“The values of Tutor Doctor completely align with those of my own. The advantages and the opportunity to succeed are significant. There is such a positive market for home tutoring in the UK, so I created a long-term plan to expand across London. Within two years, my team has grown the business from three territories to covering nine areas of Central and South West London. I’m proud of how far we have come, and I’m determined to take it even further - with Tutor Doctor’s expertise, I know we can do just that!”
David Boddy, already an established businessman, confesses that he wants to be the oldest and most successful Tutor Doctor franchisee worldwide. The sexagenarian was keen to add to his already impressive CV and help give something back to the younger generation. Within two weeks of opening his London-based business in October 2018, his team smashed their first month’s goals. Two years later and his plans are just as grand for his Tutor Doctor business.
David’s professional journey began in the early 1970s when he graduated from the Wellington School of Journalism in New Zealand, before travelling to the UK to get more work experience and complete a Master’s degree in Ethics. With a distinct passion for politics and philosophy, he went on to become the Conservative Party’s Press Secretary where he served Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 and 1983 election campaigns.
“I particularly liked the way Tutor Doctor does business. They are straightforward people who work with complete transparency - they take care of the child and the whole family. I knew that I wanted to continue with my inspiration towards learning, with Tutor Doctor being a perfect solution.”
David and his key colleagues, Suzie and Victoria, attended training at Home Office in Toronto, Canada, along with fellow franchisees who were joining the network at the same time. Combined with the 80 hours of online training required beforehand, the seven-day programme was instrumental in getting the team set up for business as soon as they arrived home.
"The training was intensive, with Tutor Doctor's promise of thorough training and support definitely being fulfilled. I have to admit they were very long days, but we got the whole A-Z of running a franchise, so it was worth every minute. My colleagues and I were completely confident that we could go away and face any challenge."
David's Experience with Tutor Doctor
After you launch your franchise, you are actively supported by a business coach across all areas of your business through structured training programmes, weekly coaching calls, weekly global calls and on-demand support as you need it. Then, as your business grows, specifically designed support systems will help you to continue growth, build momentum and scale your business to allow you to achieve your financial and personal goals.
“Right from the very first day, the ongoing support was tremendous. We experienced some issues within the first couple of weeks and, although they were operational, reactions from the team were so quick. Getting that first enrolment was a particular high point as it demonstrated that the process worked – we just needed to replicate it.”
Two years after launching his franchise, David has consistently felt the satisfaction of placing students with their best-fit tutors. He and his team actively work with 160 families across the nine territories in which they operate – simply referred to as Central and South West London. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic placed strained on his business and the education sector as a whole, David was willing to do whatever it took to continue - for the sake of his students.
“When lockdown came, we, along with the rest of the network, were forced to pivot to online tutoring. Before this, we probably had around 10% of our client base working online, so we had to focus on reassuring the ones that were not so familiar with the concept of its benefits. Luckily, the majority moved online, which I think is testament to Tutor Doctor’s ability to react quickly and the robust tuition programme being so welcoming and user-friendly.
“The majority of our tuition was tied to some type of exam, whether it was 11 Plus, GCSE or A-Levels, which meant that a huge proportion of our business was affected. Rather than let it control us, we decided to take the matter into our own hands and create solutions. We committed to working closely with families to ensure that education was maintained and sustained as, for some, we were the only support available to them.”
David’s commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed by The Tutors’ Association (TTA), the UK’s regulatory body for the sector. They brought him on board to be part of a task force fighting for providers within the education sector, proving instrumental in promoting the availability of highly trained professional tutors across the UK. He also highlighted how businesses such as his are prepared to provide help by any means possible, for those that need it the most.
“This year has taught us a lot about online tutoring. In 2020, it’s become a beacon of hope for many families, and it was our opportunity to see that it equips us with relatively unlimited potential. We’ve been able to introduce a variety of options to suit all customers, meaning we can appeal to families on all incomes. We’re excited to be able to support those that might not have had the opportunity before.
When I joined the network, I knew that we wanted to be a major player in changing the trajectory in young people’s lives - so far, I know that my team and Tutor Doctor are doing just that. This is simply the beginning.
- David Boddy
