Unemployed? Here's what you can do when you're also looking for your next job

We've been hearing bad news about employment since 2016.

Many of us have lost jobs, and cannot find employment.

Retrieved Fri 13 Oct 2017. 1335 hrs
http://www.todayonline.com/business/singapore-airlines-transform-operations-and-reintegrate-cargo-business

Fri 31, Oct 2017, The Straits Times

May 5th, 2017
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore-s-unemployment-rate-how-much-higher-could-it-rise-8818602

PM said in the May Day 2017  Rally that the our unemployment rate as of March 2017 will gradually go up.

Retrrieved from http://stats.mom.gov.sg/Pages/Unemployment-Summary-Table.aspx Fri 13 Oct 2017 1335 hrs

The government has urged all Singaporean to go for re-skilling, retraining so we can find better jobs. Click on http://www.wsg.gov.sg/ for details. Loads of propaganda have been spread about this.

But reality sets in:

Does that assure me that we will get jobs? One module of coding isn't going to make me an expert that would gain the attention of recruiters? And we're competing with so many others!

We have mouths to feed, bills and mortages to pay, how would I be able to sell my time in exchange for wages that are not enough even for bare minimum subsistence?

Now, let's give ourselves and the hiring companies the benefit of the doubt and assume that the willing able able employers:

1) would hire us after we're retrained and re-certified?

2) pay us enough.

What if companies are suffering themselves, like SIA, and SPH ?

My friends, this is where you also have to help yourself.

Get back to basics where making a living is concerned. Balance this with your high capital, high risk ventures. 

Get something to sell ! Especially what people would buy, or have to buy 

Make something to sell ! Especially what people MUST buy - necessities, food etc.

Price your products so that people will buy!

Start your own small flea market business. Put whatever experience and knowledge you've acquired in your previous jobs to good use.

Exploit your social media skills - use it to market your business.

Monetize your hobbycraft !
Sell your pre-loved fashion !
Be a home chef - you can sell your food through apps such as https://www.fieat.co/ !
Be a private hire driver (if you have your own vehicle)

You'll have to think about the above yourself - remember you have your own skills and abilities. 

But if you're not sure about this, or would like to pick up a hobbycraft or culinary skill visit http://www.onepa.gov.sg to find out about the courses community centres offer!

In case you didn't know, TGIF Bazaars has basic booths that are suitable for new entrepreneurs!  Visit www.tgifbazaars.com and mouse over to Our Bazaars to find out more!

Why serious flea market businesses should also go online, and online business should go physical.

Our good friend Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba has opened their first brick and mortar shopping mall in China.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/05/alibaba-reportedly-set-to-open-its-first-physical-mall-in-china.html

For those of you who do not know what Alibaba.com is about, this is the Asian mother of all e-commerce platforms. It started off linking buyers directly to manufacturers, and later on it created Taobao and Tmall to link consumers to sellers.

Since then we've heard the likes of shopping web/app sites such Lazada (now owned by Alibaba), Qoo10, Rakuten (out of Singapore market), Carousell, Shopee, Etsy etc etc, some of which have closed their operations.

Their western equivalent is Amazon, who set up their Asia HQ in Singapore. They haven't set up a physical store as well, but we think eventually they would.

If you recall we already professed that every business that sells direct to consumers must have both online and offline presence - we call it O & O whilst the others are still calling it O2O. (Why we weren't quoted by the big name media is simply because, we're not Jack Ma. heh).

We've learnt that as long as a person is famous and rich, all his words would be taken as holy scriptures by many.

So we'll explain why.

ONLINE - it's the trend. Almost every mother father son daughter in the urbanised world has a mobile device that's connected to the internet. We can assume the same for laptops and computers. So going online is going with the trend. 

It's where you reach out to more potential customers. It's where you portray your brand personality. It's where people can buy from you even at 2 am in the morning when you're asleep. It's where people from another time zone with internet connectivity and where freight forwarders and delivery guys service can place their orders, and pay you when you're just about to wake up.

So that your flea market business can have a global reach.  The possibilities are LIMITED by what you have to offer for sales, especially if you are a trader type (buy stuff to sell).   If you are a producer type (make or UPCYCLE things to sell), the global reach would benefit you more.

Sometimes these folks pay so much money to SEO agencies that whatever you google or search it comes up in your first page - IRRITATING isn't it?  

And when your eyesight begins failing when you reach a certain age, you decide that going to the mall would be more relaxing for you - and you get some exercise walking. heh

Then there's social media advertising.

