PM’s former Press Secretary makes education his business

David Boddy, already an established businessman, confesses that he wants to be the most successful Tutor Doctor franchisee worldwide

The 65-year-old, David Boddy, was keen to add to his, already impressive, CV and help give something back to the younger generation. David’s passion for education and his community has seen his business flourish since the training. He and his team smashed their first month’s goal within two weeks of opening their London-based Tutor Doctor franchise in October 2018. And his plans for the future are grand.

“The values of Tutor Doctor completely align with those of my own,” he says. “The advantages and the opportunity to succeed is significant. There is such a positive market for home tutoring in the UK so I plan to expand across London and into other metropolitan areas in the future. I’m extremely proud to tell my friends that I’m part of a global association - it’s very satisfying.”

Tutor Doctor is the fastest growing in-home tutoring franchise in the world. Franchisees work with families to thoroughly assess a child’s needs and then carefully select the best-fit tutor based on goals, personality and learning style. Tutors then visit students at home or work with them via an online platform, so that they can learn in the comfort of their own home, at a time that suits them. Tutor Doctor franchisees arrange and oversee the tutor-student relationship for a truly bespoke solution and exceptional level of service.

“My experience in independent businesses taught me that it can often be lonely with very little support. I knew that I wanted something that had a better structure to it and that’s the moment I realised franchising was my opportunity. I needed my business to be able to deliver quickly, to cope with demand, and provide me with the support and knowledge to see me through the process,” he explains.

David’s professional journey began in the early 1970s when he graduated from the Wellington School of Journalism in New Zealand, deciding shortly after to travel to the UK to get more work experience and complete a Master’s Degree in Ethics. With a distinct passion for politics and philosophy, he went on to become the Conservative party’s Press Secretary where he served Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 and 1983 press campaigns.

“It was such a formative experience that helped me understand leadership – especially the importance of values and vision in leadership. This position alone shaped my subsequent future and made me realise the direction in which I wanted to go,” says David.

In 1997, David helped launch a graduate training company with the central purpose of lifting the experiences and career opportunities of young people. He was then invited to become headmaster of a senior boys’ school in Middlesex, wrote two education specialist books and was elected chairman of The UK Society of Heads - where he oversaw professional development programmes for budding and new headteachers. It was whilst in this role that David discovered the passion that would ultimately lead him to Tutor Doctor.

“It was clear that too many young people had not had the opportunity to evolve their own sense of purpose or realise their calling. So, I pulled together a group of young men and women, including my own sons, and together we launched a charity called the Lucca Leadership Trust. We provided leadership training to young people between 16 and 30 years old to help them discover their inner strengths and find their feet in the working world. I knew then that I wanted to actively change young people’s lives,” he says.

In looking to combine education with making a difference, David discovered that the Tutor Doctor franchise opportunity was the obvious choice: “I particularly liked the way Tutor Doctor do business. They are straightforward people that work with complete transparency – they take care of the child and the whole family. I knew that I wanted to continue with my inspiration towards learning and Tutor Doctor allows me to do just that.”

David’s desire for an extensive support network was realised from day one as, like all new franchisees, he spent 80 hours in online training followed by a full week of training at the home office. “It was fully intensive, and the Tutor Doctor promise of complete training and support was definitely fulfilled. I have to admit, they were very long days, but we got the whole A-Z of running a franchise, so it was worth every minute. My colleagues and I were completely confident that we could go away and face any challenge,” he says.

After you launch your franchise, Tutor Doctor ensures you are actively supported across all areas of your business through structured training programmes, weekly coaching calls, weekly global calls and on-demand support as you need it. As your business grows, it has specifically designed support systems to help you continue growth, build momentum and, ultimately, scale your business to help you achieve your financial and personal goals.

“Tutor Doctor brings a lot to the party and the investment level is very generous. I am provided with industry-leading technology, company branding and advanced systems that make my everyday workload manageable,” says David.

Even though he is an experienced education professional, David has the ongoing support of a Launch Support Specialist (LSS). Weekly meetings allow for strategic business planning and problem-solving for any issues that David and the team are facing. The LSS regularly spends time on the ground with franchisees to offer support, reassurance and that all-important face-time.

“There were a couple of issues to begin with and, even though they were at an operational level, the support was tremendous. They were quickly resolved and that was down to the efficiency of the training and the availability of my LSS. Since then, it has been very positive. Getting that first enrolment was a massive highlight and it showed that all my hard work was starting to pay off. To see the team full of gratitude was extremely satisfying. Being a relationship business, we have the ability to change people’s lives and working with others is much better than doing it alone,” he says.

Tutor Doctor has almost 600 franchise territories in 15 countries across the globe. Already topping the bill in Europe, the UK is also one of the top spenders on private tuition worldwide. The proportion of pupils receiving private or home tuition has increased by more than 30 per cent over the course of the last decade, from 18 per cent in 2005 to 25 per cent in 2015. Its UK network of over 70 franchisees all enjoy an exciting, scalable business whilst making a positive impact in the lives of children.

“I’m looking forward to being a major player in changing the trajectory in young people’s lives – satisfaction from that will be incredible. I know that certain elements of the existing learning systems are failing and, unless radical change happens, they will continue to fail. I believe that our team, and Tutor Doctor, can make that change,” says David