Latest news with #small business
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey small business and sole trader support webpage launched
Jersey's company registry has launched a new webpage to help sole traders and small business registry, which is run by the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC), said the new section of its site would help business owners navigate setting up and running a added that the page offers "clear guidance and practical resources" as well as help understanding the different types of company available. JFSC said it would expand the section in the future with more information, including simplified guidance on business names.A spokesperson said: "We understand that starting a new business or taking it to the next stage can feel overwhelming."
CNA
20-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
After her business failed, she followed in her mum's footsteps and became a bus captain
Most young girls don't grow up dreaming of becoming a bus captain. That was certainly the case for 45-year-old Chow Pei Guan. Although Chow's mother herself pilots a bus, that career path never once crossed her mind. 'I always thought it's a man's job,' Chow, who is Malaysian, told me in Mandarin. When she was in her twenties, Chow had other ambitions. Starting out as a phone shop sales assistant in Ipoh, Malaysia, in 2001, she worked hard to set up her own shop two years later, offering mobile phones, accessories and repair services. One shop grew into four. However, in 2014, her business began to decline and got progressively worse in 2015 when Malaysia introduced its goods and services tax. ' Products became more expensive and profit margins were squeezed. I had to slowly shut down my shops one by one,' she said. In 2016, Chow lost her last shop. Then 36 years old, she was at a loss for what to do. That was when her mother, who has been working in Singapore as a bus captain for 28 years, suggested following in her footsteps – compared with running a small business, it was a stable job with decent benefits. Something clicked, and a year later, Chow came to Singapore to join local public transport operator Go-Ahead Singapore as a bus captain. AN EXTREME CAREER SWITCH Usually, when people talk about careers running in the family, they tend to refer to artisan trades, hawker stalls, or even fields like law and medicine. But you could say bus driving runs in Chow's family. Her father had retired when she was still growing up, so her mother Tay Kwe Huah became the sole breadwinner. Tay left Malaysia in 1997 to become a bus captain in Singapore. 'Female bus captains were very rare then, more so than today. So I was very surprised,' said Chow. 'It's such a big vehicle, and buses were operated manually then, not auto like today, so it was much harder to drive. I thought my mum was very capable.' Chow was in secondary school then and came to visit her mother during the school holidays. She recalls spending entire days on her mother's bus, number 62, riding from Hougang to Geylang and back to Hougang to spend time with her mum. That was some 28 years ago, but the experience remains etched in her memory. She remembers the buildings, ticket inspectors checking tickets, and having lunch with her mother at the bus interchange. Her mother joined Go-Ahead Singapore nearly eight years ago. So when her mother suggested bus driving as a career after her business failed, Chow was struck by a sense of familiarity. 'If I hang on to the attitude that 'I am a boss, I won't do such jobs', I'd forever be stuck and won't be able to change jobs,' she reflected 'Driving a bus is a service job, like my previous role running a mobile phone shop. It is not that different.' Persuaded by the job stability she has seen her mother enjoy, she came to Singapore in 2017 and applied for the job. Chow was the only woman in a batch of six during her training. She was unfamiliar with Singapore roads and driving large vehicles but she pushed through and in 2017, became a bus captain. The first bus she piloted was bus 381, a feeder service in Punggol. 'I was so nervous on my first day. I had to remember my route, learn how to operate the fare box, and meet so many people. I was so shy that I did not say 'hi' to anyone that day,' she laughed. But after three or four trips, Chow felt more at ease. And after driving feeder buses for a year, she confidently tackled longer routes. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BUS CAPTAIN Chow has memorised some 30 different routes that traverse the island. She drives a different route each day to cover colleagues on leave. Starting her day at 5.30am, Chow works seven- to eight-hour shifts, although on some days, it can run up to 10 to 12 hours. Depending on how short or long the bus route is, she may make two to 10 trips a day, taking 40- to 60-minute breaks after each trip. After being a bus captain for eight years, sometimes, passengers still look surprised to see her behind the wheel. 'Some aunties will say, 'Wah, it's a very big bus. Can you do it?'' she laughed. 'I will tell them not to worry. I am well trained and will take them to their destination safely.' The idea that bus-driving is a man's role is outdated, she added. 