OFFLINE - this is where you set up your flea market booths and sell to the people who are physically there.  You get a chance to showcase your products to real life people - let them touch feel, try, taste, smell your products out before they make their purchase. It's where you let your brand personality shine by behaving the way you say your brand does.

You reach out to a group of skeptical shoppers who insist on seeing the real thing before they buy.
And you get to shake your customers' hands and thank them with a smile.  If you already have an online business you can invite them to view your products at the flea markets.

You reach out to a group of potential customers who are customers of complementary sellers, or even competitors.

That's what markets, flea or otherwise are about - gathering of sellers who offer lots of stuff, sometimes similar or identical for sale. Which is also why larger markets, with wider offerings and superior experiences will attract more shoppers. 

(Retail mall landlords who use flea markets to draw footfall - take note : you will have to lift your curation requirements if you really want flea markets to contribute footfall to your malls).

SHOPPERS LOVE CHOICE

If you analyse this, it's really about the experiences shoppers get at flea markets.  And loads of shoppers buy on impulse.

If you expect to do well at a flea market using the same method running an online business (i.e. sit back relax and hope that SEO will do its job), well you're wrong.    Bringing your offline business into flea markets requires you to adopt new tactics.  

Because you're facing a different set of human psychology altogether. You've got to create moments where you can captivate, capture or engage your customers.  Like how the uncles and and aunties would gather around the morning market stalls.  

There is a 'show and tell' element involved.  How can you have a 'Show and tell' element that engages or captivates your customers?

It is our conviction that for any flea market, or retail business to be successful, it must be present both Online AND Offline.

If you're serious about profiting from this model, it's not too late to start.  

Come chat with us at the Sentosa Boardwalk Bazaar where we are every weekend.

Venue report updates as at 31 Jul 2017

Venue report updates : Please refer to text in red:

S/No.	Venue	Dates	Operating hours	Demographics	Description / Recommendation
1	Sentosa Boardwalk Bazaar	Every Sat and Sun	Sat: 3 – 11 pm Sun: 11 am – 9 pm	A lightly curated market. We are into our 5th year th the Sentosa Boardwalk, every weekend. Estimated 15,000 per weekend (Sat and Sun) based on and calculations by TGIF Bazaars and verified by statistics provided by Sentosa Island. Families with (young to grown up kids), teenagers, working adults, courting couples, tourists, staff of establishments in Sentosa) Tourist- locals ratio each weekend also depends on whether there are major events taking place in Sentosa or RWS). The presence of tourists means that customers are fresh – who are unlikely to have made purchases from you before. The presence of locals there means that there are repeat visitors and customers – who are likely to have seen your products before.	Shoppers there look for affordably priced products, as well as bargains. Has good natural footfall as it is situated between Vivo City and Sentosa Island. It is our flagship bazaar. (5th year and running). Shoppers have spent up to $50 per product there. Recommendations as a platform for: •       Retailpreneurs and businesses with both online and physical presence to reach out to new customers. •       Marketing / activation platform •       Lead generation and promotional activities.
2	TGIF Bazaars @ ONE KM MALL regular editions	Alternate weekends, twice a month, Fri – Sun	Fri : 4- 10.00 pm Sat : 12 - 10.00 pm Sun : 12 - 10.00 pm	A moderately curated market. We’ve been there for 2 years, twice a week. Estimated outdoor traffic of 12,000 per weekend (Fri – Sun). Comprising of 85% of local families, some of who are residents of Tanjong Katong area and 15% expatriate families.	Fashion, accessories, gadgets, toys. Customers have spent up to $50 per item.
3	United Square Mall Bazaar	Postponed till year end to become a period of festive market	to be advised	A heavily curated market. From our 1st 2 editions there, crowd comprises of 90% locals – families who send their kids there for enrichment classes, and who patronize the eating establishments there.	To be advised after our 3rd edition there. Collectibles and artisan products appear to be doing ok there.
4	Katong Square Artisans’ Bazaar	Every last weekend of the month	Fri : 4 - 10pm Sat: 2pm - 10pm Sun : ​11am - 9 pm	A moderately curated market. Our 5th and 6th edition there at the time of producing this document. Estimated outdoor traffic of 3,000 to 5,000 (Fri – Sun). Comprising of diners of the restaurants there guests of malay weddings held at the ballroom, hotel guests, residents of katong who dine there and shop at I12 Katong Mix of fresh and repeat visitors.	Ladies jewelry, fashion, collectibles, vintage items, artisan collectibles have proven to do well there. Customers have spent up to $75 per item at our market and $200 for vintage collectibles at another market held there.
5	The Grandstand is FUN Suburban Flea	Once a month, check website for details	Sat 1030 - 1900  Sun: 1030 - 1900	A lightly curated market. Provided by venue: Weekend crowd for Sat and Sun : 5,000 60% expatriates, 50% locals. They go there for breakfast, lunch and dinner in  the restaurants there such as Ah Yat Abalone, Pasar Bella, Tung Luk restaurant.  Children attend enrichment programs in the centers there and there are plenty of car dealerships there. More repeat visitors than fresh visitors.	During our 2nd edition, we note the following: Crowd for indoors: Sat : 1030 - 1430 : breakfast to lunch crowd; 1430 - 1700 : lull - a handful of folks having afternoon tea there. 17:00 - 20:00 : Dinner crowd. Sun 1030 - 1430 : breakfast to lunch crowd; 1430 - 1700 : more bustling compared to to Sat 17:00 - 20:00 : Dinner crowd. Note : Fashion, toys (because of the children), jewelry and accessories sell well, but we also have feedback that the customers there can be quite picky - i.e they prefer products that are more exquisite - so please put some effort in your product display. Crowd outdoors : unable to determine as we didn't do outdoors in 2nd edition.
SP1	Special Project : The Sentosa Merlion Plaza Artisans Bazaar	Daily 14 Jul – 29 Aug for first series	Daily : 1630 - 2200	A heavily curated market. Strategic location – natural gathering and photo op for tourists and visitors to Sentosa. Located at the confluence human traffic of Sentosa Express, Merlion Cable Car Station and Resort World Sentosa. Fresh customers every day, except for staff working in Sentosa.	The crowd there consists of 80% tour guided groups, 10% free and independent travelers and 10% locals. Weekend crowds are obviously better but it doesn't necessarily translate into better sales compared to weekdays. Customers have been reported to spend from $10 to more than $100 per item there.

