6 GLOBAL INVESTING TRENDS IN ESG 2021 - gibizreview.com

GET’EM IN BUSINESS (GIB) MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE’S 6 GLOBAL INVESTING TRENDS IN ESG for 2021

The GIB corporation in Malaysia and Singapore strongly advocate for companies to implement the ESG strategy in their global investing in order to yield high business returns. Many may ask themselves, what is ESG? Well, in the past, companies and business owners were only focused on establishing their businesses solely for the purpose of gaining a profit. However, in the early 90s, a new concept of the three P’s in business was introduced. The three P’s–People, Planet and Profits–were introduced and urged businesses to practise this framework since they were all important for a business to succeed. 

 

This concept is what would later eventually become ESG–Environmental, Social and Governance. The reason for this concept was to the forefront how businesses impact the environment in ways such as pollution and deforestation. Also, labour concerns such as how workers are treated in terms of giving good working conditions and equal opportunities also gained greater prominence.

 

The Governance aspect examines how a company is run–having accountability mechanisms such as board structures, tax strategy and whether corruption or bribery is practised. ESG investing suggests that companies are more likely to succeed if they create value for shareholders as well as their employees, customers, the environment and the society at large. We believe that our approach to ESG does not only benefit the company, but society and the environment, therefore, producing a positive impact on the companies we choose to invest in. 

 

GET’EM IN BUSINESS (GIB) INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ESG INVESTING

The GIB corporation strongly believes in ESG investing, and that is why we are able to help small businesses in the community. Before investing in a company, business or organisation, our corporation examines whether the business or company we are investing in aligns with our business values which is typically what ESG entails.  It is important for companies to have a good ESG profile to support the growth of environmental and social benefits. We ensure that the companies we plan on investing in meeting all three criteria. 

After the global pandemic outbreak, ESG investing has been put to the forefront of the business world, urging companies to make a positive change.  

 

Another way GIB Malaysia and Singapore incorporates ESG investing into our corporation and business decisions is through sustainable investing. ESG can contribute to healthy competition between companies and good business returns. How does it do this? With ESG investing being implemented in many companies, investors fear the high cost of implementation will outweigh the benefits and eat into returns and profits.

 

However, that is not the case. Creating a good ESG profile for your organisation is beneficial because it can help the company gain a competitive advantage. According to this article, a good example of this is when the British retailer Marks and Spencer implemented the ESG strategy in their organisation, introducing practices such as reducing waste and being of help to the communities, it enabled them to save a large amount of money. 

 

We also believe that ESG helps and aids in new markets. The research we have done indicates that companies that choose to implement ESG investment strategies tend to do better in new and upcoming markets as compared to developed and established markets. 

 

GIB in Singapore and Malaysia believes that if companies consider applying ESG strategies in their global investments, it increases the value in their investments instead of adding to the risks. GIB ESG researcher Liza Chan says, “One of the main reasons our corporation is successful is because we are able to care for our employees and the society. This is beneficial because caring for your employees by treating them fairly and ensuring they have good working conditions motivates them to create new ideas that benefit the company leading to outperformance as compared to a company that only focuses on making profits.”

 

This is because when taking ESG into consideration, it is not just analysing what the investment strategy has done to improve company profits but also checks how the company is run, its behaviour and conduct towards the society, as well as its environmental impact.  “Using ESG strategy is a more modern approach that is aligned with today’s world,  as compared to looking and repeating previous investment strategies just because they were successful. We strongly recommend it to anyone interested in today’s global investment trends,” said GIB’s Liza Chan. 

 

6 INVESTING TRENDS IN ESG FOR 2021

The pandemic made many businesses, industries and investors aware of the large gaps and inequities in society. This has encouraged companies and investors to implement and focus on ESG strategies. 2021 has definitely introduced many new technologies, new business models and investment trends, putting ESG at the forefront. Here are some of the ESG investment trends that GIB thinks will impact global investments in the business world for 2021. 

 

COVID -19

The global pandemic disease outbreak has definitely brought light to many investors and organisations on the importance of ESG investing. The gap created by the pandemic shows the many weaknesses and flaws of the economy and society, motivating businesses to make a change. GIB believes that 2021 will encourage the greater evolution and adoption of ESG investment strategies further. 

