COVID-19 has great caused global impact both positively and negatively. Negatively speaking, it’s a huge tsunami for a lot of traditional businesses. Positively speaking, it’s a huge opportunity for digital businesses.
It’s going to be a change and there will be a new way of spending and lifestyle in the future. It simply means it’s the time for digital transformation.
Hong Kong has no exception, and thanks to its great treasury reserves, Hong Kong is still able to survive and offer different subsidy schemes and policies that favour and help businesses to sustain in the market.
Recently, the Secretary of Innovation and Technology Bureau has also announced the HKD 500 million D-Biz scheme for 6 months period to support Hong Kong enterprises work from home. The businesses to be supported include online stores, e-marketing, cyber-security, remote document management, remote team management, and virtual meeting.
Application starts in May. This is a motivating measure and it’s a great opportunity to foster digital transformation.
GoBuddy is ready to be part of this journey, as we are offering a full 3-in-1 digital software suite for checkout solutions integrated with e-commerce, e-booking and community building in one single platform.
We are living in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Hong Kong in particular more so since summer 2019 than ever before. From a global trade war through to social unrest, along with a recession and now the Coronavirus, Hong Kong businesses are now adapting faster than ever before to a series of fast changing events that affect our businesses. What should Hong Kong SMEs be doing today to protect our businesses and ensure our long-term survival?
There are a few simple measures for SMEs to future-proof our businesses in these abnormal times, ensuring our businesses continue to be of value into the distant future and not becoming obsolete.
These days, trying to win new contracts and secure new revenues may not be so easy. Retaining customers and minimising any lost sales is very important. With current events, now is a good time to review our costs and identify costs which are no longer required, or which can be temporarily suspended, without decreasing good customer service. These can include and of course not limited to:
Negotiate with landlords and see if we can secure a temporary rent reduction
Review subscription fees and identify and software licences we are paying for, but not using
Reducing international travel costs and making the most of technology for meetings and calls
Reviewing contracts and agreements with suppliers to see if we can negotiate fees and change of scope for services
Review marketing costs. Do we need to spend as much as we have been
Review insurances in relation to the business. We all need insurance, however, now is a good time if we can find or negotiate better rates
Review insurances in relation to the business. We all need insurance, however, now is a good time if we can find or negotiate better ratesNegotiate with landlords and see if we can secure a temporary rent reductionReview subscription fees and identify and software licences we are paying for, but not usingReviewing contracts and agreements with suppliers to see if we can negotiate fees and change of scope for servicesReducing international travel costs and making the most of technology for meetings and callsReview marketing costs. Do we need to spend as much as we have beenReview insurances in relation to the business. We all need insurance, however, now is a good time if we can find or negotiate better ratesNegotiate with landlords and see if we can secure a temporary rent reduction
Negotiate with landlords and see if we can secure a temporary rent reduction
We should consider setting a budget and forecast for the financial year ahead. It may be difficult to predict our revenues. We can, however identify all our costs and ascertain what revenue we need to achieve to break-even and what incremental revenue is needed to achieved a desired profit margin.
Flexible Management Accounting
Having the flexibility in place is important. Fresh Accounting is a dynamic management accounting practice and consultancy with offices in Hong Kong & Singapore. Fresh believes accountants should do more than just report on how your business is doing in which they identify opportunities and strategies to improve your business and support you in improving performance and profitability. Fresh provides three distinct services:
Monthly accounting services
CFO & Advisory
Implementation of cloud based accounting solutions
CFO
Employing a full-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) can prove expensive for a small or medium sized business and you may not have the requirement for a full time professional, especially in these difficult times.
Having said that, you still need an experienced set of eyes to help you grow your business or even maintain business through the current economic climate. A flexible arrangement with clients where we work closely with you to become a valuable resource.
A CFO will work with you to understand your business and put systems in place to provide a framework that will deliver meaningful information, allowing you to maximise business performance through informed decisions.
You need an experienced set of eyes to help you grow your business or even maintain business through the current economic climate
Digital transformation and cloud based accounting solutions powered by Xero
Xero allows you to automate many of the essential, but time-consuming, accounting tasks. With Xero’s help, Fresh can take care of everything for you, so you can get on with what you’re good at. Fresh is to support business growth with Xero at the helm.
Fresh Accounting is one of Asia’s fastest growing Xero specialist and a Platinum Partners. Xero is cloud based, which means you can access your accounts anywhere, from your office to the comfort of your sofa at home at any-time of the day. There is no need to back up information or rely on one computer to access your accounting software. The interface is slick, easy to navigate and use. Bank feeds with HSBC, DBS and Hang Seng allow bank information to flow into Xero seamlessly.
