Have a positive influence on children’s lives

Helen Doron Educational Group has been empowering women to start their own education franchise for 35 years

Are women wired to succeed in business? According to independent research*, women naturally excel in three key skill areas: communication, initiative and emotional intelligence.

These skills are evidenced in the work of Helen Doron, CEO of Helen Doron Educational Group, which is a leading franchise network that’s carved out a niche for itself in the English-as-a-foreign-language industry, as well as in kindergartens and maths programmes. Helen, a linguistic scientist, has built an international franchise that’s launched the careers of numerous women who also excel in these business skills.

FLEXIBLE CAREER PATH

Franchisees benefit from a flexible career path that gives them a choice of options. Many started off as parents looking for excellent English language education for their children. Others began as teachers and, seeing the opportunities, become learning centre franchisees and then master franchisees, responsible for a whole country or region.

There are also opportunities for teachers to work independently as employees and teacher trainers.

Helen says: “I’m very proud of being a part of so many women’s success stories. I think it’s a win-win situation and, while our male master franchisees are equally successful, women possess important traits that make their businesses flourish.

“Firstly, women excel at multitasking, a vital tool for running any efficient business. Women also seem to be more intuitive than men or at least more willing to listen to their inner voices. This makes them more sensitive to nuance, picking up those subtle signals that can be an important information resource in business dealings.

“Women also tend to be more patient and open to sharing their knowledge with work colleagues, thus expanding and reinforcing their networking system. In some cases, a woman’s more compassionate nature better motivates employees and helps attract customers.

“In addition, when it comes to educational franchising, women are more motivated to develop a franchise that speaks to them on a personal level.”

SUPPORTING MOTHERHOOD AND CAREER

Being a Helen Doron franchisee provides an ideal opportunity for mothers committed to spending quality time with their families while running a successful business at the same time.

“I’m very proud of being a part of so many women’s success stories”

Danijela Haralovic, master franchisee for Croatia for the past seven years, has three children.

She says: “All my children are enrolled in Helen Doron English and I love seeing how much they’ve all grown - not to mention the other 4,900 students in Croatia.

“I now have 100 teachers and work closely with my franchisees every day to make sure we only go forward, opening learning centres across the country every year.

“I’m delighted to have created new jobs, helping to reduce unemployment in our country, all while having dedicated and happy teachers who have been part of my team for years. It’s easy to be a woman in the Helen Doron world. You get more out of your business life and you can have a wonderful, fulfilling personal life at the same time.”

LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS

Helen Doron’s management is 75% women - 70% of the company’s master franchisees and 90% of its learning centre franchisees are also female. Many master franchisees have built long-term partnerships with the brand, with some being part of the network for over 25 years.

Alexandra Pickel opened her learning centre in 2007. Today, she’s Helen Doron’s Master Franchisee for San Marino and Le Marche in Italy. Her business employs 32 teachers, who deliver lessons to 740 students in a very small geographical area.

She says: “I love being a Helen Doron master franchisee. I didn’t want to work for somebody else, yet I’m still part of an international network and part of a team.

“My management style is very hands-on and I work very closely with my franchisees. I view them as responsible, independent business people. The Helen Doron English business model allows you to develop your own style.

“What brought me to this business was the opportunity to give something to the community - to promote something intellectual that enhances children`s development. Not only brain development but also important socialisation skills, which learning in small, intimate groups promotes.”

Many of the master franchisees have won laudable awards for their achievements.

An example of many, Vera Chub, Helen Doron National Coordinator and Master Franchisor in Odessa/Nykolayev, Ukraine, was recognised for her achievements in business by the Eurowoman - International Women’s Business Forum, an international worldwide organisation that unites active, responsible and outstanding women to cooperate in the fields of business, management, social responsibility and personal development.

“It was a big surprise and a great honour,” Vera stated. “The award was designated for a company owned and directed by a woman, employing women.”

GATEWAY TO PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

Paris-based Elisabeth Ruelle-Mégrelis, another of Helen Doron’s high flying master franchisees, is a busy working mother who wants her children to be fluent in English, as she says the language is a gateway to global communication, educational achievement and professional success.

However, Elisabeth spent several years searching for suitable English courses in her local area, but could only find ones that offered a traditional methodology, often with tutors teaching children in large class sizes of 15 or more.

She also came across English franchises that were mostly focused on marketing with little pedagogic content. She was so alarmed, that she searched online for someone teaching English with real content.

During this time, Elisabeth’s children were learning violin through the Suzuki method, which teaches by repeated background hearing of the pieces being learnt and positive reinforcement by the teacher. This is similar to the way each child learns their mother tongue.

Elisabeth searched online for a school that used a similar methodology and was overjoyed to find Helen Doron English.

As a result, Elisabeth decided to set up her own language school, with the help of Helen Doron. Since she opened her doors, she has had a warm welcome, with people in her district happy to see a Helen Doron Learning Centre launch in Paris.

Elisabeth says: “We’re just starting, but the feeling is good. People are happy, my teachers are happy and I’m very satisfied.

“I love the support that head office provides. This isn’t an operation where you pay a fee and are then on your own. With Helen Doron, you get superb support and help as an entrepreneur. It’s a very good balance.”

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO BUSINESS

Helen Doron has a values-based and holistic approach to business, with an emphasis on human relations and community.

As well as a comprehensive package of training and support, franchisees also benefit from expert mentorship to assist them in growing their businesses. In addition, as it’s an international brand, Helen Doron teachers can train and establish franchises in any of 38 countries. *Entrepreneur’s Source 2018.

At a glance

Established:

1985

Number of franchised outlets:

over 1,100

Location of units:

38 countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lichtenstein, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam

Investment range:

£150,000-£250,000

Minimum required capital:

£200,000

Contact:

info@helendorongroup.com