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Thenkuzhal murukku. Photo credit: Wikimedia.

Tamil Nadu in South India has an ancient culture that is reflected in its variety of traditional foods. Most outsiders only associate Tamil food with the distinct sambar of lentils and vegetables laced with tamarind or the comforting staple of thair sadam – curd rice tempered with whole spices.

But for someone like me, who has lived there, there are a lot more mouth-watering prospects than sambar, thair sadam, or Chettinad chicken. Every region of Tamil Nadu, in fact, has its specialties. I grew up munching on murukku – a crunchy snack – and Tirunelveli halwa, a sweet recommended to anybody who visits touristy spots in Tirunelveli district.

You may find versions of these delicacies in Indian cities but they are nothing like the local ones. Even in Bangalore, which is only a few hours’ drive from Tamil Nadu, you would be hard put to find some authentic Tirunelveli halwa. But now there’s an online avenue to these goodies sourced from local vendors in Tamil Nadu – foodtech startup NativeSpecial.

Srivilliputhur, Pudupalayam, Nagercoil …

Screenshot from NativeSpecial.

NativeSpecial has an online portal to distribute traditional snacks and sweets from the region. It has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from the Indian Angel Network and Tamil Nadu-based Native Angels Network.

It provides hard-to-find delicacies like Srivilliputhur palkova, Pudupalayam Ragi murukku, and Nagercoil Nendran chips to Tamilians scattered across the country. Even the Tirunelveli halwa – a sticky concoction of wheat, sugar, cardamom powder, ghee (clarified butter), and water – finds its place in the portal. There are halwas of different kinds all over India, but this one derives its unique taste from the Thamirabharani river water – or so they say.

NativeSpecial is looking to expand beyond Indian shores with the funding. “The company senses a huge market potential among South Indians in the US where we had a trial festival sale,” says founder and CEO Baskaran Veluchamy. It uses an inventory-based model to avoid delivery hassles and aims to get certifications for its vendors and snacks to make customers comfortable with ordering their favorite Tamil Nadu snacks online.

The tier-3 city startup based in Karur, Tamil Nadu, has 42 products and 20 vendors on the portal as of now, but expects to expand soon. Another startup Place of Origin, incubated in Bangalore’s Axilor, has a marketplace for ethnic foods from all over India. It recently got acquired by Craftsvilla.

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The movement is part of the country’s National Payment Gateway programme initiated by Bank Indonesia

Four Indonesian major commercial banks –from state-owned Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), to privately owned Bank Central Asia (BCA)– today announced a plan to integrate their cashless payment services under one network.

The partnership is an implementation of a recent MoU on interconnectivity and interoperability, in order to support the country’s National Payment Gateway (NPG) programme, as initiated by its central bank Bank Indonesia.

Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, President Director and CFO of Bank Mandiri, told CNN Indonesia that the four banks have been requested to pioneer the building of an e-money platform, which each bank has already owned. In the long run, he expected that the platforms that each bank has created can be run under “a single system.”

Wirjoatmodjo also explained that under the single system, each bank will be able to utilise the platform that has been built by the other bank. For example, users of BCA’s Flazz card will be able to pay toll fee on the Automatic Toll Gate (GTO), which platform is currently operated by Bank Mandiri.

Also Read: Revealed! 7 key points of Indonesia’s much-awaited e-commerce roadmap

“If other banks [other than these four banks] wish to issue their own cards [for cashless payment system], then please go ahead. They just have to issue it, and then they can use the platform made by these four major banks. But there will be a transaction fee as we were the one building the capital expenditure,” he said.

The integration is expected to be completed within the next two months.

The National Payment Gateway scheme is one of the points included in the Indonesian government’s much anticipated e-commerce roadmap, which aims to support e-commerce firms operating in the market.

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Copyright: bloomua / 123RF Stock Photo

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The bestsellng author of ‘I Will Teach You To Be Rich’ explains the big world outside of VC-funding and when it’s OK to rebel

Ramit Sethi has turned down an offer from Google and lost half of his college scholarship in poor investments. Sethi then went on to write a New York Times bestselling book called ‘I Will Teach You To Be Rich‘ and Co-founded a successful online portal called PBworks.

In the world of entrepreneurship, the act of turning down a stable career to risk in the startup world is a rebellious act in itself. But as Sethi points out, people have to earn the right to rebel, and that means proving they can be diligent and successful in other parts of life.

Also Read: Business etiquette for entrepreneurs: How to effectively communicate with a business contact in today’s connected world

The Jay Kim Show continues to roll on. Check out the show notes below.