Xero is cloud based, which means you can access your accounts anywhere, from your office to the comfort of your sofa at home at any-time of the day
There are numerous add-ons to Xero, from expense management, inventory management to project management allowing you to build and customise your own integrated cloud based software solutions.
Our modern world shivers as if we are collapsing into anarchy. Wildfires are burning out of control. Governments are refusing to listen to their people. There are stories of neighbors turning on neighbors. Families being torn apart.
Nowhere are those divisions more on display than in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was once a vibrant stop on the maritime silk road which formed the backbone of international trade. Fast forward to now and we can see that same impressive legacy shining full force. The meeting of cultures. The intersection of worlds. People care passionately about what happens to Hong Kong, and each person has a different point of view.
That is the sign of a true cultural center.
If the problem is chaos and varying points of view all striving to be heard, then what is the solution?
Yoga and meditation.
Yoga and meditation have been developed over thousands of years to help us communicate clearly
To help us understand and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds. Yoga helps us to be the very best we can be – and then to use that energy and strength to work with others toward common goals.
Yoga generally focuses on the body. It is critical that we get ample sleep, maintain our immune system, and foster strong health. Our body is our vessel which moves us about in our world. Without that stable base beneath us, it becomes nearly impossible to communicate well and to expend our energy fruitfully to reach our dreams.
Meditation lifts our spiritual strength. It allows us to think clearly, find solutions to problems, and empathize with our fellow human beings. Through meditation we find the basis through which we all share goals and inspirations. Meditation allows us to understand where another person is coming from. To forge a path which will join us together in harmony.
It is nearly impossible for a person deluged with stress to handle challenges to the best of their ability
Anxiety and worry interfere with the brain’s thought processes. Yoga and meditation help to relieve stress and foster relaxation. Through that regular practice, the mind and body are able to focus, attenuate, and draw energy toward their chosen goals.
Breathing exercises, or pranayama, can be a critical additional component to these routines, because the breathing exercises can be done anywhere at any time. Even if a person is waiting in line, or sitting in an office, the pranayama can allow them to regain calm and focus with which to tackle the challenges ahead.
The key is to begin. To invest even five minutes today in a short yoga stretch. In a brief mindfulness meditation. In a simple breathing exercise. For every new beginning is a chance to engage with a new path.
Yesterday is a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore to this day.
During the recent outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus, a large number of tours, events and activities that require physical interaction have been cancelled. Inevitably, this has negatively affected the economy, particularly in Hong Kong, after the first impact during the 6-month social movement happened in June 2019.
GoBuddy recommends the possibilities of getting some classes and workshops online, and we would like to share our insights and research in this area. We have identified 5 online video conferencing software, which we think are suitable for application in different scenarios.
Here is a summary:
Product
Subscription Method
Description
1
Zoom
Free for first 40 min
Suitable for interactive activities & meetings for up to 100 people. Shareable link, and sometimes may require download zoom app or the software to continue successfully.
2
Skype
Free for up to 50 ppl
Suitable for interactive activities & meetings without time limit. Embedded in the browser and do not necessarily need the app and software to be downloaded to connect.
3
Google Hangouts
Free without limit
Suitable for interactive activities without time limit. But it requires users to be connected with Google Calendar.
4
YouTube Live
Free without limit
Suitable for minimal interaction to focus on the host, and the guests can just leave comments.
5
Remo
Paid plan
Suitable for large activities and conferences with rooms simulation, enabling interactive sessions and networking. It’s basically exactly the same as those networking sessions and conferences, but things are brought online.
Setting Up Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing based software that was designed to promote collaboration via an innovative integrated system featuring web conference, group messaging and online meetings.
Setting Up Skype
Skype is a software application, which comes with powerful text, voice and video tools, providing users with a simple way to share experiences with others, no matter their location.
Setting Up Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is a communication software product developed by Google. Originally a feature of Google+, Hangouts became a stand-alone product in 2013, when Google also began integrating features from Google+ Messenger and Google Talk into Hangouts.
Setting Up YouTube Live
YouTube Live is an easy way to reach your audience in real time. Whether you’re streaming a video game, hosting a live Q&A, or teaching a class, our tools will help you manage your stream and interact with viewers in real time. There are a few ways you can live stream on YouTube.
Setting Up Remo
Made by a remote team, Remo makes it dead simple to create a delightful, immersive virtual space that empowers people to communicate, connect, and collaborate with each other just like they would in real life.
When you enter a space in Remo, you will see a top-down, 2-D map view of an event venue, virtual office, conference, or school, full of interactive “rooms.” Each room hosts an always-on video chat for occupants of a room, making it easy for collaborators to pop in and out of conversations with ease.
