What happens when a passionate educator and a serial entrepreneur decide to start a business? You get Jamie and Ralph Lee’s Tutor Doctor franchise! After 15 years of teaching and working in admissions, Jamie was ready for a new challenge. Ralph, an experienced restauranteur, knew he could apply his knack for growing businesses to a Tutor Doctor franchise. Together, they call themselves the dream team.
Learn more about Jamie and Ralph’s journey to tutoring franchise ownership and what they love most about their new business.
Tutor Doctor: What inspired you to start a tutoring franchise?
Jamie & Ralph: Our story is a bit unique. Ralph’s best childhood friends are founders of a popular franchise. Being in the franchising world, our friends met Frank Milner, Tutor Doctor’s president. Seeing that [Jamie’s] background is in education and Ralph’s background is in business, our friends presented us with the idea of moving from DC to Tampa and starting Tutor Doctor, and our new lives, in Florida. We were originally most drawn to Tutor Doctor for the opportunity to make a positive impact on students’ lives. Almost 1 year into the business, this remains the single most motivating factor for us.
TD: What are some challenges you’ve faced as tutoring franchise owners?
J&R: Building a business from the ground up with your partner is no joke! Learning the Tutor Doctor approach, acclimating to a new city, and pouring our hearts and souls into our community has been both challenging and rewarding. It has been a steep learning curve—everything from the Tutor Doctor values to P&L statements, and tutor and client care. Through it all, we have felt unbelievable support from our friends and the Home Office team.
TD: We’re glad we could help! Can you tell us a little more about the support you’ve received from the Home Office?
J&R: We love this quote, “We are in business for ourselves, but not by ourselves.” This rings true for us, especially when we think about where we started and how far our business has come in just a few short months. “The Road to Toronto” training was instrumental in laying the foundation for our business. The Virtual Office/Knowledge Base’s marketing, branding, and step-by-step resources have been invaluable. The various Boot Camps that are offered have given us a roadmap and instant education to making a greater impact. Not to mention, those who we have on speed dial to answer our burning questions—the relationships we have with various vendors, and the larger TD community have also been instrumental.
TD: How have Tutor Doctor’s business coaches impacted your franchise?
J&R: Ours is the best! He not only works with us on a bi-weekly basis but is at-the-ready for one-off questions. He’s been by our side, holding our hands, every step of the way. KPIs, goal setting, reviews, best practices, marketing plans, managing our priorities, budgeting, and more—he knows it all! We could not do this impactful work without him in our corner.
TD: What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of your business?
J&R: Seeing the leaps and bounds our students have made academically. I love meeting with parents and students to learn about what might be getting in the way of a child’s academic growth. And then, we really enjoy watching our talented tutors help move the needle for each child. Our goal is to help each student meet their fullest potential and we enjoy watching that happen!
TD: Are there any success stories you’d like to share?
J&R: Our favorite success story was a student moving from a score of 17 to 22 on the ACT using our services. We had a student who almost needed to repeat 3rd grade and now no longer is in jeopardy and is, in fact, passing and moving up to 4th grade. One of our students who was failing math just reported back having the highest score on their math test in the class. Wow!
TD: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a prospective Tutor Doctor franchisee?
J&R: Surround yourself with the right support team—this is crucial. Building and running a business is hard work and having a network that is in it to win it with you is essential.
We’re so happy to have Jamie and Ralph Lee as part of the Tutor Doctor family!
Are you ready to follow in their footsteps and become the owner of a tutoring franchise? Reach out to our team to discuss your goals and learn more about this amazing children’s franchise opportunity.
Get started today!!