 

SOCIAL CRITERIA

The pandemic definitely highlighted the weaknesses in society and the abandonment of social responsibilities. This is why we, as GIB focus on building small businesses in the community. We believe that the social aspects in ESG will be brought to the forefront in 2021 in a way that forces large organisations to pay greater attention to their social responsibilities. With the damage Covid-19 has done, many investors may only want to associate with corporations that do not put humane needs on the back burner. Many have lost their jobs due to the global disease outbreak and we expect that companies that maintained their employees on the payroll will definitely experience outperformance due to the motivation and gratitude from their employees

 

GREATER TRANSPARENCY OF ESG REPORTING 

Companies that have already begun using the ESG strategies by accessing emerging markets and contributing to the evolution of their societies have increased. The investing public will demand greater transparency of a company or business’s ESG strategies in light of the pandemic’s devastating effects on communities. The global investing community will look for concrete data on ESG practices and outcomes in their decision-making instead of accepting surface-level, window-dressing PR statements. 

“2021 will be the year of global investments driving real-world change. People want to make an impact with their money, and see ESG as the way to do it. The global investing community will demand greater transparency on this through accessing concrete data,”  said GIB’s Liza Chan. 

 

USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES 

The crisis created by Covid-19 paved the way for new technologies to be formed. Both our GIB corporations in Malaysia and Singapore also took the initiative to come up with new technologies and digital platforms that can help the small businesses in the community become digitally accessible and operate easily. Our platform has also been designed in a way that it creates new investment opportunities specifically designed according to our consumer’s needs.  We believe that in 2021 new technologies will definitely be on the rise to aid global investors in making the right business choices. With new technologies, new concepts and mindsets will be formed and we are certain that this will create a positive impact not only in the business world but overall. 

 

GROWTH OF MARKETS

The GIB has been able to extend a helping hand to many small businesses both in Singapore and Malaysia and this has enabled new markets to grow. By creating a platform with a social impact in mind,  we grew the number of investors who have contributed to the growth of new markets. Due to Covid, we have also made investment opportunities easier for everyone with just one click. This is just one form of how using an ESG strategy can grow your market. In 2021, there will definitely be growth in markets due to a large number of investments which is a good thing because the large gap that has been created will eventually close. 

 

EMERGENCE OF BRAND NEW AREAS OF INVESTING

The global pandemic highlighted many serious social issues such as environmental damage and unequal access to healthcare. In 2021, many global investors will be on the lookout to explore new opportunities and areas to invest to address these problems using an ESG investing strategy.  GIB foresees that there will be a motivation to reduce waste and preserve the ecosystem. There will be an increased demand for investments in renewable energy, green transportation and construction, as well as biodiversity and climate change.

GIB TO THE RESCUE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID IN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE - gibizreview.com

HOW GIB OFFERED RELIEF TO SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY COVID-19 IN MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE

It has been over a year since COVID-19 affected many not only in Singapore and Malaysia but also many across the world. We at Get’em in Business (GIB) had many clients in global investing and global investment banks that suffered repercussions. No one was immune to its effects. Small businesses were especially hit hard in both Malaysia and Singapore. 

 

Many have lost their lives, loved ones and their businesses due to this global disease outbreak. Its seriousness caused the shutting down of many businesses, loss of employment and salary cuts. This is because the government had to restrict movement as a safety precaution to control the spread of the virus. 

 

Despite COVID-19 affecting many, Get’em in Business (GIB) was able to come up with quick strategies to keep our corporation afloat. While we were prepared with ample reserves and already had a work-from-home workflow system in place, we felt it was important to assist in the revival of the small businesses that had suffered from the impact of the shutdown in both Malaysia and Singapore.  After all, small businesses are the engine of local economies. 

 

Seeing the plight of many in our own network and members, GIB decided to reach out and help small business owners in Malaysia and Singapore gain back their clientele and source of incomes. 

 

As CEO Joel McMurphy said, “It is our way of assisting during tough times. We went all out and in full force. We could not stand by and do nothing. So we just used our expertise and our resources and do what we do best: advise, assist and strategize for the benefit of our community.” 

