cover story: Kumon
Why Kumon
the Top Education Franchise, Is the Perfect 2022 Investment! As schools continue to struggle with the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic, parents are turning to Kumon to not only ensure their kids catch up but also to give them every advantage going forward. To meet the increased demand, Kumon has launched an aggressive growth strategy to open new centers around the U.S. and Canada. At the same time, the pandemic has spurred The Great Resignation. As people leave behind their old careers in search of more fulfilling work and more control over their futures, they are discovering that
Kumon offers the best of both worlds. Kumon is the top education franchise in North America, with about 1,600 Kumon Centers in the U.S. and Canada. Although Kumon has room to grow in many communities, the brand anticipates strong growth this year in California, Texas, New Jersey and New York, as well as in Canada. The education enrichment industry is worth $23.4 billion in the U.S. “Opening a Kumon Center is a lifechanging opportunity for our instructors, as we call franchise owners,” said Mike Shim, senior vice president of field and operations for Kumon North America. “Kumon’s proven business model and outstanding training and support programs
make it possible for instructors to own and operate a profitable business that they love and also to make a difference in the lives of children.”
The Kumon Method Kumon was founded in 1958 when Toru Kumon opened the first Kumon Math Center in Osaka, Japan. Kumon was a math teacher who had created worksheets to help his own son, a second-grader, practice math basics. Those worksheets became the prototype of the Kumon Method. Today, Kumon Centers offer education enrichment in both reading and math. Students visit the centers once per week and practice at home for 30 minutes per day, per subject, on other days. It’s a formula that has worked for more than 60 years – and it’s all based on the importance of mastering concepts using worksheets that were developed by a father out of love and concern for his son. This year, Kumon North America launched a new creative campaign that leans into that tradition of practice with the tagline, “Practice Makes Possibilities™.”
What Sets Kumon Apart In addition to being a respected education program, Kumon is highly regarded in the franchise world. Kumon has earned a number of industry accolades, including being ranked No. 6 overall on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500 list for the last two years in a row and the Franchise 500’s No. 1-ranked education franchise for 21 consecutive years. Kumon attracts top franchise candidates because of honors like these and because: • The Kumon Franchise opportunity is extremely affordable, with a franchise fee of only $2,000 and startup costs 10 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
