Demystifying the Duty of a Company Secretary in Hong Kong

17 June 2020

The Hong Kong Companies Ordinance, Chapter 622, makes it mandatory for every company to be registered in Hong Kong to have a company secretary. So important is the company secretary that indeed, your company will not be registered without one. In this post, we will look at the duties of a company secretary in a Hong Kong company.

What is a Company Secretary?

First, it is important to appreciate that a company secretary is completely different from common clerks who do clerical work. According to the Companies Ordinance, a company secretary is a senior officer in a company who is responsible for efficient administration, especially with respect to ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. So, you need to ensure that only the most qualified and committed person gets the job.

The Main Duties of Company Secretary

From the definition of a company secretary, there is no doubt that the roles he does and how he does them will greatly impact the company’s success. So, let us start by understanding the duties of a company secretary.

Fulfilling the Company’s Tax Obligation

When opening a company in Hong Kong, it is important to understand that the administration runs a business economy because the registered enterprises serve as the primary source of revenue. Therefore, the administration takes tax matters very seriously. Your company secretary is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the company meets all its tax obligations. Some of these obligations include:

Overseeing the filing of the tax returns correctly and on time.
Seeking additional approval or clarifications on tax-related matters.
Registering the company with IRD (Inland Revenue Department).

Keeping Statutory Books

The Hong Kong Companies Ordinance also designates the company secretary as the custodian of the statutory books. This implies that the secretary should have every document that the government might need to inspect. In addition to keeping these books of account, the company secretary is also responsible for:

Updating the details on statutory books.
Producing and distributing company accounts and reports.

Planning and Attending Company Meetings

As we indicated earlier, the company secretary is involved with top-level management, and one of that roles is planning the company’s meetings. This is considered an important role because it is in these meetings that actions to be taken on different areas, such as books of accounts and employment, are made. Here is a breakdown of these duties:

Organize board meetings.
Participate in board meetings.
Prepare the agenda of the company meetings.
Implement the decisions made during meetings in compliance with laws.
Advise the company on compliance with the law.

Other Duties of a Company Secretary

While the roles we have outlined above are considered the core for a company secretary, they are not the only ones. Other administrative duties include:

Communicating with shareholders, the Stock Exchange, and regulatory bodies on behalf of the company.
Observing the company developments and giving advice to the board of directors.
Guiding the company through the process of liquidation.

If you are planning to incorporate a company in Hong Kong, the position of a company secretary is very important and should only be entrusted to a qualified and experienced person. With the best company secretary, you can rest assured that the business will make the best decisions and grow into the multinational of your dreams.

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Mashum Mollah

Mashum Mollah is the feature writer of Search Engine Magazine and an SEO Analyst at Real Wealth Business. Over the last 3 years, He has successfully developed and implemented online marketing, SEO, and conversion campaigns for 50+ businesses of all sizes. He is the co-founder of Social Media Magazine.

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How To Reduce The Operating Cost of Your Business?