Entrepreneurs... we'll let you in on a secret.

Pssst !|


We foreseen the situation with the retail scene a couple of years back (please read our blog archives). And today we're seeing greater evidence that shopping mall management are shifting their mindset, from the surge in demand that we're experiencing.

Without dwelling into more boring details, this is the type of products we see for the next 2-3 years that would sell

Artisanal story telling - artisan products with stories to tell, not mass produced.

Handcraft products - made by entrepreneurs themselves - consumers want to see proof that these are made by themselves

Customised products - could be handicrafts that can be fully or semi-customised to customers' needs.

Hipster Foods - fads that come and go - we saw coconuts, melons, mangos... what next - honeydews, papayas or..... but HEY ! Can someone please come up with hipster halal chee cheong fun?

You are entrepreneurs.

Sell what you want to sell, or sell what people want to buy.   You decide. ;)

An analysis of our current venues : Updated 31 Jul

Our bones are still aching from our Ramadan Flea at ONE KM MALL, and our team is still recuperating... heh.

It hints of our ages... *bleah*

Any how we took some time to complete what we had started prior to Hari Raya, so here it is!

S/No.	Venue	Dates	Operating hours	Demographics	Description / Recommendation
1	Sentosa Boardwalk Bazaar	Every Sat and Sun	Sat: 3 – 11 pm Sun: 11 am – 9 pm	A lightly curated market. We are into our 5th year th the Sentosa Boardwalk, every weekend. Estimated 15,000 per weekend (Sat and Sun) based on and calculations by TGIF Bazaars and verified by statistics provided by Sentosa Island. Families with (young to grown up kids), teenagers, working adults, courting couples, tourists, staff of establishments in Sentosa) Tourist- locals ratio each weekend also depends on whether there are major events taking place in Sentosa or RWS). The presence of tourists means that customers are fresh – who are unlikely to have made purchases from you before. The presence of locals there means that there are repeat visitors and customers – who are likely to have seen your products before.	Shoppers there look for affordably priced products, as well as bargains. Has good natural footfall as it is situated between Vivo City and Sentosa Island. It is our flagship bazaar. (5th year and running). Shoppers have spent up to $50 per product there. Recommendations as a platform for: •       Retailpreneurs and businesses with both online and physical presence to reach out to new customers. •       Marketing / activation platform •       Lead generation and promotional activities.
2	TGIF Bazaars @ ONE KM MALL regular editions	Alternate weekends, twice a month, Fri – Sun	Fri : 4- 10.00 pm Sat : 12 - 10.00 pm Sun : 12 - 10.00 pm	A moderately curated market. We’ve been there for 2 years, twice a week. Estimated outdoor traffic of 12,000 per weekend (Fri – Sun). Comprising of 85% of local families, some of who are residents of Tanjong Katong area and 15% expatriate families.	Fashion, accessories, gadgets, toys. Customers have spent up to $50 per item.
3	United Square Mall Bazaar	Postponed till year end to become a period of festive market	to be advised	A heavily curated market. From our 1st 2 editions there, crowd comprises of 90% locals – families who send their kids there for enrichment classes, and who patronize the eating establishments there.	To be advised after our 3rd edition there. Collectibles and artisan products appear to be doing ok there.
4	Katong Square Artisans’ Bazaar	Every last weekend of the month	Fri : 4 - 10pm Sat: 2pm - 10pm Sun : ​11am - 9 pm	A moderately curated market. Our 5th and 6th edition there at the time of producing this document. Estimated outdoor traffic of 3,000 to 5,000 (Fri – Sun). Comprising of diners of the restaurants there guests of malay weddings held at the ballroom, hotel guests, residents of katong who dine there and shop at I12 Katong Mix of fresh and repeat visitors.	Ladies jewelry, fashion, collectibles, vintage items, artisan collectibles have proven to do well there. Customers have spent up to $75 per item at our market and $200 for vintage collectibles at another market held there.
