Sunbrook Franchise

Sunbrook Featured in Smart Business Magazine

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:24:00 +0000

Sunbrook Academy was recently featured in an article in Smart Business Magazine entitled, “Smart Leaders: Finding Some Help.” The article was built from an in-depth interview with Neil Gass about Sunbrook Academy’s national growth strategy and how it is very important to grow with the right people on the executive team. This article delves into advice that other business owners should take into account when expanding their business. Below is a piece of the article along with a link to the full article.

Smart Leaders: Finding some help
By Kristy J. O’Hara

When Neil Gass and his team decided to set a new direction for Sunbrook Franchising Inc., they knew it wasn’t a quick process, so they spent nearly six months evaluating what they wanted to accomplish.

They decided they wanted to open or have in development 60 new centers over the next five years. Then he broke it down and decided that in order to achieve his goal that he would need to open 12 centers this year.

“You start with your longer-range objectives — where do I want to be in five years?” says the CEO of the 160-person child care franchising company. “You hear this in the business publications from everybody, and it’s an often repeated story, but where do I want to be in five years, and then back it up in smaller increments. Now I have to look at what does it take to get these 12 months accomplished?”

(READ MORE)

Sunbrook Academy Featured in South Florida Business Journal

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:46:00 +0000

Recently, Sunbrook Academy was featured in an article that published in the South Florida Business Journal, entitled “Sunbrook Academy plans South Florida schools.” The article was created from an in-depth interview with Scott Sutton about Sunbrook Academy’s expansion plans for 2010. The article talks about everything Sunbrook Academy and the franchising options that are available. Below is a sample of the article along with a link to the full article.

Sunbrook Academy plans South Florida schools
by Brian Bandell

Sunbrook Academy, an Atlanta area franchisor of pre-kindergarten schools, plans to open three to five locations in South Florida, including two this year.

While it looks for franchisees, Sunbrook wants to construct the schools for about $2.5 million each, said R. Scott Sutton, the company’s VP of franchising. Sunbrook is currently looking for sites from Miami through Port St. Lucie, and it’s narrowing its choices for a site in Weston or Miramar, he added.

“We are extremely interested in hearing from developers and construction companies we can partner with in South Florida,” Sutton said.

(READ MORE)

Sunbrook Looking to Expand into Charleston

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:31:00 +0000

Sunbrook Academy was recently featured in the Charleston Post & Courier about our expansion plans into Charleston. We are currently selecting three sites that should be finalized by the end of March and hopefully the three schools will be up and running by this time next year. We are so excited to enter the Charleston market as we know that our school and curriculum will fit perfectly here. Below is the full article about our entrance into Charleston.

Prep School
Monday, January 18, 2010

A private education firm based in Atlanta hopes to add three schools in Charleston this year and another three next year. Sunbrook Academy, a 20-year-old preschool franchise with seven locations in Atlanta, is looking to expand into metro markets such as Charleston, Greville-Spartanburg, Charlotte, Richmond, Va., Birmingham, Ala., and Orlando, Fla., said Scott Sutton, vice president of franchising.

The school is in the process of selecting three sites in Mount Pleasant, James Island, and the Summerville-North Charleston area along Dorchester Road. The locations should be finalized by the end of March and the schools could be up and running by this time next year.

“We have made the commitment to find the locations on the ground,” Sutton said. “We will buy the properties without franchisees, but our goal is to find local franchisees to own and operate the buildings. We know our student is in the market. We know our parent is in the market. Now we have to find the locations.”

Each school would be about 10,000 square feet, cost about $2.5 million to build and equip, handle 190 students and employ 23 to 27 staff members. Sunbrook offers educational programs for children six weeks to 5 years old.

Sunbrook Academy's Growth Featured in The Greenville News

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:41:00 +0000

Sunbrook Academy was featured in The Greenville News in an article entitles, “Sunbrook Academy looking for franchisees, plans six centers in Greenville area.” The article delved into growth plans in Greenville, SC and how we are looking to expand by connecting with the local community to bring six schools to the area. Below you will find a portion of the article and a link to the article in its entirety.

