Dream Big, Start Small

AFTER reading through my goals again, I realised that I've provided too vague a goal for me to put into action. The parts that the goals provided had only been the Dream big part, what it lacked was the Start small part.

I've listed all the big things that I want to be doing at significant points in time in my life. What I did not include or did not dare reveal was the small little steps that needs to be taken in order to reach the bigger dream.

Achieving a networth of $1million by having several investments in business, real estates or stocks doesn't not reveal the intricacies that these investments requires me to look after. It makes the goal too unrealistic and sounds like a real dream.

False Assurance

In my mind, I often reassured myself that I know what I need to do whenever I think about the goals I'm striving for. I'll tell myself something like: I need to read more books on people's skill so that I can better build rapport for me to better sell anything I want people to sell themselves; I need to write down more specific goals so that I will have a better understand of what I'm spearing for. All these thoughts served to only boost my morale temporarily by reassuring myself that I'm doing something related to my goals and I'm doing fine.

The problem is, I'm not doing things in the correct order. I'm searching for solutions for problems that I think I'll be facing instead of facing a problem before trying to find a solution.

The difference lies in that, with the latter, I'll be better able to apply the solution and knowledge I acquired and the digestion of the information will be more applicable for future similiar problems. What I'm doing now however, makes me fear making mistakes. The more I think I know, the less I'll dare to go forth in case I forgot what I thought I knew.

Knowledge is nothing unless it is applied. I can become an encyclopedia about human relationship management but I'll have no clue of how to strike a casual conversation with anybody unless I've actually talked to somebody.

Learning also entails making mistakes

The concept of failing in order to discover how to succeed is no stranger to me. That is what I've been telling myself. But to actually be faced with a choice of whether to take a plunge or walk a path that is trodden by many, causes me to waver sometimes. It is easy to say that I need to choose my own path to understand why I've taken it rather than follow everyone to find out why they have taken the path.

It easy to say anything. It is easy to say that I'll become a president before I die. It is easy to say that the world will end in A.D.2012. Saying anything is truly no mean feat. But I know that in order to make what I say counts, I need to take actions to prove that I mean what I say, even if I do not succeed.

This is where many people fail. They say big things but do not dare to proceed or proceed but gave up halfway. This is because they did not pave the small steps they need to take in order to reach that big thing. I've often found myself giving up on thing that I once had so much passion about.

That bad habit escaped my comprehension until I seriously thought about the occasions when I felt that giving up was the best choice I could make. I gave up because the Big Picture I was looking at, was so big that it disheartens me to be unable to see any results while I slogged towards achieving it. Truth is, I'm making significant progress from a miniscule levels. But because my head had been raised the whole time, I did not look down and acknowledge that fact that I'm actually closer to where I want to be.

The concept here is that, no matter how big something you want to achieve is, as long as there are small little steps that you know you can take to walk towards it, you will not be disheartened halfway through. The small steps that you need to take will permanently boost your morales when you got there. Even if you do not reach a certain small step, you not give up as easily because you would have told yourself that you made it this far, no point giving up.

What I lacked in my goals were the small little steps. The important steps that I need to put in so that I can truly work towards my goals. I need to get over the idea that reading more books will grant me my eventual success. I need to truly embrace the concept of getting down and under.

This applies to anything we do in life. It is not only for a better life. It is for everything. For love, for health, for prestige, for peace. Having a Big Dream is not enough. Neither is having small little steps. Everything needs to have the 2 aspect working hand in hand to endure Time.

My Life So Far

THE year is going to end soon. The number of years left to achieve my goals will also be down by 1. So what have I done to move myself closer to that goal?

The first goal of having a networth of $1million by the age of 26 is still far from reach. My underlying plan is to have some investments, publish books and start 2 to 3 businesses.

So far, I've had one land banking investment that would double my money in 2 to 4 years. A book that I'm in the progress of writing and its still quite far from earning anything. I'm also an Education consultant for ERC institutes, my small time business.

My formal education stopped 3 years ago. Currently, I'm pursuing my interest in a diploma course of Digital Media Design. I'll soon hit a fork road where I'll have to choose boring employment or a life of excitement. My only relevant education comes from books that successful people wrote. They are my life mentors.

My relationship with my family has improved a little. I'm no longer The Tyrant. I could now be approached. My addiction for the computer is wearing off and now I have some other stuff which I found myself doing at home. But, I'm still far from being the perfect son and elder brother.

