SmartLab: Promising Brands Winner

PRIVATE education centres in Singapore all strive for one thing - to help students ace their exams. But SmartLab goes one step further by nurturing confident learners, says its chief executive officer Tony Tan.

"We not only make a difference to the academic performance of our students but also instil in them through a unique learning environment the confidence to believe in their abilities so that they can go on to achieve their goals in life and excel in whatever they do."

From its inception in 1999, Smart-Lab has employed branding as a key tool in its business strategy.

Having been schooled in some of the top institutions in the United Kingdom, the founders saw that an encouraging learning environment was lacking in the education centres.

The market was crowded with private tutors and established players offering programmes that cater to large groups.

"We identified the need for a learning environment that is student-centric and primarily built our brand on this principle," says Mr Tan.

Hence, SmartLab keeps its classes small - about eight to 10 students per class - so that the teachers can provide individual attention and personalised coaching, and at the same time engage the students to participate, interact and learn from each other.

Another key strategy of the centre is developing the confidence of its students.

"Even the most knowledgeable teacher is unable to engage an unwilling learner," says Mr Tan. As such, SmartLab adopts a friendly and approachable teaching style.

"We befriend the students, build their self-confidence, and basically, cheer them on to believe in themselves," he says.

This core value of "believing in yourself" extends to the teaching staff as well, as they are encouraged to experiment with new teaching methods to engage their students in positive ways.

Indeed, this branding effort has paid off in a big way for SmartLab. Its revenue more than doubled in 2005.

From a humble rented classroom in Bishan, there are now eight SmartLab centres in Singapore and it has plans to operate a full-time secondary/ post-secondary school.

Also in the works is a Teen Towkay programme, which will introduce essential business skills and provide the students with opportunities to run a business.

"Apart from a good education in the globalised world, young people should be equipped with a good understanding of the mechanics of business," says Mr Tan.

He is also tapping on his experience as a military officer to inculcate values like character-building and teamwork - learnt at leadership programmes - into the centre's curriculum.

"These values are extremely useful in the grooming and development of confident individuals who are entrepreneurial in thinking, daring in action and socially responsible," he says.