Entrepreneur Find: Villa-Bali.com

Founded by my ex-boss, David Chambat, Villa-Bali.com is an online portal offering villa rental in Bali (Indonesia).

Unlike other accommodation booking websites, Villa-Bali.com fill the gap in providing

What I like about their website:
1. Colorful, Large Font and Cheerful Interface: There is something about the large font (or maybe a few other features) that entice me to go on clicking onto more pages! Study has done that fonts & font size play a very large role in click-through-rates on a website. On top of it, they have used very captivating and high res images on their header slideshow. 

2. Multi-Currency: Villa-Bali.com offers up to 8 International currencies, including SGD, KRW, USD, JPY, EUP etc.

3. Large Selection of Quality Luxury/Boutique Villas: Villa-Bali.com states to provide over 300 villas for you to choose from.

3. No Booking Fee: I bet that is something that every traveler will appreciate! 

Do check out their Blog for daily updates about travelling and living in Bali.

You can find Villa-Bali.com:

Facebook
Email: contact@Villa-Bali.com
Office
35b Pagoda street
Singapore 

Heels with Socks

Finally, I'm able to write about this blog post, which I've been meaning to do so in the longest time ever!

Dressing heels with socks can look quirky or classy, depending on the type of heels and socks.
I have always been a fan of pairing socks/stockings (Black Opaque) with heels. Ever since I saw Rory in Gilmore Girls, dressed in a classic black cocktail dress, black opaque stockings, and black heels, I have a fad towards stockings and socks. Sadly, weather in Singapore doesn't exactly allow you to play around with these accessories in your wardrobe.

This is the best picture I could find of her in stockings and heels.

These are some of my favourite Heels with Socks pairings:



 Who would have though that white socks can accentuate a look beyond the schoolgirl image!

 Create a flirty and romantic look with these Red Patent Mary Jane Heels, Floral Ankle Socks and a black lace skirt.

 Military chic in High Lace-up Boots and Above the knee Black Socks.

 This reminds me of floral mints!

The perfect strategy to lengthen your body by creating a multi-layer look.

I hope you like these looks!

Monday Wish: Dog Hugs

 

Pregnant Kim Kardashian: Fab to Drab

Yes, I am writing about Kim Kardashian's Fab to Drab. How a day makes a difference!

FAB (22nd Feb 2013)



The red lips, sleek hair, monochromatic dress, white pointed heels. Need we say more? Classy, classy classy!

DRAB (23rd Feb 2013)

 

I think she intended for the frills to cover her baby bump, but she neglected the fact that her tight fitting cropped top revealed more flesh than she hoped for. And seriously, snake-skin prints pants?! Kim Kardashian, what is going through that pregnant mind?!

Revamped Kinokuniya.com.sg

With all the advents of e-Book as facilitated by gadgets such as the Ipad, Iphone, Kindle, Galaxy Tab etc, I am still a fan of the good old paper books. The feel of holding onto a book, the sound of a flipped page, and the smell of the fresh new paper is definitely part of the book-reading experience.

 

I was pleasantly suprised to see that Kinoukinya has been doing their homework over the past year or so with a new and revamped website. Well, judging from the design of it, I wouldn't term it as a revamp. But they have definitely added some new and interesting e-commerce features!

 

It probably has something to do with the fact that Borders is now out of the picture, and they realize that they need to step it up!

 

Some new features that I am

 

1. Free Local Delivery with S$50 Spent: Good job there! The most important perk an 'online book buyer' would want is complimentary local delivery. This is definitely a push buyer to increase online revenue and increasing customer satisfaction.

 

2. BookWeb Price: I'm assuming that they are offering a reduced online price, as compared to the Retail Price. Again, another push factor for the consumer to click 'Add to Cart'.

 

3. Description: Informative for consumer purchasing decision.  

 

4. Business Book of the Month: I am not so sure whether this is a fixed category each month, but let me check again in March 2013. It is nice to see recommended books at a discounted price on the sidebar. At the end of the day, pricing is one of the highest and most sensitive issue for the online buyer!

 

From a fellow consumer point of view, you may want to check out Book Depository. Although they have recently been bought over by Amazon, and I have been hearing much negative comments about this buyover Book Depository pretty much looks the same to me. They offer free delivery (NO MINIMUM PURCHASE), and a much wider selection of books (or so I think). However, you may want to compare prices as they may vary from each item. 

