Tutor Doctor Targets Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for Development

Supplemental-education brand Tutor Doctor has developed thriving territories in 16 countries, and the franchise is still expanding. In 2018, Tutor Doctor is focusing the bulk of their development efforts on three of Australia’s most prominent markets where the franchise is particularly well primed for growth: Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Tutor Doctor already has some operators throughout markets in Australia. One of those operators, Mark Gaskin, has grown his business to three territories in the western suburbs of Sydney in his 18 months with the franchise. Gaskin said the country is eager to find education opportunities outside of its less-than-perfect school system.

“Our school system is falling behind the rest of the world, and people are very aware of that,” Gaskin said. “We hear it all the time from the media and politicians. There is an enormous opportunity for tutoring services to fill that gap, and the demand for high-quality tutoring services seems to grow every year.”

Like many Tutor Doctor franchisees, Gaskin came to the franchise after leaving the school system. After a 30-year career as a primary school teacher, Gaskin decided to pursue an entrepreneurial inclination and invested in a fitness franchise. In 2015, Gaskin discovered Tutor Doctor and saw in it the perfect opportunity to combine his two passions.

“When I stopped teaching, I was looking for a new challenge, and I wanted to own something, but I never lost that passion for education,” Gaskin said. “Tutor Doctor allowed me to combine my experience in the business world and my experience in education to create something important that I can stand behind. Though I do not know tutor students personally, I am now running a business that is helping students and their families with something that I feel strongly about.”

New Tutor Doctor franchisees in Australia will benefit from a comprehensive training program, and a robust suite of support services, which Gaskin said has been an enormous help, even with his wealth of experience in both education and franchising.

“I had gone through training for the fitness franchise, and I was so impressed with the level of detail in training for Tutor Doctor,” Gaskin said. “That level of support continued after I opened my Tutor Doctor and continues now, and not just from corporate. I frequently work with other Tutor Doctor owners, not just locally, but around the world. There’s a genuine feeling of community and support that makes owners want to support each other.”

To further bolster the franchise’s ongoing support of its owners in Australia, Tutor Doctor recently installed a country manager, John Longmire, to act as a go-to support contact for all Tutor Doctor owners in the country.

“Having a country manager has already had a positive impact,” Gaskin said. “John is readily available and eager to help with whatever we may need.”

According to Longmire, Tutor Doctor is uniquely qualified to serve the growing demand for supplemental-education services in Australia.

“Students and parents are looking for a service that is dedicated to their needs,” Longmire said. “They already have classrooms filled with students, and they want something that will give them special one-on-one attention, and that is exactly what Tutor Doctor provides. We are the first franchise in Australia to be providing that service on a large scale, and there’s an enormous opportunity that comes with being first.”

Of course, the benefits of one-to-one tutoring are not exclusive to Australia. Longmire notes that Tutor Doctor’s success in 16 countries reflects a universal desire to support and improve education at every opportunity.

“To be great at anything, you need dedicated support,” Longmire said. “Take athletes. The great athletes play on teams and go through training at school, but they also have dedicated coaches working closely with them to make them the best. The same goes for education. Around the world, people want the best for their students, and that means hiring dedicated help.”

Initial Franchise Fees to open a new Tutor Doctor in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane range from $49,700-$104,400 AUD. Longmire said the franchise’s development team is looking first and foremost for entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in their community.

“Our franchisees come from all different backgrounds,” Longmire said. “The most important thing is that they are passionate about helping people. Tutor Doctor is all about helping students reach their full potential, and we have amazing tools to make that happen. All we need are strong owners who are serious about supporting that mission. I have no doubt we will continue to find great candidates in these three markets.”