Sunbrook Academy looking for franchisees, plans six centers in Greenville area
By Jenny Munro
January 2, 2010

A company that develops, operates, and franchises preschools has selected Greenville County as oneo f its first expansions out of the Atlanta metro area and hopes to have six schools in the Greenville-Spartanburg area in two years.

“We really believe in Greenville. We believe our brand will be a great fit here,” said Scott Sutton, vice president of franchising for Sunbrook Academy.

The company – expanding by franchising its operations, in-house developed curriculum and curriculum presentation – is researching sites in Simpsonville, he said. Company officials also are in discussions with one person about buying a franchise. Plans are to being or open three schools in 2010, with another three in the area by the end of 2011, Sutton said. However, if franchise owners are not found immediately, Sunbrook’s corporate organization will find sites, build and operate the schools.

“All lead teachers will have child development accreditation”, he said. Directors also will be CDA certified and meet other state regulations. “As states begin regulating preschool centers, Sunbrook will meet all regulations,” he said.

(READ MORE)

Sunbrook Academy's Expansion Featured in the Birmingham Business Journal

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Sunbrook Academy was recently feature in an article in the Birmingham Business Journal about our expansion into the market. We are very excited to come into Birmingham, as we know Sunbrook Academy will be a perfect fit here. Below is the article.

Sunbrook Academy targeting Birmingham for expansion

By Jimmy DeButt's Staff

An Atlanta-based childhood education firm is targeting Birmingham for expansion, Sunbrook Academy, with seven suburban Atlanta locations, is planning to expand beyond Georgia and is eyeing Birmingham. Its growth strategy includes partnering with national developers to build franchise locations for leasing to franchisees, according to a news release.

“Our success in similar markets and the specific demographics and characteristics of Birmingham, we believe our brand will be a great fit here,” said R. Scott Sutton, Sunbrook Academy’s vice president of franchising.

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Sunbrook Academy Coming into Richmond Market Featured in Richmond Times- Dispatch

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Sunbrook Academy was featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch about our expansion plans into the Richmond market where we plan to open 6 schools. Please take a look at the business article below:

Ga. preschool chain coming to Richmond area
By David Ress
December 4, 2009

A chain of preschools in Georgia plans to open a half-dozen facilities in the Richmond area over the next two years, including three in 2010.

The company's vice president for franchising, R. Scott Sutton, said this week that Sunbrook Academy will seek franchisees and is scouting for locations, although it has not yet signed any contracts for sites.

(READ MORE )

The Habit of Hoarding

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

By Scott Sutton, Vice President of Franchising at Sunbrook Academy

Sitting in last week's Emerging Franchisor Conference in Ft. Lauderdale representing Sunbrook Academy, and having the chance to meet with franchise professionals, something occurred to me - while we're all pushing, pulling, clawing and screaming our way out of the recession, what effects, if any, will endure? What habitual changes will wreak havoc on our carefully-conceived recession-busting business plans?

First, some context, the thought occurred to me as the always insightful leader of FranData, Darrell Johnson, began reviewing the current and forecasted lending environment and economic health report. Darrell, as a self-described "recovering lender", has a nose for numbers. His firm does a great job of compiling, analyzing, tracking, reporting and trending key data for the franchising communities. But he added some insight during the conference that took me back a few years to a tense and painful moment with which all families deal, but one in my case that was infused with some humor, thanks to the proclivities of a relative.

My grandmother-in-law, Lucy Roglitz, lived well past her 80th birthday. By all accounts she had a blessed life. So when she passed and the family went about the gloomy business of preparing her former home for sale, we noticed something out of the ordinary, seems that Lucy was a hoarder.

