Hong Kong is a city teeming with hidden gems, unique shops, and vibrant storefronts. Every street and mansion carries rich history continued by the small business owners, but they often go unnoticed by the public. GuideFong (街坊商店) is an initiative by Foundation for Shared Impact (a S.88 tax-exempt charity) to shift the narrative. GuideFong serves as a bridge between the small businesses and the local community, allowing the public to explore and engage with not just the businesses but also the entrepreneurs behind the scene.

Our mission

“To enhance visibility, promote social integration, and break down language and cultural barriers for Hong Kong's small businesses, particularly those led by self-employed or under-resourced individuals.”

GuideFong is more than just a directory. It is a platform and community for celebration and empowerment. We aim to shine a spotlight on the stories of the diverse entrepreneurs who are the driving force behind Hong Kong's vibrant economy. Join GuideFong on this exciting journey as a member, volunteer, ambassador, intern, or a viewer as we promote economic and social inclusion, diversity, and understanding. Together, let's build an inclusive local economy where every business has a chance to shine and thrive.

Who We Support: Our GuideFong Community Businesses

At GuideFong, we are intentional about the types of businesses we list, support, and promote. We focus entirely on independent, micro-, and small-scale grassroots commercial operations. We do not list multinational chains, large franchises, or conglomerates.

We call them “GuideFong community businesses” for several reasons. Locally rooted in Hong Kong, these grassroots, ethnically diverse-owned businesses play a critical role in cultivating resilience and building social capital through uplifting disadvantaged communities, while preserving the city's vibrant diversity and heritage by connecting ethnically diverse individuals to their roots and fostering intercultural exchange. Grounded in the principle of trading for the benefit of the community, community businesses serve as the community's first aid in times of peace or tumult, and they provide gainful employment opportunities to community members. The sustainable growth of community businesses therefore translates into the sustainable growth of Hong Kong.

Our Transparent Eligibility Criteria

To maintain the integrity of our directory and ensure that public support and corporate social procurement reach the businesses that need them most, all listed businesses must meet the stated eligibility criteria. We verify eligibility through a self-declaration framework based on the following criteria:

1. Legal Structure

• Must hold an active Hong Kong Business Registration (BR) Certificate.
• Must hold relevant and necessary licenses and permits to legally operate in Hong Kong.
• Must have a revenue-generating commercial business model.
• Must be independent, with no more than 25% corporate conglomerate equity and a maximum of 3 physical outlets with the same brand name across Hong Kong.

2. Grassroots Scale

To ensure that we are supporting grassroots GuideFong businesses, a community business must qualify as a micro-enterprise:

Micro-Enterprise: Annual sales revenue does not exceed HKD 3,000,000 and maintains a core team of fewer than 10 full-time employees.

Exception: Considering how some community businesses (such as local wholesale or retail grocery shops) may have higher-volume turnover despite their micro-scale size, such community businesses may exceed the HKD 3,000,000 revenue cap, provided they maintain a small team of five or less full-time employees. For any other exceptions, please reach out to us at cbs@shared-impact.com for discussion.

By establishing these boundaries, Project GuideFong ensures that all the resources allocated, every partnership and collaboration formed, and every additional exposure generated by the directory and our campaigns directly builds a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient economy for Hong Kong.

GuideFong is a project under Community Business Support Program run by Foundation for Shared Impact and is funded and supported by The Hong Kong Club Foundation and the Drs Richard Charles and Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation.