Meet Frank Milner, Tutor Doctor CEO

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 30/08/2018, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Meet Frank Milner, Tutor Doctor CEO — Photo © frank-milner-ceo-tutor-doctor.jpg

Who’s behind one of the UK’s most successful educational franchises? Today, we find out all about Tutor Doctor CEO, Frank Milner.

The private tutoring sector is growing in the UK. More and more parents are keen for their children to access extra educational resources and excel at school. In fact, 27 percent of young people in England and Wales have received some form of private tuition, and this figure has increased by nine percent since 2005.

As the Tutor Doctor CEO, Frank Milner has seen impressive growth and international expansion in his business. Here, we take a look at his story.

Who is Tutor Doctor CEO, Frank Milner?

Frank Milner earned a BA in Business Administration from York University in Ontario, and held several impressive posts in the years following his graduation. He worked at ARAMARK as a sales director, Cintas as Director of Facility Services and WSI as Vice President of Channel Development.

Milner met the founder of Tutor Doctor, John Hooi, in 2007. At the time, the franchise was facing numerous challenges. It had grown to encompass a Canadian-based network of six franchisees, yet it was struggling to maintain its momentum and expand beyond what it had already achieved. So, Milner stepped in to help.

Frank's own academic struggles as a child influenced his decision to go into the education sector. And when he did, his own children were a source of inspiration to him. They were aged just 11 and 13 when he joined Tutor Doctor.

Now, Tutor Doctor has more than 500 franchises across several countries, from the US and Canada to the UK, Mexico, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. This international ambition really sets Tutor Doctor apart as an education franchise. So far, it has managed to reach more than 270,000 students and aims to continue growing to support even more children.

There are two goals Milner is particularly interested in pursuing. Firstly, he wants to continue developing the franchise’s unique culture in which franchisees collaborate rather than compete. The idea is to create a forum for ideas and improvements, so franchisees learn from one another instead of trying to out-do one another.

Secondly, Milner aims to boost Tutor Doctor’s international presence. Although the franchise already operates in a large number of countries, there’s always room for more franchise units. Education franchises are well-placed to achieve this goal; education is a valuable commodity everywhere.

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What is Tutor Doctor?

Tutor Doctor provides high-quality personal tutoring services in a wide range of subjects. It knows no two pupils learn in the same way. That’s why it matches tutors with individual students and tailors every class to meet their needs. Parents have been quick to praise this innovative approach. One said:

By the end of the session she came out skipping and recounting her six times tables!

Another of the franchise’s biggest draws is its online sessions. Thanks to these ‘virtual’ lessons, the tutors and their pupils can take complete their classes from the comfort of their own homes. At a time when convenience, safety and cost-efficiency are top of the priority list, this makes the franchise incredibly popular.

Does Tutor Doctor franchise?

Yes! This fast-growing franchise currently has 640 units in 15 countries, with 35,000 tutors helping 300,000 students.

Becoming a Tutor Doctor franchisee: This home-based franchise has a low investment cost compared to other tutoring franchises, as you don’t need to rent out expensive facilities. As a franchisee, you’ll generate leads, visit potential clients and arrange for an appropriate tutor to provide the sessions.
How much you need to invest: You’ll need access to a total of £34,700.
What you get for your investment: Just 17 percent of Tutor Doctor franchisees have prior experience in education, as Tutor Doctor can provide a comprehensive training scheme. Before you start, you will complete 80 hours of online learning. Then, you’ll spend seven days getting to grips with the business model. And when you’re up and running, you’ll benefit from annual conferences, a field coach, regional meetings and a weekly global franchisee call.

Alternative franchise opportunities in the private tutoring sector

Kumon

Kumon was founded 50 years ago and uses the ‘Kumon Method’ to help over four million students worldwide boost their grades.

Becoming a Kumon franchisee: This franchise offers you the chance to buy into the world’s largest after-school education programme. To learn more and sign up, head to the Kumon profile page.
How much you need to invest: Initial investment comes in at £3,000, and you should see a return of between £30,000 and £50,000 per year, depending on the size of your Kumon centre.
What you get for your investment: Kumon runs a six-part training session dedicated to honing your business skills. You’ll benefit from Kumon’s wealth of experience in the sector, as well as its promotional campaigns and helpful resources.

First Class Learning

This tutoring franchise was founded in 2003 and offers a personalised learning experience in English and maths for children of all ages. The brand has seen international success, and now has over 270 centres in the UK, as well as additional sites in Ireland, Spain, Australia and the Netherlands.

Becoming a First Class Learning franchisee: When you join the franchise, you are free to run your classes wherever and whenever suits you. You can find out more on the First Class Learning page.
How much you need to invest: In order to start your own franchise unit, you’ll need to invest a minimum of £10,000.
What you get for your investment: If you become a franchisee, you’ll be provided with an intensive two-day training course and access to a comprehensive bank of resources. You’ll also get ongoing support throughout your franchising journey.

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Learn from the Tutor Doctor CEO

Frank Milner has helped turn a struggling private tutoring franchise around. If you’ve been inspired by the success of Tutor Doctor and want to get involved in the sector by launching your own franchise unit, you’re in the right place. Browse our full list of tutoring franchise opportunities to start your journey.