Clustered in her basement, her closets and her storage spaces were countless bundles of socks, shoes, canned goods, blankets, pens, pencils, linens and non-perishable foods, to name a few. Curious about Lucy's hoarding habit, I asked, "What gives?" Without batting an eye, a relative quipped, "Post-depression hoarder, Scott. She's been that way since the 1930s." And was she ever. But it wasn't radios or TVs or lawn flamingos she was hoarding. It was the essentials. The things that would help sustain her and her family in the event another depression rocked America. Fortunately for her, such an era never repeated itself in her lifetime, but her habit of thrift endured .

Back to Darrell. His insight was simply this - has the current recessionary environment irrevocably changed the spending habits of the current consuming generations? Even when the recession melts and we find ourselves in the sunshine of fiscal growth, will consumer conservatism rule the day? The short answer is no one really knows. But a closer look finds the analyst in Darrell referring to the only other economic-challenged time compared to the current recession: the Great Depression.

And in that time, once spend-happy, roaring-twenties consumers switched quickly to a generation of thrift. Can it happen again? No one really knows, but the consensus is that those business plans should account for a somewhat dramatic, long-term change in how post-recession consumers view consumerism. It's the new normal and it's something we will likely contend with until the Millennial Generation expands its purchasing power beyond their weekly allowance.

Sunbrook Academy’s Growth Continues and We Welcome Our Newest Member to the Team

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

At Sunbrook Academy we are continuing to grow despite the economic climate. With 7 locations in the Atlanta region, we have just signed on our 8th Atlanta location where we are further solidifying our strong Atlanta hub. Our newest location will be opening in the Vinings region and the newest member leading our development is Trish Crowe. Trish is a strong asset to the Sunbrook family and has extensive experience in the education industry, as she has been a teacher for over 16-years. To introduce you to our newest franchisee and team member, and give you a glimpse into why Trish decided to become a Sunbrook franchisee, we have put together a Q&A with Trish Crowe that you can find below:

-What attracted you to franchising Sunbrook Academy?

As an educator, curriculum is extremely important to me. After reviewing the curriculum from several other centers, Sunbrook's curriculum was superior. Sunbrook also provided outstanding care for my child and I love the "family" feeling of the centers and office.

-What was the franchising process like with Sunbrook?

Because it was such a big decision to leave the educational community after 16-years, I was extremely nervous. Neil and Jackie Gass, Scott Sutton and Allie Barrett made me feel very comfortable and were always available to answer questions that I had at any time. They have walked me through each phase of the process. I feel like I have another family at the franchising office.

-What are you most looking forward to when your school opens?

I am excited about having the ability to continue educating children, providing a state-of-the-art facility to enhance the future of my community, and simply seeing the positive impact we will have on the community. Last, seeing happy parents and children each and every day.

-As a past Sunbrook parent, what is it that Sunbrook did differently that made you chose that education for your child?

My daughter, Gracie was accustomed to staying with a nanny so I expected the transition to be a difficult one. From the day we visited, the staff treated her as if they had known her their entire lives. They made her, as well as myself, very comfortable. Sunbrook made it a more personal experience. Gracie's educational experience was fun, meaningful and her teacher consistently provided instruction that was at her ability level. She learned something new every day!

The Importance of Continued Communication

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:29:00 +0000

In today’s economic climate, franchisors are working hard to find new ways to generate quality lead flow in an effort to drive franchise system growth. In the past week alone, I’ve counted several blog posts, headlines and email blasts dealing with franchisee recruitment. Late last week, I learned of a significant upgrade to a leading franchisor’s website, with the main focus exclusively on increasing lead generation and retention through the franchise sales process. These efforts are certainly warranted. New franchisees allow for the growth of a system and franchisors are certainly smart to focus on continued system growth even in the face of a down economy.