 

Here are a few ways we were able to extend our expertise and resources in order to come to the rescue of these small businesses. 

 

  • THE GET’EM IN BUSINESS HELPING HANDS CAMPAIGN

As an organisation, we knew many were struggling to make ends meet after the pandemic occurred. One of our strategies was the creation of this programme. The purpose of the GIB Helping Hands campaign was to revive and create opportunities for small businesses to continue operating despite the lockdown and the pandemic. We were able to do this by creating a digital platform where the business owners would be able to interlink their businesses and benefit one another, invest in new opportunities designed according to their needs, as well as make their businesses mobile meaning that even though the entire globe was on lockdown, they were still able to conduct their businesses as usual on this online platform and get income to feed their families as well as improve their businesses and themselves as individuals. GIB managed to onboard a variety of businesses from beauty shops to small delivery companies. These businesses were able to partner and network with each other to deliver products and services and improve the ways to cater to their consumers. For more details on this campaign, read here. 

 

  • CREATION OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

When we first set up the GIB Helping Hands Campaign, we had the small businesses in mind however, it later dawned on us during our GIB resolve charity campaign, which is also available on our website, that the employees who had lost their jobs were struggling to make ends meet. We opted to create a way for them to launch their own small businesses on the platform as well as provide them with access to the capital they needed for the startup. Many had no previous exposure to getting access to low-interest lending and other microloan opportunities  

 

Not only that, but these individuals were also able to make small global investments using GIB’s platform which helped them pay off their loans faster and thereafter solely focus on their businesses. As the platform is designed specifically to one’s needs, once the individuals had the capital and launched their businesses, the market was made readily available making their work easier and their businesses easily accessible. 

 

  • BUSINESS SEMINARS 

After the Movement Control Order was lifted, we were able to move around in both Singapore and Malaysia. Following the safety precaution rules, we set up seminars where the GIB experts would meet small business owners in order to educate them on how to have a successful business and the type of strategies to use fit for their business. We felt that this was important because we wanted to share the ways in which our corporation was able to survive the pandemic and help many. We held our first seminars in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and would then follow up with the business owners thereafter on how the strategies had worked for them. We were also able to help them develop business plans that were solid and educate them on the importance of research. 

 

  • CREATING AWARENESS AND COMBATING RACISM 

When we launched our platform, we made it a point to monitor the activities in order to make it secure for small businesses. During our study, we found that many were only doing business or marketing to their own ‘kind’ ethnicity. We decided to raise this issue and educate them on the importance of building up each other especially as small businesses. There were many who believed in the “China virus” stigma attached to Covid-19. However, after we were done educating them on this issue, many discovered that their businesses would be better off if they partnered with each other and that some of the things they lacked in their businesses were readily available to them if they networked and partnered with others; they just had to change their mindset. 

 

How GIB Assisted Local Businesses 

For all of these businesses, the pandemic wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms. However, it was an opportunity to pivot their business models, test, and further refine their plans and strategies. Here are four small business owners that found opportunities during these unprecedented times with GIB’s help. 

 

Ang Choi Wen – florist, Singapore 

It wasn’t long before I had just moved from Australia back home to Singapore when Covid-19 hit the world. I had just launched my flower shop and three weeks later, I had to shut it down. Stressed and worried, I was living off a few savings while maintaining my garden. A friend of mine then told me about the GIB digital platform and it honestly changed my life. The minute I registered my business on the platform, business began to pick up. I realised that with many stuck at home, people wanted flowers to beautify their spaces whether it was for intimate dinners or anniversary celebrations, or just for fun, and at affordable prices. When I realised I could also partner up with other delivery companies on the platform, it made my work so much easier and for this I am forever grateful to GIB. 

 

Shoo Wan Chai – small grocery shop owner, Malaysia 

When Covid-19 hit I was very scared, you know. They allow grocery shops to open but I am very old, so I am scared to get the disease because there is no cure and my immunity system is weak already. My daughter help to register my business and made things easier for me. I partnered up with one delivery company that helps me to transport the goods from home and I am still making money from home. GIB is very good. Quite happy that they brought this service for small businesses you know. Very helpful. 

