Punching above their weight: Boutique gyms find their niche in the face of competition, rising costs

[SINGAPORE] Eager to open a boutique training gym, Li Kun Rong emptied his bank account four years ago – which had less than S$70,000 at the time – to launch Storm Athletic Club.

That amount was barely enough to purchase the basic equipment. In fact, he did not even have anything left to buy enough training mats to cover the gym flooring.

Today, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of the gym that is located in Kim Keat near Novena has some 100 active members.