Merlion Ventures

Why Merlion Ventures?

2017-07-07T01:07:00.000-07:00

Merlion Ventures is an attempt to bring together the venture community in Singapore.

I hope to congregate entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, angel funds, lawyers, recruiters, investment bankers, incubators - all enthusiasts who can find close alignment of interest outside a cushy job. It should be used as an open platform to discuss, but not necessarily agree on those views.

In addition Merlion Ventures seeks to provide capital and management support to early-stage and emerging-growth companies.

The objective is to be an open community without compromising on quality. If you feel that you have thoughts that you want to share, feel free to write in and request an account. In any case, do feel free to comment.

PollutionPolice: Social Conscience vs Pollution

2007-07-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

Here's how easy it is to setup a social network and start spreading the word...3 simple steps none of which require you to know a single line of code...

1. Setup an account on Ning (www.ning.com)
2. Use Ning to create a social network...drag-drop features, change appearance and see how this translates into a powerful platform. Don't forget to add some content!
3. Use an existing social network such as Facebook to spread the word.

As an example, I have created PollutionPolice (http://pollutionpolice.ning.com/)

The idea is dead simple...something that we can all do.

Equip yourself with a camera (or camera phone) and find incriminating evidence of your neighbors, schoolmates, colleagues...anyone who thinks they can pollute / harm / damage the environment and get away with it! Simple things like littering on the street, having a faulty gas exhaust, burning rubbish...go imagine!
Upload your photos / videos on PollutionPolice (http://pollutionpolice.ning.com/).

The whole point is to create e-evidence for such crime that usually gets swept under the carpet.

And btw, you needn't go to your computer to upload photos from your camera everytime. As long as you have created an account, visit the following link to get an email address which you can use to send photos directly from your camera phone to the website...
http://pollutionpolice.ning.com/photo/photo/addByPhone

Now ain't that simple? So take a camera, and catch polluters red-handed!

Singapore: Best Place to Start your Business - Part I

2007-07-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

As part of its drive to foster local enterprise, the Singapore Government is sequentially liberalising policy. Recently, it passed a ruling to allow full tax exemption for new companies:

"Full tax exemption can be granted on normal chargeable income (excluding Singapore franked dividends) of a qualifying company up to $100,000, for any of its first three consecutive YAs that falls in YA 2005 and beyond.

To qualify for the tax exemption for a relevant YA under the new scheme, a company must:

be a company incorporated in Singapore
be a tax resident in Singapore for that YA
have no more than 20 shareholders throughout the basis period relating to that YA;

and, any company that does not meet the qualifying conditions for any of its first three consecutive YAs falling in YA 2005 and beyond would still be eligible for partial tax exemption."

Income Tax Rates

First $100,000 Nil
The next $100,001 to $300,000 9%
Thereafter a Flat Rate of 18%

Existing companies Corporate tax rate will drop from 20% to 18%. For small-to-midsize companies, these cuts bring the effective tax rate to significantly lower than Honk Kong's and make Singapore a very attractive destination for incorporating and growing a business. A Singapore company with profits around 300K will now have an effective tax rate of only about 9%.

The attractive tax rates make Singapore one of the lowest tax regimes in Asia after Hong Kong. Singapore is well on its way to become the best place to setup and grow business for global entrepreneurs. The government just announced a series of incentives and tax benefits to further sharpen the country's competitive edge, making it the most preferred place to do business in the world.

Link to Corporate Tax Rulings

MerlionBetas

2007-07-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

Use the comments section of this page to leave a short description of your startup / business plan. Feel free to drop a link to the site. Also try and include any funding requirements / business help required. You may choose to use proxy information in case you want to remain confidential at the first stage.

Please post only your beta here — please do not post other comments. Do respond directly to the posts, and do not comment further on the bios posted here

If you are looking to hire, please post your requirements on the MerlionJobs section. Also check out the MerlionTalent section for a list of suitable bios.

MerlionJobs

2007-07-08T00:33:00.001-07:00

Use the comments section on this page for posting startup jobs. Please include the area that the company operates in, the location, the role and level of seniority that is expected. Also try and include any compensation parameters. Finally, do make sure you offer a direct response email id/phone number. Based on the response, we will see if we need to develop a more elaborate job board system.

Please post only jobs/companies here — please do not post other comments. Do respond directly to the jobs, and do not comment further on the jobs posted here

MerlionTalent

2007-07-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

Use the comments section of this page to leave a short bio of yourself if you are interested in joining/creating a startup (fulltime, parttime, or advisory roles welcome). Please include your area of interest and specialization, location preference, the role and level of seniority that is expected. Also try and include any compensation parameters. Finally, do make sure you offer a direct response email id/phone number and/or a link to your CV. You may choose to use proxy information in case you want to remain confidential at the first stage. Based on the response we will decide if we need to develop a more elaborate job board.

Please post only your bio here — please do not post other comments. Do respond directly to the bios, and do not comment further on the bios posted here