International tutoring business Tutor Doctor began in the US about 10 years ago. This one-on-one learning system is now heading for Australia and will be exhibiting at the Sydney expo show next month.

TUTOR DOCTOR BUSINESS BASICS

Length of time trading: 14 years

Number of franchisees: More than 400

Investment costs: The franchise fee starts at $49,700 plus working capital and start-up costs, for a total investment of about $65,000.

Franchise term: Five years renewable

POINTS OF DIFFERENCE

Q: Why is your business different from the competition?

A: We make house calls!  Our service, as opposed to traditional learning centres, is at-home, one-on-one.  We don’t use standard curricula, but we tailor the curriculum for each student. We also partner with the student’s own teacher to provide a more personalised action plan. Tutors are trained and matched to students based on personality, general interests and/or hobbies.

We teach all subjects for all ages and, with our experience of operating in more than 15 countries, it gives us the advantage of adapting to new market trends fast and knowing how to efficiently support our franchisees start and run their operations in a wide variety of situations.

Q: What is the biggest challenge right now to your particular business and the sector you trade in?

A: There is no cumbersome challenge in our industry. If we had to name something, it would be making sure we identify a source of tutors in or around a franchisee’s territory to keep up with the strong demand.

Q: What are your plans for growth this year?

A: Worldwide, we want to expand to at least five more countries. For Australia, we want to end 2014 with no less than 12 new franchisees.

Q: What is your vision for the business?

A: As the tutoring industry is a highly-fragmented industry, we want to consolidate our operations and become a household name by 2016.

Q: What can franchisees expect when they join your business network?

A: When joining Tutor Doctor, franchisees can expect to join a new family; they can call any franchisee from the network and ask for advice.

Franchisees will make a difference in their community, can expect to feel proud of the product and will have the right tools and business model to create the lifestyle they desire.