Fine dining restaurants do not just cater to upscale clientele, but some diners also choose these specialty restaurants to celebrate intimate and special occasions. So, what does fine dining really mean and what do you need to start one of your own?

What is Fine Dining?

What makes fine dining different from casual dining? Do the price of the ingredients and the accomplishments of the chef matter?

Since the 1950s, the popularity of the assembly line made it possible to produce more food at low costs, resulting in a chain of restaurants that serve the same food and market a specific theme. But even with the rise of fast-food chain popularity, there are still restaurants that serve home-cooked meals and specialties. Fine dining belongs to this group, but it is also a specialty restaurant that require commercial kitchen equipment from Singapore because it offers menu and services that target a specific group of clients who are willing to pay more for food. Casual restaurants also serve good food, but at more competitive prices.

Fine dining restaurants, also called white tablecloth sit-down restaurants, must have a formal atmosphere and specially-trained staff that will help serve food, beverage, and services that an upscale clientele will need; such as wine lists and exotic menu with smaller portions than casual restaurants. The menu must contain a selection that is not offered in most restaurants, and you could change the menu on a weekly or daily basis (called prix fixe menu). However, you must remember that there is not one definition of fine dining. Some of the highest-rated restaurants in the world have simple and sleek interior designs, while others specialize in specific regional or national cuisine.

What Does a Fine Dining Restaurant Need?

Starting a fine dining restaurant in Singapore can be a challenge, because you will be competing with the best chefs in the world. However, all first-rate restaurants follow these same basic steps.

• Come up with a business plan and financing scheme that will allow you to operate for the first several months
• Pick an ideal location near your target customers and market your specialty
• Review all the permits, licenses, and taxes required to open a food business in Singapore
• Hire specially-trained staff; don’t forget to check labor laws related to hiring foreign workers
• Consult a kitchen designer and a kitchen equipment supplier in Singapore
• Pick high-quality and first-rate commercial kitchen equipment and other supplies
• Set up a reservation system for customers and build connections with local farms, businesses, and suppliers
• Build on a good reputation through quality food, beverage, and services

What is the Best Kitchen Layout?

You will need to work closely with the architects, restaurant consultants, kitchen designers, and kitchen equipment supplier not only when designing the kitchen, but also to express your unique menu, first-rate service, and quality décor and food.

The best way to begin that is by knowing all the processes involved in cooking, consulting your menu, and learning about the functions of the common commercial kitchen equipment. You cannot just buy your equipment and instruct your workers to place them just about everywhere. Quality service starts not with quality equipment, but with a smart kitchen design that will maximize the potential of all kitchen tools and make the tasks easier for your kitchen staff.

One of the trends in fine dining restaurant kitchens is the use of multifunctioning commercial equipment to save space. This means that some of the appliances will be designed to perform several functions, but still allow for freedom of control when it comes to cooking. Keep this in mind if you want an even distribution of labor for an efficient service.

Another trend in fine dining is a setting up a bar for your beverages. It’s not fine dining without alcoholic drinks after all. Setting up a full-service bar might be a great option for you if you want to showcase some of the best cocktail drinks in your business.

What Types of Equipment Will I Need?

Like any food business, you will need basic preparation and cooking equipment, but to maximize the space and to save money, you should pick only the items that a startup fine dining restaurant will need. Later you can expand and buy more commercial kitchen equipment once your restaurant income is stable.

Restaurant Bar

Your bar should have all the necessary supplies to serve different types of customers. The following commercial kitchen equipment are needed:

• Ice maker, cube ice machine, and ice dispenser
• Juicer
• Bar blenders
• Underbar equipment and accessories
• Bottle coolers, wine cooler, keg storage, beer tap, and glycol system
• Glass racks or speed rails
• Coffee equipment
• Hot beverage dispenser or coffee dispenser
• Cold or frozen beverage dispenser
• Commercial water dispenser

Storage Area

The storage area should be near the kitchen so that it’s accessible to your staff. The commercial kitchen equipment needed in this area are the following:

• Commercial refrigerators
• Freezers and coolers
• Commercial shelving and tables
• Ingredient bins

Kitchen

The kitchen can be divided into special areas such as preparation, hot food, cold kitchen, bakery/confectionery, and wash up.

