When it comes to entrepreneurial spirit, Bobbi Collins is pretty much at the leading edge. This scrappy franchisee has had a number of successful businesses and recently became the very first Tutor Doctor Franchise owner in Hawaii. She talks to us about what it takes to be a successful education franchise owner.

For those like Bobbi, who desire the freedom of owning their own business, opening an education franchise is a wonderful option. Franchises have a tried and tested business model that offers ready-made marketing, training and everything else you need to get set up as well as invaluable support for the new business owner.

“A franchise gives those around you greater confidence in your ability to succeed.  This applies to employees, funding sources, business partners and clients.  Being able to reassure them that you may be new to this business, but the franchise behind you is a proven success speaks volumes,” says Bobbi.

What makes a great education franchise owner?

While owning your own tutoring franchise does provide you with freedom, it also means you must take responsibility for every decision.

Set goals! Knowing where you are going will help to shape the kinds of decisions you make. For Bobbi, one of the central goals for owning an education franchise is to have an effective team she can rely on.

She wanted to be able to go on a vacation and have a team that would work effectively in her absence. For this, the key is to build those around you; “Always show appreciation for your team members and be flexible. Everyone has a busy life and if they aren’t doing what you want them to do, it is your job to communicate better with them and find solutions, rather than getting angry,” she says.

Winning Education Franchise Character Traits

While marketing is always important, what sets a Tutor Doctor franchise owner apart is their ability to empathize. If you want a profitable tutoring business, you must get satisfaction from helping families. Every successful encounter starts and ends with a conversation so you can build relationships and trust. “You must live for those ‘ah-ha!’ moments that show your students have made a breakthrough,” says Bobbi.

Community engagement is essential as word-of-mouth business is at the core of a successful education franchise. Not only is it essential for branding and visibility, but it is also essential to give back to your community and build up those around you. These events aren’t hardcore selling opportunities they are an opportunity for relationship-building.

Unexpected Challenges

There are no get-rich-quick education franchise opportunities, but there can be a really steady growth with Tutor Doctor: “Even with my market research, I underestimated the need for tutoring services in my community.  I had imagined that I would retain a set of tutors and then have a monthly push to add to the existing pool to keep up with client demand.  I am finding that I have to do weekly tutor recruitment at a minimum through a wide variety of resources to try and keep pace with the client demand.  This is probably one of the best challenges to have, it means business is doing well, but matching our tutor resources to the growth pace keeps me very busy,” says Bobbi.