Franchisees face different challenges at every stage of the business journey. For some, the focus is on making a strong start, building local awareness and putting the right foundations in place. For others, attention turns to the next stage of growth – expanding into new territories while maintaining the standards that made the business tick in the first place.

Wherever a franchisee is on that path, having strong processes, the right team, a clear sense of direction and a great relationship with the franchisor can make all the difference.

Frank Milner, Global President of Tutor Doctor, sits down with Anthony Marchese, who launched Tutor Doctor Camden in January, and Suzie Boon, who operates four territories across Hampshire, to hear their advice on how to launch and expand successfully.

Making a flying start
Since launching Tutor Doctor Camden in January, Anthony has enjoyed a record-breaking start – exceeding every milestone set for the business so far. His main advice? There are three key priorities – preparation, recruitment and awareness of your business.

For him, much of that success came down to preparation. “I wanted to have the right foundations in place from the beginning, so I mapped out processes for everything from tutor recruitment and enrolments to our day-to-day operations.

“My biggest advice would be to not try to do everything at once. Pick a few important things and do them really well.”

He also focused heavily on getting out into his community and using existing networks alongside parent groups, community centres, libraries and local events to generate early momentum. “You can’t just wait for enquiries to come to you. Get out there, speak to people and make yourself known in your area. Every conversation helps build awareness and trust in your business.”

Recruitment was another early priority – Anthony now has a bank of 15 tutors. “I tried to recruit ahead of demand and set clear expectations from the beginning. I think it’s really important when you’re starting out to be ready to deliver when opportunities come your way.”

Scaling up in style
Four years after opening her Tutor Doctor Winchester & Fareham territories, Suzie had reached a different stage in her franchise journey.

With a proven business, growing demand and an established team, she made the decision to expand into two new territories – Southampton and Farnborough – in August 2024. For Suzie, there was a feeling that the business was ready for more.

Her advice for franchisees looking to scale? Know your business, have faith in your team and put the processes in place to ensure consistency in your service standards.

“We’d proven the model across schools, local authorities and our local clients,” said Suzie. “Demand was coming from further afield, and our team was capable of supporting more. Those were strong signals that the time was right to scale.

“You need to know your service inside out. Your tutor roll, messaging, customer experience and processes need to be strong enough that you’re confident you can replicate them seamlessly.”

Clarity in her vision was also critical for Suzie. “For us, everyone is aligned that student wellbeing and progress sit at the heart of what we’re trying to achieve. So, as we’ve grown, that focus has run through all of our service standards, compliance and onboarding procedures.

“You can’t personally do everything too,” added Suzie. “You need to be able to delegate, and having a team you trust, with the same commitment to supporting children, allows everyone to continue delivering at those same high standards.”

Support that grows with you
As a franchisor, our role is to make sure our support evolves alongside our franchisees. For Anthony, that meant practical marketing support at launch, including advertisements, PR and posters to help build his local presence.

In Suzie’s case, her expansion brought different needs – from access to our expertise across marketing and legal matters to advice from other franchisees in our network who have already been through the process of scaling their business.

Every stage brings new challenges and new opportunities. Our job is to make sure franchisees have that support around them to embrace whatever comes next.

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