What Multi-Unit Franchisee Mike Kelley Loves About Sylvan Learning's Support Infrastructure

As a lifelong entrepreneur, business ownership was the perfect fit for Mike Kelley, who along with his wife Melissa, bought out his partners’ jewelry shop when they decided to retire in 2012. Still, Kelley wasn’t done exploring. After becoming a father, he decided to seek out a new business-ownership venture and researched becoming a Sylvan Learning franchisee in the greater Minneapolis-St.Paul area.

When Kelley learned of the opportunity to purchase seven existing Sylvan Learning centers in his market, he saw the perfect chance to merge his ambitious entrepreneurship with his newfound dedication to nurturing children’s growth and development. After meeting the leadership team, Kelley quickly realized that the brand’s proven business model and innovative curriculum weren’t the only differentiators — its level of corporate support was also unmatched.

Support of Prospective Franchisees

“During our discovery process, Sylvan Learning and their expert leadership team did a great job of explaining the business model and answering all of my questions,” said Kelley. “I was very picky and particular with my research, quizzing every department, including marketing, education, sales, training and operations. All of my questions were answered with facts and data.”

Before becoming a Sylvan Learning franchise partner, prospective franchisees like Kelley are given the opportunity to attend an interactive Discovery Day. “This event involves several of our executives and other corporate employees who work closely with our franchise community,” said Leslie Poteet, Senior Director of Franchise Services. “This experience ensures that prospective franchisees get to know the people behind our powerful brand. Extensive time with the executive team, as well as our COO and CEO, give prospects insight into who we are, what we value and how we position our brand. Our team invests in franchisees as small business owners and champions of our brand in the same way that they invest in us as a franchisor.”

The Ongoing Support, Resources and Tools

Since opening his centers in May 2018, Kelley notes that the support and communication from the corporate team hasn’t stopped — in fact, it is even stronger. “I acquired seven existing locations, so I needed to hit the ground running,” he said. “Support after opening is full-on, constant and robust. The Sylvan team connected me with an experienced Franchise Business Consultant (FBC), and I was immediately given weekly and daily attention as needed. In addition to incredible resources and an intranet platform, the quick turnaround and responsiveness of the team is amazing. This world moves fast nowadays, and they help us keep up to speed by delivering answers and information quickly.”

Poteet notes that just as Sylvan Learning serves its students, the brand’s franchisee support is personalized to the needs of each franchise partner. “All new franchisees are paired with an FBC, as well as a Local Marketing Coordinator for customized support based on budget and location,” said Poteet. “In addition, our intranet contains many helpful resources, including our training platform, on-demand technology support team and a community discussion board. The Sylvan Support Center is also available to answer important questions and perform on-the-spot troubleshooting to help keep things running smooth.”

According to Poteet, there are two things that set Sylvan Learning’s support infrastructure apart from the competition. One is the sheer access to personalized support, which includes constant communication via email, text messages and phone calls with franchisees and their employees. For example, technology support is provided by real experts, not just an automated system.

Second, the tenure of Sylvan Learning’s franchisees and corporate employees is unmatched. “I have been with Sylvan Learning for 14 years, three of the FBC’s on my team each have over 20 years of experience with our company and I speak to 30-year veteran franchisees daily,” said Poteet. “Not only do we have hundreds of years of collective experience, but we’ve constantly adapted during that time in order to be the best supplemental education service for our community of franchisee partners and their employees. Sylvan Learning is the most innovative supplemental education service, and we’ve stayed ahead of the curve for decades.” 

Support for Franchisee Growth and Multi-unit Expansion

The ability for franchise partners to expand is an important facet of Sylvan Learning’s growth strategy. “Exploring the expansion possibilities is part of how the FBCs support our franchisees,” said Poteet. “We use smart mapping technology to analyze prime locations that enhance convenience for families. In addition to new brick-and-mortar locations, our digital and cloud-based systems enable franchisees to set up ‘satellite’ Sylvan Learning centers virtually anywhere. These locations are in schools or community-based sites and are sometimes a temporary solution until construction is done on a full center. We approve each location and ensure that the territory is protected. The satellite locations are an amazing way to expand footprints quickly without significant additional investment.”

Today, Kelley has a long-term growth plan for his business. Although the franchisee started with seven centers, he has already opened an eighth center as a satellite location. “Expansion is certainly part of my plan, and I know it is also a part of the corporate team’s plan,” he said. “My goal is to grow to over 12 centers in the next two to five years, in addition to other acquisitions. My team, in collaboration with Sylvan Learning’s incredible support infrastructure, will create the platform needed to succeed.”

With more than 750 points of presence across North America, Sylvan Learning’s strong commitment to positioning franchisees like Kelley for success sets the brand up for continued growth in 2020 and beyond. Kelley’s growth plans, like those of most Sylvan franchisees,  reflect a commitment to family — both his own and those of his clients.

“Sylvan may be a corporate brand name, but we always put people and families first,” said Kelley. “Sylvan Learning has a slogan, ‘Learning Should Be Personal,’ and that’s exactly how we run our centers: personally. I am excited to continue growing with the Sylvan Learning team and am proud to be a part of a franchise network that continues to help owners thrive.”

The startup costs for a Sylvan Learning range from $70,270-$163,625. The franchise fee is $24,000. The brand also offers a franchise fee discount for veterans. To learn more about franchising with Sylvan Learning, visit https://sylvanfranchise.com/.