As well as inspiring hundreds of students, schools and families across their communities, Olivia Simpson of Tutor Doctor Lancaster and Karen Croy of Tutor Doctor Birmingham and Solihull have also been pioneers of great change, helping to improve the lives of children and young people through an all-encompassing education environment.
As well as being the youngest female Tutor Doctor franchisee in the UK and globally, Olivia Simpson has taken her business by storm through her hard work and passion to create gender equality in education and business. Having launched her franchise in September 2022, Olivia has grown her business by 800% in the first year of trading and built a business with a strong team of 44 tutors, of whom 73% are female. Together, they have delivered nearly 1,000 hours of tutoring to students since opening and are on track to increase this by 50% by the end of 2024.
“I have always been passionate about my career, and I’ve always strived to be at the top of my game. But when it came to applying for management roles or to be a business owner, one of the challenges I faced was being taken seriously. International Women’s Day is an opportunity for me to speak out for women in the workplace and to be an advocate for women in business. Having just turned 30, my dream was always to run my own business, and now it has become a reality rather than being told that I was too young or didn’t have enough experience,” said Olivia.
“Historically, women have been underrepresented and we need to change this. There are many advantages of being a woman in 2024, and it’s time to move forward and change the social bias and inequality that we have faced for so many years. My advice for future women in business will be to not let society tell you what you should be able to accomplish. I know first-hand the struggles and barriers that have been placed in front of me, but I have seen the power of what can be achieved. I know we can break down these barriers and create a new generation of successful women in business,” Olivia added.
Karen Croy is another exceptional female Tutor Doctor franchisee who has made a lasting impact on her female employees and students to create gender equality in her franchise. Since launching her franchise in September 2020 with her husband Andrew, they have doubled the financial growth of the business year on year since launching with a team of 60 tutors, 63% of whom are female.
Delivering over 11,500 hours of tutoring to students in the area, 80% of the work has been to provide alternative provision for those who aren’t in the mainstream education environment for various reasons.
Karen said: “We are passionate about supporting education initiatives in our community and to positively change the trajectory of students’ lives by delivering outstanding and personalised academic support. The majority of our work is with local authorities, where we are providing opportunities for disadvantaged students who are not able to access education and get what they need from schools. By offering an alternative educational pathway to students through tutoring, we are giving them a chance to be heard and inspired, and to ultimately see education as a route to their future.
“I have always been passionate about my career and about developing people and championing them to be the best the best version of themselves. I’m really proud to work with exceptional local educators who have joined us as tutors. With over half of our tutors being women, we have created a work environment where they feel inspired and empowered to give something back and make a valued contribution to families, schools and students in the community,” added Karen.
Olivia and Karen are both true educationalists and are leading the way in providing quality, personalised education through nurturing local children’s love of learning and instilling confidence and passion. Tutor Doctor has become a true pillar of the franchisees’ communities, and with Olivia and Karen’s first-hand experience of education in the area and an understanding of the education system as a whole, they are now working collaboratively with families, local authorities and schools to improve the overall standard of local education provision.
Tutor Doctor has been the leading education franchise in the UK since launching here in 2009, and today 60 franchisees are supporting students nationwide to achieve their potential. For more information about the franchise opportunity that rewards you with an outstanding level of personal satisfaction and a business with longevity, visit www.tutordoctorfranchise.com/uk
