Like another other blogs I have, I would like to share my personal reflection, having spent three years in the course. Though it is not about any social enterprise, I feel that BZSE is the stepping stone for any aspiring social entrepreneur
First of all, I came to BZSE with the hopes of learning more on the humanities side, rather than the business side. Alas, I was pretty disappointed that it did not turn out how I wanted it to be. But, I have learnt so much in this course that I am certain that I will not be able to learn elsewhere.
Does BZSE push me out of my comfort zone? Of course. The projects thrown to us, the internship, the lecturers, expectations, so on and so forth. Like any other thing, there is room for improvement which I had shared with a few lecturers during a chit chat session, but it is a great course.
So how is it a stepping stone? Personally, I feel that it makes us realise if we want to help out society, to be a social entrepreneur or not. And it doesn't stop there. It gets us thinking deeply, on who we want to help, which particular beneficiaries, and how can we help them. A childish thinking that we may have from secondary school will definitely not be sufficient or even pass at the current stage we are at. But it gets us thinking more maturely. The realisation, the desire to serve a certain group, this is what I feel BZSE has done to their students.
What about my learning journey then? Well, first of all, some projects thrown to us includes implementation of certain ideas we have. We have to launch our ideas and it is not just stuck on paper. What does it means? It simply means that we aren't just going to stay as thinker bur rather, doer. "Talk is cheap", is what people often say. BZSE definite make sure we do not just talk the talk, but walk the talk.
And what about internship? For me, I was at Weekender, a new social enterprise. It was both exhausting but fulfilling. I have learnt so much from this one experience. From mundane things such as marketing to recruiting workers, it threw me so far out of my comfort zone that I wish I can just crawl back in. But it was such a learning experience that I will not trade it in for any other possible internship opportunity.
All in all, I will not and have never regretted joining BZSE. From a childish and immature individual to someone that can probably make more sense now, I do hope that future aspiring social entrepreneur find out what is important to them and how they want to make a change. But for that change to happen, there has got to be a change within us.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
The future of social enterprise
Taking the diploma in Business and Social Enterprise (BZSE), I have definitely learn a lot about a social enterprise. About the social enterprise model in Singapore, and the many other successful social enterprise models around the world. Perhaps what many social entrepreneur can agree on is that the UK has one of the best model for a social enterprise.
A social enterprise will not disappear nor cease to exist. They will continuously grow and become well known by everyone. But what is the future of the social enterprise? There are a few ways to help cultivate a social enterprise, to ensure that they can continue to thrive.
Things such as changing the system, to not just merely speaking of what they want to do, but to just implement and do what they want to will build a social enterprise or even a legacy. Of course, with ideas, the same old ideas will not work over and over again. There has to be fresh insights or new ideas to help tackle the many issues that a country or even the world is facing.
But should we want to develop new ideas, method to change the world, shouldn't it be better if we went down to the place straight to find out what is going on, rather than just looking at it through the internet? Indeed, we are too comfortable at where we are to get down and dirty. However, such things can slowly kill a social enterprise.
These are just a few of the many ways we can consider when setting up a social enterprise. However, I believe that we have it in us, to make a change. It does not has to be as drastic as to having a brilliant idea that has never been thought before but if it is done before, and it works, we should consider trying it out. It has to be with a heart and with the faith and belief that it will work. Adopting a safe method while continuously trying to improve their own business, that is what I would like to see in social entrepreneur, locally or globally.
Article: 10 Ideas Driving The Future Of Social Entrepreneurship. From http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681921/10-ideas-driving-the-future-of-social-entrepreneurship
A social enterprise will not disappear nor cease to exist. They will continuously grow and become well known by everyone. But what is the future of the social enterprise? There are a few ways to help cultivate a social enterprise, to ensure that they can continue to thrive.
Things such as changing the system, to not just merely speaking of what they want to do, but to just implement and do what they want to will build a social enterprise or even a legacy. Of course, with ideas, the same old ideas will not work over and over again. There has to be fresh insights or new ideas to help tackle the many issues that a country or even the world is facing.
