Tailored Language Programs Fuels Sylvan Learning’s Success in Mountain View, California

When Vincent Zhang moved to the U.S. from China, he never imagined that he would be working in the education industry, let alone running his own business. But after discovering Sylvan Learning’s one of a kind franchising opportunity, he knew it was the perfect fit for him, his family and his Mountain View, California community.

Zhang first came to the U.S. after earning a scholarship to attend graduate school at the University of New Mexico. After graduation, he set out to begin his career in the sciences. Over the course of the next 10 years, Zhang worked as a laser physicist for four different companies and worked his way up the corporate ladder. But when his friend approached him with the opportunity to run his own Sylvan Learning center, Zhang knew he had to learn more.

“I first heard about Sylvan Learning through an ad that ran on Chinese radio. When it came up again after my friend recommended the brand to me, I knew that I needed to look into it. And the more I learned, the more interested I became,” said Zhang. “I ultimately decided to quit my job to take over Sylvan’s existing location in Mountain View. It was a pretty big change for me, but I’m incredibly happy with my decision—not only is my business doing well, but I truly enjoy my day-to-day work.”

To say that Zhang’s Sylvan franchise has been successful would be an understatement—in the past two years, his unit has grown by about 60 percent. And in 2016, the center ranked number 10 in cash revenue out of all of Sylvan’s American centers. That success is due in part to rising demand for top tier supplemental education programs, especially in Zhang’s community where English is a second language for a lot of students.

Zhang’s Sylvan Learning center consistently helps children that are new to the American public school system. Through comprehensive programs that integrate traditional English education with Sylvan’s accessible online platforms, the brand successfully helps students catch up and even move beyond their grade level.

“Our ‘English as a Second Language’ program is huge for us from a business and revenue standpoint. It’s not uncommon for students to come to us that are three to four grade levels behind in English,” said Zhang. “While the public school system here has limited resources to help those children succeed, Sylvan has the tools that they need. Because the Sylvan brand has been around for more than 35 years, we have access to a system that’s been proven to work. Our structure can be customized and personalized for every child’s needs, which really makes all the difference.”

With more than 750 locations across the globe and continued development planned in key target markets like California, New York, Washington D.C. and Baltimore this year, there’s no doubt that Sylvan Learning is at the forefront of the increasingly popular education industry. The brand goes above and beyond to ensure that it’s catering to all kinds of customers—from after school help to advanced STEM and language programs, families can rely on Sylvan to provide their children with the extra help or challenge that they need.

That same quality service also applies to the brand’s franchisees. With a strong corporate support team and affordable start-up costs that range from $70,980 to $159,890, including a $24,000 franchise fee, Sylvan provides entrepreneurs with a unique business ownership opportunity that’s designed to set them up for success.

“Over the past three decades, we’ve proven that Sylvan’s business model can work in a wide variety of communities. Franchisees like Vincent are continuing to fuel our development efforts, and we’re expecting that trend to continue throughout 2017,” said Georgia Chasen, Sylvan’s director of franchise development. “By continuously improving the programs and platforms that we offer students, we’ll continue our long tradition of raising the bar when it comes to supplemental education courses.”