(4:24) On why venture capital isn’t the only way to fund your startup, and when you should seek funding elsewhere
(7:45) Ramit’s experience growing with a dual set of both Eastern and Western values
(9:23) On the influence Ramit’s parents had on his entrepreneurial ambitions
(11:43) Why you need to earn the right to rebel
(15:25) Have we reached peak online entrepreneurism?
(18:30) How to stand out as an online entrepreneur in a world of infinite noise
(19:54) How Ramit defines living a “rich life”
(23:36) Ramit’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs whose parents may be struggling to come to terms with their newfound passion
(26:03) Resources for anyone who’s ever entertained the idea of starting a side hustle
(28:26) One final piece of advice for anyone who isn’t living the life they want
(30:19) Have a burning question or an idea that would make for an epic article? Ramit’s looking for your suggestions

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Zyllem’s Marco de Lorenzo (L) and Noam Berda. Photo credit: Zyllem.

When customers of ecommerce logistics startup Zyllem started getting emails about its services getting discontinued in Singapore, it seemed like curtains for the company. It turns out, however, that reports of Zyllem’s death were premature.

Zyllem, formerly RocketUncle, specialized in last-mile logistics. It used a combination of software tools and a fleet of delivery people to bring items to doors on the same day they were ordered, or at worst, the next day.

It was serving 30,000 customers, CEO Noam Berda tells Tech in Asia. Besides its Singapore office, it had opened branches in Malaysia and the Philippines.

Hard turn

And then, things changed. It didn’t happen overnight; the company wasn’t on the verge of bankruptcy; angry investors weren’t beating on the doors. But Noam could see there were problems with Zyllem’s path.

Managing its fleet and liaising with partners and clients started taking up too much of Zyllem’s time and resources.

“We were doing thousands of deliveries a day. We were positive on gross profit on the same-day business,” he says. Gross profit for its last-mile services was around US$0.70 to US$2.50 per delivery.

While gross profit does not take into account things like fixed costs, Noam is confident that the same-day delivery business could have become profitable eventually. But Zyllem would have to keep expanding and setting up offices outside Singapore if it wanted to generate enough revenue to cover the costs of maintaining a back office and development team.

Juggling fleet management, partners and clients relations, and technology research and development started taking a toll on Zyllem’s time and resources. And there was no clear way for the company to grow bigger, faster.

“The challenge I put to the team was, if tomorrow we had to go to 100 cities in China, would it mean we have to go rent 100 offices there?” Noam says. Something needed to change.

“The overall vision was to create this global Zyllem network for companies and consumers,” Noam explains. While it kept on developing tech for that purpose, the day-to-day of running a logistics business started dragging it deeper into that side of things. Not only that, but it colored the company in the eyes of others – for many, Zyllem was just a last-mile delivery startup, not a technology startup.

Scaling down to scale up

Coming from business software maker SAP, Noam’s background and calling is building tech. With that in mind, he made the decision to shift Zyllem to an all-software team.

So what’s Zyllem now? According to Noam, it’s “moving into pure technology” – a software-as-a-service company that enables last-mile logistics operators, rather than being an operator itself.

The core product team is building an online platform that’s meant to connect businesses to the right partners or to allow them to set up and run their own logistics network.

The idea is to combine the product team’s strength and the experience of running a logistics-focused company.

“Traditionally, logistics companies have legacy systems they want to replace,” says Marco De Lorenzo, a fellow SAP alum who’s joined Zyllem to run the commercial part of the business. “They’re moving more and more into ecommerce without middlemen in between, so they want to have an insight into logistics systems.”

Photo credit: Dave Fayram.

Zyllem’s platform can give them this insight, Noam adds. “As an enterprise, you need to have a place where you can manage your entire distribution process,” he says. “There isn’t a solution right now to allow you to manage your distribution networks. Lazada and others have to build their own software to do that.”

But for the multitudes of businesses who don’t have that option or just don’t want to deal with the complexity of the task, Noam hopes Zyllem’s platform will be just the ticket. “You’d be surprised how many last-mile operations in the region are still doing this on pen and paper,” he says.

Tough decisions

Zyllem started making the transition from a last-mile logistics startup to a straight up software company for most of 2016, starting around April last year.

The process wasn’t painless. The startup shed most of its workforce, including shuttering its offices abroad. Tech in Asia understands around 70 percent of Zyllem’s staff was working in services and the rest in product development.

By following the technology route, Zyllem doesn’t have to compete with everyone else in the ecosystem.

The startup’s 120-strong headcount scaled down considerably – its spacious, and now noticeably emptier, offices in Singapore’s Block 71 a testament to that.

