Category: Franchising

Maybe you’ve seen your fair share of Kumon franchises opening around you, and wondered, what makes these Kumon Franchisees successful? Or, why do they choose to open Kumon Franchise centres instead of other education franchises in Singapore?

Seeing Success In-Person

Many Kumon Franchisees that have opened centres were once Kumon Parents, who were  parents who sent their children to Kumon Centres for education. They saw the results and the achievements their children attained with Kumon.

These parents would then, after having seen their child  becoming independent learners  thanks to The Kumon Method, open their own Kumon centre, becoming Kumon Instructors themselves.

Stories like these are just one of the many reasons why opening a Kumon Franchise works. Many children and parents have benefitted directly from The Kumon Method.

The Kumon Method allows for franchisees (i.e. Instructors)  to make a different kind of educational impact for children. Kumon is not focused on repeating the information taught to the children in school, but rather on teaching children to be independent learners. The Kumon Method is all about helping students learn independently, by catering for learning that is ‘just right’ for them.

As the learning is ‘just right’ for them, they will be adequately challenged when they’re stuck, and by looking at the hints within the worksheets, alongside guidance from their Kumon instructors, they are able to figure out the method to solving the questions. This helps students gain self-confidence and the understanding that nothing is impossible as long as they try.

These skills and abilities are skills and abilities that carry on into all aspects of the child’s life, not just their academics.

Here are some skills and abilities these children will get to learn:

• Self-confidence will enable them to be great leaders and speakers, being able to have the confidence to speak and share about things that they know, and the confidence and to find out about the things that they do not, such as by asking questions. It will also allow them to be more outgoing and have a ‘can-do’ attitude.
  
  
• Independence will enable them to learn and do things by themselves, letting them have the ability to further their knowledge without needing much instruction or guidance unless absolutely necessary. It teaches them to be critical thinkers, able to sort out the information they gather, as well as understanding when and how to use it.
  
  
• Perseverance is another ability taught to the students, as they are required to score a 100 percent before they are allowed to advance to the next level. This is done to ensure they fully understand the subject and topic. This, combined with the motivation and encouragement of our instructors will teach then the virtue of being comfortable with failure, and that their perseverance will eventually be met with success when they advance to the next level.
  
  
• Attention to detail, is an important skill that the students will learn as well. The requirement of scoring a 100 percent before being allowed to advance to the next level is how The Kumon Method teaches the children to double-check and avoid making careless mistakes in their work, regardless of the subject.

These children will be heading out into the real world eventually, equipping them with these skills that are also useful in the real world is something you as a future Kumon Instructor will be able to do.

Form Strong Bonds With Students

As an Instructor, you will be able to build a strong relationship with your centre’s students. The ability to form a bond with these children is something that not everybody will be able to do in their lifetimes. You’ll be responsible for playing a part in inspiring them to be the leaders, innovators and explorers of tomorrow, in charge for this milestone of their life’s journey.

Want To Know More? – Attend our Kumon Franchise Information Session

Interested in starting a franchise, or need more information? Register for a non-obligatory Kumon Franchisee Information Session here. Who better to hear from than successful franchisees and our Kumon franchise experts. We look forward to seeing you at one of our Kumon Franchise Information Sessions soon.

Become a franchisee today!

What Sets Kumon Apart from the Rest

What is Kumon?

Kumon has more than 24,700 centres globally across 58 countries. The first Kumon centre in Singapore opened in 1995, and that number has only grown since. As of 2022, there are more than 80 Kumon centres located throughout Singapore.

Kumon first started in 1954, due to a father’s love for his child. Maths high school teacher Toru Kumon began creating math worksheets to help with his son, Takeshi Kumon, whose math grade was struggling in elementary school. Through trial and error, the prototype for the Kumon Method was created, based on Toru’s beliefs that educators were there to encourage a mindset for self-learning for children, and that students could only learn properly by being able to study by themselves. We believe every child learns at a different pace at Kumon, which is why children who attend our classes are given taught according to their ability level, which we improve from there.

Our centres are typically open for 10 years or more, and we are always providing training, resources, and marketing support to all centres. The low licence fee of $2000 makes it easy for those interested to join us. Kumon has existed for over 60 years, with our franchisees finding a great balance between transforming children’s lives and having a profitable business.

We at Kumon believe in letting our performance speak for itself, here are some of the many testimonials the Kumon franchise and our centres in Singapore has received over the years.

“It was a huge commitment to give up a full-time job for the uncertainties of starting a business. But once I decided to take the plunge, Kumon provided support in terms of training and location search, and I eventually took over a centre in Pasir Ris. When my students come up to me and tell me their little accomplishments like “I can do additions!” or “I completed my work in 15 minutes!” I feel a great sense of achievement. I had a student who cried whenever faced with Math problems. Now she is learning about 3 years ahead of her school grade and told me she wants to complete the whole Math programme. “

– Ivy Yap, Kumon Singapore Instructor

“The principal and teachers at the centre are really helpful. Mdm Loh is very observant of my child’s progress and provides regular feedback to us. She is also willing to share with us many tips regarding children education and psycology. All my 3 children have benefitted from Kumon Method and Kumon Woodgrove Centre. Highly recommended!”

– Kok Liang Huang, Parent

“I was enrolled into Kumon when I was in Primary 2. Only recently I completed the entire Kumon programme as a Secondary 1 student. My experience with Kumon was extremely great. The teachers there are extremely kind and caring, always helping me when I was facing difficulties, always making me feel better, allowing me to complete my work faster and also to achieve my goals. The learning environment is perfect as it is quiet and I was easily able to focus and do my classwork. I strongly recommend Kumon as the perfect enrichment center.”

– Choon Wei, Former Kumon Student

“A learning journey for my 2 boys and I, that has been well-supported with timely advice and plenty of warmth and reassurance from Jamie and her instructors! My 2 boys are gradually mastering the art of discipline to become more effective learners and individuals who are proactively settling down to begin with their Kumon work each day so as to complete first things first! Also gaining confidence as they accomplish ahead of their peers based on the Kumon standards of learning… with the constant encouragement as the going gets tough, the boys have been able to refocus and surge ahead again! Many thanks to Kumon Punggol Northshore! Kudos to Jamie who has been our pillar of strength and motivation these years… grateful…”

– Chia Hui Chin, Parent

The Kumon Difference

What does Kumon do differently from other education franchises?

We believe that every child has the potential to grow. Regardless of the child’s starting capability, Kumon aims to instil in them a love for self-learning, and to be independent outside of school as well. Offering a study at the “just-right” level technique tailored to suit each child’s ability, Kumon is able to determine what is “just-right” for each individual child.

When children are given tasks that are above their level, they might start believing that they are at fault for their studies, which can lead them to neglect their studies due to those beliefs, and this can follow them well into adulthood, affecting their future.

Conversely, if children are given tasks they find too easy, they can get complacent and start to neglect their studies, which will eventually lead to them being unable to keep up with others, becoming the children that are given tasks above their level.

Kumon achieves this through our 4 strengths of:

• Individualized Instruction, allowing each student to study at a comfortable level, regardless of age or school grade, and advance beyond their current grade level. It also allows you to conduct classes that have multiple students of different ages and levels, all at the same place and timeslot.
• Self-Learning, encouraging students to read the worksheets, think, and do the exercises on their own. It allows instructors to take on larger classes, giving them the ability to focus on students that need the most help, and makes it more efficient for instructors to teach students, as they will be focused on answering questions students have from their self-learning.

• Small Step Worksheets, encouraging students to read the worksheets, think, and do the exercises on their own. This allows instructors and the students themselves to pinpoint exactly which level students are in their studies. Being able to easily keep track lets instructors inform parents and cater lessons accordingly.

