The Tanner Hill - Smart Decisions

The career of Patrick Cheung is both smooth sailing and one of twists and turns. Having started his career working at a multinational, whose business he helped grow from scratch to HKD100 million in just eight years, he found his way to Canada before returning to Hong Kong three years later and founded his own company in China, which he later sold to a Fortune 200 company. If anyone has a knack for business, Patrick would be it.

The Growing of Social Capital

Yet after turning a couple of companies into buckets of gold, Patrick, Honorary Executive Director of Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong and Chairperson of Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum (HKSEF), decided to switch lane to social enterprise. "The decision to migrate to Canada triggered my departure from the corporate world, and with job opportunities so scarce, I made up my mind to start my own business," said Patrick. "The great thing about a social enterprise is that you have the ability to engage in a lot of volunteer work, which gives you not only time, effort and knowledge, but also social connections – social capital, which isn't found in normal business."

Patrick's new-found passion for social enterprise at age 50 soon led him to serve as the Finance Director of Sowers Action, an NGO dedicated to children's welfare, and introduce Dialogue in the Dark, a Germany-conceived social enterprise dedicated to social inclusion, to Hong Kong. But he's better known as the founder of HKSEF, a membership-based organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting the development of social entrepreneurship.

"HKSEF was formed to meet the needs of passionate social entrepreneurs by providing them with the different experiences and practices around the world," explained Patrick. "Essentially, it is an organisation and a platform where members can share their experience and network."

Changing the Mode of Future Retirement Life

Yet HKSEF is not the only thing that Patrick has his hands full on. Seeing the limited private business in the field of care service for senior citizens, he has created a social enterprise for senior citizens named Jade Club, which is a self-sustainable social enterprise that provides community care and home care services for senior citizens who want to age within their loving home. "We believe nursing is only for the last stage of life and most of our retirement life should be spent in an environment with community support, home care and social interaction," said Patrick. "We believe in addressing the need of the one million senior citizens in Hong Kong, and this goal cannot be achieved through social welfare alone – we need to build a sustainable business model to provide these services, which include day care centres, independent living facilities, home care services, meal services, transit nursing home and many more. Essentially, Jade Club is a social enterprise formed by a group of elderly care professionals who care about the quality of our retirement life, and would like to make a difference in how we will retire in the future. And that can be people of any age!"

Tips for Aspiring Social Entrepreneurs

For anyone interested in starting a second career as a social entrepreneur, Patrick thinks there are a few things you need to bear in mind: "Firstly, you need to really understand the target group you want to help by living and breathing with them," said Patrick. "Secondly, you need to do your homework and research well, and learn all the best practices around the world that address similar social issues – do not reinvent the wheel. Thirdly, network with as many people as possible to solicit support, as networking is hugely essential for social entrepreneurs."

Special Thanks:
Patrick Cheung, Honorary Executive Director of Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong, Chairperson of Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum