Franchise Spotlight: Education Franchises
This is a growing, recession-resilient sector in which franchises flourish.
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – so said American polymath and politician Benjamin Franklin.
Indeed, of all factors that influence your career trajectory, education is the most significant one you actually control. And higher house prices within catchment areas of outstanding schools show that parents generally agree.
Many parents also turn to tutors to help their children pass exams and gain entry to grammar schools and prestigious universities. At any one time, 2.8 million pupils are being tutored privately.
But education and training can improve your career prospects at any stage of life and education franchises are booming too.
Sector overview
- Education franchises are often home-based with flexible working hours
- 24% of pupils – 40% in London – used a private tutor in 2017, and UK market is worth £6.5bn, according to The Daily Telegraph
- Experience in teaching is sometimes a prerequisite, but franchisees can come from a variety of backgrounds
There’s no clear leader in this fragmented market, with many big players expanding through franchising. Free of stock or distribution concerns, education franchises are highly scalable.
The education sector is arguably recession-resilient too. When jobs become scarcer it only creates more incentives to learn new skills.
Is an education franchise for me?
There are many education franchise opportunities with diverse business models.
A background in teaching is sometimes a must, occasionally preferred but sometimes not sought at all. Some franchises don’t even expect franchisees to do any teaching themselves.
What they do have in common, invariably, is a requirement that you care passionately about education and about what you are teaching.
A franchise gives you the support of a well-established brand, training and ongoing support and access to high-quality teaching materials, among other benefits.
And while you must adhere to a rigid – but proven – formula, some franchises will welcome your input into the curriculum’s evolution, while teaching/tutoring is an inherently creative, dynamic field.
The structure of education franchises
Education franchises can provide academic tutoring, after-school activities, business training, personal development and personal training, among other things. They can be classroom-based, delivered online or a mixture of both.
Tutoring franchises
With more than 500 locations in 16 countries, for example, Tutor Doctor has topped Entrepreneur Magazine’s rankings for in-home tutoring franchises worldwide, won Child Magazine’s Parents Choice Award three times and made the National Minority Franchising Initiative’s Top 50 Franchises for Minorities.
Managing a team of professional tutors, franchisees need no background in education and can work from home. 95% of customers would recommend Tutor Doctor's bespoke programmes.
The school clubs
Another example is Junior Einsteins Science Club, who work within schools, after school, during school holidays, and for birthday parties and corporate or family events. Revenues are therefore steady, often recurring, throughout the year.
The niche franchise
If you are looking to teach something more specific, you can find franchises such as Seriously Addictive Mathematics. They provide a curriculum modelled on the renowned Singapore maths programme, for students aged 4 -12. In this instance, a background in education is required.
The future generations
The education sector is also the ideal industry for you if you would like to educate future generations on the fast-moving technological advancements.
‘Edutainment’ from e² Young Engineers spans topics – arithmetic, physics, mechanical and software engineering, coding and robotics – vital to the current and future economy. They have also created a way to learn coding basics without a computer!
Arts & crafts
This industry also spans all ages. And if you would like to begin at the very early stages of education, you might be thinking about an arts and crafts franchise.
This isn’t doesn’t simply have to be crafting to play, a franchise such as Creation Station teaches young children exploration and personal development. This is the ideal opportunity for either stay-at-home mums or franchisees looking for flexible hours.
Business coaching
As an associate performance coach with SpeedChange, you’ll have access to a “powerful range of performance coaching tools, methods and frameworks [...] capable of making a massive difference to the performance of any business.”
This is the ideal educational opportunity for potential franchisees who would like to work in the B2B sector and work towards inspiring and motivating professionals.
Sports and fitness
If you would rather not be stuck in a classroom, there are also fitness opportunities such as Be a Better You, who help students become qualified personal trainers and
The education franchise sector offers a wide spectrum of opportunities. So, whether you are interested in teaching children or adults either in the classroom or out on the field, there is a franchise to suit your needs.