Enterprise Explores

If working is inhaling, many people are stuck holding their breath. Here’s why it’s important to cultivate a rest ethic and finally exhale, too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re like many people, you don’t take a lot of vacations from work. Even people who can take as many days as they want a year often take fewer than two weeks of paid time off each year. A big reason why is that work builds up. Vacations are nice, but the amount of preparation you need before you go away to make sure responsibilities are taken care of and the number of tasks waitin...

Keanu Reeves is very private for a celebrity, but it’s a well-known fact that he likes to do his part for charity. In a charity auction for Camp Rainbow Gold, Keanu Reeves is giving the highest bidder a chance to go on a date with him , albeit via Zoom. The highest bid surpassed the estimated value of the date by nearly $9000.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in truly tumultuous times. Social distancing, stock-market roller coasters and the suspension of business operations worldwide have created an uncertain atmosphere, to say the least. Meanwhile, climate change, income inequality, racial unrest and other issues continue to manifest anxiety, fear and even anger for many. While these problems can seem overwhelming, history has repeatedly taugh...

We live in truly tumultuous times. Social distancing, stock-market roller coasters and the suspension of business operations worldwide have created an uncertain atmosphere, to say the least. Meanwhile, climate change, income inequality, racial unrest and other issues continue to manifest anxiety, fear and even anger for many. While these problems can seem overwhelming, history has repeatedly taugh...

Today we celebrate World Refugee Day by speaking to two social enterprises founders that have been helping to raise awareness of the challenges refugees face in Malaysia. We feature Sasibai Kimis of Earth Heir and Yuet Kim Lim or PichaEats and also discuss how more Malaysians can help. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cashless payments have come in handy now more than ever due to the “no-touch” policy created by COVID-19. While the pandemic has fast-tracked the move to digital financing for many sectors, others such as hawkers and small businesses are still relying heavily on physical cash payments. In an effort to push app-based payments further, Singapore is now hiring hundreds of digital ambassad...

Walmart, America’s biggest source of employment is cutting cashiers from one of its stores in a strategy that they say is to ‘limit human interaction’ and to ensure that customers can get in and out of the facility quicker.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Southeast Asia is in the early stages of a takeoff in e-wallet adoption that is likely to transform the financial industry . The competition for market leadership is wide open and furious. But for digital finance to make the next big leap in scale, both incumbent banks and new digital challengers must overcome obstacles. We speak to Aparna Bharadwaj, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consult...

After months of trying to stave off the impact of COVID-19, major companies are now starting to feel the long-term effects of the virus on the economy. Ride-hailing firm Grab has cut 5% of its staff to cope with the increasing pressure of the pandemic. Because the service is tied to the incomes of eateries and other outlets, one has to think about the widespread implications of such layoffs. ...

It’s fair to say that the way in which we interact with public spaces will be changed forever due to the impact that COVID-19 has had on our lives. We can no longer just head out to a restaurant, a park, a gym or even a workspace without considering extra precautions in these times that we’re now calling the ‘new normal’. But what’s going to be different? And how can...

The latest Workmonitor survey conducted by Randstad Malaysia revealed that 49% of employees in Malaysia are likely to leave their jobs to start their own business. Interestingly, more than 4 in 5 Generation-Z respondents (82%) and 76% of Millennials said that being an entrepreneur would give them more opportunities. We speak to Jaya Dass, Managing Director, Malaysia and Singapore at Randstad on ho...

Often it can be difficult to reimagine your home as your primary workspace; but for those who have excelled in working from home, here are 5 habits they’ve adopted to maximise productivity . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s be honest, these are probably the worst times in recent history to be looking for a job. Many people are already finding themselves unemployed, so there’s a lot of competition. But also due to social distancing, in-person interviews, job fairs and networking events are all cancelled. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other ways of finding a job . You need to adapt a...

With Malaysia’s unemployment rate at the highest it's ever been for over 30 years , with more than 750,000 Malaysians now unemployed, is the worst still yet to come? So how best do you prepare for the uncertainty that lies ahead? Upskill & reskill! We speak to Latt Omar Shariman, Co-Founder of Ruang Cikgu on how they are capitalising the dire need to be equipped with the tools to run you...

There’s no denying that online shopping is up worldwide. Afterall, many of us have been stuck inside for months and needed to find a way to grab the products and services that we needed. What might come as a surprise however, is that customer satisfaction for some of these platforms - especially Amazon , is at an all time low. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While most pasar malam traders are eager to restart their business after a string of ‘dry’ months, 80% of the 200 KL-based night markets won’t be able to reopen due to strict SOPs. Many traders are struggling to comply with the rules set in place, saying that it hinders the way a normal pasar malam operates.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As barbershops and hair salons begin their operations after securing a green light from the ministry, many of them have been found to increase their charges in-light of the new SOPs in place. Are these prices justified and what’s the reasoning behind it? We speak to Lex Low, Founder and Chief Barber of Othrs. Barbers on how they’ve coped since reopening and Jeevan Sahadevan of Leverage...

PlayStation 5 has been officially revealed and there’s plenty to look forward to! From its slightly-overdone chassis to an offering of new games due to be released when the console hits shelves, we discuss the ups and downs of what we’ve learned so far about Sony’s new flagship console. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we all start heading back to work, leaders are considering how to approach new health and safety procedures, and how to psychologically ease employees into feeling safe in the workplace. https://www.inc.com/brit-morse/reopening-workplace-help-employees-feel-safe-psychologically.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the short-term economic recovery plan, the Malaysian Government has announced a tax exemption of up to RM5,000 for ICT equipment. According to the Prime Minister, the tax exemption is given to employees that have received devices from their employers for the purpose of working from home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been discussing the mythical “4-day work week" for years, but with COVID-19 and global lockdowns changing work culture in a matter of months, companies, and entire countries are now seriously rethinking the very nature of work for its people. Singapore’s Parliament, for example, has now pitched the idea of a 4-day work week. Could Malaysia be next? See omnystudio.com/listen...

Common sense and experience dictate that there will always be office politics at work, but what happens when we remove the office? This question is more pertinent than ever because for the first time in history, a large portion of the industrialized workforce has been detached from its physical habitat. Can technology erase, or at least sanitize, the invisible forces that govern the power dynamics...

As we start to lift restrictions, many are going back to the office; however, only very few people seem to be too pleased. In a survey by KPMG Malaysia , 69% of respondents wanted the work-from-home arrangements to continue post-MCO. Why are people starting to get the back-to-work blues? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, July 8, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared that New Zealand was free of the coronavirus, stating that not a single new case was reported in the last 17 days. An added bonus is the fact that, for the first time since February, there are no active cases remaining in the country. But of course, Ardern has stressed the importance of caution especially during delicate times like this. Se...