From restoring homes for the elderly to caring for S'poreans' health: How firms fuse positive impact with business strategy

Commercial objectives are often about boosting the bottom line, but a group of companies is breaking the mould. Whether it's employees volunteering their time to transform cluttered homes for those in need, or firms prioritising people's health and well-being, they are stepping up, showing genuine care for the community, and making a tangible difference. Honoured at this year's Brands for Good awards, TDCX Singapore, Reflections Cosmetology and Movement Mechanics Physiotherapy stand as exemplary stewards of change, proving that being a business can also mean being a force for good in society.

Transforming lives in the communities they are in

When an employee of TDCX Singapore brought up her grandparent's hoarding issue among colleagues, her goal was just to find ways to improve the living environment.

The casual conversation in the office that took place in June 2022 became an inspiration for digital outsourcing service provider TDCX, which then partnered a local non-profit organisation to declutter the homes of not just the elderly, but people with health conditions or learning disabilities as well.

Through the partnership with Helping Joy, TDCX employees have been volunteering for home transformation projects since October 2022. They have been raising funds for food and necessities, as well as recommending potential sponsors to collaborate with Helping Joy.

Asked why they are committed to creating a positive impact on society, Angie Tay, TDCX group chief operating officer and executive vice president for Singapore, Thailand, China and Korea, says the company's initiatives are rooted in the promise of going the extra mile for all its stakeholders. That includes the communities where its businesses operate.

Established in Singapore in 1995, TDCX, which stands for Transformative Digital Customer Experience, provides digital customer service and technical support for various companies in industries such as fintech and food and beverage in Asia, parts of Europe and South America.

"As the company grew, we also had more resources to give back in a greater way," says Tay. "TDCX approaches making a positive impact as an integral part of our business strategy, not just a nice-to-have. Our goal and commitment are to deliver a transformative and positive impact to our people, the society and the environment."

The company also launched TDCX Foundation in October 2022 to streamline its corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at empowering underserved communities by providing them with education, access and skills to help them thrive in the digital economy. Through this, the company has pledged $150,000 for projects across its biggest markets - Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines - by collaborating with non-profit organisations there.

In Thailand, it is working with non-profit organisations to digitise libraries and rebuild classrooms in rural areas; in Malaysia, the Foundation hopes to provide vocational science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) training for out-of-school youth; while in the Philippines, it is working on empowering lower-income individuals to have careers in tech.

For its efforts in serving the local communities it operates in, TDCX received the Champion award under the Business for Good category.

Promoting healthy eating

Joining the roster of Brands for Good 2023 as an Honouree under the Business for Good category is local beauty product and healthy drink distributor Reflections Cosmetology. The company, which started in 2001 by operating spas in Singapore, has expanded to the distribution of Pretty Easy, a brand of powdered coffee, tea and fibre drinks suitable for people with Type 2 diabetes.

The pivot to promoting healthy eating is the result of co-founders Angel Lee and Hans Kok's hands-on customer service. During their years of operating the spas, Lee noticed many people with weight management issues often suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. This observation inspired the beauty cosmetology-trained entrepreneur to take up courses on diet planning, weight loss and nutrition.

"I did this so that I could become a nutrition coach and better share with others how they can improve their overall health with the food and drinks they take," says Lee.

She became a certified nutrition coach in 2019. Together with Kok, her husband, she established Pretty Easy in 2007 and since then, they have been distributing diabetic-friendly beverages to beauty spas and clinics islandwide.

Motivated to further promote healthy living among Singaporeans, Lee and Kok opened Pretty Easy Cafe at The Adelphi in 2018. "When customers come in to eat, Hans and I will spend time chatting with them, educating them on maintaining a lifestyle with healthier options," she says, adding that she believes prevention is better than cure.

The cafe was closed during the pandemic and the couple are currently looking for partners and a location to re-open the cafe. In the meantime, they are focused on product distribution and giving free health talks to companies - mostly clinics and spas - and their clients in their office on Ubi Road.

Part of the proceeds from Pretty Easy products go to the National Kidney Foundation in support of its events and operations.

"Looking forward, we hope to continue reaching more people and helping several others in terms of better health education and personalised consultation," says Kok.

Enabling Singaporeans to stay injury-free

Another company that is focused on Singaporeans' well-being is Movement Mechanics Physiotherapy. Headed by coach Fabian William, the clinic was established in 2014 with the goal of assisting injured athletes in getting back to their competitive sports stronger and as quickly as possible.

William, an ex-athlete himself, observed that injured athletes, who had longer downtime, got shelved and were even passed over during competitions. That motivated him to start a physiotherapy clinic alongside his coaching arm, so that athletes can have access to physiotherapy and be able to train worry-free.

The clinic differentiates itself by using a variety of traditional techniques to help its patients. Movement Mechanics believes that basic fundamentals like functional movements, manual muscle release and dry needling techniques can treat ailments better.

That involves physiotherapists placing targeted pressure on bones and soft tissue to relieve tension, decrease pain, and mobilise the joints and muscles. They encourage and equip patients to be motivated in their recovery and rehabilitation journey, by providing them with tailored exercise programmes.

Over the years, Movement Mechanics saw its clientele grow beyond the sporting population. "Because of the calibre of the physiotherapists that we have, we managed to reach out to the elderly population and the rest of the regular folks," William explains.

Today, what motivates him and his team of physiotherapists to improve their patients' well-being is to help the average Singaporean avoid having a sedentary lifestyle, manage stress better through exercise and preserve mobility.

William says for most of their clients, especially the ageing population, they don't come into the clinic to run the next marathon. "They just want to be able to move," he says, "so that they can continue travelling with their decade-old friends to Penang to have a bowl of their favourite laksa." And that's what drives him and the rest of his team to keep Movement Mechanics running.

Beyond clinical work, Movement Mechanics has been actively involved in giving free public talks to the community, from holding workshops on how to prevent injuries to conducting kinesiology taping classes. William has also been conducting his Run To Inspire programme since 2006, where he sponsors running and training gear, as well as rehabilitation for athletes and children from less privileged backgrounds.

For its contributions to keep Singapore moving, Movement Mechanics Physiotherapy has been recognised as an Honouree under the Business for Good category at Brands for Good 2023.

Stressing the importance of making a difference more than just making profits, William says: "I have always believed in providing opportunities. When you are in a capable position to do so, you should enable others to have an opportunity to succeed."