5	The Grandstand is FUN Suburban Flea	Once a month, check website for details	Sat 1030 - 1900  Sun: 1030 - 1900	A lightly curated market. Provided by venue: Weekend crowd for Sat and Sun : 5,000 60% expatriates, 50% locals. They go there for breakfast, lunch and dinner in  the restaurants there such as Ah Yat Abalone, Pasar Bella, Tung Luk restaurant.  Children attend enrichment programs in the centers there and there are plenty of car dealerships there. More repeat visitors than fresh visitors.	During our 2nd edition, we note the following: Crowd for indoors: Sat : 1030 - 1430 : breakfast to lunch crowd; 1430 - 1700 : lull - a handful of folks having afternoon tea there. 17:00 - 20:00 : Dinner crowd. Sun 1030 - 1430 : breakfast to lunch crowd; 1430 - 1700 : more bustling compared to to Sat 17:00 - 20:00 : Dinner crowd. Note : Fashion, toys (because of the children), jewelry and accessories sell well, but we also have feedback that the customers there can be quite picky - i.e they prefer products that are more exquisite - so please put some effort in your product display. Crowd outdoors : unable to determine as we didn't do outdoors in 2nd edition.
SP1	Special Project : The Sentosa Merlion Plaza Artisans Bazaar	Daily 14 Jul – 29 Aug for first series	Daily : 1630 - 2200	A heavily curated market. Strategic location – natural gathering and photo op for tourists and visitors to Sentosa. Located at the confluence human traffic of Sentosa Express, Merlion Cable Car Station and Resort World Sentosa. Fresh customers every day, except for staff working in Sentosa.	The crowd there consists of 80% tour guided groups, 10% free and independent travelers and 10% locals. Weekend crowds are obviously better but it doesn't necessarily translate into better sales compared to weekdays. Customers have been reported to spend from $10 to more than $100 per item there.

What you must know as a flea or popup market vendor

Hey folks, we've got a surge in inquiries and vendors lately, so we'd thought we'd share what every flea market participant should know, from our point of view.

If you think you already know, you can ignore this post and brush it aside, or you can choose to carry on reading it, and even choose to agree or disagree - every entrepreneur is entitled to their point of view, and also their own formula for success.

For this article, the term 'flea markets' is used interchangeably with 'bazaars'.

      The 1st thing you must know is:

1.  Yourself -  Am I serious about my entrepreneurship venture, or not? Do you know yourself well enough?  If you don't here's a free online tool : Don't pay for anything, unless you want to : http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/myers-briggs/myers-briggs.htm .
   
   The tool can help you to understand your own personality type : it's a bit like going to the fortune teller to have your horoscopes read, except that they do not need your dates of birth..etcetera. Instead they rely on some guru's theory and scientific practice (read : research and experiments) to come with with 16 broad personality types.
   
   Once you know yourself better, you will be able to manage your entrepreneurship journey much better : because to the entrepreneur, they and the business are one.
   
   If you don't want to do the test, just ask yourself this question : Am I serious about my entrepreneurship venture, or not?
   
2. The 2nd thing you MUST know as a SERIOUS entrepreneur (we're assuming you're one) is whether you're selling what you want to sell or selling what people want to buy? (Thse could be : products, services, ideas, technologies..etc)
   
   If you sell what you want to sell, how do you know your customers (people who buy your products and/or services, ideas or technologies..etc) would buy them?
   
