For Lai Zhi Khong, Mathematics is more than just a subject. A love for Math brought him from giving private tuition to running Math Vigilante, a tuition centre with an annual six-figure profit.
“I was quite the Math nerd back in school. I was a little bit sad the day I ended my A-level H2 Math exam because it meant I would no longer be solving Math problems anymore,” said Zhi Khong.
Zhi Khong started giving Math tuition after graduating from junior college to earn an income before his National Service enlistment. “Getting paid to do something you like seemed the perfect job for me.”
Gradually, his student base grew larger with referrals and glowing testimonials. But still, he had no intention of doing tuition full-time. Things started to change, however, when he taught a student who always failed math and hoped Zhi Khong could coach him to a pass for his A-Levels.
“I helped him score a B for his A-Level Math. He told me that I am a good teacher and should continue teaching as a full-time tutor to save more students from Math. This student actually proposed the name Math Vigilante,” recalled Zhi Khong.
Inspired by his student, Zhi Khong established Math Vigilante with a unique approach of having classes for Normal stream students. He believes that practice is key for the students and implemented a lesson structure where students can stay for up to six hours but only need to pay for two hours’ worth of lesson fees.
“During these extra 4 hours, we will provide consultations and practice papers for them. This is unlike the typical 2-hour lecture format that may be too fast-paced for them,” Zhi Khong said.
It was not all smooth sailing in the beginning. Social distancing measures during the pandemic took a toll on the business. When the restrictions finally eased, Math Vigilante saw brisk monthly earnings of over $10,000 in profits.
Zhi Khong teaching at Math Vigilante.
A head-start in entrepreneurship
An NUS Merit Scholarship recipient, Zhi Khong did his business finance and economics double degree. According to him, the NUS education had helped him hone an entrepreneurial spirit including agility. This came in handy when he started his business, as he had to make many decisions and adaptations to seize the opportunities quickly.
Even the pandemic did not stop Zhi Khong from spotting business opportunities. He realised the lockdown was the best time to rent a unit on the cheap for his tuition centre and found his current location at Katong Shopping Centre.
In many ways, life at NUS was more than just studies. Zhi Khong was also active in co-curricular activities while giving part-time tuition. Life was hectic, but it also imbued in him time management skills and the ability to multi-task. These are important traits to thrive in the business world.
Zhi Khong (back row, first from left) joined the dance team at Sheares Hall during his time at NUS.
Zhi Khong has developed a blueprint to grow his business moving forward. This year, he has rolled out a unique TikTok campaign to raise students’ interest in Math. The centre sets Math challenges publicly and rewards the fastest solvers, with some videos of these challenges going viral.
“I believe we are the first in Singapore to do these challenges in public. Initially, we wanted to do this for fun, to see whether students would attempt the challenges. But after we went viral, we received many comments asking us to continue doing such content as it is a great way to incentivise students to do Maths,” he said.
Zhi Khong added that many tuition centres now offer Math challenges, starting a trend that motivates students to have fun with Math.
He hopes to spark a passion for Math by injecting fun into learning. When asked what his long-term aspiration is, he shared that he aims to impact students across Singapore with tuition centres across the island. “I also hope to be able to grow my team of tutors to not only save students from Math but also from other subjects – spearheading English Vigilante, Physics Vigilante, Chemistry Vigilante and so on.”
