From Free Furniture to Discounts and More, This Franchise Gives Owners the Right Start Learn how Kumon Math & Reading Centers is making franchise ownership more affordable for more people.

Franchising is an amazing opportunity. Right from the start, things like the product/service, branding, and more are already established and figured out for franchisees. Still, a lot goes into opening a franchise. Time is spent on training, hiring, and building out a space. In addition to time, all of this requires money.

One franchise that recognizes the importance of starting a franchise right is Kumon Math & Reading Centers. The team at Kumon goes beyond what most franchise brands do to set their owners up for success out of the gate.

"The launch of a new business sets a trajectory for the future of the business," says John Collins, Vice President, Center Network Development Department at Kumon. "Like most franchises, we make sure our franchisees are fully trained, but we also subsidize local marketing for their new center so they can attract as many families as possible as quickly as possible. Because Kumon isn't tutoring, families will often enroll all their kids, helping launch a new center and setting the pace for a strong long-term business."

For people who are already familiar with Kumon (parents and former students), the attraction of opening their own Kumon Center is the positive difference they've seen in the kids who go there. For others who aren't as familiar, Collins says Kumon's #1 ranking in the education category on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list is a big draw.

And for those who are comparing franchise opportunities, Kumon's "startup costs and incentives are really attractive," he says. Kumon's investment range is $64,458 to $139,890, down from $74,428 and $156,590 in 2020.

And, yes, there are incentives. Kumon Franchise owners can get up to $34,000 in incentives when starting up, "so many franchisees are able to open with a very manageable total investment," Collins says.

Here's a look at some of the most impactful incentives Kumon offers new franchisees.

Rent reimbursement.

Kumon says it will pay up to 50 percent of a new franchise owner's rent, up to $1,000 a month, for the first 12 months – a benefit of up to $12,000.

"Rent is one of the largest monthly responsibilities a franchisee will have," Collins says. "Reducing that by $1,000 a month helps buffer them during that first year." The money saved on rent can be used for any number of important expenses, including business-building activities like participating in community events or hosting a breakfast for teachers at a local school.

Free business tools.

When it comes to saving time and stress, Kumon is on it. They provide several services for new franchisees at no cost, including national advertising, printed promotional materials, website creation, customer scheduling software, and the center management software used on site.

"This helps to keep their operating expenses low, but also means they don't need to worry about selecting, producing, or implementing any of these tools," Collins says. "Being able to rely on the corporate office for so many of the tools being used makes sure that the franchisees can really focus on helping kids advance."

Free furniture and more to help build your Kumon Center.

Free "stuff" is always nice, but Kumon takes it a step further offering franchisees items they truly need to get started. This includes a free exterior sign, furniture, paint, window coverings, and carpet—up to $19,670 in value.

"Paying for and installing the sign and delivering the desks, stools, and shelves means franchisees don't have to worry about the cost, or the logistics. It's so much less to have to handle on your own," Collins says. "And paying for the cost of paint, carpet, and window coverings keeps branding consistent."

All of this adds up to one important thing: "It lowers the franchisees' investment amount, meaning that owning a Kumon Franchise can be within the reach of more people," Collins says.

To learn more about becoming a Kumon franchise owner, fill out the form here.