“It’s tough,” Noam says of the decision to let people go. “The key element as the founder is that everyone looks to you to make the right decision. You don’t really know what is wrong and what is right, but one thing is for sure: at a certain point you have to make the decision and stick to it.”

The move to a software-only product is certainly timely as ecommerce surges in Southeast Asia, with Frost & Sullivan predicting the market will surpass US$25 billion by 2020. Meanwhile, giants Alibaba and Amazon have either descended or are preparing to land in this corner of the world.

And several startups that provide logistics and ecommerce services, like aCommerce and Anchanto – which just debuted an ecommerce software platform itself – as well as straight up logistics plays like Lalamove and Ninja Van, are fighting for their patches of the regional market.

Photo credit: ivantsov / 123RF.

Noam believes that by following the technology route, Zyllem doesn’t have to compete with everyone else in the ecosystem – it can work with them. Keeping up in a very competitive logistics market could mean burning some serious money, especially since Zyllem was looking to grow more aggressively.

Conflict could also result from Zyllem running its own logistics network while at the same time trying to get another logistics company to use its technology services – making the other company at once a client and a competitor. “We decided instead to let them do the job and we can enable them,” he says.

At this early stage, Noam seems happy with the change. Without having officially launched the product, the company has already signed a handful of enterprise clients in Singapore and the Philippines. Its biggest client so far is Zuellig Pharma, a large distributor of pharmaceuticals in Asia.

Noam feels this allows the company to scale much faster and in a more sustainable way. “[Before] we were doing couple of thousand of deliveries a day,” he says. “Even mature companies or other startups are in the range of 10,000 daily transactions or so. One enterprise we’re working with now can do 150,000 deliveries a day.”

Zyllem is now looking to raise new funding to help it down its new path. Running a leaner operation should help it keep costs down and lead to increased revenue.

Noam is hopeful the market is large enough for the startup to find its place in it. “Our approach is partnerships – let’s do it together. I think it will allow us to create a better product for our customers.”

Converted from Singapore dollars. US$1 = S$1.42

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In today’s world, the options of platform to use to communicate are endless — and that’s what makes things difficult and complicated

Today’s mobile-centric, social-media dominated tech world prides itself in automation, real-time data analytics, and instantaneous responses. While these features are highly regarded and sought after in almost every software and product developed these days, it has also shaped our expectations from such technology.

In short, we want things fast and with very little effort. These expectations have transformed the tech community into a user base with a severely shortened attention span.

As an advisor to many startups/early stage companies, I am often asked two ‘big’ questions that seem basic at first, yet are quite perplexing when examined in light of today’s shortened attention span techie:

• Big Question #1: How should I reach out to X person?
• Big Question #2: What should I say to him/her?

Up until about 15 years ago there were basically only two possible answers for Big Question #1: either pick up the phone or write a letter.

Also Read: 3 marketing and communications strategies to master in 2017

Yet in today’s world, the options of platform to use to communicate are, unfortunately, endless. Do you use a social media application to direct message (i.e. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.) or a more business/professional oriented platform (i.e. e27 or LinkedIn)? Or do you succumb to writing an ‘old-school’ email?

I believe the answer to the method of communication actually lies in Big Question #2: what you say and how you say it. The subject matter of your question or pitch should really dictate what platform you use to communicate. As a result, refining your subject matter is essential to ensuring a response.

A quick checklist

In order to get your message across and hopefully prompt a successful response, I’ve put together a quick checklist, based upon five factors, you should bear in mind before any communication: 1) clarity, 2) brevity, 3) context, 4) impact, and 5) value.

1. Clarity – Make your point clearly, especially when there is complexity around the issue.
2. Brevity – Make your point quickly, especially because the audience’s time is short.
3. Context – Make your message relevant when there is unfamiliarity with the content/topic.
4. Impact – Make your message memorable – STAND OUT!!!
5. Value – Make your message valuable, especially when you are up against competition.

In light of these five factors, we can now better address Big Question #1 – what mode/method to communicate? While there is no right answer, here are a few tips:

• Do research on your audience/recipient to find out which social media platform he/she uses most or prefers. For instance, in order to get a hold of a person whom you know is a Twitter ‘tweet-junkie’, it’s probably not best to send that person a message via LinkedIn. The point is to find the best platform to yield the quickest response. Always remember that a quick “no” is just as good as a long “maybe” or waiting game.
• Avoid email if possible. Even though email is still the most recognised method of business communication, it is very passé for intros and pitches. Furthermore, much of the time, email gets stuck in a black hole of the recipient’s inbox along with droves of spam.
• Keep it clear and concise. If you must email, focus on the five factors highlighted above, especially brevity and clarity in the body of the email. Also, be as direct as possible in the subject line of the email.
• Lastly, never call unless you are specifically asked to.