• Kumon Instructors, who discover what individual students are capable of and bring out their potential. Kumon ensures that all instructors are held to a high level of standard, by providing training, keeping materials up-to-date, and marketing support for instructors, to ensure that the only things they have to focus on are the business operations.

Kumon – Time Tested

There’s a reason why Kumon has been able to be around for so long, and be 1^st in the Tutoring Category for Franchise for Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500. Which is that our time tested formula works.

It can be seen from our growth, with new centres constantly being opened throughout Singapore, as well as worldwide.

It can be seen from our strength in the education franchise space, as it is impossible to be 1^st  for this long without putting in the necessary amount of effort.

It can be seen from our reviews, with thousands if not tens of thousands of children who have benefitted from Kumon’s programmes, not just in academics but also the confidence and ability to study independently.

These factors are only a few of the multitude of factors that make Kumon The Education Franchise Experts.

Kumon – Proven For Success

Kumon’s proven business model has been developed over the past 60 years and is constantly being improved.

Here are some of our many awards and achievements from the Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500® List, both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees:

Want To Know More? – Attend our Kumon Franchise Information Session

Interested in starting a franchise, or need more information? Register for a non-obligatory Kumon Franchisee Information Session here. Who better to hear from than successful franchisees and our Kumon franchise experts. We look forward to seeing you at one of our Kumon Franchise Information Sessions soon.

Become a franchisee today!

Are you…?

• Looking to embark on an entrepreneurial journey but unsure of how to start?
• Waiting for the opportunity to assemble a team of like-minded individuals that share your same drive and passion?
• Longing to take complete control of your schedule to have more family time or me-time?
• Dreaming of working in a company that is both lucrative and rewarding such as your own?
• Searching for a proven, ready-made business with all its know-how and ongoing support program to assist and guide you to success?
• Exploring investing in the educational franchise?
• Considering which award-winning franchise business to join in Singapore?
• Looking to inspire and impact the lives of the next generation?

If you’ve answered YES to most of these questions, Kumon Singapore is inviting you to join its ranks of over 24,700 successful franchisees worldwide. Read on to find out more or click here to register for a non-obligatory franchise information session today!

Benefits and Perks of Becoming a Kumon Franchisee

Kumon is a multi-award-winning franchisor for more than 60 years and is one of the most well-established education franchises in the world. Key benefits and reasons to become a Kumon franchisee are as follows:

• Globally, there are more than 24,700 Kumon centres, with over 4 million children enrolled across 60 countries and regions
• Renowned, multinational and strong brand recognition worldwide
• Run your own business with fewer risks through the Kumon Proven Franchise Business Model and Guidelines tested over the past 60 years
• Acclaimed “Kumon Method” of teaching, programmes and learning materials fully available and constantly improved to enhance the learning and growth of students
• Extensive training, full preparation, and marketing support throughout the business journey
• Comprehensive support from Kumon (education, legal, operations, teaching, communications, marketing etc)
• Impact young lives positively through a safe learning environment and successful teaching methods
• Embark on a journey that is both financially and emotionally rewarding as a Kumon franchise business owner

Pros of Opening a Kumon Franchise

Tried and Tested Curriculum and Enrichment Programmes

Kumon is the world’s leading after-school enrichment programme, offering Mathematics, English and Chinese language subjects to students from preschool to secondary school. Today, we are located in over 60 countries and regions, with more than 4 million students enrolled in over 24,700 Kumon centres.

Rest assured that the Kumon curriculum, structure, worksheets and materials are all provided, and training support will be available throughout. As a franchisee, you will receive extensive training and marketing support so that you can help students of all ages discover and achieve their potential. The Kumon materials provided are constantly improved to enhance the learning and growth of students.

Building Up Towards Return of Investment

After the initial startup franchise costs (which are kept low – only S$40,000 to S$80,000 on average inclusive of franchise fees, renovation and rental), franchise owners will progress towards breakeven and return of investment as they recruit students into the Kumon programmes. Franchise owners do not have to worry about costs associated to research & development, production and delivery of learning materials as these are taken care of by Kumon. It is important to invest time, effort and creativity into consistently acquiring, retaining and gaining new students. These efforts include hiring and training the right staff and creating a positive working and learning environment.

