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The post Business Woman Magazine: Helen Doron Has Been Empowering Women to Start Their Own Educational Franchise for 35 Years appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

The post Considering becoming an EFL teacher? Don’t stop there. Start your own business. appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

You may think that a franchise is a ready-made business that guarantees success. While it has its advantages, it also has its challenges. So, what do you need to know before you dive in the deep end?

The post 3 Questions to Ask Before Starting an English Educational Franchise Business for Children appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

Arica, Chile April 10, 2018 Helen Doron English launched  its first Centro Helen Doron in Arica, Chile in  March. The Centre’s first group of educators successfully completed their Teacher’s Training Course in Lima, Peru— together with a large group of newly trained educators from Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.

LATAM Helen Doron English Teacher Training Course in Peru

“Helen Doron English has more than 4,500 active teachers in our worldwide community, all specially trained to teach using our unique methodology, and we are excited about adding Chile to our franchise family.   With more than 1,000 Centro Helen Dorons and learning studios operating in our global network, the system has been developed to work in any nation and culture,” explained Anne Gordon, Vice President, Customer Business Development.   “We are focused on strategic growth in areas where excellent English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) programmes for children are needed and LATAM is a key market for us.”

Scientific linguist Helen Doron founded the company in 1985, when she set about creating her own teaching materials and music to help children understand and speak English.  The Chilean franchise joins 35 other countries, and more than two million children speak English, thanks to the unique combination of an exceptional methodology, in addition to ongoing support on all levels.

The post Helen Doron English Expansion in Latin America Continues with the Addition of Chile appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

Considering a local franchise versus an international franchise? Take some advice from a global leader who started as a home-based business.

“What if…?” Many businesses have started with a moment of inspiration. But not all have succeeded. Having made the transition from a home-based business teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), to an international leader in educational franchising has shown us what it takes to make this business work on a local as well as a global level.

 Been There, Done That
Local businesses that have morphed into a franchise operation and maybe even expanded nationally may have accumulated a lot of knowledge, but they are still a local business at heart. The business model may not transplant well to a neighbouring country or even another continent. By contrast, an international educational franchise has “been there and done that.” They’ve successfully adapted to varying cultures with diverse values. And their proven track record will give you a competitive edge.

Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All
When it comes to educational franchises, “one size fits all” simply doesn’t work. While product offerings need to be relevant in a wide variety of markets, they also need to be agile enough to adapt to local needs. Customer expectations can be vastly different. Localization requires flexibility and a degree of sensitivity. Conversely, successful local initiatives can be adapted to fit global marketing strategies. What’s needed is constant communication. It’s about more than keeping an ear to the ground. It’s about keeping an open mind.

Sharing Outside the Box
As a franchisor, you’ll benefit greatly from the accumulated knowledge and hands-on experience gained by your peers. It helps you “think different” and strengthens your chances of success. Being able to compare notes on what worked — and what didn’t — can be the tipping point that steers you to a successful launch, adopt a winning marketing strategy, or helps you weather tough times.

 Global Can Be Personal
Some are put off by the idea of an international organization. Are they going to be a small cog in a very large wheel? Having started as a “Mom and Pop” concern has made us very aware of the challenges new businesses face. And it’s made us equally aware of the benefits of the network. That’s why we’ve put a focus on building community and sharing knowledge. A strong community supported by a multilingual and multidisciplinary team ensures a very personal approach to a worldwide business.

Remember, no matter how big your business grows, it still remains personal. It’s still about you. Is educational franchising your passion? Is the franchise you’re considering signing up with aligned with your vision and values? Answer that question and you’re well on your way to making your dream a reality.

The post Pros and Cons of Local vs International Franchising appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

When deciding on a franchise, there’s is a great deal you need to know before you sign on the dotted line. Start by thoroughly researching the company. Talk to other franchisors. You should invest in a great deal of time and energy learning everything you can about your potential franchise partner .

But before you whip out your pen and make that commitment, make sure you pay a discovery visit to head office. You’ll find that it pays dividends. A discovery visit gives you an intimate look into who you’re going into business with. You will see, up close, how the organization runs from top to bottom. Not only does it allow you to understand the company’s vision and values first hand, it gives you a unique opportunity to talk to all the people who make the franchise possible.

Make a point of talking to the people developing the programmes and get an in-depth understanding of the methodology. Sit down with the people who will be responsible for training, marketing, and logistics and assisting you to grow your business. You may want to visit the warehouse and see the operation. Do you see eye to eye? Have you asked all the questions you need answers to? Do the answers satisfy you?

Obviously, the discovery process is not a one-way street. It works both ways, allowing both parties to get the full measure of the other. And while it’s true that most of your day-to-day operations will be carried out independently, you will still be dependent on head office to deliver what they’ve promised and respond to your needs as you grow.

Just as you will be assessing whether the franchise organization is partner material, they will be assessing whether you, as the potential franchisor, have what it takes. Can you succeed in this highly rewarding yet competitive market and meet the targets that you’ve set together?

Buying into an international educational franchise goes far beyond buying a product. You’re buying into an established business. You’re becoming part of a wider global community. That’s why you must make sure that you’re hitching your wagon to a star — a proven international brand that offers the best possible launching pad for your new business. A discovery visit is a key factor in understanding whether educational franchising is a good fit for you.