Also Read: 4 smart tools for better team communication and collaboration

I hope this helps. For those of you that did not have the attention span required for this quick read, I still wish you all the best!

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

Featured Image Copyright: alphaspirit / 123RF Stock Photo

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Joshua Research Consultants faces added challenges posed by the public’s perception of market research surveys

A ground-up approach was key to the implementation of improved data protection policies, says Mr Alan Tay, Managing Director, Joshua Research Consultants.

For the longest time, market research firms have found it a challenge to solicit responses through telephone surveys. While technology has aided telephone research through advances such as computer-assisted telephone interviewing, answering machines and caller identification have contributed to declines in response rates. This was not helped by the launch of the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry in Singapore in January 2014.

The intent of the DNC Registry is to minimise unsolicited telemarketing messages for individuals who opt in. It does not cover messages that do not contain any element of marketing, such as market research and opinion polling, among other exclusions in the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). These exclusions were formulated to help organisations carry out their non-marketing operations smoothly.

Also read: Personal data protection: An intrinsic priority of Singapore’s largest bank

However, the difference between these exclusions and telemarketing messages is not always clear-cut. While the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) had set out to educate members of the public on the exceptions to the DNC provisions through advertising and outreach, some continued to have a negative impression of telephone surveys.

Mr Alan Tay, Managing Director and data protection officer for Joshua Research Consultants (JRC), observes that the instinctive reaction from the public has been to reject such calls altogether, resulting in lower response rates to surveys and research programmes, hence affecting overall statistical data.

To alleviate this problem, the JRC call centre team is put through rigorous training to equip them with the skills set to deal with public perceptions.

“Being able to assure the public that we are conducting market research surveys and that we are not selling anything has helped us with our survey response rates,” says Mr Tay.

JRC provides market research services and data collection to clients in the Asia Pacific region and has offices in Singapore, Malaysia and China. Its Singapore headquarters employs 15 full-time staff and approximately 150 part-time staff in its call centre and for street surveys.

CHALLENGES

Being a people-oriented business, the key challenges for Joshua Research Consultants have been to manage internal stakeholders’ mindsets and behaviours, and the public’s perception towards market research.

 

Data protection by design

In the burgeoning era of the Internet, information security has become all the more important. This is why JRC had embarked on data protection for its call centre even before the PDPA came into full force in July 2014.

According to Mr Tay, JRC had designed its call centre with data protection in mind –the facility is located in a unit separate from the main office and is only accessible to management and call centre agents. Furthermore, entry into the call centre is constantly logged through the use of access cards.

The space is also segregated into multiple soundproof rooms so that personal data is not inadvertently disclosed.

Technology-wise, JRC segregates its local area network (LAN) and WIFI systems to reduce the possibility of an unauthorised external party tapping into the WIFI to access the corporate network.

Also read: Personal data protection evolves with technology

Another security precaution is the use of tablets for street surveys. Surveys in paper forms may easily be misplaced, leading to the loss of personal data. By using information technology (IT) as a solution, it has brought about better productivity and introduced a more secure way of handling personal data that JRC collects. “Should a tablet be lost or misplaced, we are also able to erase the contents remotely to minimise any leak of personal data,” Mr Tay adds.

JRC also enhanced its standard operating procedures (SOPs) relating to its IT processes and systems, which among others entail stronger password policies for all devices, regular asset management, and tighter access control.

Mr Tay acknowledges that the SOPs relating to the call centres might have been fluid in the early days. He recalls an incident in another country where a call centre agent had retained an interviewee’s telephone number for his own use.

To ensure that a similar situation does not arise, JRC now makes it mandatory for call centre agents to leave their belongings in a locker. This applies to all items, including mobile phones. All materials necessary for them to carry out their tasks, including writing paper, will be issued by JRC.

At the end of their shifts, the agents must surrender their writing paper – complete with notes that they might have taken down – for shredding. The paper is collected, shredded and disposed of regularly by a professional shredding contractor.

“The PDPA has given us ground to implement even stricter measures because the implications of non-compliance are too severe to ignore,” he says.

STEPS TAKEN

– Call centre designed with data protection in mind

– Ground-up approach to understanding and strengthening data protection measures for office and call centre processes

– Stricter policies for call centre agents, improved physical security measures and an internal do-not-call list

– Upgrading of IT systems and hardware to support enhanced SOP

The stricter measures imposed on call centre agents, especially the prohibition of mobile phones in the call centre rooms, met with initial resistance, but dedicated training and information sharing on PDPA requirements have enabled Mr Tay to change their mindsets and behaviours.

