'Fulfilling childhood dream': Inspired by grandma, this degree holder spent up to $150k to open minimart in Ang Mo Kio
Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management, Sheau Jing (SJ) Tan decided to embark on a new venture opening a minimart in Ang Mo Kio.Tan completed her degree from the University of London, studied through the Singapore Institute of Management, in 2017.She worked in the travel industry for over eight years in sales and customer experience before starting a Food & Beverage (F&B) business in 2022. After almost four years in the F&B industry, the 33-year-old decided to open a minimart in Ang Mo Kio in September this year to fulfill a childhood dream."My childhood dream was to be a cashier because whenever I played role playing games with my cousins, I liked the sound of the cashier machine and how it operates," said Tan.She described how she enjoyed the process of pressing the buttons on the cashier and scanning the items as a kid, adding that it feels "surreal" to be able to realise this childhood dream of hers.Tan explained how the minimart is also inspired by her childhood memories with her grandmother, whom she used to live with along with her cousins when she was young.