Lifestyle

An Office Cleaner in Singapore is Showing His Passion For Photography

Published

6 years ago

July 24, 2019

79 years old, Mr. Lui Hock Seng who works as an office cleaner in Singapore, is showing his passion for photography along with his full-time job. In the day, he is a photographer and in the night he is an office cleaner. Every morning, he carries his Nikon camera in his knapsack and walks through different areas such as Redhill and Toa Payoh neighborhoods, in a hope to get some good shots.

Mr. Lui has been working as a cleaner for 14 years and he worked for several commercial daily office cleaning service providers. And currently, he is working in Singapore Press Holding and lives in a four-room HDB flat in Bishan with his son. Mr. Lui became interested in photography as a teenager in the late 1950s when he saw people taking photos. He aspired to learn photography skills.

One of his friends introduced him to the South-east Asia photographic Society, where he became a member of the society for a few years and polished his art of photography. Mr. Lui is the son of a tailor and housewife. He spent decades working as a mechanic after taking out of school.

Mr. Lui met with an accident in his early 40s, which resulted in partial loss of his vision. But the accident did not discourage him from his hobby. Earlier he did not have a darkroom to make prints of the images. He often covered his bathroom windows with a black cloth to make prints. Hence he started working as an office cleaner to arrange some money for his passion and living expenses.

Lifestyle

Powerful Corporate Gifting Strategies to Build and Strengthen Business Partnerships

Published

2 days ago

April 15, 2025

Michelle Langton

If you want to build and strengthen business partnerships with your clients and top investors, there are a few key steps you must take. One essential strategy is corporate gifting. This simple act goes beyond building a partnership. It will also increase your customer retention rate and promote your business even beyond the shore of your country.

But before you consider gifting any item, there are some strategies to put in place. This will ensure your gift makes a lasting impression and resonates well with your clients. Below are powerful corporate gifting strategies to build and strengthen business partnerships with your clients and top investors.

Choose a Personalized Item

Rather than choosing an ordinary gift for your clients and investors, opt for a personalized item. Customised corporate gifts such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, and bags create a stronger emotional connection than generic gifts. They also leave a more lasting impression than most other gift types.

Imagine how investors and your clients will feel when you beautifully inscribe their image or favorite quotes on a T-shirt. Of course, they will feel valued, appreciated, and ready to invest more in your business.

Consider Their Culture and Background

As an entrepreneur, it’s essential to be culturally competent and sensitive. Your gifts should resonate with your clients’ and investors’ cultural backgrounds. Otherwise, they may be quickly discarded or overlooked. If your investors and audience are predominantly of Black heritage, consider giving them a custom T-shirt featuring a map of Africa or inspirational quotes from iconic Black leaders.

Their religious beliefs are also important. Specific religions may find some images or symbols inappropriate. For instance, if you’re giving a gift to a Muslim investor, avoid designs that include images like pigs, as they are considered offensive in Islamic culture.

Consider a Functional Gift

You should also consider the gift’s functionality. A gift that can be used every day will be more valuable than an impractical one. Even if the gift is expensive but doesn’t have any functional purpose, it won’t serve the purpose it was intended for.

Instead of purely sentimental keepsakes or abstract gifts, consider practical items like pens, notebooks, backpacks, coffee mugs, umbrellas, or water bottles. Just make sure the gift is well-designed and features your brand logo and identity. This not only increases brand visibility but also helps strengthen the connection between you and your investors.

Tie it to a story

Tie your gifts to a story to make them more memorable and emotionally meaningful. For example, if during your business’s early days, your employees always worked tirelessly day and night, you could opt for a custom hourglass. Clients and investors who receive such a gift will appreciate your business’s journey of patience and perseverance.

Offer Quality Gifts

Gifts given to investors or clients who have significantly contributed to your business growth should reflect their value. They shouldn’t be cheap or low-grade items. The gift doesn’t have to be trendy or widely popular, but it should come from a reputable and high-end brand. This will give your gift more credibility. Besides, the recipients will feel comfortable to use the gift among their colleagues.