a large floor area?

There appears to be something for everyone on the HDB menu and, despite appearances of being a cookie-cutter system, a similar budget can buy you completely different things in different places.

10,000 new flats coming in February

What may be of interest to new buyers—but perhaps also to those in the resale market, as it may have some influence on it as well—is that HDB announced an unprecedented release of over 10,000 apartments in February of 2025.

By comparison, the entire supply for the 10 months of 2024 stands at a little over 20,000.

In four months, HDB will offer about 5,000 BTO flats in Kallang/Whampoa, Queenstown, Woodlands and Yishun, as well as stage the largest-ever Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise, offering more than 5,500 apartments in different towns.

40% of those apartments will be completed units, with the rest slated for completion between 2025 and 2028.

Such an injection of housing can draw more of those eligible for new apartments away from the resale market and tame the inflation a bit although, of course, much will depend on conditions and locations.

Also Read: Data shows Singapore MRT is more reliable than Hong Kong MTR—and has been for several years

Featured Image: Ryan Lau / Unsplash

This M’sian smartphone repair biz grew from 1 store to 16 in just 4 years, here’s its story

[Written in partnership with SPR Tech, but the editorial team had full control over the content.]

Back in the day, when your phone was broken, you’d likely drop by any phone store to try and get it fixed.

But did you know that many of these phone stores would actually outsource the fixing to others who specialise in phone repairs?

This means longer wait times and heftier repair fees due to the middle men involved.

Nine years ago, SPR Tech was established to provide a better, more standardised solution.

From glass to screen

The man behind SPR Tech is Jason Kuan, the CEO and founder.

Having never pursued his tertiary education, Jason entered the workforce at a young age. He had been working in the glass manufacturing industry when he injured his hand.

With that injury, he began thinking, “Is this line of work really what I want to do?”

While he was recuperating, a friend happened to talk to him about the phone repair industry. That sparked an interest in Jason, who began looking into the field. Seeing its potential, he took up some courses to learn how to repair phones.

Not long after completing the courses, he decided to start offering his own repair services. He would go door-to-door to different phone stores, liaising with them to fix up phones as and when the jobs came in.

After some time, he began noticing the gap in the market for a specialised repair shop where all kinds of phone users could drop by for a myriad of servicing.  

With that realisation, Jason opened the first SPR Tech store, one of many more to come.

An increasingly competitive industry

Today, there are 16 SPR Tech outlets across the Klang Valley. Aside from phones, they can also fix up gadgets like earbuds, tablets, watches, and more.  

“Any brands you mention, we likely can do it,” Jason said.

When it comes to repairing your devices with third party service providers, though, a concern is quality. To that end, the CEO shared that SPR Tech actually has its own academy that trains its own staff as well as external students.

Continual research and improvement is conducted, too, to ensure that the team is constantly up-to-date with the latest technology.

However, competition is something that is unavoidable even in the phone repair industry.  

While affordable pricing is key to SPR Tech’s positioning, the company isn’t interested in engaging in a price war or racing to the bottom. As Jason said, there’s always someone somewhere doing things for cheaper.

“I think for us, our standout point is our customer service. Our main metric is customer satisfaction. We work with the goal of positive feedback in mind,” Jason shared.

Of course, almost every company can (and likely does) say that. But actually achieving that is no simple task. Looking up SPR’s branches, it does seem like many of them have high ratings, ranging around 4.8 to 5.0 stars on Google.

Jason shared that they are working on growing a customer experience department that will actively seek feedback to encourage customer loyalty and quality service.

The CEO shared that in the past, many might have looked down on the career, but it actually requires a lot of advanced skills to grow in this field.

In a way, thanks to SPR Tech’s growth, Jason has helped phone repair become a more professional—and perhaps more respectable—line of work.

Opportunities come to those who are ready to grab them

When asked about whether he foresaw SPR Tech’s growth, Jason shared that it was something he gave some thought to. “You need to have a blueprint, after all,” he said. “Slowly, it was built into a reality.”

But interestingly, the majority of SPR’s outlets were actually just opened in the past handful of years. In fact, prior to the pandemic, the team only had one outlet. Jason always had the intention to grow the business, but he bided his time and waited until the iron was hot before striking.

When the MCO happened and rent for shop lots became cheaper, Jason knew that the day had finally come for him to rapidly expand. So, expand he did. In just three years, they expanded to 16 stores.

“You must build a strong foundation,” he advised. “So that when the opportunity comes, you can grab it, and you can break through.”  

Expanding SPR

Thus far, all of SPR Tech’s outlets are self-owned, but Jason has solid plans to expand to other states in Malaysia.  

Specifically, he aims to grow by way of franchising, and has secured the proper credentials to offer such opportunities. Introducing franchise opportunities can also allow SPR team members to grow and become entrepreneurs in their own right, too.

The challenge now is finding the appropriate people to work with.

“The SOPs are all in place, so that’s not a problem. It’s about what kind of people are carrying out those SOPs,” he said. “Money and technique aren’t the challenge, it’s the people.”  

Looking back at his journey, Jason noted that finding the right talent is a challenge that SPR Tech has always dealt with. And it’s because of the right talent that the business was able to blossom.

“At the start, I had my hands full, busying myself with everything from left to right,” he reminisced. “But as you grow, you start having departments that you can delegate the responsibilities to.”

By identifying the right partners, running the business became easier. With the right talents in place, Jason was able to let go of the day-to-day operations and focus on his own strengths in growing the business.

“After all, one person’s capabilities are limited,” he said. “But when you gather multiple people, something that was challenging to you might not be challenging to them.”

Having been doing this for nearly a decade, Jason has no doubt collected many experiences, both positive and negative ones. As a seasoned entrepreneur now, there’s lots of advice and lessons he could share, but ultimately, it all boils down to one thing.

“You must have a dream,” he said. “For example, for myself, I wanted to take a very simple industry and achieve something that is not quite simple. That’s my motivator. For others, they have to find their own.”

• Learn more about SPR Tech here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Also Read: SDEC 2024 will explore the latest trends in semicon, AI & ecommerce, here’s how to join

Featured Image Credit: SPR Tech