My inter-personal skills have declined. This is a sad fact and even though I'm conciously trying to halt the downward spiral, its eating me. It might have been because of my thoughts and my scrutiny of others and how they live their lives. This is one area that needs lots of work.

My faith. I have no god. I don't go to anyone seeking forgiveness. I hold responsibility over my own actions and will bear the consequence in this lifetime. What happens after this lifetime will be dealt with after I get there. Right now, I can't be bothered if someone is watching my moves. I write my own destiny and my conscience is my guide. Nothing to work on in this area. Spiritual life is none of my concern.

My entertainment has gone from weekly gatherings with old friends to sitting infront of the computer wondering what to do next. There's no line drawn for me. I'm studying my interest, doing what I enjoy doing every day of my life. I can't think of anything that would entertain me. I don't really get myself entertained by playing games. For one simple reason because I suck at it. It would struck at me as more of a waste of time than de-stressing. I'm not sure if anyone will classify getting a girlfriend as entertainment. That thought was in my head sometime ago, but it seemed to have lost its fun. Fighting invisible enemies sounds more and more stupid. It served less and less in removing excess fats compared to the work out routines I'm having. Any party loving person will view my life as a sad and uneventful one. But my excuse: Bitter first, sweet later. Enjoy when I have the capacity to.

My health is pink I suppose. No major illness. Probably some self-thought body defunctional syndromes. But I guess I'm doing fine. Current routine: Swimming 2.5km on every Tuesday and Napfa training on every Friday which consists of supervised training of the 6 sections in Napfa. My goal here is to get Gold for Napfa. Only obstacle is my 2.4km run, other stations are wavering around B~A range. Working steadily towards better stamina and speed. All's well.

Too early to make a new year's resolution. So I'll stop here. My idealogies are more or less established in my previous posts, so I guess I won't be as active in that area.

I realise that my mind was lighter than before I started blogging. Those exploding thoughts are better off written down and recorded rather than stored inside the brain.

Now my most important focus is to get my book out and in the mean time work on my business.

My New Book (Progress check)

BOOK 1 of the Moneythology Series:
My First Big Book Of Money
Short Description:
This is a picture/story/informational/educational Book that is about A4 to A3 size. Colourful, interesting graphics that helps to bring out the message intended.
The purpose of this book is to:
· to provide a solution for parents to teach their children about the elusive subject of money
· to inform/educate the reader the origin of money and its purposes
· to stress the importance of saving to prepare for opportunities
· to educate reader about the different forms of money that existed in the past


Content:

The book has 4 sections

1. Introduction of Money Land-This is a 2 to 4 pages of graphics that brings the reader into a new world where the subject of money is made alive - It is a world that is from the imagination

2. The Origin of Money-This section is the story of how money first came into existence. -It is done so by stressing the trouble of barter trading without a medium of exchange -Lively characters and stunning environment will aim to capture the hearts of young readers

3. Other Forms of Money- This is the informative section where objects that people from the past had used as money before gold was used is displayed. Short text and graphics are present to explain and inform.

4. Case Study-
Importance of Saving- In this section, I aim to provide the true purpose of saving money.
It is often misunderstood that the purpose of saving is so that you can buy whatever you desire. This is the misconception that lead to many people not being able to move on ahead in life.
I intend to use this section to emphasize the significance of saving in order to grow your money. From bank accounts to high risk capital gain investments, the concept of delayed gratification and accumulation is the upmost focus.
This is done by demonstrating in a comparative case study between 3 person who have different money habits.(2 of them save, 1 do not; But the 2 who saves have different spending habits)The idea here is to compare who is the wealthiest of them all after a period of time.

Team Power:

I'm now working with 4 graphic designers. Gabriella, Shawn, Vanessa and Leroy. While I'm in-charge of the content, they are here to support me with the graphics. We are doing this in a two and a half month project. The draft should be out around 15th January 09.

The Next Step:

After the book is completed, we have to secure a sponsor to help us in getting the book printed. The quality of the book will be the focus of this project as the availability of sponsors depends alot upon our hardwork. We will get lots of feedback and implement them before the deadline of 30th January 09. I mentioned in the original post that the book will be published in June 09. We have 5 months to perk up the contents and add in certain stuff our sponsors might want to add in.

The Final Step:

Once the book is printed. We will be approaching book stores and schools to promote our book. The short-term goal is not to make lots of money. That goal is to make our book known and recognised so that the pathway for the entire series of 10 books will be paved.

Ultimate Goal:
Passive Income from book royalties.

Statistics And Facts Supporting My Hypothesis

Here are the research and data collection for my article : Hypothesis Of Singapore's Financial Future




"In this new and changing environment, Singaporeans need to become more self-reliant in their financial affairs. They must acquire the knowledge and skills to manage their day-to-day finances, make prudent investments and plan for their longer-term needs."

- Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong in a parliamentary address on 16 October 2003.



Business Related Trends

First I'll introduce a must know but not well known website where lots of information regarding Singapore can be found: http://www.sg/

Here is an pdf file of the Business Receipt Index for Service Industry 2nd Quarter 2008.
From this data, we can see that the service sector is doing fairly well, with an overall increase of 13.3%.

Areas mentioned include:


  • Communication and IT Services

  • Fianncial and Insurance Services

  • Real Estate and Leasing Services

  • Business Services

  • Education, Health and Recreational Services

Business Expectations Survey of the service sector shows the forecast of the 3rd quater. It demonstrated the optimism of Singapore Department of Statistics in areas like Hotel, Infomation & Communications, Transport & Storage, Real Estate, Business Services, Wholesale Trade by projecting a positive net balance percentage increments.





Singapore Manufactured Products & Domestic Supply Price Indices showed a decline in the manufacturing sector. It could be the result of the global financial slow down.


Business related information for aspiring entrepreneurs could be easily accessible at this website: http://www.business.gov.sg/


The site contained valuable information from start-up guide to funding options to business laws to exiting a business.


Below are some of the projects the government has engaged to maximise foreign land use


SuZhou Industrial Park


Indonesia and Singapore's Collaboration


Singapore And Indonesia Strengthen Commitment In Developing Sezs In Batam, Bintan And Karimun


Singapore and India's Collaboration



Attracting Foreign Visitors and Transforming into Consumer Paradise


Integrated Resort


http://app.mti.gov.sg/default.asp?id=585

http://www.integratedresorts.com.sg/gov/

A Hypothesis Of Singapore's Financial Future

I'VE gotten interested in the future prospects of Singapore's developments and even came up with a theory of how things will change over the next 5 to 20 years. Currently, I have yet to research into the facts to support my theory. My assumptions are based on my existing knowledge as well as the insights and references I gained from reading several books.

After this, I wish to conduct my due diligence to prove the hypothesis. This will also help me in the book that I intend to write.

Here's my hypothesis:

In the near future, most Singaporeans will become extremely wealthy, owning 10% of the world's wealth. They will own stakes in major companies overseas or own big companies themselves which are based overseas.

The main island itself will become a nesting ground for entrepreneurs and business leaders. The shift will be away from having manufacturing factories based here. Instead, collaborations with countries that own large areas of land will serve as a bridge to share profits from manufacturing industries.

Singapore will focus on sectors like services and education, she will become a hub where workers all around the world can come and train to become better equipped with skills that companies are looking for. She will become the one-stop consumer paradise, with shopping areas covering almost 30% of the land space.

Singapore's revenues will come from many different sources.

By planting entrepreneurial seeds and instilling loyalty in her citizens, Singapore can count on oversea citizens to contribute to her wealth fund by sending their earnings back into developing the country.

Business professionals that were sent overseas will also contribute in similar ways. As they strive for excellence, they will hold respectable positions in foreign companies and earn high income.

The shopping centers, casinos, hotels, resorts etc here will form another source of foreign income. Visitors will visit Singapore for many reasons like leisure, business opportunities, networking, studying, enjoying a high class experience etc. Service industries will play a major role in making visitors come back.

An on the surface explanation for the above hypothesis is fairly simple.

Singapore has limited land. Limited natural resources(un-cut-able trees, reusable water). All she has is people. The best investment and bet that the government has made was on its people. Education is one of the most focused area here.

Being small, it is impossible to be self sufficient. The water, the food and even the air comes from countries all around the world. So, its only reasonable to make full use of that inevitable fact, let wealth come from outside too. See: Country Ranking Table

Singapore cannot setup big factories enough to produce products that can sustain her economy. So, the best option is to not do it in here. Let her citizens go overseas and setup factories and at the same time allow the host country to benefit from it (many projects of industrial parks in China. Will research and post supporting evidence).

Singapore has also earned its reputation of being a safe country. Taking advantage of its weakness, which is size, the level of security could be greatly increased without expending too much resources. In doing so, it makes visiting Singapore as a holiday location or setting up a business headquarters an extremely good choice. We have the infrastructure, the ready workforce, the business friendly tax laws and sound fiscal policies. Its almost irresistible.

Singapore also takes care of citizens who do not have entrepreneur flair or the expertise to work overseas. By increasing the service industry, the work force can shift to compliment the influx of visitors. The job opportunities are so inexhaustible that we still need to import foreign talents to fill the gaps. This move not only ensures that every citizens will have an income, it also provided the space for local workforce to grow. Its always better to have a lot of jobs before having too many workers. Foreign talents can be reduced without too much hard feelings on everyone's part, agree?

The future is so bright! I can almost not open my eyes.

I welcome you to post your comments on this topic. It's interesting and it concerns your future(if you are a Singaporean). I'll back my hypothesis with already happening trends and developments and gather the statistics necessary. So, tune in.


Statistics And Facts Supporting My Hypothesis

Is MBA The Future Passport For A Decent Job?

HOLDING a master’s in business administration (MBA) could be a pre-requisite to any position you are eying in a big company sooner or later. As the world gets more complicated, not being financially prudent could spell disaster to anybody, but the greatest harm done is to yourself. Take this current crisis as a chance to sharpen your financial intelligence. Everyone's doing it, don't be left out.




Article below is taken from www.todayonline.com/articles/284969.asp

MBA: Back In Business


Matthew Lynn
THE credit crunch is already reshaping lives and forcing people to plan new careers.
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In the United States and Britain, the two countries most affected by the financial-market turmoil, more and more people are signing up to do a master’s in business administration (MBA).
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The days when arts graduates made good money doing public relations for hedge funds are over. There won’t be so many jobs for lightly-qualified bankers or private-equity executives as there have been in the past five years. The times are getting serious, and anyone who wants to prosper within a much tougher global economy will have to get serious as well.
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A few years ago, it was possible to argue that the MBA, long regarded as the gold standard of business education, was in decline. GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Council, tracks business schools around the world, from McLean, Virginia, monitoring the number of students applying for the course. By 2004, it was reporting a drop in applications to business schools.
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Fast-forward to 2008, and that has turned around as bankers lose their jobs.
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In August, the council reported that MBA applications were rising at the fastest pace in history. According to the Application Trends Survey of full-time programmes, 77 per cent of business schools had an increased number of applications this year, the highest rate in five years. That compared with64 per cent a year ago. Part-time and executive MBA programmes also had higher numbers. The survey covered 521 graduate management programmes in the US, Europe and elsewhere.
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There are similar signs in Britain. “Demand from home and European Union students for business and management courses is up, particularly MBA courses,” says Ms Vicky Robinson, head of marketing communications at the Association of Business Schools in London.
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So what’s going on? “Going to business school is one of the best ways to improve your marketability and expand your options anytime — but especially in this challenging economic climate,” Mr David Wilson, president of GMAC, said in a statement on the latest survey.
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Business education is booming for several reasons. First, people are rightly nervous about the future. They are brushing up their qualifications in preparation for a far more competitive global labour market.
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“Evidence from previous recessions shows us that business schools and universities tend to benefit as people undertake courses to ride out the recession and improve their own CVs,” Ms Robinson says.
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Two, if you get fired, an MBA is going to help you find a new job. The GMAC survey found that three months before graduation, 57 per cent of MBA students already had employment, the highest rate since 2001. In a tougher job market, early offers will be even more of a bonus than in the past.
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Three, studying is cheaper, not in real terms, but compared with what else you could do. In a bubble economy, it makes sense to be working because you can earn a lot of money. Students, meanwhile, make nothing and they have to pay for the course. In a recession, that equation is reversed. If you weren’t going to be earning much anyway, it’s better to study instead.
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Four, the global economy is now experiencing an earthquake that needs to be analysed by business schools. It might be a decade or more before we fully comprehend the credit crunch, just as it took a long time to grasp the reasons for the Great Depression of the 1930s (and maybe we haven’t got there yet).
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One thing is clear: The world is a lot more interconnected than it has ever been. A mortgage turns sour in Ohio, and six months later the Hungarian forint collapses. Anyone running a business in the next decade will need a deep understanding of how all the connections in the global economy hook up — the kind of thing they should be learning at business school. BLOOMBERG
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The writer is a Bloombergcolumnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

What's more important than having no job?

IMO, being picky in your choice of job is not only a right, but also your responsibility. Though articles have been criticizing Singaporeans for being too high and mighty for lowly jobs, it is not a sign for you to jump at any job opportunity. Choosing the way how we want to live is our absolute choice and no one can deny us of that.

Even in down times when you can't find the job of your dreams, constantly upgrading yourself is more important than being content at having a "just-enough-to-get-by" job. This ideal may be controversial. But to me, this mindset is the right mindset everyone should hold in order to constantly improve and live a better life.




Below is an article written by Eugene Wee, a writer of Singapore Press Holdings, Newpaper. The article appeared in THE NEWPAPER ON SUNDAY 2nd November 2008 pg 6

THE recession guessing game is here: Will our jobs be left standing, as the economy shrinks?

But fear not, Singaporeans have in our hands the power to turn unemployment to zero instantly.
How? Hold your horses while I paint the big picture.

Earlier this week, the Government released a report forecasting that unemployment is expected to rise over the next few quarters.

Some economists are even saying that the unemployment rate might almost double to 4 per cent (from the current 2.2 per cent) by the end of 2009 - a level not seen since the Sars period in 2003.

Employment figures released on Friday also showed the manufacturing, services and construction sectors added 20 per cent fewer jobs in the last quarter.

A quick poll among 10 of my friends on whether they feared for their jobs was predictable - they all said yes. Well, duh.

Half of them had mortgages and tuition fees to pay, and the rest were saddled with car loans.
So what will they do if they become the targets of 'right-sizing' (a fancy way of saying 'You're fired', Donald Trump style)?

Looking for another job was a given. But what if they couldn't find a job with equivalent pay?
Go for a lower paying job, they said.

But how low would they go?

Now, that's where the fun starts.

I asked one, who works as a manager in a local bank, if push came to shove, would he take up a job as a waiter or construction worker?

'No way. So malu (embarrassing in Malay),' he said, adding he would have to use up every last cent of his savings before he would even consider it.

The answer was the same for a female friend, when I suggested a job as a receptionist or spa assistant.

'If I have to serve one of my friends or family members, where to hide my face?' she shrieked.
Here's the rub.

There are more than enough jobs available in Singapore but Singaporeans are too choosy, it seems.

According to official figures, there are some 757,000 work permit holders and 143,000 on employment passes currently working here.

So, technically, if we really really really needed the jobs, we could presumably take over those currently handled by foreign workers.

The guys can take on work at our many construction sites. After all, we've done similar work during our stints in National Service - carrying heavy loads to and from trucks, digging trenches, shovelling sand.

The gals can parlay their charm into service sector positions. Beauty spa, retail store and healthcare jobs are all there for the taking.

But it seems that even in extreme times, 'face' trumps 'guts'.

Many people would rather sit around twiddling their thumbs, and live off their dwindling savings rather than take a job they deem to be 'beneath' them.

In a recent letter to a newspaper, a beauty spa owner lamented that no matter how many recruitment ads she placed, most of the replies she got were from recruitment agencies offering workers from China or the Philippines. Only 1 per cent of applications were from Singaporeans, she said.

There will soon be another 10,000 jobs up for grabs when the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort opens for business next year.

But despite the recession, the resort believes that it will still have trouble filling out all the positions, and may need to look for some foreign workers.

So with so many jobs presumably up for grabs, how can there be any unemployment at all?
Well, you might ask if I would take up a job that pays only a fraction of my current salary when the crunch time comes.

Of course. Because the last time I checked, 'face' wasn't listed as one of the payment methods on my credit card bill.

Various Investments You Might Want To Consider Buying

DURING a financial crisis, when most people are panic selling, it is the best time to find investments. Below is an article I took from the NEWPAPER. It covers some of the small time investments you might consider using to hedge against your money against lost of value.





The article below written by ELYSA CHEN, a writer of Singapore Press Holdings, Newpaper. The article appeared in THE NEWPAPER ON SUNDAY 2nd November 2008 pg 12

Let finance crisis 'drive you to drink'

Whisky

Why you should invest: The value of whisky has not dropped in the last 720 years since they started making it in Ireland, said Mr Bill Hedman, managing director of venture capitalist firm Delemere Enterprises, which has its own distillery in Australia.


'At the very worst, if your investment crashes, you can go and get drunk on very good whisky, instead of holding on to a worthless piece of paper,' he added.

How to invest: You can buy whisky by the bottle or by the barrel.

What you should consider: The taste, rarity and reputation of the whisky, based on reviews by critics.

Investor tips: General manager of La Maison du Whisky Emmanuel Dron, who also invests in whisky, advises investors to buy only award-winning or limited-edition whiskies if they wish to get a good return on their investment.

Some bottles Mr Dron thinks are good buys - if you can still get your hands on one - are the limited-edition Laphroaig single-malt scotch whisky from 1974, which had only 910 bottles released worldwide.