在這以數據作主軸的世代裏，每個人都會接收各種形式的廣告和營銷數據，包括廣告，贊助帖子，廣告牌，印刷廣告及電視廣告。據說每個人平均每天可以看到4,000個廣告。對於公司而言，要在眾多牌子中脫穎而出，令觀眾對廣告有親切感及聯繫感，牽動人心的技巧是必需的。 In today’s data-driven world, an average person consumes various forms of advertisement and marketing data every day including banner ads, sponsored posts, billboards, print ads and TV ads. It is said that an average person sees 4,000 adverts on a daily basis. For any brand to break out of this clamour and have a memorable connection with their audience, the art of storytelling is essential.
比起大多數的市場營銷方法，故事是最容易與讀者產生共鳴的一種方式。這可以為讀者帶來代入感，增加讀者及機構的聯繫，從而增加讀者對機構好感度。 A story brings the audience closer to the cause. Stories are a fundamental human experience that drives people to feel empathy. As a result, it creates deeper connections between the target market and the marketer, resulting in a higher recollection value of the message your brand is attempting to portray.
對於非貿利政府組織而言，說故事技巧對他們十分重要。為了令讀者代入故事情景中，他必須把自己的感情移入故事裏的人物身上。當讀者會為故事裏的人物而有情緒起伏，就可以觸發他有下一步的行動。 This marketing tool is as important to NGOs as to profit-making brands, maybe even more so. For a donor to be able to connect to the story of a beneficiary, he must be drawn into her life. The trigger of empathy is a powerful tool in fundraising. Even though each NGO’s story varies, there are standard storytelling rules when it comes to marketing.
規則＃1：創建角色 RULE #1: Create a character
為了讓故事更有吸引力，一個有影響力，令你有情緒起伏的角色是必需的。所以，請確保角色設定的細節是準備好的。例如，她有寵物嗎？角色的目標或願望是什麼？這為下一條規則奠定了基礎。 In order for a reader to follow a story, there must be a character to empathize with. This is who you hope for, fear for, and cheer for. Be sure to include memorable details to your character – does she have a pet? Who is their best friend? What is their favourite meal? The character must have a goal or desire, this sets up the basis for the next rule.
規則＃2：衝突 Rule #2: Conflict
既然您擁有吸引觀眾的角色，便可以開始描述他們的經歷。首先，先談論您的角色遇到什麼困難，討論此問題如何影響您的角色，並描述可能產生的附帶影響。例如，自然災害可能導致缺乏醫療保健，或者疾病可能導致社會不滿。 Now that you have a well-rounded character that the audience has been drawn to, it is time to describe their struggle. This is when you talk about the cause and effect of the problem that your NGO is trying to solve. Talk about how this problem is affecting your character, describing any collateral effects that may come out of it. For instance, a natural disaster could lead to lack of healthcare, or disease could cause social disapproval.
規則＃3：採取行動 Rule #3: Take action
故事的這一部分描述了角色如何在您的組織的幫助下面對她所面臨的困難。現在是時候說明潛在捐助者如何扮演英雄角色，用自身的能力及財力，幫助主角克服困難。 This part of the story describes how, with the help of your organization, the character faces the challenges that were thrown at her. This is the time to illustrate how a potential donor plays the role of a hero, and the power they hold to help the protagonist overcome her challenges.
規則＃4：以“影響力”作結尾 Rule #4: End with impact
故事結束時，最後就要突顯出受惠者得到的東西及組織所幫助的人數和統計數據。講述組織未來的方向，從而說服讀者作出下一步的行動。 Now that the story comes to a close, it is time to show the numbers and statistics of who your organization has helped, and the progress achieved so far. This is where the ‘ask’ comes in – the action that you would like the viewer to take. This is a good opportunity to talk about what the future actions taken by the organization will be.
講故事的注意事項 Best Practices of NGO Storytelling
在講述你所屬的NGO的故事時，請牢記一些注意事項。 While you tell your NGO’s story, there are some best practices to keep in mind.
1）請記住保持真實性 1) Remember to stay authentic:
隨著人們在媒體花費的時間每日倍增，人們越來越意識到故事的真假。所以，請花費時間製作真實的故事。 With the amount of media consumed by the average person, people are increasingly aware of when they are being ‘sold’ to. Take the time to craft genuine stories in a language that your audience can relate to.
2）權衡利弊 2) Balance the good and the bad:
利用悲慘的故事吸引資助者很容易，但研究顯示，抱希望比悲慘的故事更具影響力。所以要小心地將每一個悲慘的故事與希望的元素平衡起來。 It is easy to use the darkest stories to attract funders, but studies have shown that stories of hope have more impact than those of darkness. Be careful to balance every tale of woe with an element of hope.
