Hi, I'm Terris. I research and rank every shortlist here the same way, every time.
How I research and rank
Every Terris Recommends shortlist follows the same method. Here's how a business gets onto a list, how I decide the order, and what keeps a business off one.
The process
Six steps, every single guide
The same process runs behind a plumber shortlist and an aesthetic clinic shortlist. Only the weight on each factor changes with the trade.
- 1
Define the exact need
Every guide covers one specific job, not a vague category. "Best confinement nanny agency" and "best cleaning service" are ranked on completely different things, so I scope each list around the decision a reader is actually making before I look at a single business.
- 2
Build the candidate pool
I gather every credible business that operates in Singapore for that need, from directories, Google Maps, licensing registers, forums and businesses I already know from client work. A business that only exists as an ad, with nothing I can check, never makes the pool.
- 3
Verify the essentials
For each candidate I confirm what separates a real operator from a fly-by-night: a working address or service area, the licences or accreditations the trade needs, how long they have traded, and whether their claimed specialisation holds up. Anything I cannot verify, I do not state as fact.
- 4
Compare like for like
I line the shortlist up against the same criteria: track record, credentials and licensing, specialisation, pricing transparency, warranty or aftercare, and the pattern in real customer reviews. Reading across the same columns is what turns a pile of options into a ranking.
- 5
Rank for the need and lead with a clear pick
I order each list around who suits that specific need and open with a clear pick. The rest are real alternatives with their trade-offs spelled out, because the best choice depends on your budget, location and priorities.
- 6
Publish, date, and revisit
Each guide goes live with a visible last-updated date. I go back to lists as prices move, businesses change hands or close, and reviews shift, so a guide reflects the market today rather than the day I first wrote it.
The scorecard
What I weigh when ranking
Six factors decide the order of every list. Their weight shifts with the trade, since licensing counts for more with an electrician than a hairdresser, but the columns stay the same.
- 1
Track record
Years in operation, consistency, and evidence of real completed work in Singapore, not a brand-new page with no history.
- 2
Credentials & licensing
The accreditations that matter for the trade: PUB Licensed Plumbers, EMA Licensed Electrical Workers, NEA pest licences, HSA and medical registrations, MOM licensing for agencies, and so on.
- 3
Specialisation
Whether the business is strong at the specific job the guide covers, rather than a generalist that happens to offer it.
- 4
Pricing transparency
How clearly a business tells you what things cost. I favour businesses that publish or readily quote ranges over those that hide everything behind an enquiry form.
- 5
Warranty & aftercare
What happens when something goes wrong: the warranty on the work, the response when there is a problem, and whether support is real or theoretical.
- 6
Genuine reviews
The pattern across real customer reviews over time, weighted for authenticity. A steady stream of specific, believable feedback beats a sudden burst of five-star one-liners.
The red lines
What keeps a business off a list
A good list is defined as much by what I leave out as by what I include. Any one of these is usually enough for a business to miss the cut.
- No verifiable presence: an ad or a name with no traceable address, registration or service history in Singapore.
- Missing legally required licensing for a regulated trade.
- A consistent pattern of credible complaints about safety, no-shows, or refusing to honour warranties.
- Review manipulation: obvious fake or incentivised reviews that make the real picture impossible to read.
- Outside Singapore: providers that do not actually serve the local market.
Worth knowing
The honest limitations
These are researched recommendations, not a guarantee. I haven't personally hired every business on every list, and I can't promise your experience will match my research. Service can vary between branches, staff and jobs.
Prices are indicative ranges that move over time, so always confirm a current quote before you commit. You can read the full editorial standards behind these guides. My aim is simple: give you a useful shortlist and the context to make your own call.
Good to know
Method, in plain terms
How does Terris choose which businesses to feature?
I start with the specific need a guide covers, build a pool of every credible Singapore business for that need, verify their essentials, then compare them on the same criteria: track record, credentials and licensing, specialisation, pricing transparency, warranty and real reviews. The businesses that hold up best make the list.
Can a business ask to be featured?
Yes. A business can put itself forward on the get-featured page, and I also find businesses through my own research. Either way it goes through the same assessment before it makes a guide, so asking gets a business looked at, not automatically listed.
Where do the prices in each guide come from?
I take indicative Singapore price ranges from businesses' own pricing, published rates and typical market figures at the time of writing. Rates move and depend on your exact job, so treat them as a starting point and confirm the latest quote with the business. For prescription-only treatments, I give market ranges rather than a specific clinic's promoted price.
How often are the guides updated?
I go back to a guide when the market changes: when prices move, businesses open, close or change hands, or the reviews shift. Every guide shows its last-updated date so you always know how current it is.
Who decides the rankings?
I do. Every shortlist is my own research and judgement rather than a scraped directory or an automated list, and the real alternatives always stay on the list so you can weigh them yourself.
Get your business featured in a guide
Now you know how the ranking works. If you run a Singapore business that belongs on one of these lists, put it forward and I'll assess it the same way as everything else here.