Making a difference

HANDS up if you know someone who recently quit his or her job without first seeking new employment. Taking a break from the office grind is now becoming more common, and working nine-to-five for the sole purpose of a monthly salary is not cutting it with some.

Millennials, especially, value purpose over pay cheques, according to a Gallup report. Younger workers are more likely to take on a position which gives them a sense of meaning, even if the salary might be lower (but still fair, of course). They see value in working for socially and ethically responsible employers who are not just out to make a quick buck at the expense of, say, the environment.

In this issue of The SME Magazine, we turn the spotlight on two individuals who are out to make a difference with their work.

On the cover is Elaine Kim, who juggles motherhood with being a palliative care doctor at HCA Hospice Care and CEO of CRIB, a social enterprise focused on empowering female entrepreneurs. As if that is not enough to keep her busy, her latest venture is Trehaus, a co-working space with Silicon Valley- inspired preschool and childcare programmes designed to breed future CEOs and entrepreneurs.

As Dr Kim puts it: "What drives me is trying to make a positive difference in other people's lives . . . This has been the driving force behind all of the different initiatives that I've launched."

We also speak to Johnson Soh, a former record label executive who began his entrepreneurial journey into eldercare after he discovered the healing powers of music on his dementia-struck father. Mr Soh's company, SanCare Asia, now uses music to get socially withdrawn and physically inactive seniors find their groove again.

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at how SMEs can participate in blockchain networks and adopt the technology to stay abreast; how e-commerce platforms are powering the growth of small businesses; and how Industry 4.0 is redefining the modern office space.

Enjoy the issue.

Dylan Tan EDITOR