 

Kinokuniya is available at 3 locations in Singapore:

Singapore Main Store

391 Orchard Road
#03-09/10/15 Ngee Ann City
Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Singapore 238872
Tel: +65 6737-5021
Fax: +65 6738-0487

(Opening hours: Sun to Fri - 10am to 9.30pm & Sat - 10am to 10pm)

Liang Court Store

177 River Valley Road
#03-50 Liang Court
Singapore 179036
Tel: +65 6337-1300
Fax: +65 6338-1278                        

(Opening hours: Daily - 10.30am to 9.30pm)

 

Bugis Junction Store

200 Victoria Street
#03-09/12 Bugis Junction Singapore 188021
Tel: +65 6339-1790
Fax: +65 6339-1792                                                 

(Opening hours: Daily - 10.30am to 10.00pm)

Entrepreneur Find: ExpatAuction

I found this interesting business at the top of my Facebook sidebar advertisement.

Curious me clicked on the advert and was interesting to find more about this business. Started in 2011, ExpatAuction helps expats (or alikes) to sell off furniture when they need to relocate, return home or maybe do some spring cleaning.  The name suggests that it is an exclusive group for Expats in Singapore, but I would like to assume that this is not an exclusive club for expats and foreigners.

From the surface looks of it, this is definitely a large target market for ExpatAuction. According to the 'Key Demographic Trends 2010', Statistics Singapore, there has been a steady increase of 8-10% of Permanent Residents/Non-Residents from 2008 - 2010 (Source: ). As of 2010, there is a record number of 541,000 Permanent Residents and 1,305,000 Non-Residents respectively in Singapore.

Their business model is derived from an 'Auction' model, where sellers consign their furniture to ExpatAuction for sale through auction. On the other side, ExpatAuction markets to buyers who are interested to purchase these furnitures, in an auction style. At the end of a sale, ExpatAuction receives 25% off the final auction price from the seller. You will find that their furniture inventory cater to Expat/Foreigners taste, from large wooden furniture with an Asian/European taste, to Balinese rattan furniture. If you take time to browse through, you may find some rare finds at very affordable pricing.

Some of my favourite pieces as seen on their Facebook page:


Lot 2 was this Hollywood Stage Lamp (140 tall unextended) won for $400 by an absentee bidder

This French antique wild cherry wood sideboard. Comes in 2 pieces. Upper cabinet (122x35x104) lower (126x54x104) was Lot 37 and won for $650

After all, Auction Purchasing is not simply for the rich (or wealthy) art-buying collectors. You can now get a taste of Auction Buying without burning a hole in your wallet!

You can find ExpatAuction at:

Warehouse: Citilink Warehouse, 102F Pasir Panjang Road
 
Email: admin@expatauctions.com.sg

Disclaimer: This is not an advert or any sorts for ExpatAuction, but simply my thoughts about them and the business.

Introvert or Extrovert?

Have you ever wondered whether you're an introvert or extrovert? Or have you found people commenting that you are either one? These terms have been used to brand people so frequently, it seems to give the earlier a negative annotation. In today's society, it seems to have become a crime to be an introvert; while being an extrovert earns you brownie points.

It was all peaceful at home, until my mum came home, and started talking about everything and nothing. I started to Google 'People Who Hate Noise' (aka me), and the search results came up with the topic of Introvert. What does it mean to be an introvert? Often, they are stereotyped to be 'shy' and 'quiet'. I like how Carl wrote in his blog post, 10 Myths About Introverts. He gave a personal take (I guess he's an introvert?), even including a personal FAQ.

I find the following myths particularly relevant for me. So people who (remotely) know me, I guess this answers you as to some of my less-than-norm behaviour at times!

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk. This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people. On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird. Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Through his blog post, I found a psychotherapist, Marti Olsen Laney, who authored the book 'The Introvert Advantage'. You can read a synopsis of her book at Amazon.

A self-professed introvert herself, Marti Olsen Laney debunks the Introvert Stereotype through her book. By titling it 'The Introvert Advantage', she is definitely challenging society's mainstream view about the typical introvert. I will definitely be getting my hands on this book!

All you introverts out there, don't lose heart. You are not weird, you are just special, and can only be found 1 in 4 people!