You might come across account words you're unfamiliar with when looking at papers like the balance sheet and income statement. Understanding these operating cost concepts, on the other hand, is critical. This can help you better comprehend your financial accounts and improve the financial health of your company. Are you interested in learning more about operating costs and how they affect your company? We'll give you a detailed breakdown of running costs. Then, following a definition and explanation of the phrase, we'll go over some of the things you can do to lower your operational costs. If you are just starting your business, then you might even need to consider a startup mentor. What Are The Operating Costs? The costs of running your firm on a day-to-day basis are referred to as operating costs. Therefore, the operating expenses, operating expenditures, and all terms of OPLEX are used to describe the operating costs. The cost of products sold is one of the most important components of operational costs (COGS). The direct costs of manufacturing your company's goods or services are referred to as COGS. Operating expenses include the following items: ● Payroll and other labor costs related to operating costs ● Employee benefits like employee health insurance, pensions, and other facilities ● Commissions on sales ● Depreciation ● Amortization ● Costs of upkeep It's critical to understand how to calculate operating costs because it allows you to boost your bottom line. If you run a for-profit company, lowering operating costs will directly affect your profitability. 6 Things You May Do To Reduce Your Operating Costs You will be able to stay ahead of the competition by minimizing your operating costs. Therefore, small business owners should always look for ways to reduce costs without sacrificing product quality or making life more difficult for their employees. So, what are the most effective methods for lowering operating costs? Here are eight suggestions for lowering your business's running costs, allowing you to reduce overhead and increase income. 1. Adopt A New Technological Mindset There is a plethora of internet tools and software packages available to help small businesses automate and optimize their operations. Accounting, website hosting, marketing communications, pay stubs, and other areas of business can all be covered by these platforms. Technology is beneficial not only because it increases productivity but it also leads to a reduction in OPEX in sectors like direct labor. Robots and artificial intelligence can work faster and with fewer errors than humans. The technology could also help to improve supply chain procedures, such as lowering the cost of delivering raw materials. Ask yourself the following questions to help you find the proper program for operating cost or service for you: ● What am I exceptionally skilled at? (For example, if you have a background in accounting, you might want to try employing technology for marketing rather than finance.) ● What do I find myself devoting an inordinate amount of time to each week? ● What would I do if I could eliminate one of my most time-consuming responsibilities? Hopefully, your responses to these questions will reveal the task or subject matter area in which you should employ technology. 2. Outsourcing Outsourcing the key business activities to a third-party specialist is an alternative option for increasing work efficiency. If you don't have a background in real estate or tax law, it may be difficult to identify strategies to lower your lease payments or property taxes. Someone with specific training in this area might be able to assist. Advertising and marketing appear to be one area where outsourcing appears to be particularly beneficial. This is a source of frustration for many entrepreneurs if they are not having a good grip over that. They discovered that the amount of time they spend on advertising and marketing is related to the amount of money they make. However, they may not have the time to devote to a marketing strategy. While it may appear that hiring an outside vendor would cost more money, assigning specific duties to subject matter experts will save you money and produce even better outcomes in the long run. Outsourcing specific functions is a sound long-term investment in the operating cost. 3. Shop Around For The Best Deals If you work with vendors regularly, you might wish to put up a project and work bidding system. If you ask three separate vendors for quotes, you can pit them against each other to drive down pricing for an operating cost. Make sure you create an appropriate scope of work or request a proposal (RFP) for suppliers to bid on since missing information or increased complexity can substantially impact the stated fee. In addition, you can better plan for anticipated operational expenses if you get an accurate quote. 4. Cancel Unused Services Examine your variable operating cost to find out which services you are no longer using. Look for a cheaper plan or cancel them completely if you haven't used them in a few months. If you're not using them, they're not helping you make more money. It's easy to lose track of unused services, especially if you have them set up on auto-pay with your credit card. If you do decide to keep service, do some comparison shopping to see if there are any cheaper options. 5. Go green If you have an office, think about making it as environmentally friendly as feasible. To save energy, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, enhance your insulation and windows to save money on heating and cooling, and reduce the amount of bodily waste you make. Not only will you save money on electricity, but you'll also save money on office supplies on a monthly basis for an operating cost. 6. Telecommute Leasing office space, paying utility bills, and keeping a physical workplace can all put a strain on your budget. Allowing your workers to telecommute can help you save money overall. In the United States, telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular. In 2005, 1.8 million employees in the United States reported they worked from home for half of the week. That number had risen to 3.9 million in 2015, and it has continued to rise up. With today's level of connectivity, the difference between a person working in an office and one working from home is almost indistinguishable. Employees will often benefit from this as well since they will be able to reduce their commute times and expenses. Take Charge Of Your Company's Money Are you the type of business owner that simply watches spending and income without delving into the details? If that is the case, it is time to make a change. Understanding things like running costs will become increasingly crucial as your company expands. Operating costs allow you to examine how your spending affects your profitability in greater detail. Once you understand your expenses, you can start decreasing costs and increasing earnings using the strategies we've offered. Read Also: 5 Financial Risks of Starting a Small Business and How to Avoid Them Why Virtual Offices Are The Future Of Business

