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Tutor Doctor Case Study: Dominic Stone

26 January 2015

Ex-primary school teacher Dominic Stone’s frustration with bureaucracy and politics in the education system has led him to develop a highly successful business with his Tutor Doctor franchise.  Based in Lancashire Dominic has seen his business grow by up to 60% year on year since starting the franchise in June 2010.

“I had been teaching for 10 years but I had a yearning to be my own boss.  I was used to setting myself targets and goals so I was looking for a new challenge.  During my time as a teacher I had really enjoyed teaching children and dealing with their families but not the increasing bureaucracy in the education system,” explained Dominic.

He added: “As I had limited commercial experience I decided that the support of a franchise organisation would help me get a head start in business.  I went to a franchise-matching agency that came up with a number of options.  However, the Tutor Doctor opportunity stood out.  I was particularly impressed with their system for carefully matching tutors to the needs and learning style of the student to help them realise their full potential.  Moreover, they seemed to have lots of good ideas, a good brand image and solid business model.”

“In my first year the business exceeded my initial expectations.  I was blown away by the local demand for tuition services.  The main satisfaction comes from the feedback I get from students and their families.  Whether it is helping someone with reading skills or getting a student the grades they need to enter medical school I feel I am making a real difference in the local community.  Over the four years I have worked with in excess of 600 families and I employ 80 part-time tutors.”

“Most Tutor Doctor franchisees come from a non-education background but I would say my teaching qualification has been more of a help than a hindrance.  By the same token I have learned a lot from other franchisees in areas such as marketing, which is vitally important for growing the business.  For the right people a Tutor Doctor franchise can be the ideal business.  However, you need to care about helping others achieve their goals and getting a kick out of seeing them succeed.”


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