Harness your passion and invest in a business that matters. Bring an award-winning education franchise to the students and families of your community.
Scholars provides tutoring for students of all ages, in all grades, and all subject areas. We are committed to helping your students achieve Results That Matter and giving our franchisees a framework to achieve personal financial security and independence while doing so.
The effectiveness of our curriculum and educational approach is proven by research while our comprehensive franchise system ensures brand standards are maintained across our network. As a Scholars franchise partner, you will have the tools you need to succeed. It’s no accident that Scholars has been recognized as one of the very best franchise systems in Canada by the Canadian Franchise Association with it’s 2020 Award of Excellence and that we have been awarded our 5th-consecutive CFA Franchisee’s Choice Award, as voted by our franchisees.
Apply your passion for education and get more independence and flexibility in your life.
Steps to Scholars Ownership
Let’s Get Started: Submit a ‘Request Information Form’ to the Head Office! We will be in touch soon to tell you more about available locations and to answer any preliminary questions you may have as you begin the process.
Step 1: Request for Consideration
The request for consideration form that you will fill out provides us with some of the information we need to make an initial evaluation.
Step 2: Discovery
We begin with a webinar video conference or in-center meeting where we introduce the Scholars system and spend some time getting to know each other.
Step 3: Evaluation
We provide you with our Franchise Disclosure Document which includes important details and arrange visits for you to Scholars Locations so you can see our brand standards in action and speak with existing Scholars Partners.
Step 4: Partnership
Once we have chosen to award you a Scholars Franchise, our team of education experts and Partner Success Team will guide you through our training, site selection, center set-up, and your grand opening.
The Scholars Difference
We believe that world-class curriculum and programming coupled with qualified, caring teachers lead to success, both inside and outside the classroom.
The world is evolving more quickly than ever before. From technological advances to innovations in every industry, students need more than a few “kill and drill” worksheets and someone knowledgeable in a subject in order to succeed in today’s fast-paced world. It takes thoughtful, attentive teachers who are able to deliver stimulating lessons through comprehensive, well-designed curriculum that bolsters your child’s weaknesses while maximizing their strengths—and that’s what Scholars provides.
Our Curriculum
Our proprietary curriculum is the cornerstone of Scholars’ programs—and why they work so well!
It has been developed, maintained, and improved over the years by certified teachers and educational experts to ensure that it follows the provincial curricula and adheres to a methodology that ensures success for every student. Each subject area is overseen by a member of our Curriculum Advisory Board who is an expert in that field so that your students will always receive the best instruction possible.
Our Classrooms
Scholars classrooms are scientifically designed to create an optimal learning environment and we help our franchisees to select locations where their business will thrive.
We work with new franchisees, leveraging our real estate experience and demographic modelling with your knowledge of your local market to find the perfect location. Then we help you turn that space into a Scholars Classroom, optimized for the success of your students.
Building Brand Presence In Your Community
Advertising that reaches our customers.
We make sure that the parents in your community will find you when they need help for their child. Scholars has partnered with the premier digital marketing agency in Canada to ensure you are reaching all of the students who could benefit from Scholars. Your Scholars location will be an important fixture in your community’s education landscape and we’ll always be there to help you put your best foot forward!
It’s been just under two years since my first location opened, and I have just opened my second location. Head office has been a great help from the moment I signed the Franchise Agreement. I simply follow the process and incorporate advice from the Head Office team; this has led to great success in this business. Seeing the excitement when a student finally “gets it” makes the decision to leave the corporate environment all worthwhile.
NitinScholars Danforth & Scholars Beaches
Dan and I have really enjoyed joining the Scholars family. Head office has been with us every step of the way. The education sector is very new to us but we already see the impact and what Scholars can do for a community. This is a journey we’re invested in for the long run and we couldn’t be happier with how things have gone.
TerryScholars Oakville West & Scholars Guelph
The training and support I have received from Scholars Head Office has helped me to feel prepared for every step of the opening. From the moment I signed my franchise agreement, to the day my centre opened, the Head Office was there to help me every step of the way. As someone new to the education industry, the training ensured that I was ready to manage all aspects of both the business and day to day operations. Since opening, I have received tremendous support to ensure that my business is on the right track to success.
MarkScholars Calgary West
Join a Winning Team
When you’re awarded a Scholars franchise, you’re joining a proven, award-winning system and becoming a member of a team that is going to support you every step of the way. You’ll work hand-in-hand with our dedicated staff through your training, site selection, location set-up, Grand Opening, and beyond! We want to help you bring Scholars’ award-winning programming to as many students as possible.
We are currently accepting applications for new franchises across North America and Globally. Contact us today to see if you could be a fit for us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a teacher to become a franchisee? What type of background do I need?
Franchisees do not need to be teachers to open a location with Scholars. It can be an asset to have a background in education or teaching, however we have many successful franchisees who have come to us with business, accounting, engineering, and entrepreneurial backgrounds. Regardless of their professional backgrounds, all our franchisees have a passion for education, continuous learning, and working with kids. Franchisees rely on our comprehensive training and Head Office support to provide them with the necessary information on the school system, curriculum, terminology, etc., in the community where they will operate so that they will be prepared to work with their students as soon as they launch their franchises.