   If you sell what people want to buy, how do you know that it would be at a price point that would allow you to profit ?  (We'd like to take some moments here to acknowledge that there are some folks who leverage flea market platforms as marketing channels, rather than treat it as profit centers, in this case they would have marketing objectives to meet given their budgets)
   
   Many entrepreneurs we've come across have a certain percentage mix of what they want to sell versus what customers want to buy. How to determine this mix, is really up to yourself to decide based on your experience, intuition, and research.
   
   Research information such as demographics such as population pyramid of Singapore, GDP per capital, employment analytics, statistics of residents around the flea market area, population density, economic trends, general sentiment of consumers in the economy etc. and then map this to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Then conduct an environment scan using PESTEL, SWOT, or TWOS.  (All of the above information can be googled. Just make sure the information source is credible).
   
   If the above paragraph sounds alien and overly academic to you, there is another way : Participate in flea markets and bazaars more often (we know it's going to use a lot of energy and effort) then make your own observations and adjust your product mix / price accordingly). Be at a venue(s) regularly so you can know what what customers want (after being there regularly).
   
   As well as who are your customers - male, female, students, working adults, families with kids, families with grandparents... etc.
   
3. Entrepreneurs are risk-takers, whether you're a serious entrepreneur or one who's just testing the waters.  And taking business risks means facing the prospect that your venture might not yield the outcome you desire. Especially when there are elements beyond your control, such as the weather.
   
   The outcome usually consists of a profit outcome, and a marketing outcome : some entrepreneurs have also consciously their brand as credible flea market pop up businesses. What is brand? It's not just a logo and slogan. It's the identity and personality of a business : It's what makes business entities more human, giving them both the strength and weaknesses that of human beings.
   
   If you are risk adverse : check out some of the local employment websites and look for part time employment.
   
4. Flea Market Organisers usually take the risk first before vendors do. Because they need to pay rental for space and may not be able to sell the booths. Because their reputation can be affected if what they promised to vendors (or other stake holders) are not what they deliver. Because they have much more to lose in absolute terms after they've made the agreement with the venue, and fail to meet the critical number of vendors to break even.
   
   For the same reason of making Agreement, organisers and venue owners have a list of dos and don't and this covers product curation and managing conflicts of interest with their long term tenants.  And for this reason, some things are beyond the control of the organisers.
   
   Here's a secret : Many good venues want to have interesting vendors : that basically means your booths and product displays have to look attractive, and your products interesting. To have interesting products, you can include products such as leatherware that can be partially customised on-the-spot to customer's requests (by adding on some charms or bling blings).
   
   By good venues, we are referring to those with good human traffic plus high perceived spending power.
   
5. Do you buy things to sell, make things to sell, or sell what other vendors are selling?
   
   If you buy things to sell:
   With the advent of e-commerce, online shopping and the rise of the Info Communication Technologies Industry, shoppers habits are evolving. Many will search for these products online and do a price comparison before buying.  So what can you do if you find the bulk of your products are found online?
   
   1. Sell products that are hard to get, hard to find online, and only available in bulk buying.
   2. Sell products that people buy on impulse
   3. Offer promotions to customers who buy from you.
   
   
   If you make your things to sell, including food, you will find that the bulk of your time would be building your online presence through social media of through a home-chef app such as Hcook that facilitates home chefs and bakers to sell their home made products.
   
   Participating in Flea Markets would be to establish credibility with your customers, potential customers, and get leads for new leads or customers - get them to follow you on instagram or facebook.
   
   If you sell what your competitors are selling, two scenarios may occur :
   
   One : both of you engage in a price war and dilute your own profits.
   
   Two : both of you differentiate yourselves through customer service, decoration and branding and end up becoming more profitable, because CUSTOMERS will go to places where they can have more CHOICES.
   
   In today's environment, monopoly of selling products at flea markets may not necessarily be a good thing, because what you sell may not be what they want to buy. So what do you do?  Work with the other vendors who are selling the same products so you end up having a win-win.
   
6. Social Media Marketing : Although everyone has their own success story, we think that every flea market vendor should have at least :
   
   A Social Media Page / App such as instagram, facebook or heybuddies that you use to publicize your business / products and keep in touch with your customers. This can be best used for PUSH marketing (a concept we had written about in our earlier blog).
   
   B. A website : Anyone can create your own website free of charge these days : An example is Weebly.com a DIY website where you can design, build and host your basic website for free! (The paid versions would have more functions).   Use the website for PULL marketing (i.e. build your brand).
   
7. How can your business be sustainable?
   Use whatever Knowledge, Skills and Attitude to make it happen! The business model is interesting because you have very low fixed costs!
   
   The physical part of Flea market businesses is tough,and it's important to persevere even though at times you feel like giving up.
   
   With Knowledge and Skills, you will be able to harness the benefits of online marketing and e-commerce.