5 Reasons to Buy a Sylvan Learning Franchise
With a well-known brand, robust training and support system, adaptable model and rewarding mission that makes a positive impact, Sylvan franchisees earn emotional rewards in addition to return on investment.
Sylvan Learning, the industry leader in supplementary and enrichment education, is turning 40 this year, and will be ringing in this milestone across its more than 750 points of presence. While the Sylvan of today looks a bit different than the Sylvan of four decades ago, the franchise’s heartfelt mission remains the same as always: to set students up for a lifetime of success by addressing their educational needs in a personalized and low student to teacher setting of 3:1.
Every day, Sylvan Learning franchise owners play a key role in changing lives in their communities. Here are just a few of the reasons why they became franchisees.
Strong Brand and Proven Model
When parents are looking for a way to help their children improve their test scores, get into college or simply learn more than they are learning in school, they look for a respected brand they can trust. Sylvan’s proven track record, respected reputation and 40 years of experience are invaluable.
“It’s fun to see parents who attended Sylvan as students bring in their own children. They remember their experiences, and we’re the first brand they think of,” said Scott Lindsey, a former corporate employee who helped Sylvan open centers in the Middle East and now owns several franchise territories in northern Virginia. “And our brand awareness is still growing. We’re getting more and more calls from parents wanting to enroll a second generation of students.”
Sylvan is highly regarded among franchisees, too. Over the years, Sylvan has fine-tuned its business model and continued to evolve with the changing educational landscape, incorporating current technology such as iPads as well as student and parent web portals to track progress. Starting a new business can come with plenty of risk—but with Sylvan’s scalable franchise model and proven system, that risk is exceptionally mitigated.
Ongoing Training and Support
Another way that risk is mitigated is through Sylvan Learning’s comprehensive training and ongoing support resources for franchisees and staff. Much of the training is done digitally, which allows owners to learn at their own pace and revisit materials anytime.In addition to the formal training, the Sylvan corporate team holds monthly regional calls and assigns a corporate representative to each territory for day-to-day contact. The CEO and the executive team also hold town hall calls every quarter so owners can hear updates on what’s happening system-wide, celebrate company wins and hear about exciting new initiatives and events.
“As a whole, even if you don’t have that prior Sylvan knowledge, you can still be successful, because there is so much support from all divisions,” said Lindsey.
To further strengthen the corporate support system available to individual owners, the Sylvan Franchise Owners Association elects representatives to serve as the voice of franchisees. After all, Sylvan owners are considered deeply valued partners in moving the company forward.
“We have a very collaborative relationship with franchisees that helps shape and drive the direction of our company,” said Susan Valverde, Chief Franchise Operations Officer. “They’re our thought partners, and they give a ton of input on how ongoing support and training should look—it’s not dictated from the top down. We are always enhancing our support resources, so we want to harness all the brainpower of stakeholders we can.”
“The feedback I’ve received from franchises for the last decade and a half has been consistent,” continued Valverde. “Where we stand out most is that training and support.”