The post Thinking of buying a franchise? Avoid this common mistake. appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

Starting a business when the economy is bad or the political situation is unstable doesn’t seem to make sound business sense. The immediate gut reaction is: That’s too risky. Take the chance of starting a business now, when the economy is shaky and we don’t know what’s going to happen next?

Yet in our business, we’ve seen people succeeding in exactly these conditions. But how? Because they didn’t do it alone. They came on board with an established franchise that had “been there, and done that.” They weren’t plunging into the unknown, hoping that their business would succeed against the odds. On the contrary, they were signing on to a business model that had proven itself repeatedly in many different countries, with economies in a steep downturn and even at war. They had a strong support system and ongoing training to help them successfully launch their business despite all the challenges.

It makes a great deal of sense. If you launch a sandwich bar by yourself, you don’t know how many sandwiches you need to sell, what fillings are the most popular, and exactly how thick you should slice the bread. An established franchisor knows the answers, saving you from taking risks or making decisions that could make or break your fledgling enterprise. It cuts down time to market, offers more security, and gives you a better chance of succeeding. All these factors encourage people to take the plunge.

So who are these hardy entrepreneurs setting sail on turbulent seas? Some are looking for a new career track, have some funds to invest, and want to be independent, but also want ongoing support. Others find themselves in a difficult market, where jobs are short supply and competition is tough. And when times are tough, people start looking in directions they wouldn’t normally look in. When jobs are scarce, it makes sense to generate income yourself. You find yourself going in directions you wouldn’t normally have thought of. Exploring potential job opportunities and career tracks that perhaps wouldn’t have been an option in the past.

The question arises though, why would your potential customers invest in education? Well, when your life is unstable and you don’t know what tomorrow will bring, the one tangible thing you can count on is your education. When it comes right down to it, you can lose your home, or your job, but the one thing you can’t lose is a good education. People want to give their children a better future, and they see English as the means to help them achieve it.

Going into educational franchising isn’t just a career change though. It opens up a whole new world and community. That’s why we say our business is a way of life. And we know from experience that it’s life changing.

Anne Gordon,
Vice President of Business Development

The post Can You Start a Business in Difficult Times? appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

Having spent more than a decade in the educational franchising sector, I’ve met many potential franchisees eager to enter this burgeoning market each with their own experience and personality.

I often recall my meeting with a gentleman who had previously been a franchisor for a well known brand of car tires.  Looking  for a new direction and considering  the EFL market, his opening question was, ‘How many students will I have?’ A logical question  from a background where he knew how much profit he would make based on how many units he sold, but the reality of educational franchising is a very different business.

Like entering any other new enterprise, you’ll need a solid business plan to succeed, but it is a business based on relationships. It’s not the traditional supply and demand business model that many are used to.  That’s what makes it great, that’s what makes it challenging.

It comes down to this, sell a person a set of tires and you may not see them again for a year.  But in our Centro Helen Dorons, you see the students and parents all year round. If you’ve done a good job and built successful relationships with both, you’ll see them for many years to come, week after week, month after month – and the students’ siblings and friends will follow in their footsteps.

It’s not a business for back seat drivers. When launching an EFL franchise, a lot depends on the country, region, and culture. A wide number of complex factors come into play. But there’s one thing that is constant and that is the passion for teaching English to eager young minds. Perhaps passion is a key ingredient in any business, but we find that franchisors who enjoy the greatest success are those that live and breathe the business. More than that, it becomes a way of life.

This business is founded on strong relationships every step of the way. Close interaction with your teaching team and the franchisees around you is almost as important as the relationships you will develop with both parents and students alike. It’s true of our relationship with our master franchisors too. We have grown substantially in the past 30 years and our  focus on building a community has been a major factor in our success.

Anne Gordon,
VP Business Development

The post Making the Transition from Retail to Educational Franchising appeared first on Helen Doron Demo.

While due diligence can help you uncover a great deal about the franchise you’re planning to buy into, and the company’s reputation and track record can go a long way to assuaging any doubts you might have, there’s simply no replacement for a discovery visit at head office.

It’s here that you get an intimate look into who you’re going into business with. It provides a deep understanding of how the organization runs from top to bottom. It allows you to understand the company’s vision and values first hand. Talk to the people developing the programmes and gain a deeper understanding of the methodology. Meet the people who will be responsible for training, marketing, and logistics and assisting you to grow your business. Ask questions. And carefully evaluate the answers.

The discovery process works both ways. It allows both parties to get the full measure of the other. While most of your day-to-day operations will be carried out independently, you will be dependent on head office to deliver what they’ve promised. The franchise organization, on the other hand, will be assessing whether you, as the potential franchisor, have what it takes to succeed in a rewarding yet competitive market and meet the targets that you’ve set together.

Remember, you’re not just buying a product. You’re buying into an established business and becoming part of a wider global community. Make sure that you’re hitching your wagon to a star — a strong international brand that offers a sound launching pad for your fledgling enterprise. A discovery visit is an important part of figuring out whether buying into an educational franchise is a good fit for you.

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