Singapore's profile as a hot destination for business and startups has been steadily rising. We study this trend with practical reasoning. Servolve (www.servolve.com ) is a specialist consulting firm working with corporates in their expansion into Singapore and entrepreneurs in their new business launch.

1. Singapore - Top business destination among equals
Singapore – the red dot of South East Asia has been named many times as a prime
destination for industries and individuals alike. It has been named among top global cities
to watch out for along with popular neighbours like Shenzhen, Gurgaon, Istanbul etc even
as recently as the year 2011. There are many reasons why the city state has become so
attractive to both individual and corporate investor alike.
Mr. George Mathew, CEO of the Servolve group of companies, commented on the overall
attractiveness of Singapore as a business destination, “Singapore has consistently ranked
among the top nations of the world and has been scrupulously working towards ensuring
that it remains on top of the game both for businesses and individuals who have invested
into the country. Everything from the strategic location to the high quality of living, Singapore
is a great choice for businesses and individuals alike. Perhaps this is the reason why more
and more companies from around the world are beginning to shift their focus to Singapore
from the Eurozone and Americas”.
We try to find out the main reasons why the city state is so attractive for business and
individuals alike
Prime location and trade agreements
Singapore is located conveniently at the heart of Asia. The infrastructural ability that
Singapore can provide is world class and satisfies the needs of companies in trading or
non-trading background. Singapore has about 68 fully concluded trade agreements with
neighbouring countries. It allows for double taxation relief with most of the partnering
nations, this which has become an incentive for many business houses to consider
Singapore as their next location.
Moving goods and people in Singapore is very easy due to the state of the art facilities
available. Singapore metro system was awarded the “Best Metro Asia-Pacific” by the “The
Metros” in 2010 and was termed as “ahead of any other transport system in the Asian
region.
The quality of life in Singapore is way ahead of its counterparts and other major cities of
Asia. The Mercer Quality of Life Survey 2011, ranked Singapore at 8 among world nations
for personal safety and is generally known as a city safe for corporate as well as individuals.
In overall ranking Singapore is ranked ahead of other Asian counterparts like Hong Kong,
Malaysia, India and China.
The World Banks, Doing Business 2011 Report has ranked Singapore World’s easiest
place to do business. This is not surprising as a company formation in Singapore can be
completed on average within 3 days. This can be followed up with opening a bank account
for the company within the next 10-15 working days complete with internet banking facility.
About the author
Neethu Stephen is a senior consultant at Servolve - a specialist consulting firm working with
startups in Singapore. To understand more about whether Singapore suits your business
and individual needs, contact info@servolve.com or visit our Singapore company formation
portal.