How to Make a Career Change With a Tutoring Franchise

After a year of COVID-19, many people are contemplating a career change. If you’d like to enjoy a rewarding role in which you help to teach and inspire while supported by the franchise business model, why not start a tutoring franchise? Here’s what you’ll need to do to get the ball rolling...

As a franchisee with a tutoring business, you’ll enjoy a career in which you’re able to make a real difference. You’ll have the support of your franchisor, the freedom of being your own boss, and the chance to profit in a currently thriving sector of the franchising world. Start your own tutoring business, and you’ll never look back.

Why start a tutoring franchise?

The tutoring industry saw an expected boom during 2020 and 2021, with education being disrupted and impacted by the pandemic time and again, and parents having to desperately pick up the slack and juggle responsibilities. Even as restrictions ease in the UK, demand for tutoring franchises remains high, as parents and guardians want to support students as they attempt to catch up with all they’ve missed.

Plus, many will now never go back. They know what their child can accomplish with a tutor, and they won’t be willing to sacrifice that in future, even when the country settles into a new normal. In the UK alone, the tutoring industry is estimated to be worth between £2-6 billion [The Tutor Website]. With such demand built into the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to franchise in the tutoring sector? Further benefits of making a career change with a tutoring franchise (online or in-person) include:

It’s a rewarding, meaningful job
Your outgoings will be low, and your initial investment is likely to be, too
You’ll be able to cover topics in your tutoring sessions that you’re passionate about
You’ll enjoy flexible working hours
It’s convenient for tutees, as you’ll either come to them or teach an online session
New developments in remote teaching tech make tutoring simpler and easier

Making a career change with a tutoring franchise in 4 steps

1. Assess your skill set and find your niche

For many franchise opportunities, you won’t need previous experience in the sector because the extensive training and support programme provided to you by your franchisor will cover any knowledge gaps and set you up for success. As a tutoring business franchisee, however, you will need certain soft skills, as you’ll most likely be working with children. You’ll need to know how to be:

Patient and positive
Empathetic
Confident and brave
Trustworthy
Communicative
An active listener
A problem solver
A good manager of your own time, and the time of your tutees

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2. Understand the rules and regulations you’ll need to follow

When you’re working with children, you must follow certain rules and regulations. Understanding these rules ahead of making your investment is critical, as if you fail to meet the criteria, you won’t be able to work as a tutor.

Any reputable franchise business will ensure that all potential franchisees submit to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This test will cost you £26, though if you’re required by your franchisor to complete an enhanced check, it’ll be £44.

With students, parents, teachers, administrators and government officials to keep in mind, it can be easy to lose focus [...]. I advise entrepreneurs not to get overwhelmed and to stay focused on your mission. At the end of the day, all of these groups matter, but I believe entrepreneurs should measure their success by the impact the product has on the lives of students and teachers.
—Megan O’Connor, Clark Co-Founder

3. Consider the costs involved

Before jumping into an investment, you need to know for sure that it’s going to be financially viable for you. The cost of investing in a tutoring franchise will vary depending on the location of the franchise, the size of the operation, and the level of brand recognisability that you’d be benefitting from.

As a general guideline, the average cost of setting up a franchise unit was £42,200 in 2018 [British Franchise Association]. Investment options are available in tutoring at multiple levels, from under £10,000 to just over £30,000:

Clara James Tutoring - To become a franchisee with Clara James Tutoring, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £9,995.

First Class Learning - To become a franchisee with First Class Learning, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £10,000.

Choice Home Tutoring - To become a franchisee with Choice Home Tutoring, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £17,500.

Mathnasium - To become a franchisee with Mathnasium, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £30,000.

Tutor Doctor - To become a franchisee with Tutor Doctor, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £33,000.

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4. Create a business plan for your tutoring franchise

Creating a business plan is an imperative part of the process, and it will set you up for future franchise success. Whether you’re required to make this plan ahead of meeting your franchisor, requesting funding from a bank, or once you’re already on board, your business plan should include the following key elements:

An executive summary
A business description detailed the subject/subjects you’ll be teaching
Product/service descriptions
A management summary detailing any employees/team members
A market analysis examining current market condition
Operational details
Financial projections and needs
Sales and marketing plans for parents/guardians/schools

Running a franchise with a tutoring business is rewarding on multiple levels

You should now have a solid understanding of how you should begin to make a career change and transition into the field of tutoring as a franchisee. Investing your time and money in the tutoring sector will be rewarding on two counts - financially and emotionally. Your next step? Explore the wide range of available tutoring franchise opportunities, and find the right fit for you.