The preparation area is where all the ingredients are prepared for cooking. Hot food is the area for creating soup, roasted food, vegetable or seafood dishes, sauce, and grilled or fried food. Bakery and confectionery area is where all the baking preparations are done. Finally, the wash up area is for the pot wash and plate sections.

Your kitchen should contain the following commercial kitchen equipment:

• Commercial ranges
• Commercial ovens
• Commercial deep fryer
• Commercial grill or griddles
• Specialty cooking equipment
• Steamers, steam kettles, and combi ovens
• Commercial stations and work tables
• Commercial sinks
• Toasters
• Broilers
• Microwave oven
• Slicers, mixers, and food processors
• Holding carts and cabinets
• Food wells and steam tables
• Commercial dishwashers
• Dish tables and cabinets

If you’re planning to outsource your IT service provider, then it’s crucial that you find a managed services provider (MSP) that you can trust; someone who has the expertise, experience and skills to manage your IT network. Whether you’re thinking of changing your service provider or is considering hiring one for the first time, it’s crucial that you know what factors to consider when choosing an MSP. With that in mind, we listed down some of the important factors you should consider when choosing a managed IT services provider in Singapore.

1. Experience and Reputation

Choosing an MSP with a good track record is crucial when it comes to outsourcing IT service providers. This gives you an insight about the service provider’s past achievements and enables you to predict what results the vendor might produce. Some of the important things to consider when choosing a managed IT services provider is the number of years they have operated in the industry, as well as the certifications and licenses that they have.

Aside from that, you should also check as to whether or not they are offering scalable IT services. A good service provider will be able to show you a portfolio of services that not only covers your current IT system, but also supports your system development plans in the future.

2. Staff Expertise

One of the most important factors worth considering is the knowledge and expertise of the IT staff of your service provider. Make sure that they are capable of performing operations other than basic system maintenance and management. Aside from that, good IT service companies in Singapore should also have enough experience in handling and operating delivery models like cloud and IT strategic outsourcing. Ensuring this enables you to achieve multi-environment support that will aid in meeting your company’s individual needs.

3. Skillset

One of the said benefits of hiring a managed services provider is you get to work with IT experts and specialists, which is why it’s crucial that you also factor in the skills that your prospective MSP has. You will rely on your service provider for advices, so you would want to ensure that they stay updated with the newest software, hardware and cloud solutions available in the market. Opt for an IT professional who constantly updates their knowledge and skills to stay relevant and useful in the industry. Be sure to ask your prospective MSP some probing questions so as to evaluate their qualifications.

4. Service Offerings

Some business owners in Singapore falsely believe that hiring an MSP requires signing a huge contract to get a comprehensive package of IT services. Sure, there may be service providers who practise this, but there are also those who would willingly evaluate your system and listen to your specific needs. This is why it’s important that you have an open and honest discussion with your MSP, so both sides get to listen to each other’s idea and decide on the best IT solution for your business.

5. Reliability

Hire a managed IT services provider who can minimize the system disruptions in your business by creating and complying with a service level-agreement (SLA). Your service provider should also be able to resolve problems and requests upon first contact. Moreover, your vendor’s disaster recovery and business continuity option should give an assurance that your IT infrastructure will run smoothly even after a local disaster occurs.

6. Adaptability

As the IT needs of your business change, your relationship with your MSP will change as well. Being able to evolve, grow or shrink your IT capabilities whenever you need it will help you in avoiding costly system interruptions and redundancies. Remember that offering solutions that are capable of adapting to new circumstances that may arise is the job of your prospective vendor. Before choosing a particular IT company in Singapore, make sure to inquire about the levels of support they will be able to provider, as well as the cost of making such changes.

