Kairos Global Pte Ltd

Kairos Global Pte Ltd Strive to be the BEST OF THE TIME in business and very aspect of life

We are glad to announce our Director Consultant Mr Yu Yu Chiu Kairos has successfully completed the Chartered Valuer and...
18/01/2025

We are glad to announce our Director Consultant Mr Yu Yu Chiu Kairos has successfully completed the Chartered Valuer and Appraiser Programme examination and is now conferred the Associate Chartered Valuer and Appraiser designation.

Business and Market Valuation: Simplicity in the midst of Sophistications:I have spent much time learning both the funda...
25/12/2024

Business and Market Valuation: Simplicity in the midst of Sophistications:

I have spent much time learning both the fundamental and technical analysis on business and market valuation hoping to achieve the best investment outcome. My conclusion is...

Business and market valuation / investment decision have to be grounded in fundamental macroeconomic analysis which gives us the probable right direction for the next 2 to 60 days (for short-term traders).

Frist of all, let me explain why I prefer 2- to 60-day trading.

It will be sheer luck for intraday traders to win most of the times, even if they trade with a sophisticated algorithm which they believe, have captured "all" the trading patterns/habits, the news and the fundamentals. Immediate signals (without due consideration of the fundamentals) are normally hard to interpret. High-frequency trading is just a good way to profit the platform service providers (Warren Buffet would probably agree to it).

Intraday traders may win if they are right on the news of high significance, such as the Fed interest rate decision or the Non-Farm Payroll (announced on the first Friday evening of every month for Asian investors). Nevertheless, the movement and/or the extent of the movement may very often be affected by the underlying fundamentals; for instance, US stock market fell 3% across the board within 3 hours after Fed Chair J. Powell spoke of a slowing rate cut in 2025 at the press conference on 18 Dec 2024 (19 Dec for Asian investors), the extend of which, I believe, is caused by the fundamental factors that are aligned with business and market valuation.

In addition, the best algorithm and artificial intelligence will not be able to capture all the factors affecting the trade in an 8- or 24-hour time frame. Not only are there many players in the market, but there are also "stakeholders" in the trade that may be able to "influence" the trade for a short-period of time, especially under "unexplained sudden movements" or when it is close to the cut-off point of a big-volume to-be-expired option. There isn't any ceteris paribus (other things being constant) condition to the multifaceted reality of "Everything Everywhere All at Once!" However, it will be much more difficult to influence the market on a 2- to 60-day time frame and it is also easier to forecast the market direction and valuation with much confidence within such a time frame under fundamental analysis.

If the investment horizon is more than 60 days, small investors may not be able to capitalize on their precious capital. For a 60-day turnover, investors may reinvest their capital 6 times in a year!

It does not mean that we should give up technical analysis altogether. Indeed, the actual entry points (especially for small investors) depend very much on technical analysis. For instance, there is a time where Heng Seng Index hovered between 16,500-18,000 and the fundamental analysts would deem it "cheap" to go in, but at what level that an investor may not be too worried about topping-up their capital in case it went further down before it commenced to ascend. Technical analysis will help in setting the entry points, the "target" and the "stop" levels.

Business and market valuation / investment is to see the heart (simplicity) of the matter in the midst of noises (sophistications).

(Note: This does not constitute business and market valuation or investment advice and does not have regard to the specific needs of any person who may receive it.)

Branding in the Age of AIAI (Artificial Intelligence) is a powerful tool in the creating and optimizing branding and mar...
04/06/2024

Branding in the Age of AI

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a powerful tool in the creating and optimizing branding and marketing strategies.

As part of brand audit to find out who are our primary competitors, their core value propositions, market share, branding strategies, business models and how they are compared with our brand in terms of the relevant parameters, AI will surely help.

For the other pillar of brand audit concerning customer perspectives, AI will also be useful: How do our customers think and feel about our brand and offerings? What have excited them buying our products instead of our competitors'? How can we do better to capture a bigger market share? What is the value of our brand and intellectual properties? How well will AI monitor the infringement of our intellectual properties?

