Over the past 24 years, W. Berry Fowler has been a key player in
the service segment of the children's industry. Once a student
who nearly flunked out of college, Fowler has focused his energy on
developing supplementary education programs for children who need
extra help with reading, math and study skills.
Developing the idea of Sylvan Learning
Centers, Fowler quit his job as a teacher to open the first
center in Portland, Oregon, in 1979. Fowler sold the business in
1985 but reentered the educational segment of the industry in 1998.
That's when he decided to open A Thousand
Points of Knowledge, a franchise that works in conjunction with
community organizations such as YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of
America to build learning centers, providing affordable tutoring
services for children.
Fowler has always seen promise in the industry, but only
recently has the demand for educational services been rekindled.
According to a study by the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), 68 percent of America's fourth graders score
below the proficient reading level, while 37 percent score below
basic. Secretary of Education Ron Paige announced in 2002 that
America's 12th-graders rank among the lowest in math and
science achievements when compared to other industrialized nations.
"We need to prepare our kids to play on the most level playing
field, by giving them all the skills and tools they need to be
successful," says Fowler.
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A Thousand Points of Knowledge franchisees have indirectly
benefited from recent government legislation. As part of the No
Child Left Behind Act signed in January 2002, funding is expected
to increase 41 percent over fiscal year 2000, helping public
schools provide extra help to disadvantaged children. Fowler has
seen the impact, as schools begin to work in cooperation with
supplemental education programs, and quarter-of-a-million-dollar
contracts are presented to A Thousand Points of Knowledge
franchisees. "The future of education will be a joint venture
between the government and companies like mine," says
Fowler.
Throughout his years as a franchisor, Fowler has never forgotten
his primary goal of giving the extra but necessary attention to
children who needed it as he once did. Fowler is also happy to see,
with all his franchisees, he's not alone in advocating the
importance of education. "The value of education is stronger
than I've ever seen it."
On Your
Mark...
Since they bought a My Gym
Children's Fitness Center franchise in 1989, Corey
Bertisch, 37, and Monique Vranesh, 35, have also seen an increase
in customers aware of the need for programs like theirs. The
National Institutes of Health report that one child in five is
overweight, and more parents are seeking services offering children
fitness. Meanwhile, the number of My Gym facilities has increased
15 times since 1990, resulting in approximately 120 operational
franchises and two international facilities. But Bertisch and
Vranesh have come to understand that, to remain strong in the
industry, they have to do more than just expand. They must also
address the changing lifestyles of America's kids.
A study by Nielson NetRatings reveals that approximately 20
percent of the active online population is between the ages of 2
and 17. Taking into account the prevalence of the Internet while
maintaining the focus on fitness, Bertisch and Vranesh are working
on a Web site that includes fitness tips of the day and reminders
to encourage children to spend less time in front of the computer.
The kids will also be given exercises at the gym they can download
onto their computers.
To counteract the sedentary life-style that TV creates, Bertisch
and Vranesh are also developing an interactive physical-fitness TV
program for children ages 1 to 9. The show, a combination of a My
Gym facility and the My Home Gym videotape series, is one of the
first of its kind to not only entertain kids, but also motivate
them to physically participate. "Everything is going to be
interactive--the TV show, the Web site, anything that branches out
from our primary product," says Bertisch.
Having just graduated from the University of California, Santa
Barbara, when they purchased their My Gym Children's Fitness
Center, Bertisch and Vranesh were eager to get started in the
industry. "We wanted to combine our talents of working with
children with being active and doing something that made a
difference," says Bertisch.
The success of these franchises is based on one special
ingredient: the care of children. "The great thing about our
field, our business of kids, is that it just continues to
grow," says Bertisch. "No matter what the economy [is
like], people continue to spend money on their kids."
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