Hope everyone's having a well-settled day! Much love to all those doing their bit in keeping the community spirit alive here with help/recommendations/guidance and everything in between...well wishes to each of you!
I'm new here on the forum, and this being my first post, do go easy on me.

Introductions first - you can call me Powers. I've been a resident of Dubai all my life, some 30-odd years but a Pakistani passport holder. Not something I'm very proud of (no offense to anyone here). I'm an advertising professional, a brand specialist. 14 years of hardcore advertising experience under the belt, with my sights now turning towards Singapore as i'm mulling an offer from a close friend to open and manage a creative/brand service agency in this beautiful country. Naturally, this would include having the wife and 5yr old daughter to move too. From what i've read on various forums and online sources, both personal blogs and governmental/official sites & guides, it all looks very promising and positive. There are however, some grey areas that i need some clarity on, and so naturally I'd turn to you lot.
POA is for myself and partner (we'll call him P) to fly down to Singapore in April/May for on a visitor pass, and as we land, we initiate the company incorporation process. We're already in talks with Janus and . over setup proposals, which we'll finalise before we fly out. Once licensing is complete, we'll be submitting my employment visa request since i'll be running the show there. I did try the online official assessment test, and I was apparently eligible for a P2 pass. On parallel lines, we'll also be looking at serviced offices and an apartment for myself and the family, because as the visa is ready, I'll fetch the family.
Here's where the grey begins. I have read the other posts, but while some of them have helped me fine tuning a few things in my head, some have also made me further confused. I'll try to list them as precisely as possible:
1) the employment pass. How difficult is this to get? Discrimination/nationalisation policy in play? Any grounds for a rejection? What about changing jobs if the need arises? Can I transfer sponsorship easily?
2) for housing, I'm looking at the Butik Batok locality as I've learned its fairly balanced. Housing budget is SGD1700. One bedroom + hall +kitchen works just fine. Apartments only, most likely HDB, unless I'm able to find an old condo of sorts. Travelling to and fro via MRT and bus is just fine. I'm looking at ..sg and there seem to be some offerings within that budget, but with the some of the other replies here, i dont know what to make of the owners and their shenanigans. I'd like to keep the stay as peaceful as possible. What's your take on this?
3) I'd hate to get into extra expenses and go furniture shopping since I'm not at all familiar with the costs, therefore I'm looking at furnished apartments. Is it worth it? Recommended or not? why?
4) we're looking at a decent public school for my daughter as she would be getting into grade 1. I've been told there are plenty of good schools around the area that she should be able to apply and get into after June, so that should suffice. Any recommendations here on going about this? Or schools for that matter?
5) will be looking to hire someone local with good contacts in the market. What proper sites would you recommend a look at? Does a Singaporean national need a visa or just an employment contract?
6) since its a new business setup, I'm looking at a package of SGD5000 - SGD6500, with bi-annual bonuses based on the company performance over the year. Would this suffice? As far as lifestyle is concerned, my wife is a wonderful cook, so I always eat in, but the foodie in me will do just fine at the hawker centres that are clean for the occasional bite out and over lunch. Our evenings out will comprise mainly of taking the little one to the parks and community centres where she can indulge herself. We're content with that. Oh and do throw in a community gym package for both of us. I'd be happy to be able to save around SGD600 or so on a regular monthly basis. Sound ok in theory?
7) this is the part that I hate - things that creep up. Hidden costs, taxes etc? What should I be expecting?
Naturally I'm comparing everything I read with what I've experienced in Dubai, and it all seems wonderful, until that damned cost-comparison page that told me I would need SGD8,500 to get by comfortably. Seriously?? I'd hate to be living on the streets and begging for food with my package lol. On a serious note, its just a simple life I'm looking for with complete focus on our daughter. That's all. Naturally, I'll be aiming for nationality too.
Yes I know I do talk too much. Now its your turn, good people, to shed some light for me and let me know what I'm really getting into.
Cheers in advance!