One year on, I am delighted to report that Biz Daily is proceeding on an even keel, fulfilling what it set out to do. We have stayed true to our focus, which is to bring the latest business news to our readers, provide a platform for our listed companies and SMEs to disclose their stories or announcements, and bring analytical and research reports to our inves- tors. We also enthused our readers with interesting stories on travel under our Biz Travel column and exclusive first-hand accounts of dining experiences under Biz Dining.
The statistics and feedback reflect what we have achieved and done meaningfully. For example, in our focus on listed companies, we have covered more than 600 Mainboard companies and about 130 Catalist companies at least once in the whole year. This number represents almost all the listed companies listed on the Singapore Exchange.
In the CEO interview columns, we have featured many luminaries – locally and abroad. These include Hon Cheung of State Street Global Advisors, Bill Doherty, CEO of Walton International, Sam Ong, Group Deputy CEO of Hyflux, Philip Clausius, President and CEO of FSL Trust Management, and Edwin Fuller, President and Managing Director, International Lodging, Marriott International.
Not surprisingly, our readership has grown. We started with a base of 40,000 subscribers and we have grown by another 20 per cent. From getting several thousand impressions a month, Biz Daily now receives half a million impressions. We have made ourselves very accessible through our website. Today, readers can follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. If they wish to, they can also download the publication on their iPhones.
PR Newswire Asia has seen fit to join Biz Daily as its partner for news distribution several months back. This partnership means their readers and our readers can access news from both parties’ websites. Their news, including video broadcasts, are available 24 hours daily. Accord- ingly, they have driven substantial traffic to Biz Daily.
Advertisers are beginning to see the value of partnering with Biz Daily. Stockbroking houses, hotels, retailers, investment and education companies have used Biz Daily for their advertising, promotion and editorial initiatives. I thank them for their support for Biz Daily.
And finally, many of our readers have given us positive feedback. We thank them. They found it “readable”, “succinct”, “useful”, “informative” and “up-to-date”. So much so that one of our readers said he reads it every night before retiring without fail.
For this year, we are planning some initiatives that will further enhance the stature of the publication. We will announce them in due course.
We hope that you, our reader, will continue to enjoy reading Biz Daily and give us your feedback. Our hardworking editorial team who has been responsible for Biz Daily’s quality and timely publication will surely be inspired by your feedback.
Mr David Gerald
Chairman of Biz Daily