3）行動 3) Include a call to action:
盡我們不能一直在故事中強調行動的重要性。但是，我們要確保我們帶出的行動是與故事相關。 Though mentioned earlier, we cannot stress the importance of including an actionable item for the listener of the story. Make sure this action item is relevant to the story at hand.
4）使用視覺效果 4) Use visuals:
對於讀者而言，分享視頻是分享文字帖子和鏈接總和的12倍，而分享照片則是其兩倍。所以，以視覺方式講說故事使消費者更容易接收。 Videos are 12 times more likely to be shared than text posts and links combined, and photos are twice as likely. Visuals bring the consumer of the story closer to the cause.
5）一個重點信息 5) Clear messages:
當一個非政府組織以多種不同方式幫助一群不同的受益人時，自然會有多個信息出現。所以當設計一個故事，請根據您的目標受眾選擇一個重點信息，然後圍繞它。這就可以在傳遞消息時更容易明白及理解了。 When an NGO helps a group of diverse beneficiaries in many different ways, it is natural for the message to get lost in translation. Choose your message depending on your target audience, and craft your story around that. Be clear and concise while delivering this message.
6）說出這個詞 6) Get the word out:
現在您有自己的故事，請好好利用它！將其發佈在社交媒體上，與您的利益相關者交流，在會面時介紹給捐贈者，並在您的網站上使用。運用不同的演說方式，把您的故事有效地傳達給他們。 Now that you have your story, use it! Post it on social media, communicate it to your stakeholders, present it during meetings with donors, use it on your marketing materials and website. Pen down a story distribution plan by discussing possible points of contacts with your target audience, and the means in which the story can be communicated to them.
當你的NGO擁有創建故事的能力，請記住，故事不會跑到你的手中，你必須尋找屬於你自己的故事。而當你擁有自己的故事，用盡你的方法去把故事告訴你的最相關的受眾。 Now that your NGO has the tools to create its story, remember, a story is not handed to you, it must be found. Keep an eye out, talk to volunteers and beneficiaries and dig out the story that relates most with your cause and audience.
Hong Kong has its unique food culture in 1980s. There were lots of roadside food stalls and people ate those snacks on the street. Due to an immature economy structure and rapid growth of population, Hong Kong citizens could only make a living by their talents. Therefore, they have to run their business by setting up in the street to sell their food or handicrafts. Street food hawkers usually sell food like fishball, fake shark fin soup and bubble waffle. This becomes a unique culture of Hong Kong 1980s.
#2 1980s’ Fashion
In 1980s, due to several Japanese Fashion shop setting up in Hong Kong, Japanese pop culture becomes a new trend. Therefore, Major style of Hong Kong’s fashion were likely to be Japanese style. Most of the cuts are comfortable and simple, while major styles included loose tops with padded shoulders, baggy trousers, balloon capri pants and straight leg trousers or long culottes. The fitness craze also had an impact on fashion, jeans and sneakers were very popular and denim came in a host of designs. Pastel sports suits were favourite outfits.
#3 Entertainment — The Arcade
In 1980s, Hong Kong’s entertainment is still in a developing stage. Entertainment was most likely to be simple and classic like GamesRadar, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Not like today, people need to go to the game store for gaming. Children could spend a whole day inside the game store.
#4 Pop Music Culture
In 1980s, Hong Kong’s music was expanded rapidly. It was named as Canto-pop. The music scene was dominated by pop icons like Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Alan Tam, and Danny Chan. Due to the popularity of pop music, it was widely used in all kinds of entertainment productions like films and TV shows.
Alone, we can do so little; Together, we can do so much.
Helen Keller
Having worked for nearly 7 years upon university graduation, I still remember how we have been taught about the importance of teamwork. As engineers, we are always trained on how to deliver a project in a team, and always a lot of skills have to be equipped in the team. At university, we always needed to get involved in different projects, and hence teamwork is another essence to success.
I have always come in my mind for another interesting concept – What about Community? Other than specific skill sets, how do we value community? I think community is far beyond teamwork. Technically speaking, teamwork is when we have a team and we need to achieve something, and we need to work together on that, that’s why team + work is the combination. But for community, I see that it’s part of our daily life, something more emotional and humanized, compared to teamwork.
There is a trend about community, from my experience. When I was working as engineer, it’s about an engineering community, where the engineers will gather and support each other across technical, knowledge and project needs. When I was a non-local student, it’s about an international student community that supports each other needs in Hong Kong. When I am currently an entrepreneur, it’s about another level of community that supports us in networking, business opportunities and more. One typical example is Cyberport Hong Kong.
