One of the things I love about getting to meet CEOs of successful SMEs is that a surprising number of them built their businesses out of a sincere desire to help others.

For instance, Joanna Duarte of Big & Small stating that she built her business to help give jobs for “her girls” (see our November-December 2006 issue). And in our upcoming March-April issue, we feature Luchi Cabanlet of CDO Handmade Paper Crafts, who has transformed her company into an astonishing social enterprise that even provides free education for all the children of her employees!

That’s the great thing about owning a business. You can get the power to change the world, so to speak. One employee at a time.

One thing that these amazing people have in common is a sense of faith in their employees — no cynics among this group of successful entrepreneurs. You won’t see them talking ill about their people, or suspecting the worse, or firing people left and right.

Instead, they strive to make sure that there is a give-and-take between the firm and the employees, and that they are both better off being with each other. So instead of employees thinking of the firm as an antagonist, the firm really does become a partner. For better or for worse.

Many businesses seek to change the world through their products. Kind’a like Apple changing pop culture through its computers and music gear.

But you don’t have to come out with a killer product to change the world. Changing the world can happen within your walls, in the production side, with your own work force, one employee at a time.