The whisky won the award for the best whisky in the world in 2003.
A bottle cost $700 two years ago, but the price has shot up to $2,500 and will 'carry on increasing', Mr Dron said.

How much you need: If you are buying whisky by the bottle, the cheapest ones start at $80. If you are buying by the barrel, you need to set aside $30,000, which would include insurance, storage and bottling costs.

Wine

Why you should invest: Fine wine has been known to outperform stocks for the last three to five years, said Mr Andrew Bassett, trading director at the Australian Wine Index.

'The price of fine wines rarely goes backwards,' he said, adding that investors can look at returns of between 1 to 12 per cent per annum.

How to invest: You can buy wines by the bottle as an individual investor, or look for brokers like the Australian Wine Index to manage your portfolio.

What you should consider: Price of the wine, the vintage report containing details of how the grapes grew that year and whether it was a good crop, and critics' ratings.

You also need to be prepared to hold on to your wines for at least three years for more attractive returns.

Mr Bassett said: 'The worst market situation we have now is that people are selling their wines at 11 per cent profit instead of their expected 28to 32 per cent profit because it is a buyer's market now, and everyone is pushing prices lower.'

Still, Mr Bassett feels that wine is a 'good, solid investment' because while the prices of stocks and shares can drop by as much as 80 per cent, the worst that wine prices can do is to stagnate.

Investor tips: Mr Bassett feels that it is a 'great time' to buy Australian wines now, especially since the exchange rate has dropped by about 30per cent, so you can get good value for money.
Two years ago, one of Mr Bassett's clients bought a bottle of 2005 Mollydooker wine. It cost $125 a bottle then, but his client sold it this year for $350 a bottle.

Mr Bassett said that investors should maintain a portfolio of 70 per cent 'blue chip' wines and 30 per cent cult and emerging wines, which are more risky but have the potential for very high returns.

Art and antique furniture

Why you should invest: For a good collectible item, the price will never come down, said The Tomlinson Collection's regional manager Jack Thew.

How to invest: Buy art pieces and learn the tricks of the trade through personal experience, or find a respectable dealer.

What you should consider: Investing in art and antiques, unlike the stock market, is not purely about money.

Potential investors should understand trends in art and appreciate the beauty of the pieces in their own right, instead of buying them just as pure investments, said Mr Thew.

Investor tips: Chinese classical designs are an all-time favourite, said Mr Thew, with hard wood furniture made of Zitan wood and Huanghuali wood fetching the highest prices, sometimes more than $100,000 a piece.

Describing them as the blue chips of furniture investment, Mr Thew said: 'The prices of furniture made of those types of wood have increased like crazy.

'This is because they are imperial wood, which was used by the rich and famous. It is also a precious timber, because it takes more than 100 years just to grow six inches of the wood.'

However, not all pieces made of Zitan or Huanghuali wood may fetch the same value because of the different styles and designs of the subject, cautioned Mr Thew.

Investors can also look at buying thousand-year-old terracotta art pieces due to their rarity, said Mr Thew.

High-end watches

Why you should invest: People who put their money in watches are holding value that is better than what they have put into their stocks, said Mr Patrick Tan, executive vice-president of Sincere and head of the Sincere Watch Academy.

One such example is the Patek Phillippe Calatrava, which has doubled in price since it was produced 15 years ago, said Mr Tan.

Prices of watches increase because the cost of producing watches has gone up, explained Mr Tan.
However, it is difficult to determine how much watches appreciate by as consumer tastes are always changing, he added.

What you should consider: Look at the heritage of the brand, the craftsmanship and the engineering of the watch.

More established brands include Patek Phillippe and A. Lange & Sohne.
However, Mr Tan was quick to add that watches are not like durians, and there are no quick tips or 'bao jia' (sure win) guarantees for investors.

The key to investing is still having a good knowledge of watches and doing intensive research.
Investor tips: Buy innovative watches and special-edition watches, such as those released by watchmakers when they celebrate their anniversaries.

However, these are available only to a select few collectors who can 'justify that they are supporters of the brand', Mr Tan said.

One such watch, the Sincere Jubilee A. Lange & Sohne Double Split, released by Sincere during its 50th anniversary celebrations, fetched its owner a 40 to 50 per cent return when he auctioned it off six months later.

Only five of the limited-edition watches were made available to customers.
But Mr Tan's most important tip is for investors to buy what they enjoy.

'It would be a sad situation if people buy the watches purely for investment, but do not enjoy the watches,' he said.