The Franchise Chatter Blog’s List of 22 Things Every Prospective Franchisee Needs to Know Before Investing in a Sylvan Learning Franchise

Sylvan Learning Franchise Business Model

1.  Sylvan Learning is the largest provider of in-center, in-home and online tutoring in North America and is the leader in the growing supplemental education market.  It has helped more than two million students discover the joy of learning throughout its 30 years in the business.

2.  Sylvan’s mission is to provide students with the skills, habits and attitudes they need for lifelong success.

3.  Sylvan has twice the brand awareness of any of its competitors in the industry, as a result of more than three times the advertising spending of any other learning center brand.  Sylvan franchisees benefit from the company’s $40 million a year advertising and marketing program.

4.  Sylvan has more than 1,100 convenient locations across the United States and Canada — near places where families shop and run errands.

5.  For the convenience of busy families, Sylvan offers flexible scheduling options — including evenings and weekends at a local Sylvan center or live online tutoring in the comfort of their home.  Personalized tutoring plans are divided into one-hour sessions of instruction delivered several times a week depending on the child’s learning needs.

6.  Sylvan has a program for every stage of a child’s academic journey, with a portfolio of tutoring programs that covers reading, math, writing, homework, study skills, SAT/ACT test prep and more.

7.  Sylvan Learning guarantees that a child’s math or reading skills will improve by one full grade level equivalent in only 36 hours of instruction, or Sylvan will give the child an additional 12 hours of instruction free.

8.  The Sylvan Skills Assessment is the first and most important step to building a child’s personalized learning plan. It helps Sylvan to accurately pinpoint the child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and provides the framework for the child’s personalized tutoring plan.

9.  Consisting of a unique combination of standardized tests, diagnostic tools and personal interviews, Sylvan’s comprehensive Skills Assessment will highlight academic strengths and help uncover problem areas. Sylvan reviews the results of the assessment with parents and use them as a framework for tailoring a personalized learning plan for the child.

10.  Sylvan’s tutoring approach promotes independent learning.  At the local Sylvan center, tutors work with a maximum of three children at a time. While the first student is receiving direct instruction, the second and third are engaged in guided or independent practice.  Sylvan’s tutoring model is backed by research and encourages students to learn and practice skills independently — without relying on the help of an instructor, tutor or parent.

11.  Sylvan provides parents with regular progress reports. With the parents’ permission, Sylvan can even coordinate with the child’s teachers to ensure progress made at Sylvan is also seen in the classroom.

12.  The total cost of the tutoring program depends on the program length, tutoring subjects, hourly instruction costs (varies by location), and payment schedule that fits the family’s needs.

13.  Successful Sylvan franchisees enjoy working with children, are entrepreneurial, have good business and sales skills, and a desire to be active participants in the communities where they live and work.

14.  An ideal candidate will have a business and development background and a college degree, preferably in Business, Marketing and/or Education.  The ideal candidate is able to network effectively with local schools, community leaders, government officials, businesses and nonprofit organizations — becoming a true champion of the Sylvan Learning brand.

Sylvan Learning Franchise Cost

15.  The total initial investment to open a Sylvan Learning center ranges from $179,000 to $305,000, depending on the location selected.

16.  The initial franchise fee ranges from $42,000 to $48,000 depending on the size of the territory.  The ongoing royalty fee is 8 to 9% of gross sales.

17.  The minimum net worth requirement to open a Sylvan Learning center is $250,000, of which $75,000 must be in liquid assets.

18.  Third party financing is available and, in limited circumstances, Sylvan financing  is available.

19.  Successful franchisees have the potential to generate revenues ranging from $200,000 to $1 million (These figures are based on existing corporate centers.)

Sylvan Franchise Industry Accolades

20.  In 2011, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Sylvan Learning #53 in its Franchise 500 list and #46 in its list of America’s Top Global Franchises.

Franchise Chatter’s Take on the Sylvan Learning Franchise Opportunity

21.  Pros:

• the opportunity to engage in meaningful work
• very high brand awareness
• service provided is highly needed and in demand
• reasonable working hours in a comfortable classroom environment

22.  Cons:

• relatively high franchise fee and royalty fee
• as in any other franchise concept that is over 30 years old with over a thousand locations in the US, finding a lucrative location that is still available may be challenging

Check out my review of the Kumon Math and Reading Centers franchise opportunity.

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