Mr Tay says the time and effort invested to engage staff in discussions about the PDPA, its implications and the new processes that had to be implemented within the organisation were well-spent. “Previously, they complained a lot about the restrictions imposed on them, but now they express understanding.”

Weighing the costs

JRC undertook the development and implementation of data protection policies in-house, adopting a ground-up approach. “When we embarked on this exercise, we felt that it should not be a top-down approach as that is usually met with high resistance. Internal stakeholders, such as staff members, should take some ownership.”

Also read: Singapore government plans to roll out a ‘big data sandbox’ this year

He reckons that he and his team spent a total of eight months researching, discussing and developing improved data protection policies and practices for the company. There were also open discussions with full-time staff members.

Other costs of compliance relate to the IT enhancements and staff training, as well as man-hours put into issues management.

BENEFITS

– Internal stakeholder buy-in for new policies

– Strengthened client confidence in its service offerings

– Increased business opportunities

“We take issues management very seriously,” Mr Tay says. “There was a gentleman whose name and contact details happened to be on two of our projects’ databases, each belonging to a different client. He had told the first call centre agent to remove his name from the call list, but we didn’t know then that he was on the other database as well. So, when he received another call from us, he was annoyed! It took us three weeks to investigate and settle the matter, but it was important that we did.”

To prevent the same issue from arising, JRC created its own do-not-call list which identifies recipients who have opted out of participating in market research surveys. The list will be run through before every new project to ensure that the recipients’ numbers are omitted from the project.

Weighing in on the time and effort spent, Mr Tay says, “It is all worthwhile. Many of our clients are MNCs and large corporations so they demand very high standards. We are delivering to those standards, which has opened up greater business opportunities for us. Our clients and stakeholders have more confidence in us now.”

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You’re ready to move out of your garage and into your very first office. But have you really thought everything through?

Question: What’s your top tip for a startup looking to set up an ideal first office space?

Put your own spin on it

“Taking ownership of your workspace has an empowering effect as it leads to an increase in productivity. Don’t get expensive stuff from the beginning. Instead, put your own spin on the surroundings so your employees can connect with you and understand what you expect from them.”

– Jessica Baker (@ALIGNED SIGNS), Aligned Signs

Determine whether you really need one

“Does your startup really need a dedicated 24/7 office? As a New Yorker, I can assure you that office spaces are expensive. Having a part-time plan at a shared office space may very well be the most cost-effective option to go with until your startup’s cash flow is more steady.”

– O. Liam Wright (@trueinteraction), True Interaction

Choose the right location

“More than anything else, a convenient location is critical – ideally somewhere central that’s easy for your employees to commute to. Other considerations regarding your office’s location should include proximity to skilled labour, presence of competitors, and if you work directly with clients, proximity to your customer base.”

– Steven Buchwald (@steven_buchwald), Buchwald & Associates

Also Read: After it landed some serious funding, let’s now take a tour of Spacemob’s fresh digs

Consider a coworking space

“The best place to start is a shared office or co-working space. The price of your membership includes utilities and necessities like internet and furniture, leaving you with a low overhead cost. You’re also constantly surrounded by creative and energetic people all working on their own ideas and projects, which creates a unique and collaborative environment.”

– Sesie Bonsi (@bleucoent), Bleu

Keep your costs low

“Think of all the great companies that started in their garages or home offices. You can always upgrade your office space down the road once you’ve made it, so keep your costs low in the beginning. You don’t need a fancy office with a leather couch and saltwater fish tank; you need a desk, a chair and the internet. Spend your money on better employees or bonuses instead.”

– Ben Walker (@datatranscbriber), Transcription Outsourcing, LLC

Consider a fine arts centre

“A great place for a startup would actually be at a fine arts centre. Those areas have lots of rooms that you are able to rent at low prices. My startup operates in an art center and my rent is a lot cheaper than that of my competitors.”

– Ajmal Saleem (@suprexlearning), Suprex Learning

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The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organisation comprising the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship programme that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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Because first impressions last

When you’re first starting out in business, it seems like there are a million and one things you need to do to get your business off the ground. You need to get a website, register your business name, do market research, product development, advertising… the list goes on.

And another area that needs your attention? Design.

Solid design is a hugely important element in any successful business. We humans are visual creatures, and we tend to judge people, places and things based on looks. So if your brand is sloppily designed, we’re going to assume that you run a sloppy business, as well. That’s why it’s SO important to focus on great design from day one.

But design can be overwhelming, especially when you’re in launch mode and dealing with the other million things on your to-do list. So when you’re first starting out, you’re going to want to begin with focusing on the must-haves of business design.

