Pete Lemery and Stacy Parkelj recently won Tutor Doctor’s prestigious ‘Franchisee of the Year’ award. With over 450 territories in 15 countries, this is a truly impressive feat. Having made such a wonderful success of their profitable tutoring business, Pete and Stacy took some time out of their very busy schedules to pass on some wonderful advice to those who are thinking of investing in a Tutor Doctor Franchise.

What three things do you think makes your business so successful? 

• We live in a community that has a rigorous and competitive education system. Our families value education and see tutoring as a positive resource for their children.

• We are a part of the community in which we work. We have built strong relationships with our schools and the students.

• We work hard! We have created numerous processes in our business that allows us to work smarter and more efficiently. The most important features of our processes is that they are consistent and repeatable. That provides the benefit that we know that things get done the way we, and our clients, expect them to be done. This ensures that the client's experience is consistent with the expectations that we set with the clients in the beginning.

How important is community involvement in your success?

Incredibly. We have grown our referrals by 60% in the past two years. We have a very tight-knit community that relies on each other’s opinions for just about everything. Building relationships has been key to our success.

How can franchisees become involved in their communities?

Start at the Community Relationships office at your local school district. Ask what you can do to help. Volunteer often! Participate in school carnivals and city events. Get to know your fellow vendors. Participate in networking events and Chamber of Commerce events. Go out and meet other business owners. Make sure you are out in your community doing something at least a couple times a week.

How do you utilize the services that Tutor Doctor offers franchisees to ensure your success?

First and foremost, the most valuable asset Tutor Doctor offers its franchisees is the gift of camaraderie. There are so many opportunities for franchisees to get to know one another, and share ideas. It is really wonderful to have other franchisees to bounce ideas off of, to share in marketing and to build partnerships with. Everyone really roots for each other. Tutor Doctor home office is amazing. From marketing materials to business support, there is always someone who can help.

What two pieces of advice would you have for franchisees who want to emulate your success?

• Commit to the business. This is just like any other business. Success will not happen overnight so be prepared to work your tail off the first couple years to get it off the ground

• Keep a POSITIVE MINDSET! Make the choice every day that it will be a positive day.