Best in Class Education Center Franchise Attracts and Supports E-2 Investors Visa Franchisees

Best in Class Education Center, a tutoring franchise that is expanding rapidly and looking for more franchisees in 46 states, has had especially great success in recruiting franchisee candidates who are E-2 Treaty Investors Visa holders, or who are in the process of getting them in order to establish a franchise business in the US.  An E-2 visa allows an individual to live and work in the United States if they prove that they plan to invest in a business enterprise.

“We work very closely with our franchisees who are getting their E-2 visas,” Best in Class Vice President of Franchise Recruitment and Development, Sharon Peterson said. “We provide support every step of the way, from exploring the Best in Class franchise to see if it’s going to be a good fit for them, to helping them find a good location. In addition to helping them find the ideal location we will help prepare their center for their grand opening, so that once they obtain their E2 Visa, they are ready to launch their new business with Best in Class.”

To clarify, a potential franchisee without US citizenship, permanent residency, a green card, or an authorized work permit cannot actually work in the Best in Class franchise until they have their E-2 visa.  Nor do they attend the company’s franchisee training sessions in Seattle until the active owner(s) meet all qualifications and timing is coordinated with their grand opening.  And like any potential franchisee candidate, E-2 visa holders and E-2 visa applicants who are interested in Best in Class must go through the franchise exploration process prior to signing the franchise agreement.  That said, Best in Class works with E-2 visa franchisee applicants in a way that makes onboarding easy, once they do have their visa. Turnaround time can vary depending on the country where the franchisee has citizenship.

“Once the franchisee has their E-2 visa, the business plan for the market is completely buttoned up, the physical site undergoes lease improvements, training is completed, and an intensive grand opening plan is enacted to ensure success,” Peterson said.

For E-2 visa applicants, the US Immigration office looks for individuals who are going to make a substantial investment. “Seeing that an applicant has a commitment to staying in the United States long term and having a solid plan for business growth is very helpful to an applicant,” Peterson said, adding “one thing that really helps an E-2 visa applicant is having a lease signed for a business location.  It really shows their immigration officer that they’re invested in staying in the United States.” 

There are certain factors that draw E-2 visa holders to the Best in Class brand.  “I think the caliber of support that we provide, especially with the E-2 visa process, is very attractive,” Peterson said.

Shan Zhao and Yilan Liu are two franchisees who are working together to open a Best in Class location in Silicon Valley. Once everything is in line, and before the center opens, Zhao will apply for her E2 visa.  “We’d been looking for a franchise opportunity in education to open a tutoring center for quite a while and almost signed with a different company, but something popped up that we didn’t like, then our franchise broker recommended Best in Class to us,” Zhao said.  She praised Peterson and the rest of the Best in Class executive team and said she was impressed by their efficiency and commitment to excellence.

“We also did our due diligence and called many Best in Class franchisees, and we also met the CEO, Hao Lam who impressed us.  When we went to the discovery day in Seattle,” Zhao said, “we just liked the whole team.  It was more than just the business side, we also liked the people who work there.  They’re very efficient and you can really see that they want to do the best for franchisees, so that’s why we decided to sign with Best in Class.”

Liu previously worked as a primary and secondary education teacher in China and Canada, and was very impressed with the Best in Class curriculum.  “It is very comprehensive and thoughtfully designed with the student in mind.  It is also up-to-date and correlates to the highest educational standards,” Liu said.

Zhao and Liu are in the process of renovating the classrooms for their Silicon Valley location and are currently engaged in the public relations and advertising for it. They are projecting that they will be open by the end of September or mid-October.  “Sharon has been very supportive and regularly checks in with me.  The team also has helped me review my business plan and provided suggestions on how to improve upon it,” Zhao said.   She added that Best in Class has been very supportive and helpful in terms of the business and her E2 visa process, and is helping to get everything in line so she and Liu can start the business as soon as possible.

“We’re very excited,” Zhao said. “It’s not easy to find a team of people you want to work with long term but Best in Class really shows integrity, business ethics and professionalism, which really gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of excitement to work with them.”

The Best in Class company mission and focus on education and community are also major draws for potential franchisees. Peterson noted that many Best in Class franchisees are first generation to the United States, and sixty percent of franchise owners have multiple locations. “They have children and they want to build something better for their families,” Peterson said of the company’s franchisees. “At Best in Class, we’re looking for people who have that passion and want to work with children and make a difference in their community.”

The startup costs for a Best in Class franchise range between $63,800 to $125,480, and the franchise fee ranges between $32,000 and $35,000.

To learn more about Best in Class Education Center franchising opportunities, please visit https://www.bestinclassfranchise.com/.