Enterprise Explores

What will homes start to look like in a post-COVID world? IKEA is trying to picture what furniture and interior design will be like in a world that’s coping, recovering, and surviving a pandemic… and the results are pretty interesting . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The advent of online shopping has taken retail to the next level - and Instagram is finally opening the floodgates to aspiring entrepreneurs with Instagram Shopping. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virgin Galactic announced it has signed a deal with NASA to develop a “private orbital astronaut readiness program” that trains and supports private astronauts for missions to the International Space Station. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s pretty obvious that no industry has been spared in the onslaught of COVID-19. A recent survey by JobStreet breaks down the negative effects of the ongoing pandemic on remuneration and workload, as well as level of happiness in the office.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Customer needs and preferences are evolving at light speed as customers grapple with the impacts of COVID-19. So how can retail spaces relearn customers’ post-pandemic buying behaviours? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry (MOE) announced changes to the academic term this year to help schools better plan lessons that have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO) since March. The MOE said the mid-term break will now only be five days, down from nine days previously. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media platforms have come under tremendous scrutiny due to recent data leaks, disinformation, and sketchy privacy policies. But their collective role during the pandemic seems surprisingly notable . Some platforms, like Facebook, have made more improvements to their standards during this crisis than ever before. Meanwhile, others have made significant changes to their algorithms to aid user...

In an effort to regain work-life balance, employees who are on an indefinite work-from-home routine are renting out hotel rooms and facilities during office hours. And with the lack of tourists, hotels are welcoming the new wave of customers by tweaking their settings to suit a more work-oriented environment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the typical workplace, extroverts shine as their social interactions and enthusiasm put them in the office spotlight. However, with remote working having been the way to go for most businesses over the past few months, managers must take their extrovert employees into account and help them fulfill their need for socialising for maximum productivity.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Many of us have been told that deep expertise will lead to enhanced credibility, rapid job advancement, and escalating incomes. The alternative of being broad-minded is usually dismissed as dabbling without really adding value. But the future may be very different: Breadth of perspective and the ability to connect the proverbial dots (the domain of generalists) is likely to be as important as dept...

So you’ve gotten used to working from home. Maybe you even like it more than being in the office. Restrictions have eased and everyone is heading back to work in some capacity, but you’d like to maintain your new work culture. If there are valid reasons to your case, there might be ways to request an extended work-from-home period for yourself.  See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

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...