Low Startup Franchise Costs

With low startup costs from $40,000, Kumon is one of the most affordable Education franchises with a proven business model. In addition, our low license fee of $2000 makes it easier for passionate individuals to join us. Breakeven and achieve profits faster with a Kumon franchise. There are also attractive financial incentives for franchisees, including a grand opening marketing subsidy, assistance with leases, and purchase of learning centre furniture and exterior primary signage.

Long Lasting Business Resistance to Economy Fluctuations

On average, the tenure of a Kumon franchise business is more than 10 years. We are here throughout to ensure you have the extensive trainings and resources to run a profitable Kumon franchise from the start and in the long run.

Over 60 years have passed since the founding of Kumon and our centres have expanded worldwide and continue to grow each year. We will continue to strive to realize our goal of “Making a Contribution to the Global Community through Individualised Education” by consistently aiming to help students develop a firm foundation of academic ability and become people who are capable of learning on their own.

Change Lives, One Child at a Time: Highly Rewarding

Make an impact on young ones and help them blossom into independent, disciplined individuals with a never give up attitude. As a franchisee, you also be a Kumon Instructor that contributes to the success of your students. Our Kumon Instructors are highly involved in shaping the learning journey of our students, helping them to discover their full potential through The Kumon Method.

Shape the leaders of tomorrow with the support of Kumon’s extensive training, materials, business model and longstanding reputation in the education industry. Seeing students progress and develop over the years is also extremely rewarding. Students gain confidence and excel through persistence and the teaching and guidance of the Kumon centre owner. Feel a sense of achievement and gratitude when you see each child flourish and reach his/her fullest potential through Kumon.

Build Close Relationships with Educators, Instructors, Kumon Parents and Students

As a Kumon Singapore franchise business owner, you will need to be comfortable communicating with parents by  sharing with them how the Kumon Method of Learning can help their children. Providing parents with regular updates on their  children’s progress strengthen the partnership with them. It is important to continue building these good community relationships.

As a business leader, your  relationship with your  team of staff  is also of utmost importance.  Empowering, guiding  and supporting them  will help to achieve better staff retention and reduce turnover rates. With stability in staffing, students are able to benefit from the relationships build in the process  and be encouraged to attend Kumon lessons.

Grow Your Network with Ease

One of the benefits of opening a Kumon franchise centre would be meeting people from all walks of life and industries. Parents of Kumon students are actively involved in the growth of their children and many also interact with the teaching staff and owners of the centres. This provides ample opportunity for connection and with close relationships as mentioned above, one can expand his/her network even while being stationary in 1 Kumon centre.

Factors to Consider About Owning a Franchise

Think About Your Passion

It is essential to consider the things you already like, enjoy doing, and will enjoy running a business with. As a Kumon franchise Instructor, you are placed in a position that will shape and mould future generations and contribute to children’s successes. You will spend an extended amount of time with young students and at times that can be challenging for some. Unless you have a genuine interest in working with children, you should not invest money into a franchise business simply because it is a well-established brand that does well.

Leave Little Room for Creativity

Kumon, being a franchise business model, requires you to follow its branding guidelines. For example, you won’t have the freedom over elements like brand colours and logo compared to starting your own brand. Kumon franchisees must use any and all marketing collateral provided, such as in-centre posters and centre frontage, for consistent brand identity. That being said, you won’t have to fret over establishing your own brand identity and image.

Make Time for Training

All Kumon franchisees must go through the New Instructor Training programme, including experienced teachers or business owners in the education industry. There are also regular ongoing training and refreshers to follow through for the Instructors, who are the owners, as well as their centre assistants. Every business level needs to remain aligned to Kumon’s values and ensure consistent instructions are carried out at each centre worldwide.

