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Posted:13-January-2021

Exclusive Interview: "Inspiring women into business ownership through franchising"

Franchisee: Alex Scotchbrook
Location: Surrey
Franchise: Tutor Doctor

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying a franchise business?

I’m 48, and have been running my business since 2009. I’m a passionate, hard-working woman with the determination to make a difference and an impact not just in my own families lives but the lives of every single parent and child we meet along the way through my business.

Life before Tutor Doctor! Gosh, I can’t quite believe how far I’ve come when I look back sometimes. I had a successful career as an executive coach – as you would expect I lived very much in the corporate world for many years. Having moved roles from group training to tailored executive coaching, I was a strong advocate of the power of 1:1, recognising that when a person truly integrates learning into their own life, that learning is permanently transforming.

What attracted you to franchising versus started starting up on your own or finding employment?

I think my story is a little unique in that I was the very first Tutor Doctor franchisee in the UK. I was attracted to franchising in general because although I hadn’t run my own business before, I had been the “right hand woman” to the M.D of several micro-businesses and believed I was up to the challenge.

With franchising, you get the opportunity to be your own boss and take control of your own destiny with the added bonus of being supported by a team of experts with an established model.

"When I started, the Tutor Doctor model had been hugely successful across the globe but had not yet been replicated here in the UK. I get satisfaction from figuring things out and making things work in a new environment, so the idea of being the first franchisee was appealing so long as the “product” was something I believed in wholeheartedly. I did then and I do even more so now."

Why did you choose the Tutor Doctor franchise business? What research did you undertake?

As I’ve already said, my career up to taking on my franchise had been in executive coaching. Back in 2008 I found myself thinking “how much more powerful would it be if I could work with children, who are less resistant to change?”

Fate struck and within months, the banking crisis hit and my corporate coaching role was made redundant. I was offered a job running training courses remotely, but knew this wasn’t for me.

Through a series of lucky coincidences, I met a franchise broker who told me about Tutor Doctor. As he described the 1:1 learning, tailored to each child’s individual learning style, the hairs on my arm stood up and I knew ‘this was IT!’.

How did you raise the finance for funding your franchise? Did you use any financial support (grants etc.) specific to business start-up?

I was initially counting on redundancy money. When that didn't come through in time, I funded 3/4 of the fee from my "old age" savings account and borrowed the last 25% from my dad (and paid him back within the first 18 months).

The main banks now offer financing for Tutor Doctor but nothing was available for me in Dec 2008 in the height of the banking crisis for a brand new, never heard-of franchise!

Did you take advantage of any support available to women looking to get into business? E.g. member of a women in business network, attend any specific women business events?

In the first year, there were two local women's networking groups that I was part of (Coffee and Connect in Fleet, and Ladies Who Latte in several locations). These were useful as 90% of my clients are women!

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing from your franchisor?

Training and support in the first instance was very much a joint effort. I spent time in the Canadian head office which was wonderful – there’s such a great team of enthusiastic, knowledgeable professionals behind us, it’s incredibly reassuring. That’s still very much a part of the training programme as it stands today.

Back home, as the first UK franchisee, there were no tried and tested methodologies for the UK and so we worked together to adapt and anglicise what worked for franchisees elsewhere in the world. Of course all the basic business disciplines formed part of the training which gave me the confidence to take my new venture well and truly by the horns!

"Ongoing the support is great. I have to say that I really feel part of something big and special. Tutor Doctor is a wonderful franchisor; the whole team is dedicated to driving the business forwards and they understand that means supporting us as franchisees and empowering, inspiring and encouraging us to be the very best we can be. With a network like Tutor Doctor, you definitely get what you give – we’re an inclusive and collaborative network and to get the most out of it, you have to be involved."

What is a typical day for you as a Tutor Doctor franchisee?

I don’t really have a typical day, that’s one of the things I love about my franchise! I now have five staff who work on the day-to-day administration and I focus on business development, getting out into the community and interacting with clients and tutors. Of course it wasn’t always the case and initially you have to learn to wear a lot of hats – marketing, sales, admin, finance – but so long as you follow the systems that are in place you can become surprisingly good at each of them.

As I’ve expanded, I’ve taken on great people to help relieve some of that workload. I still spend time in the office but have the flexibility to make the business work around my personal commitments too.

What challenges have you faced?

Being the first, I’ve helped to shape the franchise as you see it in the UK today. I think it would be unfair to talk about those things as challenges as they aren’t something that anyone new would have to overcome. Things like finding some basic routes to market, getting UK appropriate systems and processes in place – that’s all something that just works now thanks to the time and effort that myself and the whole Tutor Doctor team have put in. Of course the entire network is constantly learning and improving. That’s one of our great strengths.

The one thing that perhaps defines me is my relentless ability to pick myself up from life’s knocks and get going again. Tutor Doctor is more than my franchisor – the people here are my friends… they helped me to keep going. Their support has, at times, helped to restore my faith and vision in what I had set out to achieve. We are completely aligned in our values and mission – it’s just up to me to make it work.

I have grown 595% since my first year of trading, in spite of personal tragedy, ill-health and bereavement in years two and three. Happily that is behind me now, and as the song says, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Has becoming a Tutor Doctor franchisee changed your life, if so how?

Now in my eighth year, the doubts and fears of those first months are a distant memory. Tutor Doctor has made me who I want to be in the world: an entrepreneur, not an employee, who generates money by improving the lives of thousands.

I feel I’ve grown into a confident leader. I’m the sole breadwinner in the family and feel an immense personal satisfaction and pride. I was brought up with an old-fashioned “woman’s place is in the home” mentality. And yet, here I am with aggressive business growth and leadership resting solely on my shoulders! Tell me I can’t do something… I dare you!

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?

Hard work, dedication and ambition. All the usual buzz-words! It may sound clichéd but it’s true. Buying a franchise doesn’t mean you’re buying a job. It’s up to you to make it work.

"Yes, your franchisor is there to support you and encourage you and in some cases provide you with the right tools to reach your target audience. But even with all of that, if you’re not going to get yourself out of bed and put the effort in every single day, how can you expect to build a great business? Success doesn’t happen by accident!"

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give other women looking to start their own business through franchising?

Believe in yourself. Have the courage to get out there and do it. Women make fantastic business owners! Choose a profession or an industry that you love, meet and make sure that you genuinely like the franchisor team you’ll be working with and then get out there and give it your all. If you’re prepared to work hard and let’s face it, most women are, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m aiming for that global number one slot! I treat every year as a launch year to ensure growth. I said from day one that I was dreaming big and aiming high and that hasn’t changed!

Locally, I plan to provide work for hundreds more people in my community and help 1000’s more children to achieve their dreams through learning. How many people can say that?! It fills me with such pride.

I love being part of the Tutor Doctor franchise family and I’m determined to help to build a bigger, better, stronger network. I’m an ambassador for the Tutor Doctor brand and aim to do what I can to educate and inspire women into business ownership through franchising.

Would you do it again?

Well I currently own four territories so I think it’s fair to say the answer is yes! The sense of community, of family, of support and ambition from within the network itself and from head office is something I wouldn’t be without.

To download a Tutor Doctor franchise prospectus immediately, click here

Interested and want to know more about Tutor Doctor?

The Tutor Doctor basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity

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