Here are 3 design essentials you need to kick off your business:

#1: A brand color palette

So the first thing you need to do before falling into the rabbit hole of corporate design is choose a brand colour palette. The colours that you choose — which will be incorporated into all of your branding and design from here in the end of time — can either work for you or against you, and you want to make sure that you choose a colour palette that’s going to connect with your ideal audience and inspire the kind of response you’re looking for.

Source: Sport at the Service of Humanity 2016 | Branding

While choosing a colour palette seems like it would be a simple process (I like blue, green and black. GO!), there are actually quite a few factors to consider.

Choose colours that work together

A brand colour palette that clashes is just going to be an eyesore. Choosing red and green to be your lead colours? Not going to work unless you’re a Christmas brand. Yellow and purple? Not unless you want your audience to think of Barney the Dinosaur when they think of your brand.

Choose colours that complement each other and create a cohesive colour experience.

Choose the right number of c0lours in your palette

Source: Too Undo Identity by Gary Corr

Your brand colour palette shouldn’t resemble an artist’s palette, complete with 27 different colours. Ideally, chose one to two primary colours (which will be used for the majority of your design)  and another one or two accent colours (which will be used more sparingly). Once you pass three to four colours in your brand colour palette, you’re veering into the ‘this hurts my eyes’ category.

Also Read: Branding basics: 6 steps to an effective e-commerce branding strategy

Leverage colour psychology

There’s so much more to colour than meets the eye. While you obviously want to choose colours that you like and feel are a representation of your brand, you also want to leverage colour psychology.

Credits to: The Logo Company

If you’re not hip to the term, you might be wondering “Uhm …What is colour psychology?” Well, according to Wikipedia, colour psychology is the “study of hues as a determinant of human behaviour.” Or, from a marketing and branding perspective, using colour to inspire a certain set of feelings and actions within your audience.

Now, just like actual psychology, colour psychology isn’t a foolproof science. Every person is different and is going to bring their own unique set of ideas and experiences to the table, which can have an impact on the way colour affects them. But there are some general rules of thumb when it comes to using colour that you can use to your advantage.

Want your brand to be viewed as daring and edgy? Try incorporating red. Looking for more of a serene vibe? You’ll have better luck with blue. Have a mostly female audience? Try softer colours — women prefer softer colour palettes while men prefer bolder colour choices.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how your audience will respond to your colours, using colour psychology can help you get both the brand perception and results you’re looking for.

#2: A memorable logo

Logofolio by http://ift.tt/2jVPZWB

Once you’ve got your colours locked in, the first thing you’re going to want to design (or have a designer create for you) is your logo. Think of your logo as the face of your business: It’s the first thing that most of your audience is going to see, and it’s going to be the first thing they remember when they think of you.

Your logo is going to be closely tied with your brand identity and how you’re viewed in the market, so this is NOT an area that you want to where you want to cut corners or slap something together and call it a day. Your logo design requires some serious thought, consideration, and effort.

Also Read: Branding basics: 6 ways your business can benefit from multiple domain names

So, how exactly do you go about creating a logo that’s memorable, is true to who you are as a brand and makes people think “Yep… that company knows what they’re doing when it comes to design”?

Keep it simple

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when designing your logo is trying to make it too, well, big. Trying to fit five graphics and six different fonts and a rainbow of colours into one logo is going to (a) look terrible, and (b) overwhelm your audience — possibly to the point where they feel the need to cover their eyes.

Great logos focus on one or two design elements and do them exceptionally well. Keep your logo simple and streamlined, and you’ll make more of an impact.

Keep it versatile

Source: SYRENA Ice Cream | Branding

Your logo is going to go on literally EVERYTHING you create: your website, your stationery, your business cards, pens, the t-shirts you print for your annual blogging conference. It’s going to go on a wide variety of items, so you need to make sure that it’s versatile enough to work in multiple places. If you have a logo that looks great on a backpack but terrible on a corporate letterhead, it doesn’t have the kind of versatility you need to be the face of your business.

When you design your logo, ask yourself: Will this work just as well on the web as it will in print? Will it pop and make an impact on marketing materials as well as it will on your assorted company swag? If the answer is no, you’ve still got some work to do.

Keep it modern AND classic

Source: Branding Studio – Identity

The best logos find a balance between being timely and being timeless. You don’t want your logo to feel dated, but you also don’t want to create a logo that’s ‘on trend’, only to have those trends go out the window next year, taking your logo’s relevance with it. So putting a #hashtag in your logo? Probably not the best idea.

