15 thoughts on “Christmas cheer and thoughts”

  1. Hello Joan
    I am a new member of SHC, and wish to know more about the proposed business venture linking between Perth and Singapore.

    Please refer to my personal profile” in which you will know more about my humble self”, and the kind of business I am presently pursuing on a freelance basis.

    I await an early response.

    Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

    Frank

  2. Hi Joan

    I’m keen to explore with you on business start-ups. Are you open to looking beyond the 2 shores?

    Let’s discuss and draw up a biz model. And if funding is required, I can speak to potential angel investors.

  3. Hi Frank and Eleanor

    Perhaps to start off, a bit of my background. I am a retiree, an ex-teacher presently residing in Perth but travel back to Singapore once or twice yearly.Since being here for 5 odd years, I don’t see myself as fully retired.

    Frank, on reading your profile, looks like an area to explore is education – perhaps foreign students who wish to come over to Perth to study English and get into colleges. It can also be holiday camps/excursions with a theme in mind.

    Eleanor, I’m open to your ideas and proposals. One of the things I realise is that there are many activities here open to seniors that they do not have much chance to do due to weather, lack of friends with similar interests. So another group to target could be the 50’s to 70’s, to organise activities to take them overseas, a sort of travel club.

    You may write to me at my email address for more discussions.

    Best wishes for the season
    Joan

  4. Hi Joan

    Please excuse me for being a computer illiterate. I don’t know how to search for your email address. Can you write to me please, if you do.

    Thinking out loud when you mentioned travel club. How does an Alaskan cruise sound? I’ve not been on one but is definitely a must-do item on my list before my legs get any weaker.

    Can you also share on the activities available to seniors there that can be perhaps exported here?

    Let’s explore the possibilities.

  5. Hi Eleanor

    Yes, hope to do an Alaskan cruise one day too though perhaps my first priority would be a Mediterranean cruise.

    The activities that I’m thinking of include:golf, wineries including fruit wines eg peach, plum etc, wildflowers, shore fishing, crabbing, art and craft lessons, bushwalking, nature trails, eco-trips etc.
    If on Singapore side, there are members who are keen to spend 1-3 months here, enjoying a simple lifestyle where they can stay cheaply as a small group of 4 – 10, do simple cooking and then use the time to sightsee, and engage in those activities I mentioned.

    Thus there must be a close working together, at either ends.

    Regards
    Joan

  7. Travel Club is an excellent idea. Travelling abroad is SHC’s favorite sport.

    You don’t need funding if you are dealing with inbound into Oz. Design those special interest tours with various operators. The tours will be pre-paid here in, at least, minimum group size before they depart.

    Organising outbound (Singapore) side no problem. Just set up a Oz company to take the Oz leg and give us your proposed plans. This is better than dealing directly with a group of Oz operators for each package.

    If there is interest, we can call a meeting to further this idea.

  8. Hello Joan
    Being a late starter in IT, I just managed to retrieve your kind reply for which I wish to thank you.

    Your idea is good but as far as I know education business including courses in English language is very competitive nowadays with the big boys dominating the fast growing market notably China, Vietnam and Indonesia, even Singapore is set to becoming an education hub in Asia-Pacific region.

    Undisputedly, Australia including Perth is still a popular education destination but certainy not for language (English) study. Besides, most Asian students could understand native spoken English better than the heavy Australian accent. I had encountered this problem with a few native Australian teachers, recommended for a kindergarten and a few English language centres in China and Vietnam.

    In view of the aforesaid, I am more inclined to be involved in freelance co-operative consultancy work in bilateral trade on general merchandise between Perth and Singapore on a fee/commission basis, than the education business though lucrative unless we embark our project on a big time scale preferably tying up with reputable foreign colleges/universities as partners.

    I will be pleased to receive your comment in this regard

    Frank

  9. Hi Joan

    It may be good to find out more about requirements from OZ DMIA to start such a proposed biz venture. eg is the biz is profit-generating, is it regarded as a ‘business’ in the eyes of DMIA, or if it is a purely voluntary service, must it be registered as such and SHC members can just visit OZ with the 3-mth visa?

  10. Just to share with everyone here.

    Another member wrote to me on his biz proposal to help newly-arrived immigrants acclimatize to their adopted country. My immediate thought was foreigners, in our economic context today, are looking to make Spore their adopted country rather than S’poreans leaving for foreign ground.

    However, if you think his proposal is a viable venture or you have referrals for him, he would be in town next March to discuss further.

  11. Hi all

    The “another member” Eleanor referred to is saya. I’m still working to refine the proposal but I’m happy to start discussing it if anyone is interested or, as Eleanor said, thinks it may be viable.

  12. Hi All

    Visitors to Perth come in on a 3 mth tourist visa unless they are on a business or retirement /working visa whereby they may have a 4 yr visa. I know of a Singapore couple who stays a month or so and they actually would like to stay 3 mths if they could get away.

    Taking small groups around or assisting them with accomodation, airport transfer matters can be done in a social context and I am told that no licence for this small business is needed here. Travellers usually have their own travel insurance to cover themselves when they travel abroad.

    It’s true that Singaporeans tend to travel for leisure very often. So the idea of travel clubs in Australia/Canada/UK etc to cater to SHC members may be feasible. For inbound tours into Singapore, the market is there I’m sure. I believe toursits into S’pore see it as a food and shopping paradise. Also there is a need to help with accomodation as they do find the hotels there expensive.

    (I’ve also written my comments under Travel Club).

    Regards
    Joan

  13. Hi Frank
    Your idea of consultancy work on a bilateral trade should work especially if you are involved in a product which has strong market demands. There are opportunities if you can tap into these areas. Not sure what areas you have in mind.
    Joan

  14. Hi all,

    Good idea to have a travel club — but much hard work needed for it to take off .
    Need to get together / meet to plan and work the plan/s .
    What’s next — let me know — I am keen to join in

    best regards from Fong2

  15. We had a meeting on Travel Club yesterday as part of the SHC Investment Club agenda. Some key decisions have been made. Some organisers are beginning to submit their programs which should be running soon.

    We sre having the next multimedia conferance on Tues at 10 am. We will summarize where we are at the next meeting.

    Venue: Scorebot at 18 Bali Lane (opposite Raffles Medical; nearby MRT Bugis Junction)

    Date: Tues 5 Jan 2007

    Time: 10 am for the main physical session

    If you cannot join us physically just log into our multimedia on-line chat conference. You can use both chat and audio to address the group.

    It is very simple. Just log in here

    http://www.star-conference.com./

    Use the following:

    Conference name: star-conference

    Conference password: star

    Guest name: type in your name.

    In case you need more info, the user guide is here

    http://www.webpresentationserver.com/download/stwps-clientguide70.pdf

    Page 16 & 17 shows you how to “phone” in and talk to us. Otherwise just stick to on-line text chat.

    You can now log-in to start a chat, submit suggestions, ask questions for the group even before the real meeting starts. You are encouraged to do so earlier to familiarize yourself especially if you are new to SHC on-line chat. During the actual session we may be too busy to handle connection issues.

    So come in now and be ready. Have a great session. Enjoy.

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