High Purity Natural Products Scam | Real Truth Behind It

In this world, the current trend is all around high quality natural products. Therefore, many companies promote themselves as organizations that are involved with delivering the best products. Some of them claim these products to be natural. But unfortunately, that's the reason many people fall into the traps of these companies. If you are someone to whom the label that reads "natural" matters a lot while shopping, this article is especially for you. You must have heard about the new rage regarding high purity natural products scam. If you want to know more about it, you have come to the right place. Keep on reading this article till the end to know more… Overview When the chemical industry entered the market, it grew at an exponential rate. It provided people with faster and better results, was simple to use, and many other benefits. For example, if you purchased a fairness cream, you would notice immediate fairness after applying it. It turned your skin white. This also provided the food industry with an option to store foods for longer periods, which was previously not possible. People eventually realized that these types of products were not beneficial in the long run. These provided instant results to those who used them, but they proved to be harmful over time. It was now time for the industry to go back to its roots. Because natural resources are depleting daily, manufacturers were unable to produce completely natural products. As a result, manufacturers modified existing chemical products to make them less harmful and marketed them as high purity natural products. Then, around 2017, Mike Matton founded a cosmetics company called 'high purity natural products' in New England. The primary goal of this company is to produce natural products, primarily cosmetics, for well-known brands. They also make nootropics, gummies, nutraceuticals, and health and beauty products High Purity Natural Products: What Are They? While many people may feel confused about what the high purity natural products are talking about, it is best to say that these are not the ones that you think they are. What is the one thing that you know about high purity natural products? That they are made of ingredients that are pure and of great quality. However, while this can be true for most of the products that you see on the internet, the case is not the same for most brands. The companies market and promote themselves as free of certain harmful artificial chemicals ingredients. These harmful chemicals include: Lead, Formaldehyde, Asbestos, PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls). Many brands market themselves as natural and free of artificials. But that is not always true. That is the reason why people across the world have sued many companies. High Purity Natural Products: What Do They Claim? The first thing that you might want to know about high quality natural products is what they are. That is exactly what I am going to explain here. High Purity Natural Products is a company that was founded in the year 2017 by Mike Matton. This East Coast-based company started because they wanted to produce products that are made of natural ingredients and also to popularize the concept of Nootropics and CBD in the mainstream beauty business. In simple words, this company is a beauty company that makes beauty and wellness products with the help of nutraceuticals. The ingredients that are used in these products are the things that make the company different from other companies in the beauty industry. High Purity Natural Products: What Are The Products? The company HPNP (High Purity Natural Products) is known for making products that are made from natural ingredients. These products generally contain CBD or cannabidiol. This is one of the most active ingredients that are extracted from hemp plants. In case you want to know some of the products that the company makes, here is a list that you might check out: Vegan Gummies. Natural Vitamins and Supplements. CBD Softgels and Capsules. CBD Tinctures. Nootropic Capsules. Balms. Lotions. CBS Dip Pouches. These are only some of the major list of products that the company makes for its growing consumer base. Apart from these, there are also a number of products that the company makes for animals. Some of them are biscuits and juices. High Purity Natural Products: What's The Catch? Now comes the interesting part! You must have heard people discussing high purity natural products scam or high purity natural products fraud a lot recently. Even though there are enough reasons for you to buy the products