Andy Ong facts for kids

Andy Ong Siew Kwee was born on August 6, 1970. He is a successful businessman, writer, and property investor from Singapore. He became a millionaire by the time he was 26 years old. This made him one of the youngest self-made millionaires in Singapore. Mr. Ong manages companies in education, training, and property. These businesses earn about S$100 million each year. He started a company called Entrepreneur's Resource Centre (ERC) Holdings. As the leader of ERC, he has created ERC Institute, BIGWork, and BIGFund.

Early Life and Learning

Andy Ong went to school at Raffles Institution and St Andrew's Junior College. He later studied at the National University of Singapore. When he was 15, he started working in a kitchen. For nine years, he chopped vegetables every day after school. He worked from 6 PM to 11 PM at a restaurant in Holland Village.

Career Journey

Starting a Financial Journal

After finishing university, Mr. Ong worked as an editor at a publishing company. He lost his job during the financial crisis in 1997. After that, he decided to start his own financial magazine. It was called the Asia Financial Planning Journal. This magazine became profitable in just two weeks! In 2003, he sold the business. He wanted to focus on building his new company, ERC.

Entrepreneur's Resource Centre (ERC)

In 2001, Andy Ong started the Entrepreneur's Resource Centre (ERC). ERC was created to help new businesses grow. It offered training, money, and advice to people starting their own companies in Singapore. The Economic Development Board (EDB) in Singapore even gave ERC a grant. This money helped ERC support new businesses through a program called SEEDS.

ERC Institute (ERCi)

In 2003, ERC Holdings expanded into education. Mr. Ong opened the ERC Institute, which is a private school. Students at ERC Institute can take courses to get degrees from partner universities. Some of these universities include University of Greenwich and University of Wolverhampton. Andy Ong also helps students with good business ideas. He gives them personal advice and guidance.

BIGWork: A Place to Work Together

In 2016, Andy Ong helped create BIGWork. It is a special office space where different people and companies can work together. It was designed with Yen Ong, who founded the co-working space. BIGWork was the first co-working space in Southeast Asia to offer a pass for multiple cities. This means people can work from BIGWork offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore. It helps entrepreneurs find an affordable place to work and connect with others.

BIGFund: Helping New Businesses

Also in 2016, Mr. Ong launched BIGFund. This program helps new companies, called start-ups, turn their ideas into real businesses. BIGFund helps them grow across Southeast Asia. It gives students from ERC Institute access to important tools and resources. This helps them get their products or services into the market.

Helping Other Companies

By 2006, Andy Ong was on the board of 15 different companies. This means he helped guide these companies. He is also a certified financial planner. He was the first president of the Financial Planning Association of Singapore. Today, ERC has offices in Singapore, Thailand, and China. There is also an ERC Institute campus in Vietnam.

Smart Investments

Andy Ong has a talent for helping businesses. Once, he helped a fast-food company that was almost closing down. They had money problems because they grew too quickly. Mr. Ong became a consultant and bought a part of the company. He completely changed their marketing plan. In just three weeks, by adjusting their advertising and budget, the company started making a profit!

He also started investing in properties. He bought two old shops, called shophouses, at Circular Road and Telok Ayer. Now, he owns and rents out three properties. One of them is Prime Centre at Middle Road. This building was valued at $103 million by real estate experts.

Books He Wrote

Andy Ong has written or helped write several books. These books are about money and investing. Here are some of them:

• A Singapore Guide to Personal Financial Planning, 1999, ISBN: 981-04-1263-0
• Unit Trust in Singapore, 2000, ISBN: 981-04-2689-5
• Financial Sutra for Malaysians, ISBN: 981-04-7756-2
• Investing in Unit Trusts, 1997, ISBN: 981-00-9923-1
• Planning for Your Financial Life, 2002, ISBN: 981-04-0680-0
• Personal Financial Planning in Malaysia, ISBN: 983-40670-0-3
• Directory of Personal Investment 1998, ISBN: 981-00-9613-5
• Maniac!, 2004, ISBN: 981-05-2370-X

Mr. Ong was also the main author and editor for Singapore's first financial planning textbook. It was called A Singapore Guide to Personal Financial Planning (1999, ISBN: 981-04-1263-0). This book was published by Financial Perspectives and RMIT University. Many finance experts and teachers in Singapore helped with this project.