From Corporate to Entrepreneurship: How These Sylvan Learning Franchisees Made the Transition

“I was really taken with the franchise model because I was looking for the business-in-the-box model,” explained Elizabeth Samartzis, a multi-unit franchisee with Sylvan Learning. “I wanted a corporate company behind me that could train me and provide all of the right steps or ingredients, if you will, because I was very familiar with that.”

Both Samartzis and Mike Kelley are now multi-unit franchisees with the brand, but it didn’t begin there. Samartzis began franchising after leaving the corporate world, and Kelley is the co-owner of a jewelry business with which he is still involved today.

For many Sylvan franchisees, their journey begins in the classroom or in some other position that is closely related to education. However, that isn’t the only pathway to success with the brand. Having a passion for the Sylvan mission, regardless of your specific background, is one of the most important qualities in prospective franchisees.

“I wanted a brand that I could really get behind. Something that had some awareness was really important to me — something where I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Kelley said. “I started a business before, and you literally have to do everything from scratch… new processes, new systems, new everything. That’s why I love the franchise model. A lot of that has already been developed and fine-tuned.”

When looking to transition from the structure of the corporate world to a franchise model, both owners did a significant amount of research and thinking. Even with a proven business model, training and support are perks of franchising rather than building a new business from the ground up, it is important to truly take your time during the due diligence period.

Discovery Day allows prospective franchisees to weigh the information they’ve found on their own, conversations with the corporate team and other franchisees, and any analysis they’ve done of the FDD alongside in-person experiences with the people they will ultimately be working with.

Though it may sound negative, both Samartz is and Kelley said they went into Discovery Day as a “yes” looking for a “no.” Before deciding to attend Discovery Day, prospective franchisees have received plenty of information to convince them that franchising with Sylvan is a good decision. Both used the time at Discovery Day to pay special attention to any nuggets that may push them to say “no” to the opportunity. Taking this approach allows you to be even more confident in your final decision.

The decision to franchise is a combination of careful research and a leap of faith for many, but this is especially true for entrepreneurs transitioning from the structure of the corporate world to the more flexible franchising model.