'Just as there are now stay-at-home-dads, there are also many female bus drivers. We can do it as well as men,' she said. In fact, since last year, Chow has become a mentor, coaching one or two new bus captains and helping existing bus captains learn new routes each month – this usually takes up a week or two. When she is not mentoring, she drives a bus daily. One thing she loves about her job is exploring different parts of Singapore each day. Her favourite bus service is 518, an almost three-hour ride from Pasir Ris to Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands – it passes gorgeous city light-ups during the festive season, said Chow who takes this route twice a month. She also discovers famous local eateries such as Beach Road Prawn Mee and Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre during her daily drives, as well as from passenger recommendations. She also sees all manner of commuters during her daily rounds – kind passengers who shield others from the rain with their umbrellas, belligerent aunties who cut queues, and students who try to smuggle and eat all types of food on board, including piping hot cup noodles. These quirks add colour to her day. 'There is a child whose school is just across the road from his house. Instead of crossing the road, he will take my bus one full round just to get to the other side of the road to go to school. That's how much he loves to take the bus,' she laughed. Over time, many passengers have become friends, and some even cook dessert like bubur cha cha for her. As a bus captain, she also helps the vulnerable in the community, such as seniors and children who fall asleep, miss their stop or get lost. 'For lost seniors, we usually contact our operation control centre who will call the police and assist them when they get to the interchange. 'In the case of lost children, some will cry, so I'll pacify them first. Once we get to the interchange, I will ask them to wait for me, and take them back to their stop on the return trip,' she said. FINDING LOVE AT THE DEPOT One thing Chow did not expect was to find love at the bus depot. It was at the operation control centre that she got to know her husband. They hit it off and the couple began to meet at the canteen, texting each other, and going out for meals. Quickly, a romance blossomed. 'Whenever I encountered obstacles at work, he would comfort me and help me think of solutions. I like how mature he is,' she said. In 2021, after dating for three years, they got married, and at the age of 41, Chow gave birth to her beloved son. Her mum lives with them now. Today, she embraces her role as bus captain, wife and mother. Just as Chow rode in her mother's bus as a teenager, her husband also took their young son for a leisurely ride on her bus last year. 'Now, whenever he sees a Go-Ahead Singapore bus, he will say it's Mama's bus,' Chow laughed. It is a simple and happy life, Chow said. 'I always believe if you have the right attitude, you can turn your life around at any age. 'After going one big round, I think maybe my fate is somehow tied to bus driving,' she added. 'If I'd known this, I would have switched to being a bus captain a few years earlier.'
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
People Power: The Importance Of Human Capital
If you hire amazing people who enthusiastically support your mission, they can help share the burden of running a growing company. I want to share a truth you might find surprising: as a business owner—and especially if you are an entrepreneur starting a new business—your biggest challenge, your greatest risk, your most important task, isn't raising capital or implementing processes. It's making sure the people you surround yourself with will be the ones who will truly elevate your organization's capabilities. Sure, raising capital is important, but your 'human capital' is even critical. The phrase may sound cold, devoid of emotion, but as I like to say, 'Feelings aren't what lands on a spreadsheet.' Human capital can be defined as the economic value of your employees to your business. Your greatest expense is your employees, but they are also your greatest asset. The fact is, if you hire amazing people who enthusiastically support your mission, they can help share the burden of running a growing company with all of the varied challenges that it poses and help you create a competitive advantage in your market. But hiring even one bad apple can keep you awake at night and question your sanity. I know this firsthand! This is true of all companies, regardless of size, but it is especially true for small businesses. In running a small business, there are ripple effects with every interaction that feel far greater, which is why I have found that most business owners hang on to people who are wrong for the job longer than they should. As an entrepreneur, your company is an extension of you, almost like a parent-child relationship. In those situations, there are consequences and dependencies that have a greater impact on a team of ten than a team of one hundred or one thousand. That is why getting hiring