But should we want to develop new ideas, method to change the world, shouldn't it be better if we went down to the place straight to find out what is going on, rather than just looking at it through the internet? Indeed, we are too comfortable at where we are to get down and dirty. However, such things can slowly kill a social enterprise.
These are just a few of the many ways we can consider when setting up a social enterprise. However, I believe that we have it in us, to make a change. It does not has to be as drastic as to having a brilliant idea that has never been thought before but if it is done before, and it works, we should consider trying it out. It has to be with a heart and with the faith and belief that it will work. Adopting a safe method while continuously trying to improve their own business, that is what I would like to see in social entrepreneur, locally or globally.
Article: 10 Ideas Driving The Future Of Social Entrepreneurship. From http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681921/10-ideas-driving-the-future-of-social-entrepreneurship
Hawker Centre/Social Enterprise shut down
By now, most of us should know that there is hawker centre/social enterprise in Singapore. The social enterprise is meant to empower ex-convicts and the disabled. This particular social enterprise is known as Kampung @ Simpang Bedok. The hawker stall owners enjoys subsidies and such from the tenants, paying lesser than the listed rental price.
So even after receiving subsidies and such, why did Kampung @ Simpang closed down? After doing a little reading, I personally feel that Kampung @ Simpang had to shut down because of one simple reason, which is poor planning. What was made known to us is due to the poor location and inaccessibility of the hawker centre. It is located on a second level with no lift access. This easily translate to a reason to not patronise the hawker centre. An elderly person, family with strollers, or even people who wants had a long day will not want to climb the stairs.
If I were in their shoe, a few factors I will consider before setting up this hawker centre are the location, demographic, and maybe the spending power of the people living in the area. Of course, when people go to a hawker centre, what they are looking for is good and cheap food. To ensure that such a hawker centre can be successful, the food has to be of a certain standard so that it will continuously attract the public.
Also, a hawker centre on the second level that is only accessible via stairs will cause some people to not even consider the place when deciding where to eat. Some improvement that may be implement can be to install a lift or even escalator. Thus, people will go to the place to enjoy their meal.
Perhaps one other way to prevent the hawker centre from closing down is to do regular check on it. This issue was only noticed by the head of the consultation panel after more than six months. If it was noticed earlier, it could have been tackled and solved and the hawker centre might still continue running today.
All in all, the hawker centre failed due to the lack of planning and checking on the conditions of the hawker centre. As someone that may be planning anything, we have to be as detailed and precise as possible, taking into consideration the factors that may and will hinder the success.
Article: First hawker centre managed by social enterprise shuts doors. From http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/first-hawker-centre-managed-social-enterprise-shuts-doors
So even after receiving subsidies and such, why did Kampung @ Simpang closed down? After doing a little reading, I personally feel that Kampung @ Simpang had to shut down because of one simple reason, which is poor planning. What was made known to us is due to the poor location and inaccessibility of the hawker centre. It is located on a second level with no lift access. This easily translate to a reason to not patronise the hawker centre. An elderly person, family with strollers, or even people who wants had a long day will not want to climb the stairs.
If I were in their shoe, a few factors I will consider before setting up this hawker centre are the location, demographic, and maybe the spending power of the people living in the area. Of course, when people go to a hawker centre, what they are looking for is good and cheap food. To ensure that such a hawker centre can be successful, the food has to be of a certain standard so that it will continuously attract the public.
Also, a hawker centre on the second level that is only accessible via stairs will cause some people to not even consider the place when deciding where to eat. Some improvement that may be implement can be to install a lift or even escalator. Thus, people will go to the place to enjoy their meal.
Perhaps one other way to prevent the hawker centre from closing down is to do regular check on it. This issue was only noticed by the head of the consultation panel after more than six months. If it was noticed earlier, it could have been tackled and solved and the hawker centre might still continue running today.
All in all, the hawker centre failed due to the lack of planning and checking on the conditions of the hawker centre. As someone that may be planning anything, we have to be as detailed and precise as possible, taking into consideration the factors that may and will hinder the success.
Article: First hawker centre managed by social enterprise shuts doors. From http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/first-hawker-centre-managed-social-enterprise-shuts-doors
Monday, February 3, 2014
A closer look at social enterprises in Singapore: Eighteen Chefs
Having talked quite a bit on social enterprises in general, I feel that perhaps we can look into details of a social enterprise, to understand their background, and how it came about. For today, we will be focusing on none other than, the one that we all know, Eighteen Chefs.
Eighteen Chefs is a social enterprise set up by Benny Se Teo, who is an ex-convict. As the name suggest, Eighteen Chefs is in the F&B industry, serving western style cuisine. Benny Se Teo was once a heroin addict, who has been in and out of prison and rehabilitation centre for countless times. But the "Grace of God" was what help him get rid of his past and become who he is today.
Being an ex-convict, it left a bad mark on him. He was resources enough to find the right avenue to get funding. His "brothers" did not help him but yet, Benny persisted and went to somewhere unexpected, NTUC.
By investing the resources and funding in kitchen equipments and food technology, Eighteen Chefs is where it is today.With great food, served by capable chefs, the food comes quickly without affect the quality of the food. However, is serving good food the biggest achievement for Eighteen Chefs? Well, it seems that what Benny aims to do with his enterprise is to empower and help ex-convicts and youth-at-risk to be confident of themselves. Using Eighteen Chefs as a stepping stone, the beneficiaries can find other jobs outside of Eighteen Chefs if they want to progress further. In fact, there are some workers who went out and became the head chef of other notable restaurant and others even set up their own hawker business.
Indeed, Eighteen chefs has done well in empowering their beneficiaries, and also, proved to society that even ex-convicts are human and can do well if they set their heart to it. With support that we can provide to them, anyone can do well and be an inspiration to society.
Hopefully, this story will inspire a few of us to be more supportive of social enterprises, not just because of their cause but because the products that they offer are of good quality. Having been to Eighteen chefs a few times, I must say that they do serve good food. Why not give it a shot if you have not been there. Who knows, you may really enjoy the food there.
Article: Eighteen Chefs – Meet The Ex-Convict Who Provides Jobs, Hope and Life. From http://danielfooddiary.com/2013/10/31/eighteenchefs/
Eighteen Chefs is a social enterprise set up by Benny Se Teo, who is an ex-convict. As the name suggest, Eighteen Chefs is in the F&B industry, serving western style cuisine. Benny Se Teo was once a heroin addict, who has been in and out of prison and rehabilitation centre for countless times. But the "Grace of God" was what help him get rid of his past and become who he is today.
Being an ex-convict, it left a bad mark on him. He was resources enough to find the right avenue to get funding. His "brothers" did not help him but yet, Benny persisted and went to somewhere unexpected, NTUC.
By investing the resources and funding in kitchen equipments and food technology, Eighteen Chefs is where it is today.With great food, served by capable chefs, the food comes quickly without affect the quality of the food. However, is serving good food the biggest achievement for Eighteen Chefs? Well, it seems that what Benny aims to do with his enterprise is to empower and help ex-convicts and youth-at-risk to be confident of themselves. Using Eighteen Chefs as a stepping stone, the beneficiaries can find other jobs outside of Eighteen Chefs if they want to progress further. In fact, there are some workers who went out and became the head chef of other notable restaurant and others even set up their own hawker business.
Indeed, Eighteen chefs has done well in empowering their beneficiaries, and also, proved to society that even ex-convicts are human and can do well if they set their heart to it. With support that we can provide to them, anyone can do well and be an inspiration to society.
Hopefully, this story will inspire a few of us to be more supportive of social enterprises, not just because of their cause but because the products that they offer are of good quality. Having been to Eighteen chefs a few times, I must say that they do serve good food. Why not give it a shot if you have not been there. Who knows, you may really enjoy the food there.
Article: Eighteen Chefs – Meet The Ex-Convict Who Provides Jobs, Hope and Life. From http://danielfooddiary.com/2013/10/31/eighteenchefs/
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