 

Raj Kumar – aromatherapy shop owner, Malaysia

I really want to say thank you to GIB. We originally catered to the Hindu market who use incense during prayer, but I had to find a way to expand into other markets, so we decided to go into aromatherapy oils and other kinds of incense.  When I first put my business online using the GIB platform I found the market quite easily and fast and I was shipping out items by the next day. Most of my customers still buy the incense for prayer but I have some customers who buy some items from my shop for aromatherapy. It’s very beneficial to me because I thought it was the end of my business but actually there is a good market on the platform. 

 

Muhammad Kasim – pet store owner, Singapore 

Before the pandemic, business was doing okay. However, after registering my business on the GIB platform during the pandemic, my business was really booming. Because many people were staying at home, many were buying all kinds of pets from my shop, from dogs and cats to fish. My reasoning was that people now had the time to own and take care of pets. That’s why my shop was always busy receiving orders left, right and centre. To be honest with you, my shop was never this successful and when the pandemic hit, I thought things would only get worse from here. But thanks to GIB, business is as good as ever.

GIB MALAYSIA’S TEN SECRETS TOWARDS FOSTERING A TOP-PERFORMING WORKING ENVIRONMENT - gibizreview.com

GIB MALAYSIA’S TEN SECRETS TOWARDS FOSTERING A TOP-PERFORMING WORKING ENVIRONMENT

We at Get’em in Business (GIB) like to think of our employees as family and team members, not just employees. A company is like a vehicle with many moving parts that makes it work. If one of the parts on the vehicle stops functioning, it affects the other parts of the vehicle and eventually, the entire vehicle stops functioning. 

 

At Get’em in Business, we consider our employees the most important components for our corporation to run smoothly. Have you ever heard of the saying, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”? Well, this sort of applies to running a corporation. If you keep your employees happy by creating a work-friendly atmosphere for them, they will be more motivated to come to work and their jobs will not seem like a burden to them. 

 

How is this beneficial to your organisation and employees? As GIB Founder and CEO Joel McMurphy said, “It will inspire the employees to aim at giving their best because they will view the company as their own; a home away from  home.” He also added that happier workplaces foster increased loyalty and connection among colleagues. “This adds to better engagement and productivity among staff which directly contribute to the growth in your business. Happy people means a better business. That’s the bottom line,” he said.

 

GIB Malaysia would like to think we have perfected the art of creating healthy work environments over many years of thinking about healthy workplaces. Creating a good working space means so much more than increasing salaries and giving bonuses. It can mean a million different things such as ensuring that the office environment is clean and well ventilated, to make sure there is harmony between the coworkers and that each and everyone is contributing to building and making each other’s lives better. 

 

Here are a few ways GIB creates and sustains a friendly working environment:

 

THE PANTRY MAGIC

At GIB, one of the things we have put in place is a well-stocked pantry at the work office. It might not be at the level of Google’s legendary free-meals canteens and restaurants, but we are quite proud of it.  We stock an array of healthy snacks and meals beyond the usual cereal, instant noodles, coffee, tea, fruit and biscuits. Our HR staff actively solicits feedback on what they would like to add to the pantry. We provide a free lunch buffet with every Friday, catered from a selection of different social enterprises we like to support. In fact, a lot of our food supplies come from local producers and artisans because we like to support our local community businesses. 

 

We find that our employees work better through the week and look forward to the week’s end not because they are exhausted but because of the engaging lunch buffet. Being occupied with work can also make an individual unknowingly forget to eat therefore skipping meals which is definitely not a good diet. The reason we have the pantry is to make sure our employees are able to eat instead of skipping meals all day. 

 

NOURISHING WORK ENVIRONMENT

There is a lot more that comes with creating a healthy work environment other than just providing food. When we were originally building the GIB, we consulted experts on healthy and sustainable design. Our corporation is spacious therefore our employees are not cramped, which during this Covid-19 era has proved to be a boon.  We also have very good air conditioning considering that we are based in a hot and humid climate, though we are constantly thinking about how to be more energy-efficient.  There is ample natural light and plenty of indoor greenery. When it comes to the type of office desks and chairs we have, we are proud to say that it is definitely unmatched. Everything is ergonomically designed and built. Why did we do all these things? This is because all these factors contribute to good posture, and also builds and boosts the morale of our employees and also makes them comfortable at their place of work. 