from the Company, there are still some people that go by the popular belief that the company does not actually use natural products. The quality of the products, as well as their authenticity, has come to be questioned multiple times. People have complained time and again that the company's products are not up to the standard and must not be used by the common people. While it is true that the company had started out quite nicely, these allegations affected its reputation of the company more than anyone could imagine. Natural Does Not Mean Sustainable Certain chemicals are sometimes extracted from natural sources in an unsustainable manner. Palm oil is frequently referred to as a 'natural' ingredient by organizations that promote such products. While extracting oil from palm trees is generally considered sustainable, they are frequently grown on land that has been cleared of existing rainforests. Obtaining ingredients from nature implies influencing it in some way, which leads to arbitrary rules for determining whether practices are sustainable. Furthermore, natural resources are limited and quickly become unsustainable when extracted in commercial quantities. For example, distilling oil for chemical fragrances requires hundreds to thousands of times the weight of flower petals. Synthetic or laboratory-made chemicals, particularly at large manufacturing scales, can provide more sustainable and cost-effective solutions. They can be derived from crude oil byproducts or processed from commonly grown crops, thereby minimizing the impact on natural resources. High Purity Natural Products Scam: What Is The Real Truth? According to the latest news and reports, the allegations against the company have fuelled a lot of things on the horizon of the beauty and wellness industry. While there are a number of companies that started marketing their products as natural to gain a lot of attention and demand across the globe, the fact that there can be a scam involved has led to major investigations. And if we talk about the High Purity Natural Products scam and how real it was or is, then the answer is simple. It has been seen that the news handout of the scam related to the company is not at all true. However, because of all the negative attention that the company received, it has been difficult for the company to rise back up. They have even tied up with the Lendica Corporation to offer some of the best products and shipping services to the customers. The products that the company manufactures are of great quality. They have significantly brought down the costs of the product as well as the shipping charges to make sure that they can be available to a maximum number of their target audience after the allegations. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):- Now that you covered most of the parts of this article, here are some of the questions that readers frequently ask. 1. What Is High Purity Natural Products? While many people might confuse the name as being an umbrella term for several products that are natural and made of pure ingredients of high quality, the case here is not the same. High Purity Natural Products is the name of the company that claims to make their products from organic products like Nootropics and CBD. 2. Are High Purity Natural Products Costly? There is a reason why many people ask this question. High Purity Natural Products are not as costly as many would think. However, the ingredients that they use are natural, and some of their products also contain hemp and other CBD. All these are the reasons why some of their products lie on the higher end of the spectrum. Bottom Line: Truth About High Purity Natural Products High purity products, or at least properly marketing certain products as high purity and natural, is something that is trending at present. People are looking for sustainable, natural ways of making their lives better. That is the reason why people are willing to believe any brand or product that claims that they are natural and made of highly pure ingredients. The company High Purity Natural Products claims to sell products that are natural and made of CBD and other Nutraceuticals. However, many have concluded that their products are nothing but a scam. In case you were searching on Google about “high purity natural products scam,” I hope that you found this article to be of help. Also, if there is any other query regarding the same, feel free to comment them in the box below. Read Also: How Can Digital Marketing Increase Your Business? 6 Incredible Tips To Reach Your Small Business Customer How Customer Service Is Impacting Your Business In 2022!

