Franchisee in Action: from zero to 100 – how this female entrepreneur started and grew her Business During a Pandemic

from Zero to 100:

hoW thiS femAle entrePreneur StArted And GreW her BuSineSS durinG A PAndemic

Jamie Lee didn’t anticipate having to start over but when life happened, she did not blink an eye.

Having 15 years of experience across private, public and charter school education, taking on roles from teaching to working in admissions, Jamie knew she was meant for the education industry as it fueled her greatest passions. Being able to teach and make an impact on students has always been important to her. When Jamie learned about the Tutor Doctor franchise opportunity, her family moved from Washington D.C. to Tampa, Florida to fulfill her new role with a career opportunity that would merge her desire to continue teaching and leaving an impact on students while also holding an entrepreneurial position.

Jamie found Tutor Doctor’s franchise opportunity to hold the perfect combination of impact and flexibility that she was looking for. And even with her move from D.C. to Florida happening in the middle of a global pandemic, Jamie didn’t let this stand in her way. Her first location opened in Tampa in August 2020 and she later acquired an existing location in Clearwater in March 2021. Within 10 months of operation, she grew the number of families serviced in her locations from zero to more than 115. Jamie’s dedication to business growth and retention contributed to her recent winning of the Rookie of the Year award in Tutor Doctor’s international awards conference.

In growing her business, there have been a few best practices Jamie has lived by which has led to the booming growth and success she has witnessed.

Make It a Win-Win business

A person’s experience and success in business will be exactly what they make it. Ask yourself how you will reach high-level success. Maybe that means finding outside resources or setting up new practices and tools to implement into your business. For Jamie, she already utilized checklists and calendars in past career roles so was easily able to transition those existing practices in owning and operating her first Tutor Doctor franchise and eventually in her second location. These actions benefit her daily routines but also benefits her tutors and students in their daily and weekly processes. Utilizing whatever these resources, practices and tools look like will set yourself and those who your business serves up for success. Don’t be afraid to try something new or outside of the norm in your routine. Determine what exactly needs to be done and follow through on those actions. Practice being a leader who rolls up their sleeves to do the work every single day to make it a rewarding business for you, while also focusing efforts on the rewards for your customers.

consider the Impact you’re Making – And Make It a Priority

Signing on for a business that you’re passionate about makes the day-to-day operations easier. But it’s equally important to ensure your employees and customers also feel that passion and have seen positive progressions in their own professional or personal development. When your employees stand behind the mission of the business, they are able to fulfill it wholly. Employees serve as brand ambassadors and are often the initial point of contact for new and existing customers. Fuel an inspiration in each one to always remember the impact being made. On the other hand, customers should be able to see the impact they’re receiving and feel a positive level of satisfaction in the product or service they have just purchased. Ultimately, this will all make your business enticing to even more potential employees and customers. Jamie is able to fully stand behind the impact she is making because she is a mother herself. She sees and understands parents’ wants and needs, and is able to naturally connect with each and every family. Her dual-sided position of being a parent and a teacher/educator provides an unmatched perspective to make the most positive impact all around.

Don’t Shut Out communication – Utilize It

Communication is an obvious key component for any business in order to keep employees and customers happy. Remember to account for and take in all perspectives – from customers to employees and even bystanders or thirdparties (family, friends and teachers) of both. Actively listen to their feedback and concerns, and find the best way to utilize them into future practices and policies. When looking to grow your business, communication serves as a crucial tactic. While many may fall onto typical efforts such as cold calls or email blasts, Jamie found success in sending a text message to leads. And while you want to sell your business to potential customers and share why you are a good fit; you need to equally ensure that customer is a good fit for you. Consider utilizing consultations with each customer to learn about their needs and goals. This will create a clear line of communication between both parties while building a high level of trust.

Jamie’s significant growth within her first year as a part of the Tutor Doctor franchise system has been powered by her clear vision for success and fulfilling a passion.

Jamie Lee is the owner of two Tutor Doctor - Tampa and Clearwater and the leader in one-to-one private tutoring. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Rookie of the Year award for being the best new player on the Tutor Doctor team.