So to me, community has made me seen things differently, that I am not alone, but there are always different communities that are here to support each other together. I wish to share the power of community referencing from one of the articles I found in the other blog posts.
The Power of Community
Here are 6 powerful reasons not to go it alone:
1. Collective wisdom. No one person ever has all of the answers, and regardless of the amount of Google-fu you may have, consulting with experts is always going to give you better information.
2. Pushing our limits. When working alone, it’s oftentimes too easy to give up when things get hard. By surrounding yourself with others working toward a similar goal or objective, you’ll get motivation, support, and friendly competition to push yourself just a bit further than you would have done on your own.
3. Support and belief. Some days those big goals just seem impossible. On those days when you most want to give up, you need to lean on your community the most. They believe in you—probably more than you belief in yourself.
4. New ideas. I truly believe that when you are working within a community of like-minded people that the wisdom of crowds is considerably greater than any one person working alone. Our divergent world views and lenses mean that we all approach the exact same problem slightly differently.
5. Borrowed motivation. Even on those days when your belief in yourself isn’t waning, doing what needs to get done can seem overwhelming. Look around your community and be inspired!
6. Accountability. If you’re an uber-responsible person, you may not want to admit to people you care about who are pulling for you that something didn’t get done. There’s nothing like having to be accountable to others to up your game.
Allowing others to help is hard, but it ultimately raises everyone’s game, and suddenly that summit isn’t nearly so far off.
Engagement level is an important criterion to define how successful your community is. Here are some tips to start your community and most importantly, continue running it.
Create a welcoming platform
If you want your members to engage more in your platform, judge less. It is not a fault to judge people. A positive comment and amendment will bring you improvement. However, unreasonable judgement will bring not only negative results, but also bad feelings towards the members. If they are not comfortable with the community, they wouldn’t want to stay long. Only a place which provides diversity, mutual respect and equity each member’s views can provoke more engagements and happiness. Therefore, cultivating a respectful, inclusive and loving environment can bring a sense of comfy for members to stay here and be themselves.
Branding
Consumers have a variety of choices on the internet. They can join as many communities as they want and choose the most suitable one. In order to attract and retain your customers, your community has to position yourself wisely.
There are few questions you have to think about:
What are the outstanding points of your community?
What impressions do your community want to give your members/consumers?
How would you describe your community by using three words?
With a clear positioning and standardization, you may find your targeted members or consumers easily to sustain your member base.
Be responsive and interactive
Turns your virtual community into a real community. It is all about interaction. Interact with your members, or else it is just an informative group for photo posting. Try to respond to your members’ posts, respond to their comments and try to understand what they want and like. They will be more engaged due to personalized communication. When more interactions will be held, you not only can understand their preferences to adjust your strategy, you can also let them feel engaged with your core members. It will be a big move for your community.
Segment your engagement strategy
There is never a one-size-fit-all strategy to all community and members. You should first categorize your customer and think of multiple strategies to tackle their needs.
You can identify them as most engaged members, least engaged members and average engaged members. For example, provide a reward programme for only engaged members and provide new ideas and activities for only attracting deactivated members. By doing so, you can target your members with specific strategies and special access to engage. With a more targeted approach, you can surely increase your success rate.
Ownership of a community
When is the first time you feel that you own a place? It is the time when you involve the most in it. You want to engage your members, but how? Ask your member to invest time and effort in your platform. Some people may think it is not suitable to ask your members to put time and effort in their platform. However, the reality is members would not leave because of it, they also will be more willing to come back again.
Here is an example, you can ask your members to manage your Facebook page together. From that, you can bring your community closer and bring a sense of ownership to your community. More and More responsible and passionate members will stay and come back.
My founders and I have always been wild about exploring new activities around us – something authentic, true and interesting that we are looking for.
We are always struggling about creating some private gatherings – sometimes we may want to make them public to invite some new friends, and expand our network. However, it’s not easy to find such free software that allows us to do so.
Therefore we have developed and created the GoBuddy, for anyone who wants to create your own activities – such as tours, classes, workshops, private events…. while trying to find a great value software that you hope can also help you to manage your bookings, other than relying on Google Form, then GoBuddy a great choice.
We are new generation and we love having and joining communities. Communities – for us, are the place we can meet new people. We hope to join some activities before joining the communities, hence offering flexibility.
We do believe everyone can be great community builders, because it’s part of our life anyway.
Using GoBuddy is extremely simple – the only thing we all need is just to create an account, and then private gatherings and events can be kick-started easily.
GoBuddy Blog 