5 Ways To Help Your Sales Team In Door To Door Selling

The primary goal of each business is sales and profit maximization, and marketing techniques are essential in realizing this dream. Door-to-door selling is one of the best marketing strategies companies employ today. However, the success of this strategy depends on how you plan it as a sales manager. Door-to-door selling can be a nightmare, especially if your team lacks experience and proper market research. Therefore, it is also essential that the company prepares the sales team adequately before sending them to the field. What Is Door To Door Selling? The door to door selling is a technique that generally the people are using for sales and marketing purposes. Anything can be the target of your campaigning. For example, for door to door selling, you have to gather all the public information from where you want to start your marketing journey. The main target is to educate your customers and offer your services to your customers. But you also can do the branding through door to door sales. 5 Tips For Successful Door To Door Selling If you want success in field sales, you need to invest. Let’s see more of these tips to help your sales team succeed in the field. 1. Map Out The Location Understand the product or service that you intend to send to the field. Then, decide the areas with potential customers. Your target may be residents or other businesses. Use city, county, and state websites to get data about the people living in your target neighborhoods. The data will assist you in deciding whether the population fits your ideal client profile. Mapping out the area helps your sales team to conduct reconnaissance before the door-to-door selling. The team can scout the locations for competition, get a clearer picture of the population, including businesses, and identify strategic meet-up points. A sales route planner is necessary for mapping the locations. Having all this information beforehand helps boost the sales team’s confidence which yields success in door-to-door selling. 2. Make Use Of The Sales Route Planner App After mapping your target locations, it is essential to know the routes around. You want to see the team's progress on the ground, find the shortest and most convenient routes possible, and identify new leads around the area. All of these are possible with a sales route planner App. This route planning software helps manage the field activities in the following ways. Creating shorter and faster sales routes Visualize accounts. For instance, you can see which sales representative generates revenues, updates mass information, and much more. Check-in after each meeting, which means you can check customer interaction immediately it happens. Identify new leads around you. With the route planner app, you do not have to worry about a client canceling appointments at the last second; you can easily find other prospective leads in the area. The route planner software connects companies and their sales representatives on the ground for effective sales maximization. 3. Train The Marketing Team Whether you hire a team of sales professionals or not, it will help to train them on the task ahead. Make them understand your products and services, the audience you plan to reach, and the needs that your product can satisfy. The training should involve product demonstration, product features, and a script the team can use to talk to clients. The sales representatives will use the training guidelines to develop their selling techniques. In addition, provide selling aids such as business cards and brochures to the representatives, and you will be sure of a rise in your firm’s sales. 4. Set And Evaluate Goals Every business has different types of setting targets. And you have to plan accordingly. For example, some companies are doing door to door sales for branding and names. These are different types of sales. But some of the companies have serious goal setups. That also requires another map. So before making any sales, you have to map your business targets. Setting a goal for the door to door selling is helping your team to achieve the exact target. For example, the goals might be the number of business firms you want to visit or the sales you plan to make within a specific period. Communicate your goals to the team so that each sales representative may work towards achieving them. 5. Protect Your Team Door-to-door marketing poses a danger to the sales team. Instead, put safety procedures in place to make your team feel secure in the field. For instance, you can decide that the team moves in pairs. Investing in your sales team is a step toward maximizing sales. What are you thinking? Are you starting selling solar panels door to door? Yes, this is also possible. But your team needs to do much more hard work for it. You can protect your team from carrying the heavy burden with them. For door to door sales, you will require little planning and small handy equipment. For example, one day, a salesman approached my door and sold cosmetics. He carried a small setup to show the customers presentations. Yes, with this, within a few moments, he shows me all the details about it along with the case studies. So he does not have to give hours for the presentations. I understand every detail. Frequently Asked Questions Q1: What Types Of Advantages Will Get Through Door-To-Door Selling? Through the door to door sales, companies are localizing their marketing efforts. As a result, a salesperson will develop more stable connections and bonds with their audiences. And this is increasing the lead generation chances. Q2: After The Pandemic, How Safe Is Door-To-Door Sales? Yes, especially after the pandemic, this is a million-dollar question. Before the pandemic, this was also risky. Many times the criminals knock on the doors, forcing entry and robbing. Sometimes, the salesman is also not secure when they knock on the wrong doors. After the pandemic, if any salesperson approaches you, it is better to maintain safe distances and make the conversations. Q3: Is Door To Door Sales Difficult? Yes, door-to-door sales are complicated. But the suitable mapping of the business is making anything possible. When you start it, you will feel it is difficult, but after getting the right experiences, you will get to know the tricks and tips for the business. Conclusion: For the door to door sales, you can apply different types of techniques. But these five tips are always going to give you a better result and effects on the business. Always study the local areas before starting your business. Hence you should know and measure the field before starting running on it. So what are your ideas? Share your opinion in the comment section. Read Also: 13 Things To Consider When Choosing Fonts For Sales Posts 5 Ways to Prepare for Black Friday Sales Top User Tips For Getting Started With Salesforce 5 Actionable Mobile Marketing Tips That Drive Sales

Demystifying the Duty of a Company Secretary in Hong Kong

What is a Company Secretary?