Tutor Doctor Prepares for UK Growth with Canapés and Cocktails Events for Franchise Prospects
The leading in-home tutoring franchise aims to award 30 franchises in 2018, hosts events in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol
TORONTO, June 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to market research firm Global Industry Analysts, Inc., with classroom sizes getting increasingly bigger and children not receiving the level of personalised education they need in a competitive primary, secondary university and college landscape, the international private tutoring market is expected to reach $227 billion by 2022. With demand in the education industry at an all-time high, Tutor Doctor has been doing its part to fight this education crisis – and experiencing rapid growth on an international level as a result. Tutor Doctor's services have resonated in the UK in particular, which is why the brand is gearing up for a month of events to engage with prospective franchisees in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
The event schedule is as follows:
- London: Wednesday, June 20th, 7:00 p.m., The Rembrandt Hotel, 11 Thurloe Place, London SW7 2RS
- Manchester: Saturday, June 23rd, 2:00 p.m., The Midland Hotel, 16 Peter St., Manchester M60 2DS
- Birmingham: Tuesday, June 26th, 7:00 p.m., Radisson Blu Hotel, 12 Holloway Circus Queensway B1 1BT
- Bristol: Wednesday, June 27th, 7:00 p.m., Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, Broad Street, Bristol BS1 2 EL
"The beauty of Tutor Doctor is that the brand can go anywhere. There's no limitation as to where we can open because students across the globe are all working on their own homework with different pain points that require our help," said Frank Milner, president of Tutor Doctor. Milner joined the brand in 2007 after realizing its unlimited growth potential as a parent of a Tutor Doctor student who experienced great results through the program.
Tutor Doctor brings individualized tutoring services to children all over the world. Right now, the brand has more than 300 franchisees operating in 550 territories, solidifying its position as a major player in the supplemental education franchising space. That global success is due in part to its unique approach to providing educational services. Rather than focusing on a standard curriculum, tutors work with students one-to-one and customise their lesson plans and strategies depending on the needs of each individual child. They also provide that service right in the family's home, which fosters a strong learning environment to be established in a location that's comfortable and convenient for students and their families.
That direct, one-to-one relationship has proven to be successful for students in a wide variety of markets, especially in the UK, where 60 franchisees operate across 114 territories with territory available in desirable markets. According to Nigel Mayne, Tutor Doctor's director of international development, that's exactly why the brand is focusing on growth there in 2018. And given its differentiated approach, he's confident those ongoing growth efforts will be successful.
Mayne said, "What makes Tutor Doctor stand out from the competition is its infrastructural support. We understand that there's a need for franchisees to have direct support throughout their entire franchise agreement. There are a lot of businesses that fail in franchising because after their initial training, the brand essentially just wishes them luck. But Tutor Doctor puts a premium on hands-on franchisee support, with launch support specialists and franchise field consultants in place, and that's what puts us head and shoulders above the crowd."
UK franchisees Mark and Joanne Butler were instantly drawn to Tutor Doctor's ability to differentiate itself from the competition. The husband-and-wife duo were looking into business ownership opportunities and recognized the strong need for educational services in their local community of Reading in Berkshire, England. Being parents themselves, they knew first-hand how difficult it can be to find a tutor. So, they signed on to join the Tutor Doctor team.
"A friend recommended franchising, so we were looking at what businesses were available. We had been looking for tutors for our children years before, so we recognized the need and the difficulty in finding the right tutor. We ultimately saw Tutor Doctor as a brand in a growing business sector that will always be in demand—parents will always find the money to support their children," said Mark.
Since launching their business in May of 2014, the Butlers have added two more units to their system in Maidenhead and Wokingham, both of which neighbor Reading and are a commutable distance to London. That shift to becoming multi-unit owners is something that's common for Tutor Doctor franchisees in the UK, especially as buzz surrounding the brand continues to build in the region.
"When I first started three years ago, there wasn't as much awareness of the Tutor Doctor brand in local communities because we were much smaller. But the perception of our brand has changed drastically over the past few years as we've continued to grow. Now, when we do shows or speak to franchise candidates, they've already seen our name in their local community," said Mayne. "Tutor Doctor is a brand name that's respected and recognisable, which speaks to the strength of our model."
That model is one that stands out to entrepreneurs and consumers alike. And according to Mark, it's why franchisees like he and Joanne are able to increase profitability and see a strong return on their investment.
"As a franchise opportunity, there's a flexibility to run the business as a small one-person operation or as a larger operator. The overheads are also low," said Mark. "Beyond that, what makes Tutor Doctor stand out is its attention to care. The brand fills a need in the market and has the right ethos to provide education."
What makes the Butlers successful franchisees, according to Mayne, is that they've been able to make Tutor Doctor an integral part of the local community in every city their locations call home. Just as it's critical for the brand's tutors to form personal relationships with the children and families they work with, it's equally important for business owners to establish relationships with the people, schools and organisations in their markets.
Mayne said, "You have to be a people person to thrive as a Tutor Doctor franchisee. You need to be really comfortable getting out there and talking to members of your local community in order to build your network and potential customer base. Those sales and marketing skills are what will ultimately make or a break a franchisee. We're also looking for franchisees who understand how to scale a business."
Over the course of 2018 and beyond, Tutor Doctor plans to help both existing and new franchisees in the UK scale their businesses. The brand's expectation is to push forward and sign two to five new franchise agreements per month across the UK. And so far, those expectations are being realized, which led to the goal to ink deals for around 30 new franchises this year. To make that growth goal a reality, Tutor Doctor is targeting specific regions across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
"The North in general presents a strong development opportunity for the Tutor Doctor brand this year. We've enjoyed a lot of organic growth there, and new franchisees who come on board will be able to capitalise on existing awareness in the area," Mayne said. "We host Canapés and Cocktails events like these to allow interested franchisees to network and engage with our current franchisees. Once people hear about how in-demand our services are, and how successful our franchisees are, they want to learn more."
Mark agrees that the rising awareness surrounding the Tutor Doctor brand name will continue to boost business for local owners in the region. He also notes that the brand will continue to experience success because of the fact that education and individualized tutoring are in-demand, recession-resistant industries.
"Families here are committed to education for their children. There are few competitors out there but our expertise and business model allow us to clear up any confusion for our clients," said Mark.
Franchisees who sign on to join Tutor Doctor and become part of one of the fastest growing supplemental education brands in the industry can expect their initial investment for a single territory franchise to range from £40,000 to £45,000, including franchise fee and startup costs. For more information or to inquire about investing in your own territory, call Tutor Doctor's international franchise development team at 020.8133.3525.
ABOUT TUTOR DOCTOR
With more than 550 territories in 16 countries, Tutor Doctor was named the No. 1 In-Home Tutoring Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018. Founded as an alternative to the "one-to-many" teaching model most extra-curricular learning centers offer, Tutor Doctor provides a personalized one-to-one, in-home tutoring service to students of all ages. Now with offices internationally, the Tutor Doctor vision is becoming a reality, positively impacting students and their families worldwide. With the belief that all students can achieve academic success through academic foundation building and discipline, Tutor Doctor continues to lead the private tutoring industry. For more information, please visit www.tutordoctoropportunity.com.
Media Contact:
Lauren Moorman
No Limit Agency
lmoorman@nolimitagency.com
312.526.3996
Share this article