But the communication link must continuously transcend from franchise prospect to new franchisee. In large format franchise opportunities, where investments are generally higher and development timelines are more protracted, communication is absolutely essential. Just yesterday I spoke with a good friend who is also the leader of a large loan brokerage organization. In the span of two days, he had received calls from two franchisees looking to begin the loan process on franchises they purchased over a year ago. “They had signed-up over a year ago and had been focused on real estate and zoning matters,“ he said, “Now the real estate is in order and the permits are coming through and they’re getting into the loan process. The only problem is the 90% financing that was in place when they became franchisees is no longer available like it was a year ago. And the franchisees were unaware the rules had changed.”

It’s certainly reasonable to expect that franchisees stay well-read of franchise topics of key importance such as financing but franchisors should make a commitment to over-communicate with new franchisees that may not yet have learned “what they don’t know.” With changes in real estate, financing, operational or governmental matters happening on a frequent basis, franchisors should always set in motion the vehicles necessary to keep all franchisees up-to-speed on changing trends.

At Sunbrook, we’ve plugged into technology to aid in such communication. With internal blogs, forums and a “team room”, as well as with a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, we are succeeding in over-communicating information to franchisees. The good news is these communication vehicles come with almost no cost and they’re user-friendly too. With integration of the systems with PDAs, text alerts and email, we’re able to provide more timely information to our franchisees across multiple platforms at a much faster pace. These same tools are out there for any franchisor to use and I recommend that each take a keen interest at increasing the effectiveness, frequency and quality of communication to new franchisees.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:11:00 +0000

For many franchisors operating within today’s market conditions, the term “franchise financing” can be perceived as a four-letter word. When times were good, many companies made the rational decision to develop relationships with one or two key lenders. The route was beneficial because of economies of scale, because it would yield more competitive rates for franchisees using a lender with significant holdings of the brand’s franchisee loans. The lender would get to know the brand inside and out, and would in result understand the business. This familiarity would translate into an ever-increasing competitive advantage over other banks that did not have this close relationship, and therefore could not offer these kinds of lender-related services to franchisees.

But since the economic downturn began during the first half of 2008, many of the larger banks began to shy away from these tendencies. Others were not as lucky, as pulling back was not enough. For these large, troubled banks, the economic downturn meant bankruptcy, closure, and bailouts. But what happened to these franchisors that had relied on these large banks, as well as franchisees counting on loan commitment letters? Many were left out in the cold – forced to find alternative financing sources with lenders who were unfamiliar with the nuances of their prospective franchisee brands.

The proverbial “eggs in one basket” conundrum can now be seen in full effect. Today, many franchisors have started to take a different approach – one that we fully support. At Sunbrook Academy, we’ve recognized the pitfalls of failing to diversify the mix of lender resources available to franchisees. This reason is why we have created solid relationships with loan brokerage and resource partners that have multiple relationships with banks of different sizes and geographic range. This strategy has offered the opportunity for lenders to actually compete for franchisee loans. And so far, it’s working.

While many of the larger banks continue to hold their cash, many smaller local and regional banks are still in business. For a brand like Sunbrook, that has no franchise failures, loan defaults or litigation, banks are eager to consider supporting our franchise growth. Being a part of the child education industry certainly helps additionally, as well as the fact that our industry holds a prominent position on the SBA index with one of the lowest default ratios across all industry segments.

If one thing has become clear, it is that the benefits of choosing only one or two lenders for your franchisee borrowing needs can be offset by the potential constraints on the access to capital during times of tough economic conditions. Diversification and competition amongst lenders is crucial to ensuring your franchisees have the best options available.

Making a Connection through the Media

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:51:00 +0000

As a franchisor, connecting with your consumers, employees, current franchisees, and potential franchisees through the media is an important part of strengthening and growing your brand. This is a way to share information about growth, new products, unique brand qualities, and new developments in your communities.

Sunbrook Academy was recently featured on the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Living section. As an Atlanta-based brand, we are excited to share our planned expansion and unique learning method with the communities through Atlanta that have supported Sunbrook Academy throughout our 20 year history.