7. Round-the-Clock Assistance

Technical problems may occur at any given time of the day, which is why it’s important that you hire a vendor who can provide you a round-the-clock support when you need it. Make sure that your prospective service provider has a remote support desk and that their service hours is in line with your business hours. It would also be a good idea to know if they will be able to provide professional support at the frequency that you desire, and if they offer support services that re in line with your business needs.

8. Culture and Attitude

Other than their skills and the services they are offering, it’s also crucial to factor in a service provider’s attitude towards servicing their clients. Consider the vendor’s knowledge, their response time to your questions, their zeal to discuss and cater to your needs, as well as the time they took to provide you with a good proposal. How they worked with you at the start will give you an idea of the things to come, so be sure to choose a service provider that showcases efficiency right from the get-go.

Looking for the right managed IT services provider for your company will not be difficult if you just know what factors to consider. Just keep in mind though that not all service providers are the same, and that you will need to evaluate them well enough to know who really understands and has the skills to cater to your IT needs.

 

How many people you have asked with regard to small business advice after you decided to establish your business? It’s likely that you often come across SME advice on cost management. You need to be very wary in monitoring your earnings if you are among those people who opted to leave their day job to set up a business venture. Business earnings are unpredictable. Take advantage of these helpful tips to come up with a practical budget for your business.

Examine sample strategic business plans. Make a study on budget strategies in your business. Look into typical costs enterprises in related market as you are in. If you personally know an individual who like you is managing a small business, get SME advice about how they control their resources. You would be thankful to fully grasp helpful small business advice ahead of time so you can likewise steer clear of unwarranted costs.

Jot down your non-negotiable expenditures. This one is among the most necessary advice for small business owners with regards to budget planning. Ensure that expenses fundamental to operating your daily operations are accurately taken into account. No matter whether it is settlement for your rent, business taxes, telephone expenses or even electrical power, compute an amount you might need to deal with them all for the next few months. Put the finances aside so regardless of how your income goes on your first month or so, you won’t need to worry about your operating expenses.

Underestimate your revenue foresight. It is normal to have great hopes or even dream big for your business. Each and every business operator would expect their investment decision to boom. However, when you’re making your budget, it’s a good idea to underestimate your projected revenue. One advice for small business owner you shouldn’t overlook is that there’s no guarantee you’d achieve your target income instantly. So long as you carried out your budgeting mindfully, you will not fear of running out of finances to operate your business.

Take into consideration other obligations that you’re likely to have. Other than the expenditures that you expect to get, think about also others that you might have to have, especially on this phase of your business venture. For example, do you want to obtain more supplies for your business? Are you presently considering to employ a promotional as well as advertising crew to assist you market your business? Even though these costs might be worthwhile for your business, you don’t need to rush and include them right away on your expenditures. Do not spend your entire revenue right away.

Last of all, pay debts as soon as you can. The more time it will take for you to settle your debt, the higher you will have to pay with interest rates. Pay off your financial obligations as early as you can, and also shell out more than the minimum sum. Furthermore, don’t splurge even when you gain more than you’re anticipating. Keep the funds so just in case your business venture revenue falls very short the next month, you’ve got funds to pay for your expenditures. You’re able to lessen dependence to loans.

Setting up a business is often time consuming but is no question worthwhile. It will be more gratifying if you plan your financial budget efficiently. Make a subscription to websites presenting the most recent small business advice to acquire more information.

 

In today’s world, it is no longer efficient to just rely on machines to manage your faxes. We now have online faxes, which are known to be a better service than the usual fax service we use. This kind of fax service works with the internet and cloud gaining. Are you ready to say goodbye to the traditional way of maintaining faxes and say hello to this brand new technology? Before you say YES to it, you have to know more details about it first.

Who Usually Use This Service?

The ones who usually use the online fax service are business owners who want to make their tasks a lot easier and a lot faster to do. In order for a business to survive, it needs to survive competition and to go with the flow of the technology’s advancement. Therefore, it is a must for businesses to embrace the brand new additions to the list of advanced technology products.

