By Oh Boon Ping

A NEW Web portal is available to help small and medium-size companies obtain expert advice on overseas expansion.

The advisory portal - a joint initiative by Mercer and IE Singapore - features human resource-related information on a particular market every month.

Topics will include the future of human capital and developing new generations of business leaders.

Besides market focus articles, the portal gives Mercer's views on HR issues or findings from its survey reports.

SMEs can also identify and connect to more than 200 specialists on matters such as international tax, export, finance and HR.

Mercer's managing director for Asia, Wong Su-Yen, said the time is right for the company to reach out to a growing number of companies to offer expert workforce-related content, from country- specific information to general HR advice.

'With almost 160,000 companies in Singapore in the growing enterprises/ SME segment, and about 50 per cent having stated that manpower issues are one of their top 10 challenges in expanding overseas, the opportunity to provide value, time and cost savings on manpower matters was too good to ignore,' Ms Wong said.

Chung Lai Thoe, group head of IE Singapore's enterprise services group, said industry feedback indicates the attraction and retention of talent is a top challenge to overseas growth.

Companies that face these challenges will find it useful to seek advice from Mercer, Ms Chung said.

Mercer and IE will share platforms such as conferences and seminars, and Mercer will customise products for globalising and growing enterprises.

Audrey Ottevanger, who is heading Mercer's efforts to develop the SME market, said the tie-up is a win-win relationship.

It will help the firm reach out to, and start relationships with, SMEs and give valuable HR advice, she said.

Other corporate services available include:

• Mercer Elite Plus - a flexible and cost-effective protection plan for SMEs that employ fewer than 35 people.
• An SME compensation benchmarking survey to help SMEs attract and retain talent locally and in other key markets.
• Training courses in people management, leadership and capability development for growing enterprises.
• Professional advice on HR management in merger and acquisition situations.
• Benchmarking HR policies.

• This article was first published in The Business Times on October 28, 2008.