After working in the children’s toy industry for over 15 years, Chris Grimsdick switched career paths and decided to become a Tutor Doctor franchisee
The chance to leave his previous role at Disney meant Chris Grimsdick could look for something new. He visited a franchise show and found that tutoring franchise Tutor Doctor could deliver the life that he’d been searching for.
“I knew that I wanted to run my own business rather than always building something for somebody else,” explains Chris. “I love Tutor Doctor’s in-home, personalised approach to learning and I strongly identified with their goal of enriching children’s lives through education.”
Since Tutor Doctor ventured across the pond from Canada in 2009, it has continued to pave the way for raising awareness around the importance of tutoring. The UK is now home to more than 70 franchisees and that number is steadily rising.
Tutor Doctor franchisee training equips the new crop with all the knowledge for when their business is up and running. Tutor Doctor University includes 80 hours of online training before spending a full week in Canada’s home office, where franchisees learn from the expertise of the support team.
“The training was fantastic. I’d spoken to franchisees before and they’d all said that it was good. It’s something that I can attest to. It covered every area that I would need, including sales, marketing, consultations and recruitment and it gave me the confidence in getting the business ready for when I get back to the UK,” says Chris.
Training and support doesn’t stop here. The Learning Support Specialist (LSS) continues to closely work with them for the first year. After that time, franchisees can opt-in to receive business coaching or take part in a sales support programme to lead them through the next stages.
Chris launched his Thame, Oxfordshire office in May 2019 and already has plans for the future. “I’m looking forward to delivering the promises that have been made, not just from Tutor Doctor but the ones I’ve made to myself, too. I’m hoping to see the same sort of impact in children’s lives that I got from my previous business,” he says.
Now seems the perfect time to be entering the industry, with the UK tutoring market estimated to be worth almost £5 billion in 2018, according to research by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Investing in the education sector can be lucrative and rewarding because of the longevity of the industry, the potential for growth and, in many cases, the ability to make a very real difference in children’s lives.
Frank Milner, President of Tutor Doctor, concludes, “The education industry can be as personally rewarding as it is professionally. It’s a unique landscape to work in. Knowing that you’re making a difference and empowering future generations is something very special indeed. With commitment, skill and the support of a great franchisor, there’s no telling what you can achieve.”
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