When designing your logo, you want to create something that feels timeless. Incorporate modern design elements, like timely font or style choices, but also make sure that your end design is something you feel will be relevant and usable five or 10 years down the line.

#3: Social media images

Source: Modern Pattern Social Media Banners by Zeus Z

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a small team or a huge corporation, a huge part of your business is going to take place on social media.

The best place to capture your audience is where they already are. And in 2017, millennials to baby boomers (and literally everyone in between) are on social media. Having a strong presence on the major social media sites — and a solid strategy to help you meet your business goals — is a must. And an essential part of that strategy needs to be well-designed social media images.

Whether you create a meme to inspire a LOL from your audience or an Instagram post to advertise your upcoming webinar, you need to have well designed images to support your social media objectives.

Also Read: Branding basics: Logo design tips for startups

Now, if you’re thinking “that sounds great, but I have zero idea how to create social media images,” no worries! While it used to be that you had to be a design expert with working knowledge of high level design software to create compelling social media images – or spend an arm and a leg hiring a professional designer to create them for you – that’s just no longer the case. Design platforms like DesignBold make it quick, easy and pain-free for even the most design-challenged professionals to create beautiful, pro-level images — no experience required.

We know that launching a business is overwhelming. But even if you’re swimming in ‘to-do’s’ to get your business off the ground, spend the time and energy to get these 3 business design essentials done (and done well). They’ll make a huge impact on how your business is received and can have a direct impact on the success of your launch.

The takeaway

Once you have these three design essentials locked and loaded, you can build the rest of your design assets as you go along. But a brand colour palette, a logo and creative and compelling social media images are an absolute must before you reveal your brand to the masses. So get out there and get designing!

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

Featured Image Copyright: pressmaster / 123RF Stock Photo

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Tim Romero of Disrupting Japan. Photo credit: SunBridge Global Ventures.

Tech has stolen the market cap crown from the oil tycoons. This change is perfectly natural according to a panel of regional experts last month at Innovation Weekend in Tokyo, but the Silicon Valley kingdom is also teetering on being overthrown.

“The day of America as the single IT leader is over,” writes founding partner Takeshi Ebihara of Rebright Partners on his blog. Citing PricewaterhouseCoopers’ MoneyTree report, Takeshi emphasizes that the amount of funding for startups in China grew eightfold in just two years to US$37 billion in 2015.

That’s less than US$59 billion in the same period for the US. But Takeshi believes the US$37 billion pumped into Chinese startups in the first half of 2016 alone, as shown by the Tech in Asia Database, shows China is now on par with Silicon Valley.

Takeshi Ebihara of Rebright Partners. Photo credit: SunBridge Global Ventures.

The panelists agree it’s not just funding. Unicorn distribution and the amount of money spent on research and development are also shifting to Asia. “China is probably going to be the biggest winner the human race has ever seen,” explains Keith Teare, co-founder of TechCrunch and partner at Archimedes Labs.

Serial entrepreneur and host of Disrupting Japan Tim Romero pushed back on that and stressed that market capitalization and valuations are poor measures of innovation. While Tim praises the research being done in life sciences and fields like autonomous driving in China, he feels Silicon Valley is still unrivaled as the birthplace of truly innovative business models.

Co-founder of TechCrunch and partner at Archimedes Labs Keith Teare. Photo credit: SunBridge Global Ventures.

Keith admits the Bay Area is no longer exceptional, but it is incredible that it still produces 40 percent of the world’s unicorns. The good news for founders is that success is no longer limited to geography. Takeshi, for example, is excited for the future of India’s tech scene as well. He points out that the yearly economic growth rate in India is 7.9 percent, even faster than China’s 6.7 percent. “India will grow so much that you could even say it’s fine to ignore other places,” he laughs.

Progress

Many are quick to pin the economic boom in Asia to a simple increase in people, but Tim downplays the effect of population on the economy. “It’s entirely a function of change and the opportunities for startups to jump in.”

Founding partner of Golden Gate Ventures Jeffrey Paine has seen these opportunities grow first hand. He recounted a recent trip to China where he spoke with founders about how entrepreneurs and the middle class no longer have to work multiple jobs and finally have personal leisure time.

Jeffrey Paine of Golden Gate Ventures. Photo credit: SunBridge Global Ventures.

Young and growing economies like in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia do have the advantage of being able to create a surplus. “Last year you had ‘X,’ this year you have ‘X’ plus five percent,” explains Keith. “Suddenly you can take some new risks with that five percent and do some new things.”