The Kumon Method

How were the Kumon centres created? What is Kumon’s curriculum based on? These are important questions that we will answer in this section. The Kumon Method transcends national borders and cultural barriers and has been accepted all around the world. Every parent or guardian believes in the potential of their child and has great dreams for his or her future. The Kumon Method does much more than simply help students develop solid academic ability. It also provides students with the joyful experience of encountering new material and making progress on their own.

With the aim of helping his son gain independence, Toru Kumon prepared his own learning materials and study method. He wrote out calculation problems on loose-leaf worksheets and combined them with a self-study method that would enable his son to advance by himself.

In effect Toru Kumon had laid the foundation for Kumon’s individualised approach that enables each student to learn in accordance with his or her academic ability, and for Kumon’s pursuit of potential; both of which we continue to place the utmost importance on.

Therefore, the values of independent learning, self-discipline, time management and self-confidence in solving problems that Kumon strives to instil are developed through the Kumon Method. The goal of study with the Kumon Method is the development of proactive individuals who know how to learn independently.

When our students grow up and go out into the world, they will be fully capable of finding their own way in life. Two things are necessary for this result. One is the Kumon Instructor who discovers what is “just right” for each student. The other is the Kumon learning materials that are composed of a finely graduated series of steps designed to encourage students to progress on their own initiative. This combination of the Kumon Instructor and our learning materials makes it possible to provide individualised study that is “just right” for each student.

All students, regardless of age or school grade level, can enhance their ability with Kumon. Education with the Kumon Method supports the personal and academic growth of students in line with the hopes of parents and guardians. By consistently delivering concrete results, people can see for themselves how we at Kumon bring out the potential in each of our students.

The Kumon Method is based on long years of implementing individualised education. That is the reason why expectations for the Kumon Method are growing around the globe. We at Kumon intend to continue to meet these expectations by focusing our efforts on each one of our students. Furthermore, we will continue to refine the Kumon Method by closely observing our students and learning from them.

In this way, we believe we can better enable our students to reach their full potential and thus make a greater contribution to society – one centre at a time, one child at a time.

Kumon’s Milestones and Achievements

As one of the most well-established franchises in the world, with more than 24,700 Centres, Kumon serves more than 4 million children across 60 countries and regions. Right at this moment, someone, somewhere around the world is learning with Kumon. We are actively seeking passionate individuals to join our local operations. As a franchisee, you get to run your own business using a proven business model developed over the past 60 years.

Over its 40 years in existence, the Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500® List has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. Kumon’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity for all to consider.

Here is a brief overview of Kumon’s history and milestones since the 1950s:

Guidance and Backing in the Franchisee Programme

We provide regular and extensive training for Instructors to ensure they are kept up to date. In terms of marketing, we work closely with the respective centres on ways to increase their visibility.

We understand that marketing for your own centre can be difficult and costly, that is why we provide marketing support to all our centres throughout the year, whether it is announcing your centre’s grand opening, promotions or student recruitment. No additional marketing fee will be charged, it is all included in the franchise agreement.

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

1. Set-up your business with a proven franchise business model
2. Receive support from dedicated staff
3. Benefit from Kumon’s well-researched and world class materials

BUSINESS SUPPORT

1. Low start-up capital
2. Business support package

TRAINING SUPPORT

1. Comprehensive training
2. Seminars for enhancing your business
3. Network and learn from successful franchisees
4. Topics covered in the training include:

– Instruction principles and learning materials
– The Kumon Method, curriculum, and learning materials
– Student assessment and enrolment
– The effective implementation of study programmes
– Communication with parents and students
– Centre management strategies
– Centre administration, policies, and procedures

Register for a Kumon Franchisee Information Session – it’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3!

This is the process of application and what to expect:

Signup at this form for a non-obligatory information session with Kumon and attend it. Listen to the experts and ask any questions and share any concerns that you may have about owning a Kumon franchise.

Explore exciting franchise opportunities today with the ultimate education franchise.

We look forward to meeting you soon!