Creative Tutors, Jan Van Blarcum
A rewarding home-based tutoring franchise for experienced educators.
Creative Tutors franchisees operate a home-based educational tutoring business serving students from grades PK-12. Creative Tutors franchisees enjoy training and support systems and an Internet-based reporting and accounting system that enables them to concentrate on marketing their services and building their businesses in their protected territories.
Top New Franchises had a chance to learn more from Creative Tutors founder Jan Van Blarcum.
Learn more at our Creative Tutors franchise listing. Share a comment on the Creative Tutors FanWall.
Top New Franchises: How do you describe the Creative Tutors franchise concept?
Jan: Creative Tutors franchise is designed to be an opportunity that’s both personally and financially rewarding for professional educators who desire their own businesses. Purchasing a Creative Tutors franchise will gives franchisees all the advantages of owning a home-based business, while allowing them to avoid the initial conception and inevitable learning curve associated with beginning from scratch.
Top New Franchises: What is the need in the marketplace that Creative Tutors franchise owners will meet?
Jan: Creative Tutors provides expert, one-on-one assistance tailored to the specific needs of each child. Our 
highly trained educators evaluate each student’s individual learning style and develop a customized program pinpointing the skills that require extra attention.
In order to develop a personalized learning plan for the child, our staff discusses concerns with parents, the students and, often, with the student’s teachers. Once a plan is in place, our tutors continually monitor student progress and make any changes necessary.
This customized approach combined with individualized attention allows children to experience less adjustment time and makes their sessions much more productive. Results are quickly realized. Children reach their potential and develop a love for learning that will last a lifetime.
Top New Franchises: What are the qualifications of your tutors?
Jan: Our expert tutors are certified to teach all subject areas – including mathematics, language arts, foreign languages, social studies, science, and history – for grades PK-12. Parents feel confident, as their child is working with a professional, licensed educator. In fact, many of our tutors have received Teacher of the Year and Presidential Awards; hold master’s degrees; and possess highly specialized training in education and child development.
Top New Franchises: Tell us a little bit about the kind of person who would make a good Creative Tutors franchise owner?
Jan: While our franchise owners will not be tutoring (at least extensively) themselves, they should be experienced, professional educators capable of recruiting, evaluating and managing their team of quality educators. They should have great personal and presentation skills so that they can promote and build relationships with parents and the educational community.
Top New Franchises: What qualities are important to you in selecting new franchisees for your system? What makes a good franchisee?
Jan: We really want franchisees who are passionate about education and helping students and families succeed. Our franchise is perfect for educators who want to renew the passion for teaching that led them to this career choice in the first place, but who are eager to get the rewards they richly deserve.
Top New Franchises: Creative Tutors is a home-based business. What advantages does being home-based afford to your franchise owners?
Jan: Being home-based is a significant advantage over franchises such as Huntington or Sylvan Learning that must incur significant upfront costs, high ongoing overhead and long-term leases. We have none of that.
Top New Franchises: How do Creative Tutors franchise owners attract new customers? How do they create repeat business?
Jan: Our marketing programs are really both community based and educationally based. Our franchisees must be an active part of the local community and get involved with local PTAs, parent and community groups, as well as promoting to and supporting the local school systems. We have programs to generate strong referral and word-of-mouth business.
Top New Franchises: Of the training and support services you provide franchisees, which do you think are most valuable to their long-term success?
Jan: Creative Tutors franchisees enjoy extensive training and support systems, as well as an Internet-based reporting and accounting system that enables them to concentrate on marketing their services and building their business
Top New Franchises: What do you see as being the greatest non-financial rewards of being part of the Creative Tutors franchise family?
Jan: Our franchise is really geared to provide lifelong learning support to families. Just as families have a family doctor for their health needs and an accountant for their financial needs, we seek to be the resource that helps families reach their educational and learning goals. Helping a student get through a rough year, build their confidence or get into and thrive at the college of their choice… that’s the kind of personal reward that money can’t buy.
Top New Franchises: Thanks, Jan
Jan: Thank you.
images: Creative Tutors