BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT HELEN DORON AT A GLANCE HELEN DORON CELEBRATES EDUCATIONAL GROUP

Established: 35 YEARS OF 1985 Number of franchised outlets: Over 1,100 Locations of units: Albania, , Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, , ORGANIC Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, , Italy, Kazakhstan, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San GROWTH Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, , Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam The leading children’s education brand continues to Investment range: €150,000 - €250,000 Minimum required capital: €200,000 attract investment from around the world Contact: [email protected] helendorongroup.com

ince its founding by education specialist Helen Doron in 1985, the Helen HELEN DORON, CEO AND FOUNDER S Doron Educational Group has always placed great emphasis on “Many of our parents a community of like-minded people who propelling and rewarding the very best love what their children want to make significant changes in the individuals within its franchise network. are learning and decide to world and of course, they want to make Promotional opportunities across the become franchisees, as they want money doing what they like doing. brand’s global portfolio have enabled to do something that’s worthwhile for students to become teachers, teachers themselves and their communities. It’s “This is why they join us. We have students to become franchisees, and franchisees many people’s ideal to work in a business who love learning with us, and their greatest to become master developers for entire they are passionate about. dream is to become a Helen Doron teacher. regions or countries. We also advertise, but most of our growth It’s for this reason that Helen Doron “I am often asked how I get so many on all levels is organic. Most teachers and has managed to achieve such organic, wonderful people joining the network who franchisees come through knowing other consistent growth. Exceptional word- are so enthusiastic about their careers, people and recommendations from others. of-mouth encourages existing members and my response is always: ‘Birds of a People love the methodology and the core of the franchise network to elevate feather flock together’. We have really built values. It works and the children love it!” themselves into prominent positions; fulfilling the positive cycle of excellence that this educational leader prides itself on. DANJIELA HARALOVIĆ, NATIONAL FRANCHISEE FOR CROATIA Read on to hear more from some of the brand’s figureheads on why Helen “My experience as a Helen Doron is a true testament to the quality of the Doron Educational Group remains national franchisee began as a mother franchise and one’s ability to grow within the perfect investment for education- searching for the best English language the Helen Doron network.” focused entrepreneurship. program for my children while living in Budapest. After witnessing how positively Danijela (center, holding sign) with some of my daughter and son reacted to the her franchisees lessons, I immediately fell in love with the “We have really built methodology and knew that becoming a a community of Helen Doron franchisee myself was the next logical step in my career. like-minded people “Upon opening the first Helen Doron who want to make English location in Zagreb in 2009, the franchise quickly expanded to 30 centers significant changes across Croatia. Both Helen Doron teachers and parents have become successful in the world” franchisees over the last 12 years, which

60 GLOBAL FRANCHISE | ISSUE 6.1 Behind the Brand - Helen Doron Educational Group

ARMIN RITSCHNY “I love my career with Helen Doron, as I have a great team and “My wife did the Helen Doron Teacher Training Course and became a Helen I love working with such friendly, Doron teacher. This is how I initially got into contact with Helen Doron English. I had been supportive, and positive people” working for Siemens for years and wanted to be self-employed.

“I found that becoming a master franchisee GYTIS AND ALINA GRIGALAITIS, for Helen Doron was the right thing to do, as it LITHUANIAN NATIONAL FRANCHISEES works and I brought quality education to the children in my community. I have now been Romania. a master franchisee for 21 years and I have She was very never regretted this decision.” surprised there was no Helen Doron in Armin Ritschny, master franchisee for our country and Southern Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg highly recommended everything about the program and gave us the idea to open the business here TATJANA PETKOVIC in Lithuania. We then applied to “I found out about the network Helen Doron through when an inspirational teacher a Lithuanian national trainer hosted me during my international campaign run by group travels. I understood right away “I have taught kids ages the head office. We what a great opportunity this was and two to seven for five “A friend of Alina’s are thrilled to be the immediately took the teacher training years, and middle and from Romania lived newest members of course, taught by Helen Doron herself! In high school students in Kaunas, Lithuania, the community!” 1998, I became the very first Helen Doron for another five years. for six months and Early English teacher in Serbia. I have also taught kids she was looking for a Gytis and Alina and adults English as a Helen Doron English Grigalaitis, the newest “As the network changed its franchise Second Language here School here since her national franchisees system, introducing the Learning Centre in Lithuania. son attended in Sibiu, for Lithuania model, I became a Learning Centre franchisee. Since then, I have never doubted that my decision to become a Helen Doron master franchisee would lead me on the road to success. It all started in October 1998 with my training in Dusseldorf, and I became a master franchisee in 2005, and am currently national franchisee for Serbia.

“I love my career with Helen Doron, as I have a great team and I love working with such friendly, supportive, and positive people, both locally and around the world. It’s not just a business. We feel very connected, as we have formed our own community, and the parents feel that – they feel a team spirit amongst people who are devoted to teaching their children.

“I feel that all of the Helen Doron global community is an important part of my world, and just as I have created this type of environment in Serbia, I also receive a lot of ongoing support from the head office team and other franchisees around the world.”

Tatjana Petkovic, national franchisee for Serbia

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