At just 25, Tan Jenn Bin has achieved more than most. For one, he owns his own business — Ally, a boutique fitness studio in Singapore. Founded to enhance customer experience and service, Ally has rapidly become a standout in Singapore’s competitive landscape of fitness studios.
Ally’s birth resulted from a vision to redefine boutique fitness in Singapore. Tan aspired to merge fitness with hospitality, creating an inviting space beyond the typical workout environment. The driving force behind Ally was the desire to place people at the centre, ensuring that every stage of the customer journey, from entry to exit, was designed to uplift and rejuvenate.
At the start, Ally only offered indoor cycling or spin classes. But in July this year, the fitness studio started to offer reformer Pilates classes, which has garnered tremendous response from fitness enthusiasts. Apart from its classes that promise a great workout, Ally is also well-loved for its luxurious facilities and amenities, including a coffee and smoothie bar, large waiting area, Aesop products, and spacious changing and shower spaces.
Options had a chat with Tan, and here’s what the young entrepreneur has to say about starting his own business and standing out in the ever-competitive fitness industry.
What was the inspiration behind you starting this up?
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We wanted to shake up the boutique fitness scene here in Singapore, elevating the standards by marrying fitness and hospitality. We want to create a space where members enjoy being in, where they feel taken care of, and where it’s inviting enough for them to come and simply be.
People are our core focus, which has always been and always will be, and it is why I decided to create a studio of this size and this concept that is so different from many other studios.
The Ally experience and lifestyle begins right from when a member enters our studio, right from the first greeting, to the pre-workout conversations at the spacious community area, to the workout itself in a semi-circular room, to the post-workout refuel at our in-studio bar, neighbourhood, and lastly to freshening up at our well-appointed bathrooms with Aesop amenities. Every stage of this customer journey is designed to ensure each member walks out of our studio feeling uplifted and ready for the rest of the day.
How did you fund this new venture?
Together with a couple of very supportive friends who believed in the vision, we pulled together enough capital to start Ally.
What support did you receive to build this business?
Nothing beats having my founding team with me from the beginning, a passionate and extremely talented bunch, to build and grow the studio together to where we are today.
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I learned how to run a business from my father, who brought me along on business trips when I was six years old. Through these moments with my father, I learned business organisation and strategising skills. He uses this opportunity to share life lessons and his thought process on the business with me. Often, he would love for me to share my thoughts, too.
I would say that my entrepreneurial drive and willingness to take risks came from these experiences with my father.
What were you doing before this? Did any of your experience help with your venture into this business?
I graduated from the UK with a degree in aircraft engineering. After graduation, I went to work in the family business. My dad started his business from a humble beginning by running a hardware shop and then moving on to mining. Now, the business has a significant footprint in mining and trading alongside port operations and shipping businesses.
Ever since I was young, my dad has brought me along on his business trip whenever I am on a school holiday.
What were some challenges you faced at the start of your business?
Ally opened during the Covid-19 period. It was definitely a challenge working with the government restrictions with all our grand plans in mind to engage our members and create new experiences. Eventually, we made the best of what we had and continued to push for excellence in member experience. We are thankful for all our loyal members from the beginning for believing in us.
Also, when we started, we were the new kid on the block. We knew we had to be different by elevating our customers’ fitness journey in the pre- and post-workout experience. And that is why I ensured that my front desk crew were trained to be warm and hospitable, as customers would first interact with them upon entering the studio. As for the post-workout experience, we have a coffee and smoothie bar and amazing shower facilities with luxurious Aesop products for them to use.
Why did you decide to open your studio when the competition was strong in Singapore?
We are confident that what we offer vastly differs from our competitors. People are our core focus, which has always been and always will be, and it is why I decided to create a studio of this size and this concept that is so different from many other studios.
As a people-centric rhythm cycling boutique studio, we aim to focus more on customer experience and customer service, which we don’t usually experience in other studios. We wanted to marry fitness and hospitality.
At Ally, we are building a community here and believe in providing our customers value for money. We may not be the cheapest, but we truly believe we provide the best.
Tell us more about your collaboration with Aesop and providing customers with a more luxurious experience.
Aesop is our sole amenity partner. We are the first fitness studio in Singapore to partner with Aesop. During our longstanding partnership with them, we have co-hosted unique events, such as a skincare workshop for our loyal members.
Ally has expanded into the reformer Pilates space. Why so?
Reformer Pilates complements indoor cycling by strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, decreasing stress levels, and helping with posture.
We see a growing demand for classes in this fitness modality, and we are confident that we can provide an elevated class experience at Ally Reformer. This is an up-and-coming trend, and we want to offer another complementary workout that is not too high-intensity, like spin.
We aspire to be the best, so we sent our instructors to Australia to train and explore the scene to bring their experience back to Singapore.
How is your reformer Pilates different?
We have a phenomenal head coach to lead our reformer team. Together with her, we pinpoint areas of improvement in Singapore’s current pilates reformer scene and brainstorm ways we can offer a one-of-a-kind experience just like we did for our Ride space.
It’s more than just an “in and out” situation; we feel that members want a space they can hang out in, and the environment needs to be perfect and suitable for them to feel inviting, warm, and at ease.
People nowadays know what they want and need and want it better. While we created an aesthetically pleasing studio, we still focus on hospitality - making every member feel special and taken care of.
At Ally, we focus on the tiny details, upholding crafted luxury design and great hospitality. We always go one step further to anticipate what our members need and aim to provide it. Ultimately, who doesn’t like returning to a studio that cares for them well?
What plans do you have for the future of Ally?
We are exploring opportunities to open up another space in central Singapore and expand to other countries in Southeast Asia. We plan to open another studio in Singapore next year, so stay tuned!
As a lifestyle business, we must constantly evolve and brainstorm innovative ideas and concepts to offer our loyal members. Our goal is to have multiple concepts that meet the needs of the different clients or even have a space with multiple concepts.
Tell me more about yourself. What do you do when you’re not working?
I engage in self-meditation frequently and take yoga and Pilates classes over the weekend to balance out my daily spin classes. I will travel out of the country as much as possible to find quiet time and new inspiration for my business.
What advice do you have for those looking to start a business in the fitness industry?
Don’t be afraid to fall when young; be bold and adventurous.
