HIS OWN MULTI-MILLIONAIRE BOSS

One stellar entrepreneur in his own right, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) alumnus from the Diploma in Sport & Wellness Management, Tan Tse Yong is fast making a name for himself in the industry. But what�s the secret to his start-up success?

From a star student to the boss of three lucrative ventures, Tan Tse Yong built a multi-million health and wellness empire after graduating from NYP in 2004. But what�s unexpected was that this former Junior College student once struggled with his grades. �I failed the General Paper at the GCE �A� Level,� Tse Yong confesses, but it proved to be a good wake-up call. �This setback taught me that my worth in life was not to be determined by a piece of paper.�


After completing National Service, Tse Yong went to pursue Diploma in Sport and Wellness Management in NYP. It was there that he met his business partner, Steve Chan. With the encouragement from their lecturers, the duo went into gym management business and in 2010, they launched FitLion, a sports nutrition superstore to promote healthy living. Their decision to enter e-commerce paid off, with the brand emerging as the top sports nutrition online retailer in Singapore and is expecting a projected sales of $10 million this year. They also own seven gym outlets and recently started their food business arm, The Protein Cafe.

Crediting his achievements to his alma mater, he recalls how NYP had �prepared me to handle the different aspects of business like human resource, finance and logistics�. He also picked up networking and analytical skills, which provided a strong foundation for his businesses. Tse Yong is enjoying a tidal wave of success and it�s poised to grow even bigger. �We hope to go beyond the borders to establish ourselves in the region, such as Malaysia, Taiwan and China.�

Inspired by his entrepreneurial adventure? Be innovative and enterprising, choose your own adventure at NYP Open House from 7 to 9 Jan 2016!

Published in the Dec 2015 Issue of Teenage Magazine. Reproduced with Permission.