AI will encompass all the mentioned aspects concerning branding strategy, if it has not already. However, AI is not there yet and may not be so for quite some time, especially for SMEs.

One major obstacle is that we may not be able to feed the AI applications with accurate and relevant information for branding purpose as much of the information is confidential, scattered and/or not yet digitalized. A motor vehicle workshop has its information all over the place - individual technicians' handphones, company's computers and tablets, hardcopies... To digitalize and organize the information for AI training will take much effort, time and incur significant costs.

What an SME may do is to start small commencing the AI journey in critical strategic branding areas, for instance on exploring which product category or sub-category the company will focus on. AI is as good as how we make use of it to optimize our search and/or generate new ideas.

Another impact AI on branding and marketing is that consumers may become rely too much on AI's product recommendations which tend to favor new and value products/services and/or whichever pay them more.

Despite the above, AI will serve as a quick cross-check of the branding strategies we have selected and make our branding strategies more data-driven.

Branding will find AI a very useful and valued companion as the technology evolves.

(Note: the attached photo is created by an AI application on the theme "Branding and AI".)

Branding is to create and maintain a mental space in the mind of target buyers through its leadership in a product or se...
23/05/2024

Branding is to create and maintain a mental space in the mind of target buyers through its leadership in a product or service category or sub-category.

A primary objective of branding is to differentiate one's offering to enable the command of a premium price and to achieve supernormal profits above the market norms. However, such supernormal profits will lure imitators, and market competition may eventually normalize these profits, diminishing the brand’s value over time.

Branding, from a strategic viewpoint, must be reviewed, renewed, reenforced and re-invented from time to time.

Consider a newly opened Thai restaurant. If it fights to create and replace the mental space of prospective consumers as a generic "authentic" Thai cuisine, it will be unlikely to succeed for that mental space is overcrowded. Alternatively, if the branding strategy targets the main categories instead, like "boat noodle", "tom yum (spicy shrimp) soup", or "Pineapple fried rice", it may still encounter significant challenges. This is because altering consumers’ established perceptions of what constitutes the “classic or most recognized flavor” is not a simple task.

Therefore, the restaurant might consider targeting a sub-category for branding where there is ample mental space for the Thai food enthusiasts, such as "tong yum crab soup", "Street boat noodle", or "Ching Mai Khao Soi". Aficionados of Thai cuisine are often eager to explore various styles or regional specialties, even if they have a preferred Thai dish that predominates their palate.

Branding resides within the memories of prospective customers! Memory influences purchasing decisions, and in turn, these decisions impact memory. When consumers contemplate Thai cuisine, they might initially recall tom yum soup, which could lead them to consider tom yum crab soup. In this moment, a brand could act as a key memory trigger. Being recognized as a frontrunner in specific product sub-categories, often known as having a “signature dish,” can significantly contribute to brand building.

Besides the importance of mental availability, don't forget the aspect of physical availability when it comes to branding!

Traders know very well how tough it is for precise, accurate and timely financial management projections, except those w...
06/05/2024

Traders know very well how tough it is for precise, accurate and timely financial management projections, except those who boast - often falsely - about their flawless track records! Real-world economics seldom behaves what economics textbooks are depicting. There isn't any ceteris paribus (other things being constant) condition to the multifaceted reality of "Everything Everywhere All at Once!"

Financial management and economic projections are about human behaviors which are forever evolving and counter-evolving.

For example, the Chinese economy is reportedly in the doldrums because consumers are hesitant to spend due to the negative wealth effects of faltering property and stock markets, coupled with over 20% youth unemployment. Nevertheless, there are always countervailing forces; the property market's downturn could be a relief for some, who are now less pressured to save for down payments and more inclined to invest in the "affordable" stock markets. Moreover, the Chinese stock markets are more influenced by retail investors compared to those in advanced economies.

Another example of financial management forecasting is the impact of the US Dollar on stock markets and specific currency pairs of interest to investors or traders. Even when the market somewhat anticipates that the Federal Reserve will postpone reducing its interest rate, while the European Central Bank is likely to implement a cut soon, EUR/USD may defy expectations and rise. What are the opposing forces? Will these forces persist in influencing the price? When will they cease or become the prevailing trend?

Ceteris paribus does not apply in the real world.

A professional in financial management needs to be cognizant of the primary underlying fundamentals as well as the counter currents and determine when a counter or tertiary current will take precedence. As the dominant trend concludes, charting skills then take precedence over fundamental analysis.

Therefore, a shrewd financial management consultant is valued for their discernment, which is frequently derived from learning through errors and persistently questioning their own assumptions.

Kairos Global is always here to assist! Offering the best of the times!

Is an "Exit in a Financial Position" considering a success or a failure in financial management? It depends on one's obj...
21/12/2023

Is an "Exit in a Financial Position" considering a success or a failure in financial management? It depends on one's objective. There are thousands of reasons to liquidate a position in an asset or a business.

Take profits, retire from active management, minimize losses, capitalize brand value, consolidate and restructure current portfolio are some of the common reasons people exit their businesses, depending partially on their role as a business owner, an investor, a venture capitalist or a trader.

Some "established" companies start to think of an exit strategy only when they cannot find any successors amongst their immediate and extended families, or their businesses have been in the doldrum, yet they don't want to see their loyal though shrinking customers or suppliers off, or they just want to retain a legacy. Many have deep emotional attachments to their businesses.

Exit strategy should be planned at the time when the business commences. Of course, some set up or invest in a business with the primary purpose of selling or liquidating it for a profit down the road. However, there are many who want the business to pass on through generations, yet it is wise to have an exit plan even if one has yet to envision any. Perhaps someone may have "forced" a plan on you.

When we were engaged to do a management consultancy project, even if it is a non-financial management project like branding and marketing strategy, we used to draft a mid- to long-term roadmap where the business will be good enough to go for public listing or be merged with a strategic partner to take the company to the next level.

An entrepreneur may commence the business with the right value propositions and is able to achieve some preliminary successes, yet to take the company up a notch requires different business acumen and capabilities.

To spur the company from good to become "great", financial management will be one of the key capabilities.

An Exit Strategy should be formulated and fine-tuned during all stages of a company's life cycle. It will have the business purpose anchored well to avoid unnecessary disappointments.

Branding is about mental and physical availability which customers activate the cues from which options are retrieved to...
14/08/2023

Branding is about mental and physical availability which customers activate the cues from which options are retrieved to make a purchase decision. Branding affects our decision.

Since Singapore is a small country with a land area of 734 sq km, the number of physical outlets seem not as important. Just because Singapore is small, however, off-line shopping has always been something Singaporean shoppers enjoy doing in their spare time with their friends.

In my recent EDG projects on branding with a few food & beverage companies, many one or two-outlet restaurants want to expand overseas instead of enhancing their local presence. They quoted to me the high rental cost, labor shortage, intense local competition and Singaporeans travelling to Johor during weekends were some of the concerns expanding their stores in Singapore.

When consumers have the impulse to meet with friends for a meal, what will come up in their minds for the choice of cuisine and locations? Branding is about enhancement of space in the memory of the consumers. Which brands will hit the consumers when they think of chilly crab, mala steamboat, sushi, and fish and chips?

Once consumers have decided which cuisine and food to have for their dinner, they will think of the physical outlet that is convenient to them and their friends. Though Singapore is small, consumers are time-conscious, and few want to spend two hours travelling to and fro the outlet to enjoy an hour meal.

In addition, some SMEs have had bad experience of opening an outlet on the "wrong" side of the island and find that they are not welcome there even if the food was as good as the main outlet. Once they have made a bad choice on the location, they will suffer great loss for long-term rental contracts, poor word of mouth, demoralized staff across the food chains...Some may just expand by opening smaller outlets in selected districts to try out.

While we are planning a smooth on-line off-line marketing strategy, let's examine the needs to open multi-outlet chain stores in Singapore. We need to understand our customers' behaviors and the margin of preference for them to choose this store instead of our competitors'.

