The Singapore strategy: How female entrepreneurs are springboarding into Asia
PUBLISHED ONMarch 08, 2015 1:22 PMByFumi Matsumoto
TOKYO - Singapore has been attracting more female entrepreneurs with its pro-business policies and government subsidies for companies to move there. The compact size of the city-state is also a drawcard as it allows for easy access to workplaces. Singapore-based companies can also take advantage of its proximity to other Asian countries.
Emi Takemura, one of the co-founders of Orinoko Peatix, a Tokyo-based service provider for online event information announcement and ticket sales, said starting a business in Singapore is simple compared with Japan's complex registration process. "In Singapore, the registration of a new company and tax payments can be made online quickly and easily. Local businesses can also benefit from government assistance for employment," she said.
Before joining Orinoko, Takemura worked at several foreign companies. In 2007, she established the company with former colleagues at Amazon Japan and in 2013, became the head of the company's Singapore office, which was created to provide a gateway to the rest of Asia. Takemura moved to the island with her two children and set up the new office, choosing the location, hiring local employees and laying a solid foundation for growth. The Singapore business has grown more rapidly than its Japanese parent and now local employees run it on their own. Takemura now travels between Singapore and Japan, staying on the island for about a week each month.
Low corporate tax
The "selfie" craze has spread across Asia. A photo sharing app developer Cinnamon has rolled out a new messaging app, "Koala Photo Messenger," that lets the user to take a selfie, add a speech bubble and send it to friends. Established in Singapore, Cinnamon is the second information technology startup of founder and Chief Executive Miku Hirano.
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