Kickstarting Japan

Aging countries like Japan, on the other hand, consume all their resources just to produce at last year’s levels. To stay competitive, Keith professes that such countries need another industrial revolution. He points to Lebanon’s investment program as an example to kickstart innovation. Banks are encouraged to take risks and invest in startups through the program and the central bank then guarantees up to 75 percent of the money put in. This has created another potential US$400 million available for venture companies in a country with about half the population of New York.

Tim Romero of Disrupting Japan. Photo credit: SunBridge Global Ventures.

Finally, the panelists offered some advice for Japan. Jeffrey encouraged people to speak English and look for new business ideas by traveling. Keith joked that Japan should build an electric car that beats Tesla. Tim, a resident of Japan, suggested the island nation could benefit from a government-level competitive research project like the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Such a program would get everyone, not just large corporations in solving big problems.

“Japan has got the knowledge capital of the world,” says Tim. “I think that would be a huge shot in the arm for entrepreneurship here.”

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View of the Dubai marina. Photo credit: boule13 / 123RF.

The wealthy Gulf city of Dubai has long been viewed as a hub of business and commerce in the wider Middle East region. Nestled in an area that’s been wrecked by war, conflict, and political turmoil, the desert oasis has managed to cultivate a glamorous image as a city with pristine infrastructure, debaucherous nightlife, and delectable cuisine.

It attracts a combination of wealthy businesspeople looking for a central hub, as well as highly-educated talent from across the world to help these companies grow – much like Singapore.

But if Dubai wants to continue its dizzying pace of growth, it needs to constantly reinvent itself and maintain its competitive edge. Regional threats – such as from Doha, Kuwait, and even Riyadh – aren’t entirely out of the question.

Qatar alone has US$335 billion under assets via its sovereign wealth fund. Saudi Arabia recently ploughed US$3.5 billion into Uber and wants to continue investing in tech startups. Kuwait is rumored to be on the threshold of launching a US$7 billion fund for small and medium businesses. They’re all armed with a tremendous amount of oil and gas revenue, while Dubai has very little.

One of the ways it’s doing so is through the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) – an umbrella of entities that’s tasked with transforming Dubai as one of the key players in the knowledge economy.

The future is within reach

Within the ambit of the DFF is the Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA) – an ambitious program to pair the world’s top startups with government bodies in Dubai. The goal is to solve futuristic challenges envisioned by cities around the globe.

For example, one of the goals of the Dubai Police is to improve policing across the city through the extensive use of drones. They’re also trying to glean data for better crime prediction. DFA plans to pair them up with companies working on similar products. If accepted into the program, these companies will enjoy free office space, accommodation, and mentorship for 12 weeks.

Photo credit: Maher Najm.

Other wings of the government have their own priorities. The roads and transportation authority wants to develop autonomous public transport options, the municipality wants to reduce waste by 75 percent, and the immigration department wants to use AI to clamp down on illegal overstays.

So there’s a real chance of signing multi-million dollar contracts with the government if both parties feel they can work together.

“Dubai 1.0 was all about trade and pearls. Then came 2.0, which was about real estate, buildings, and infrastructure. Now Dubai is moving to a 3.0 phase, which targets a knowledge-based economy,” says Vera Futorjanski, head of communications at DFF.

The DFA is now in its second batch of incubated companies. In the first batch it accepted 30 applicants out of a total of over 2,000. Nineteen of those went on to sign contracts with the Dubai government, worth a total of US$33.5 million.

Some of these startups were Darkmatter – a cybersecurity firm that inked a deal with the Dubai Police, Pixelbug – a virtual reality company that’s now working with the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and Medativ, which 3D prints anatomical models of the human body and is collaborating with the Dubai Health Authority.

“This is really not to make money at all. Especially with the accelerator. The Dubai Government doesn’t take any equity [for the companies accepted into the program],” she adds. “We tell the world: what are the future challenges? If you are a company or a startup that has what it takes to meet these challenges please apply.”

The DFF has also managed to snare some high-profile companies. In October, Hyperloop One announced it would build its first system made specifically for cargo at the Jebel Ali port in Dubai.

That’s the largest port in the Middle East and the 9th largest worldwide.

And that’s not all. The DFF also has a US$275 million fund to invest in startups. That’ll operate independently of the DFA but also look to invest in technologies of the future, such as those in energy, healthcare, and education.

The announcement comes after more than a billion dollars of venture capital flowed into Dubai-headquartered startups in 2016 – the highest it’s ever been. In the same year, the city welcomed two new unicorns – ecommerce marketplace Souq and transportation app Careem.

“45 years ago, there were no paved roads in Dubai. Now, in five years, they’re planning on sending a mission to Mars. There are not many cities in the world that can say that,” exclaims Vera. “While we don’t want to replace Silicon Valley, we definitely want to establish an innovation hub.”

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