How Sylvan Learning’s Path to Ownership Positions Franchisees for Success
The 40-year-old supplemental and enrichment education brand has perfected its discovery process to empower qualified franchise candidates to make informed decisions and provide unparalleled support.
No other supplemental and enrichment education brand can boast the kind of proven model, 40-year-rich brand awareness, nor 750-plus international points of presence as Sylvan Learning. Furthermore, competitors in the space don’t come close to approaching Sylvan’s level of ongoing investment in industry-leading technology like the personalized learning platform SylvanSync. These differentiators, among others, make many franchise candidates interested in the education space find themselves looking to Sylvan Learning as their next business opportunity.
So just what does the path to Sylvan Learning ownership look like?
“The starting point for almost all our franchisees is our franchise development website,” said John McAuliffe, CEO. “Our site showcases a lot of great information including testimonials from real-life franchisees. Sometimes candidates are looking at a big career change in order to pursue their dream of becoming their own boss as a franchisee. It’s important to have enough information online that a candidate can start getting excited about their next big life journey: the exciting process of becoming a Sylvan franchisee.”
Next, candidates engage in a one-on-one call with a member of the franchise development sales team, who outlines next steps and answers any questions the candidate may have. At this stage, McAuliffe explained, a prospective owner will submit a request for consideration form to provide executive leadership with a sense of their personal and professional background. In exchange, Sylvan’s corporate team furnishes the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to the candidate.
“We are all about transparency at Sylvan. We want our Item 19 into candidates’ hands early,” said McAuliffe. “Our goal as a sales team is to help a given candidate make an informed decision and to be empowered with all the information they need to know to change their life by becoming a Sylvan franchisee.”
This commitment to brand transparency not only equips candidates to make informed decisions, but also helps ensure that Sylvan partners with professionals who are as mission-driven and committed to students’ success as the company itself.
The third step to ownership...