I wanted to share this great article and explain how important it is for a franchise concept to connect with local/state-wide media outlets in your market to connect with consumers and franchisees on a personal level. Below is the full article as well as a link to the online version of the article.

School Outlines Its Plans to Grow
Sunbrook Academy to add locations. Expansion will create academy franchises outside of the state. Goal is for academy franchises outside Georgia by 2010.

By Gracie Bonds Staples
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, July 20, 2009

Sunbrook Academy, a private education franchise that provides individualized care to its students, has announced plans to more than double the number of its locations over the next year.

The Cobb County-based franchise expects to break ground on five new locations by the end of the year and 10 more in 2010, when it plans to make its first foray out of Georgia, a first in its 20-year history.

“Our growth has been slow and deliberate because we value quality over quantity,” said Jacki Gass, president of Sunbrook Franchising Inc. and owner of Sunbrook Academy at Legacy Park in Kennesaw.

Gass said there are currently seven Sunbrook locations, mostly in Cobb and Cherokee counties. Plans call for expanding the franchise across metro Atlanta to Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and eventually outside the state, said R. Scott Sutton, vice president of franchising.

Sutton, who first came to Sunbrook as a consumer, said the preschool caters to parents looking for an environment that will help their child grow not just educationally but socially and emotionally as well. The father of two said he first became interested in Sunbrook in 2008 when he enrolled his 6-year-old son Cooper.

In March, after a series of conversations with Sunbrook CEO Neil Gass, he joined the staff.

Typically, about 150 students are enrolled in each of the franchise’s locations, Gass said.

Sunbrook was founded in the early 1980s. It switched to a franchise model in the 1990s but by then had already made a name for itself using what Gass called a “whole child” learning method.

“At Sunbrook Academy, we teach young children the way young children learn best, meaning we teach using developmentally appropriate practices,” she said. For instance, Gass said, if a child needs more work on fine motor skills, they provide experiences for them to cut, draw or build with Legos. If he needs more language development, they might do more work on sounds, vocabulary and reading.

“We don’t treat each child the same because every child learns differently,” she said.

The Ongoing Value of Education

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:00:00 +0000

As a franchisor it is important to monitor the industry of which we are a part as well as continue to be innovative with our services. Constantly developing new programs, services, products, etc. is an important part of staying relevant and important to each of our consumers. Also important is the need to be aware of the trends going on in our industry to take advantage of every opportunity.

At Sunbrook Academy, we closely monitor education trends and for the first time in three years, Rasmussen Reports indicate that parents are putting a higher priority on their children’s education than on their own retirement. The study, which focused on the need to fund college education, revealed that 47% responded that college tuition payments for their children are more important that their own retirement, compared with just 41% who responded that the reverse is true.

Being a company focused on quality education and development for young children, the increased focus on education is extremely encouraging. At one point in time in the child care industry, not all too long ago, parents were satisfied if their children attended a preschool or child care facility that provided a safe environment and a warm meal. Today, parents are more focused than ever on early childhood education and development. And for those who support the private education sector, the benefits of innovation and quality of education in a competitive environment means that today’s young learners are more exposed to quality development opportunities than ever before.

It certainly is an exciting time to be a part of the Sunbrook team, as we are able to provide a service to each of our consumers that is valued with great emphasis in each household. Each member of the Sunbrook Academy team feels great excitement and accomplishment in helping each child develop a life-long love of learning.

Like college tuition, quality early childhood education tuition can be expensive. But the benefits of quality programs – like Sunbrook’s – go a long way in paying dividends as each young learner progresses through his or her schooling with a love and genuine curiosity of learning.

A Question of Ratios—Support Is a Must

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:46:00 +0000

In the field of education, ratios are seen as a key determinant when assessing educational quality. For parents, the term ‘ratio’ is often associated with ‘class size’—the number of students instructed by a single teacher. The lower the number, the better the opportunity is for more one-on-one instruction in the classroom. Nearly all competitive schools at any educational level publish their ‘class size’ averages in admission pamphlets as a way to entice prospective students.