 

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

It is important for our employees to get along in order for our company to run smoothly. To ensure this, we create team building activities that boost their social engagement and improve how they relate to each other. Beyond office parties for festive celebrations, we like to do small events throughout the year that aren’t work-related at all, whether it’s simple things like movie nights or sports competitions. We at GIB believe that it is important to get to know your employees and for each and everyone to interact in order to create co-operation and promote respect amongst each other. 

 

CLEAR AND OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION

In case we haven’t said it enough, healthy relationships amongst colleagues are important!  It is important for your employees to build bonds with each other. Our company practices a policy that encourages honest feedback on a daily basis, not just during annual performance reviews. No one is exempt, even GIB CEO Joel McMurphy gets feedback too. “We have created a culture where no one is afraid of saying what’s truly on their mind in a clear, honest and respectful manner. As a CEO I have insisted that everyone practice this as I truly believe it’s essential to relationship-building. This doesn’t mean we never have any conflict, but we deal with it openly and constructively,” he said. 

 

Additionally, having lots of open areas with comfy sofas and chairs offers a physical encouragement for good communication. Our employees are able to share meals and have lots of conversations. That way they are not only able to bond with each other but also brainstorm ideas that grow and make the corporation better. 

 

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

You want your employees to grow as individuals in their career field. Making them feel like they are working solely towards benefiting the company reduces their morale. To improve their skills, GIB HR regularly organises talks from prominent speakers or leaders in different fields who come to share and offer advice and motivation and regularly sends staff for training and upskilling conferences and seminars. By improving their skills and network, they bring new perspectives and different strategies in order to beat the competition.

 

FLEXIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT 

As much as routine is a good thing it can also be a real derailer in terms of motivation and inspiration. Sitting on the same desk year in and out can make your employees lose their inspiration for new ideas. Even before the pandemic hit, we had already trialled a work-from-home arrangement which had a very good response. So we were well prepared to face the challenge. As GIB Singapore HR Lead Cathy Fong explains, “When Covid hit, we were ahead of many companies because we had already had a system in place for work-from-home which we started on two years ago. So we were able to hit the ground running and had a very smooth adjustment.” 

 

A SENSE OF BELONGING

We want our employees to feel like part of the team. GIB CEO Joel McMurphy, believed in a flat organisational structure where none of the employees is above each other. Instead, they are all equals. It is important for your employees to feel like part of the organisation. You want to create a work environment where everyone feels like they are part of your team. In order to do this, we create open communication where everyone can share ideas for the improvement of the company. They don’t feel as though they are taking orders from the higher-ups but are contributing to the evolution of the company. We have realised that by doing this, we also encourage our employees to stay with us for longer periods of time. 

 

REWARDS

Your employees need to reap the benefits of their hard work. As much as a corporation is able to cater for salaries, that is definitely not enough to keep their motivation high and the company running. GIB’s rewards system is built so that everyone is rewarded not just with bonuses and raises, but with things like extra vacation days, extra maternity and paternity days, gifts and subsidies. This keeps them motivated to keep working towards growth in the business. 

 

HEALTH BENEFITS 

In the modern world, healthcare is very expensive. Affording a good health insurance plan costs a lot. A good reason to introduce this to your company is that if your employees are not in good health or have their family members ailing, and yet they do not have the money to provide healthcare for them, your employees could grow to resent you. They could begin to feel like they are working too hard yet it is all in vain because they can only do the bare minimum or have to take years to save in order for them to have the perks of a good medical plan. At GIB, we have made sure that our employees do not need to worry about healthcare. Their children also get to receive these benefits up until they are the age of 25. This way, our employees do not have a burden on their shoulders. 

 

GRATITUDE

At GIB, we encourage everyone to appreciate each other. Gratitude is a daily practice for us. Like we have mentioned at the beginning of this article, a company is like a vehicle with all these moving parts that make it work. All our employees contribute to the success of each other and our company therefore if one’s ideas feel belittled or their work goes unappreciated, it can affect the workflow immensely. Therefore, our company encourages our employees to thank each other for their every contribution. It does not only make them feel appreciated but also builds a strong sense of respect.