right is the single most important thing you can do for your company. To be successful in business, you need to look at all aspects of your company with a business lens. Sure, calling your employees 'human capital' may feel like you are diminishing them individually. But at the same time, you cannot afford to pour hours of your time coaching one underperforming employee who has a crappy attitude, even though said crappy person would appreciate the added attention. Regardless of the size and stage of a company, getting hiring right is critical. The better the teams, the better prepared you are to deal with competition and market challenges. At the same time, people present their own challenges; what I hear from nearly all the clients I've advised and the entrepreneurs I've coached is 'businessing' is the easy part, and 'peopleing' is what makes that hard. People are wonderful and complicated. Universally, regardless of the industry you are in, the people you hire will always add dynamic complexities. You can have all the practical and operational tools and tactics in place. You can write the most sound business strategy and be well capitalized. You can monitor, check, adjust, optimize, and execute in real time all day long. Your people, though, are your wild card. People can be pure pandemonium. That's why you need to hire people who are custom-fit for you and your company. The sooner you can establish sound hiring practices, the greater your chance of success. Even when you have those in place, you still need to remember that no matter how much you do, people are wonderful and maddening, and oh so unpredictable—and you won't get far without them.
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
Ontario should rejig its programs meant to support the auto industry: CFIB
Video The CFIB released a report based on a survey of 187 small-to-medium-sized businesses in the auto sector, and found that their revenue has declined by 13 per cent, on average.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit mayoral primary candidates layout vision for city's future as election ramps up
The Brief Seven mayoral candidates had the chance to speak about their visions for Detroit if they were to get elected. The discussion on Tuesday revolved around Detroit's small business community. Roughly 100 Detroiters, small business people, and voters came out on Tuesday to try and narrow down a crowded field of candidates. DETROIT (FOX 2) - The primary election is just a few weeks away, and one of the biggest positions up for grabs is being mayor of Detroit. Seven candidates took part in a forum where they had a chance to lay out a vision for Detroit's future. Big picture view The discussion on Tuesday revolved around Detroit's small business community. Each candidate tried to link their prior life experiences with the future of Detroit. The question is, who can convince the voters their vision is the best right now? What they're saying Roughly 100 Detroiters, small business owners, and voters came out on Tuesday to try and narrow down a crowded field of candidates. Those choices included current local politicians, like Fred Durhal III and Mary Sheffield. "Whether we are talking about reducing property taxes, or growing more small businesses or helping the businesses we already have here," said Durhal. "We have to continue to move this city forward in a way that it is beneficial for everyone." "As I travel throughout this city I still see the potential, but I also see the pain of our city and one of the reasons why I'm also running is because I'm a woman of faith and I have a deep conviction that this is my calling," said Sheffield. Business owners also joined the stage who are also running, like Jonathan Barlow and Joel Haashiim. "I'm an innovation specialist. I'm a industry consultant and I converge relationships and stakeholders all the time. I want to do that for the city," said Barlow. "My vision is to build a diverse economy in the City of Detroit. Make Detroit the international city that it should be," said Haashiim. "Make Detroit a smart city." Business runners who are also running for mayor include Saunteel Jenkins and Todd Perkins. "The next era has to be the era of our neighborhoods rising. And in order for our neighborhoods to rise, small businesses have to rise too," said Jenkins. "I've started businesses. I've helped people run businesses and as a city we are a business, but we also have the empathy of the people in mind," said Perkins. Even a former chief of Detroit law enforcement, James Craig, is running. "You need a mayor who understands how to lead people and execute in a very efficient way. I've done that," said Craig. Each of the seven candidates say they share a vision of creating a safe, affordable and thriving city. What's next Meanwhile, they admit they bring different life skills to the table. This would create unique paths to making those goals a reality. Ultimately, it will be up to the voters come primary election day on Aug 5. The general election is in November. Mayor Mike Duggan has been running Detroit since 2013 and is not on the ballot as he is making a run for the governor's office in 2026.