Within the early childhood education field, public departments of education or other state agencies, in many cases, have implemented regulations relative to the maximum number of students any one teacher can educate in a specific age group. For example, the State of Georgia requires that the maximum number of infants any one teacher can educate is six. At Sunbrook, however, we have improved upon that ratio with a system-wide requirement calling for no more than four students to be educated by each infant teacher. These ‘ratios’ are so important to parents that many who tour Sunbrook Academy will ask about the ‘ratios’ early-on in the tour process.

But let’s apply the ‘class size’ or ‘ratio’ concept to franchising, where the same fundamental principle is at work: when it comes to franchisee support, how many franchise locations are supported by each franchisor-employed field operations manager? This is a question that is rarely asked by prospective franchisees, but one that is critical to understanding the level of support provided to new and existing franchise owners.

At this year’s IFA convention in San Diego, I remember speaking with two franchise company executives about their fast-growing systems. My questions related to how many units each franchisee support manager served were each met with confusion. Fact is, these successful executives did not know the answer and were baffled at the thought of analyzing such a ‘ratio’. At Sunbrook, such ‘FSRs’ (Franchise Support Ratios) are not only important, but essential to our franchising practices. The more diluted a support person’s reach becomes, the more likely that the quality of such offered support becomes diluted. For prospective franchisees, it is crucial to know how vast the responsibilities of the support personnel department may be in analyzing access to critical support. For franchisors, a fresh look at the concept of the FSR may help strengthen the link between franchisor and franchisee.

A Closer Look At Franchising

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:49:00 +0000

While franchising may seem like a complicated industry at first glance, especially for a prospect new to the industry, taking a closer look can help narrow down the most important issues to consider before entering any franchise system. At Sunbrook Academy, we’ve taken great strides to refocus the efforts of prospects so that each can effectively dig into the information presented to them. Prospective Sunbrook franchisees are enthusiastically passionate about early childhood education, since many have experienced the brand as consumers or have come to learn of the distinct brand advantages through other means. With a business focused on the education of young children, many of these prospects seek out information that justifies their disposition.

As a guide, I am going to share some of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects for prospective franchisees to investigate before taking the final plunge into this industry:

Read the Documents: I often find it disturbing that many franchisors and franchisees comment about how few franchise owners actually read and attempt to understand the FDD, the Franchise Agreement and associated exhibits. A responsible prospect will not only read the FDD and associated agreements; they will also seek-out advisors who can offer comparisons and advice from an objective point of view. As a franchisor, it is equally important to encourage a potential franchisee to fully read and understand the FDD in order to start the relationship out strongly.

Details in the FDD: As cumbersome as some find the FDD, there are important items that speak to the disposition of the franchisor in question. An important thing to look for is how is that agreement enforced? Is it with a heavy hand? Or does the franchisor seek to create and maintain healthy franchise relationships through mutual respect and compromise? There are some clues to these questions residing within the documents themselves, namely the FDD section known as Item 3 – Litigation. That is how often has the franchisor been a party to franchise litigation and under what circumstances. These details offer insight into your future relationship with the franchisor and the franchise system.

Reach Out to franchisees/former franchisees: One of the most powerful tools that prospective franchisees can use is first-hand testimonials from franchisees. Call some franchisees and try to gain insights into the brand in an effort to gain access a full understanding of what being a franchisee really means. Perhaps most importantly, reach-out to former franchisees to inquire about their experience with the franchisor and the system while they operated as franchisees and why they decided to go their own separate way.

These starting points are meant to ensure a successful and mutually beneficial relationship for both the franchisor and franchisee entering the system. Looking into specific details, while researching potential franchise systems to become a part of, will save you a lot of time, and ensure satisfaction in the long run.