Well, using modern technology products also help the business to be more effective and efficient to what they do. This just means that using the internet fax service is essential and helpful to companies. It is just right for them to shift from traditional faxing to online faxing since they gain benefits from it.

How Easy It Is To Use Online Fax?

There is no problem when shifting from using traditional fax machines to online fax service. Why? It is because once you know how to send and receive fax through fax machine, it is automatically given that you will easily understand how to do internet faxing. Therefore, you do not have to go through intensive trainings just to understand how it works.

With internet faxing, sending and receiving faxes are now as easy as sending and receiving emails.  This just means that with its help, you can send and receive faxes now in a more efficient way. You will no longer use the fax machine that we relied on in the past. As long as you have a computer and an internet connection, then you can start using online fax as early as now! You just have to choose the internet faxing service provider you want to deal with.

Why Businesses Prefer Online Faxing?

Though it is not so long ago when online faxing was introduced, many businesses have already shifted to this way of faxing. They prefer this fax service now over the traditional way because of a good reason. What is that reason? Well, it is because it allows them to serve the firm’s clients better.

We cannot deny the fact that clients prefer businesses that can attend to our needs and concerns in the most effective and most efficient way. We do not like those companies that take too long to reply to our messages and take too much time in sending and receiving our facsimiles.

With the internet fax service, it will only take a few seconds for the business to send and receive faxes. This is why businesses love this service. Just imagine how much it can do for the company operations. It can make a lot of things easier – from attending to buyers’ inquiries and ordering items from the suppliers. If you are a business owner and have not tried using this online faxing service, it is recommended for you to try it even once and see whether you will like it or not.

There are a number of phones, called IP phones, that are especially designed for VoIP purposes. These phones are typically used for signaling, and have almost the same appearance and use with PSTN phones, but equipped with internal ATA.

Here are the types of IP phones used for internet telephony.

1. Desktop VoIP Phones
This is a standard business class type of voice over IP phone. The phone connects to the service provider or VoIP system via Ethernet, and usually comes with basic features you expect from a standard telephone service.

2. Wireless Phones
Wireless IP phones are phones with built-in DECT or WiFi transceiver that enables them to connect to a base station. They are also more convenient than wired phones since you can move freely around your home or office while you’re using it. You can even make and take calls while you’re outside as long as you’re in a hotspot area. This is unlike PBX phones where there is less flexibility.

3. USB Phones
USB phones are hooked directly to computers with their USB jacks. These phones can be used with softphone applications, like Skype and Acrobits.

4. Soft Phones
Soft phones are software applications that are installed onto desktops or mobile devices to let you make and receive phone calls. Different from pbx phones for business in Singapore, these applications are perfect solutions for individuals and Singapore business owners who usually travel and work on the road, as well as call centers, as such applications are often very cost-effective.

5. Conference Phones
VoIP conference phones have the same purpose with their analog counterparts. Conference phones are typically used for conference meetings where multi-party calls commonly take place.

6. Video Phones
Video phones are IP phones with a capacity to capture videos using their built-in cameras. These phones can serve as substitute for video calls, making them among the most affordable ways to keep in touch with people while seeing them face-to-face from anywhere in the world.

IP Phone Features

Though features of IP phones vary on the functionalities, manufacturers, and the services they are supposed to provide, all types should possess the following features:
• Support Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which are mandatory for all types of VoIP phones
• Keypads for dialing numbers
• Should have at least one RJ-45 connection port, for LAN connection
• Should have ATA. IP phones with no internal ATA are called IP enabled phones

IP Phone Price

IP phones are typically expensive, with prices starting at $250 for quality phones. The price is said to be the main drawback of VoIP system and the reason why it’s uncommon. These phones are likely found in business establishments and organizations that have integrated VoIP Singapore service in their in-house system.

Now that you’re fully aware of the different types of IP phones, their purposes, and the features that the phones should possess, there’s no reason for you to use the wrong piece. However, if you’re still unsure which product to pick, it’s best to seek help from the professionals. Contact a VoIP Singapore provider and let them walk you through the process of choosing the right IP phone for you.