How big is the tutoring industry?
A report updated in 2020 by Global Industry Analysts estimates that Globally, the tutoring industry exceeds $200 Billion annually and is projected to grow to over $270 Billion by 2025. In Canada this sector is estimated to be worth over $3 Billion annually. The same report estimates that the tutoring industry both Globally and in Canada will experience a growth rate of approximately 7% per year over the next four years.
In summary, the tutoring industry both Globally and in Canada is a multi-billion-dollar industry that is expanding at a robust year-over-year growth rate.
What is the Franchise Awarding process for Scholars?
The process is structured to provide prospective franchisees with a transparent and detailed overview of the business model and to allow Scholars to evaluate prospective new franchisees in order to select those who possess the traits held by our most successful current franchisees:
Let’s Get Started: Submit a ‘Request Information Form’ to the Head Office! We will be in touch soon to tell you more about franchise opportunities and to answer any preliminary questions you may have.
Step 1 – Request for Consideration: After our initial discussion and your review of our introductory materials we will send you our Request for Consideration Form to complete. We only award locations to the best partner that we can find in each community. The application that you will fill out provides us with some of the information we need to make an initial evaluation. Your educational and professional background are taken into consideration as a potential partner.
Step 2 – Meeting and Discovery: We will provide you with our complete franchise information package and Franchise Disclosure Document – everything you ever wanted to know about being a member of the Scholars family. At this stage, we also arrange visits or interviews for you with existing Scholars franchisees so you can speak with them and see our brand standards in action.
Step 3 – Evaluation and Due Diligence: Site selection for your center can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting a business. Location is one cornerstone that’s often linked to the success and failure of a business. Finding a location that suits your needs, meets our expectations, and satisfies demographic requirements can be overwhelming and stressful. However, our Head Office team works with you to find a location in your community that satisfies all of the necessary criteria. Leveraging our experience and innovation during the site selection and lease-negotiation processes makes the process exciting and enjoyable.
Step 4 – Awarding a Franchise Partnership and Opening: Once we have chosen to award you a Scholars franchise, we immediately begin the process of working with you to get your location open for business by following our Steps to Success guide. Our core team of education experts and Partner Success Team will guide you through our training, site selection, center set-up, and grand opening.
What is the ideal type of franchisee that Scholars looks for?
The ideal Scholars franchisee is passionate about education, serving their community, and working with kids. Moreover, our ideal franchisee is seeking to embrace an industry-leading business framework that will give them the tools necessary for success. We evaluate all new applicants to ensure that you will be a good fit for Scholars and that you have the character and competence that it takes to be successful with us.
What are the operating hours of the business?
Typically, locations are open Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and closed Friday and Sunday. There is some flexibility in our operating hours, but these are the most common operating hours at our locations.
Do you offer online tutoring as well?
Yes! The Scholars Online Classroom allows our teachers and students to meet face-to-face virtually and is designed to facilitate work on both our proprietary curriculum and a student’s homework. This is our own platform, built in-house to meet the needs of our franchisees and students. It allows students to attend classes even when their parents are unable to drop them off. It has also allowed for successful continued teaching through the recent COVID closures.
Do I need to be a hands-on owner/operator?
We recommend that new franchisees complete in-house training and operate the location personally for a minimum of three to six months. Transitioning out of being a hands-on owner after the initial opening period and bringing in a center manager can be done successfully, and it’s a transition that our Head Office team will support in terms of finding the right candidate, training the manager, and providing your new manager with day-to-day support from the Head Office team in the areas of sales, marketing, and operations. We do have an operating model available for investor-owners who are interested in hiring a center manager from the start.
What does a “day in the life of a franchisee” look like?
A typical day may include taking new-inquiry phone calls and answering web inquiries; completing new-student intake and enrollment; completing new-student benchmark assessments; completing parent/guardian conferences, which involve providing parents with formal updates on their children’s progress in the program; scheduling staff; reaching out to teachers in the local school system concerning kids enrolled in our program to work in conjunction with school curricula; and having fun working with your team of teachers, students, and parents!
How long does it take to open a Scholars location?
Typically, it takes three to six months, depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: finding a location, completing the various stages of our internal franchise process, and legal due diligence.
What type of support is provided for franchisees?
New franchisees are provided with a comprehensive training plan in the areas of operations, marketing, sales, IT, and business training. Our pre-opening training package begins 30 days before franchisees come to our training facility. To better prepare franchisees for our training and to build their confidence, our Head Office team completes various exercises and workshops with new franchisees that will prepare them to be business owners in the education industry. Our on-site training is completed over a five-day period and covers classroom-based theory and practical, hands-on experience in the areas of human resources, programming, training on our proprietary content-management system, marketing, sales, and much more. Our followup training includes on-site support at your new location in the areas of new-student intake, new-student enrollment, conferencing with parents, and general organisation. Our ongoing training involves daily phone calls with Head Office team members, weekly phone calls, bi-weekly phone calls, and monthly visits. Once a franchisee is comfortable with the operations and management of the location, support is typically provided on an as-needed basis.
