So how on earth could business insurance actually help everyone be that bit more motivated in the work environment? The thing that is really important to start with is that your employees need to feel safe in the workplace or they just cant or wont do the job.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the best things to follow here as it shows in level two of the hierarchy that level two is comfort which is connected to safety. If you do not have the insurances that your employees feel are the right ones to have you are risking them not feeling safe which is going to leave them very unmotiviated which could leave them not working to thier full potential. Having insurance in the business not only makes the people who work for it that bit happier it also promotes a better relationship between management and everyone below. Many companies struggle to keep the relationship balence between thier management and employees and having insurance could help to boost this. Giving out the right insurances is giving back something to the employees for all thier hard work. If there is someone you are really unsure of or perhaps several staff members then you can get insurance out to get back any missing money that may be taken, of course this is likely to decrease staff morale rather than boost it.

Insurance can also cover things like breakage to glass and windows or if you are heavily dependant on computers or machinery you can get cover on this too.

Staff feel a lot happier the more the business is protected so instead of just having the mandatory Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance it is perhaps recommended to have several other insurances on the business to not only make you more protected but also to help out the employees. Making them feel safer is a big step on making them happier in what they are doing.

Even if you are in a small factory or office getting office insurance could be the step you need in sending those employees up the hierarchy of needs.

Those public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not fully appreciate the multiple benefits that surveys can bring. Not only are surveys an efficient method of market research that will help identify areas of passenger dissatisfaction, they are also perfect for measuring the effects of improvements and can, at the same time, help promote new initiatives to customers using the service.

Establishing a Starting Point

When embarking on any change management programme it is always good practice to establish a base line before any changes are made. This baseline survey can serve four purposes, it will:-

• allow the proper targeting of investment
• allow measurement of the effect of change
• assist in the moral of those implementing change
• ensure that new issues are kept separate from the original plan and budget

Targeting Investment

There are many areas of any public transport system that can cause passenger dissatisfaction all of which need to be monitored to ensure that the service being provided meets, and where possible, exceeds, performance level targets.

Issues that can be of concern to passenger include:-

• safety and security
• punctuality
• fares and ticket types
• capacity and overcrowding
• quality and design of vehicle
• cleanliness
• facilities at stations and terminals
• facilities for passengers with disabilities

Often limited resources and budgets means that investment needs to be carefully planned and properly targeted.

Operators can use passenger surveys to identify the issues that are of most concern to their customers. Through the analysis of passenger feedback the operator will be able to ensure that their improvement and investment plans are in line with passenger demands and concerns. Issues can be classified by priority and if they can be addressed in the short or long terms.

Some capital investment such as the building of new terminals, runways, laying new track or upgrading air traffic control or rail signalling equipment may take years to implement. However, the initial survey can also lead to some high profile problem areas being identified that have solutions that can be implemented almost immediately.

Measuring Change

From having established a comprehensive programme from an initial survey the objectives for running periodic surveys are twofold.

One objective will be to confirm that passenger concerns have been addressed by any changes and initiatives that are implemented. A second objective will be to promote and advertise the initiatives that have been implemented and also inform and educate passengers of ongoing improvements and future plans.

If passengers appreciate that the operators have acknowledged their concerns and are taking steps to address the problems they may be more tolerant.

Keeping Moral

Those implementing change can often develop a siege mentality. It can take time for changes to take effect and for any improvements to be appreciated by the passengers.

By monitoring passenger opinion and measuring the results against earlier surveys a successful change programme should see passenger issues change over time, some issues that were problems will no longer be raised.

It will take time for passengers to fully appreciate progress and often those working on a change project will need to brace themselves for a barrage of criticism from what is often an impatient public. It is important that a team implementing change can see clearly the effects of their efforts.

Identifying New and Old

In any long term change management programme issues can change over time. Priorities can change instantly so that due to an event what may have been important, is no longer important and what wasn't an issue, suddenly becomes an issue.

Having the passengers concerns chronologically documented is possible if a baseline survey is taken. Passengers are themselves an evolving group, individual travel arrangements change, fashion changes, life styles develop along with technology. With surveys run regularly any changes in passenger attitudes can be monitored.

Online Surveys Make It Easy

Online surveys can reach a broad cross section of any travelling public. They are quick to design and implement and they provide feedback in a format that is ready for detailed analysis. Because of the flexibility and low cost of online surveys it is practical to publish multiple surveys that target specific groups ensuring that the needs of people are fully understood.

Online passenger surveys will provide operators with essential market research data and will establish a platform to allow them to advertise and promote their commitment to high levels of passenger satisfaction.

Passengers will benefit from having an effective channel to raise issues and through regular surveys the passengers will start to appreciate that the operator is committed to investing and improving the service. The following are links to samples of Passenger Surveys

Sample Passenger Survey for an Airline Carrier: Airline Passenger Survey

Passenger Survey for a Train Operator: Train Operator Passenger Survey

Sample Passenger Survey for a Bus Operator: Bus Operator Passenger Survey

Setting up a company in Singapore is a good plan. This country provides an environment that is very friendly for new businesses. In fact, the World Bank Report ranked Singapore 1st for ease of doing business in the year 2007 and 2008. Singapore is also ranked as the 2nd most competitive country in the world.

So it's easy to see that doing business in Singapore is a great prospect for any foreign companies. However, there are rules and regulations that you might want to know when forming a company in Singapore.

Singapore Company Incorporation - What is required

The obligations are simple:

- Both Singaporeans and foreigners can register a new Singapore company

- Singapore permits 100% foreign ownership

- Paidup capital of one dollar is okay

- There must be one shareholder and one director

- Local director is a regulation, otherwise, there must be a nominee director

- The company address must be a Singapore registered address

- The company must hire a local qualified company secretary

What are the benefits

One of the biggest benefits of having a local company is that the country allows ZERO coporate tax for the initial $100,000 profits for new set ups, up to 3 years. This is a very competitive benefit that many overseas companies enjoy.

The corporate tax is also very enticing: 8.5% tax for up to $300,000 profits and 17% for profits above that. Not many countries can match the low tax rates set by Singapore, which makes it a very big factors for new company set ups.

Company secretarial services

One important highlight here is that the company must appoint a local, qualified company secretary. Most of the time the secretary is not part of the company's payroll and it's assigned to a 3rd party that provides secretarial services.

So, it is important that the company must hire the right company secretary who is qualified and professional. In Singapore, there is no lack of capable secretaries. In fact, many are highly qualified so finding one should be easy.

Closing

Starting a company in Singapore is a great intention. The new company will not only get tax exemptions, Singapore is also a fine place to find local talents.