Before we go overseas, let's be sure we have reached the optimum number of stores/outlets in Singapore.

Both mental and physical availability are critical to branding!

25/01/2023

Many products - bags, jewelry, watches, hotels, condos... try very hard to brand themselves as "luxurious" so that they may command top prices and maximum attention.

To be seen as a luxury requires much branding and marketing efforts which may cost extravagantly. First of all, the products are not to be mass produced, that is little economies of scale. It also needs to be seen not only good to have, but one of a kind, an indisputable leader in its market; indeed, not it is not only a product, but an art that expresses superb fineness and quality.

As a leader in today's business, a luxury should lead not only due to its quality and even history, but a shared value of the global village and a business process admired by the market as an ideal future.

While luxury brands must command customers' love, respect, pride and devotion, they will find themselves losing its shine if they are seen as superfluous, self-indulgent, even excessive. When luxury brands focus only on the glamorous side of luxury without paying due attention to sustainability and social responsibility, they are in effect, diminishing their value.

While many will keep trying to attain the status of a luxury for it will infer fame, profitability and sales, especially in industries that are obsessed with quality, prestige, lifestyle and innovation, luxury is redefined from time to time as society and value evolve.

Price alone cannot define a product as a luxury. A $80 bag can be a luxury if it represents a culture or value highly cherished by the consumers at large. It is surely a luxury if it is given by a parent who lives from hand to mouth.

Leave us a message in case you want your products to climb the luxury ladder!

What is success? It is where you have achieved your goals. Hence a success formula will embrace the principles that will...
07/01/2023

What is success? It is where you have achieved your goals. Hence a success formula will embrace the principles that will get you to where you endeavor to be.

Objectives are achieved when we apply the relevant facts to our situations. Facts, however, may not be the truth. If we are not able to get the facts right, we are doom to fail.

In our exploration of the truth, we will encounter many issues and many of them will occur over and over again in our lives if we are yet to resolve them.

By ourselves we will not be able to resolve all the problems. The pain of disappointments and the shame of being disapproved and rejected would have saved us from failure if we take the opportunities to reflect on them and persevere.

Trying is better than succumbing to fate. Absence of humbling experiences in our lives will make us more vulnerable in the long run! To get around our weaknesses, it is therefore good to work with people who are strong where you are weak and choose the right people who love you and want you to be successful in life.

To succeed, we should be open-minded and be assertive at the same time. We shall work out our relationship especially with trustworthy people who disagree with you. Yet we own the outcomes.

Similarly, if we want success in business, it is important to collaborate with people who are sincere and dare to confront you to your face. Just have the wisdom to avoid those who pretend to operate in your interest while seeking their own.

Form your goal, work on it and be successful!

We think we are effective communicators such that we know what we are supposed to do and that our team all fall into pla...
02/01/2023

We think we are effective communicators such that we know what we are supposed to do and that our team all fall into place with one accord. How many times would we realize that we are very wrong. The link between action and ideas, the process driven by our KPIs that would result in profitability, our emotional glue with co-workers, clients and business partners are at stake if we fail in communicating - encoding and decoding the meanings correctly across to our counterparties.

[Interview]
Boss: I see you majored in communication.
Man: No. Miscommunication.
Boss: But your CV clearly says ‘Communication’.
Man: See?

Imagine if the organization would improve its communication by 50%, it would enhance productivity, staff morale and the bottom line by many folds. An organization spends much time in communication through talk, zoom, email, text... and among them, meeting is one of the costliest.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has laid down 3 rules for an effective meeting:

2 pizza - limit the number of participants.
6 pager - a narratively structured memo as the context for the discussion.
30 minutes - start with participants reading the memo silently.
Perhaps a timely advice is not to meet unless it is absolutely necessary.

One of the great communicators I admire of is Cheng Ho, the great fifteenth century Chinese admiral, who had to communicate with 28,000 crew in 317 ships in long expeditions, without any mobile phones, facsimile... not even a loudspeaker.

Effective communication entails much effort on the part of everyone in the company - from the top to the bottom. Let's make it ultra-effective!

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