What is the ongoing royalty fee and Marketing Fund contribution?
Royalty payments and Marketing Fund contributions are made to our Head Office on a monthly basis and are paid on gross monthly revenues. Our royalty is 10%, and our Marketing Fund contribution is 4%. A major competitive advantage of the Scholars franchise system lies in the fact that the 10% royalty covers all material costs (beyond day-to-day printing) of the franchisee. As a result, as a franchisee, you don’t need to order materials from our Head Office on a monthly basis or purchase external materials. All material costs are included in your royalty payments and your curriculum materials are delivered to you digitally. This contrasts starkly with other tutoring systems which require frequent re-purchases of expensive work-books on top of any royalty fee.
How much does it cost to open a Scholars location?
Scholars provides complete franchise units. That means we provide all necessary equipment and fixtures for you to launch a franchise. A full summary of these and other start-up costs is included in our Franchise Disclosure Document which you will receive following preliminary approval of your Request for Consideration form.
Does Scholars qualify for financing programs?
Yes, our Head Office team can work closely with the financial institution of your choice to assist in providing the required documentation requested by each financial institution to secure financing. We have worked with many existing franchisees in securing financing at some of Canada’s top financial institutions. If you need assistance or advice in this regard, do not hesitate to reach out.
How big of a space do I need for a Scholars location?
A typical Scholars location ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet. The ideal square footage is between 1,150 and 1,350 square feet.
What is the typical interior layout of a location?
Our floor plan guidelines include an inviting lobby entrance with your office directly adjacent so you can greet students and parents as they come in. Most of the rest of your location is open classroom space for your 3:1 learning tables. Each set of 3 students will sit with their teacher in this open environment where they will experience a setting similar in some ways to their classrooms at school, helping to create lasting Results That Matter.
How do I find the 'right' location to open?
Using advanced demographic software, our Head Office team conducts a demographic analysis of each new location with an emphasis on certain demographic indicators including total population, number of kids in a defined area, and household income. In addition to the demographics, we conduct an analysis regarding schools and community centers in the area, and a competitive analysis of the proposed location. In our experience, finding the right location involves working with prospective franchisees in their local area to identify the best site. A partnership approach with prospective franchisees to identify the right location is always the preferred option for our Head Office team!
Do I get protected territory for my location?
Yes, all franchisees are provided with a protected territory that is defined by street boundaries to include a sufficient population within those boundaries. A protected territory means the franchisor cannot open up additional locations within your territory unless you grant our team permission.
Can I talk with existing franchisees?
Absolutely! As part of our Head Office due-diligence process, we require prospective franchisees to speak with several existing franchisees — from new franchisees to veteran franchisees. They will be able to share some of their experience and give you advice and insight on what your day-to-day will be like as a member of the Scholars family.
How will I find staff and teachers for the location?
Great teachers make all the difference in a students’ experience with Scholars. We focus on hiring certified teachers who are accredited in your jurisdiction and then we train them in delivering the Scholars curriculum. As part of a franchisee’s initial training, Head Office staff will assist you with your initial postings for job ads, reviewing resumes, conducting phone and face-to-face interviews, completing reference checks, and providing training for new teachers. We provide you with a complete, turnkey solution for staffing in your location. Our teaching team drives the growth of every new location, so we want to play a very supportive and hands-on role in helping new franchisees find, hire, and train an exceptional team of teachers.
Do I have the ability to open up more than one location?
Yes, Scholars already has several multi-unit operators in our system. We believe in healthy growth and expansion, so we will work hand-in-hand with our franchisees to determine the best time to open additional units and undergo multi-unit franchising with an individual franchisee. Typically, we require certain performance and growth benchmarks to be attained in the initial location before we will approve the opening of a second or third location.
Does the Franchisor hold annual conferences?
Yes, we host an annual Scholars Retreat, the goal of which is to bring franchisees together to collaborate with each other, release new branding materials and new advertising plans for the upcoming year, present system awards to top-performing franchisees, and have some fun as a franchise family!
Does the Franchisor have a Franchise Action Committee (FAC) to voice the needs of franchisees?
Yes, Scholars hosts an FAC committee that meets regularly. The FAC consists of three franchisees that are elected by the franchise system to represent the interests of all franchisees. Meetings involve the Head Office team and FAC representatives sitting down to review the needs of the franchise system, the success of the franchisees, and future development projects. The FAC allows for transparent and ongoing communication from the entire franchise system and Head Office, and it ensures that the Head Office does not lose touch with the needs of franchisees..
How do you ensure that each location offers the same high-quality programs and services and maintain brand standards across your system?
Maintaining high-quality programs and top-notch service is one of the reasons Scholars has been a Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) Award of Excellence Winner since 2016. We strive to ensure that every location adheres to strict guidelines in terms of cleanliness, marketing, community outreach, service, and adherence to program requirements and implementation. The emphasis on the importance of these guidelines allows us to maintain our high brand standards across all our locations.