Primrose Schools

Educational childcare
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Franchise 500 2023
2024 Franchise 500 Rank
#141 Ranked #97 last year
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Initial investment
$652K - $8.5M
Units as of 2024
507 Increase 11.7% over 3 years

Primrose Schools is a network of accredited providers of early childhood education. This private school franchise was started in 1982 by Paul and Marcy Erwin in Marietta, Georgia. Primrose Schools began franchising in 1988. The company generally focuses on providing the best education by fostering great relationships and utilizing a broad curriculum.

In the 30 years of its existence, this franchise has risen to become one of the leaders in educational child care. Primrose Schools strives to provide a balanced learning approach, which they believe will build a strong academic foundation for children. Currently, there are over 425 franchise Primrose Schools locations.

Why You May Want to Start a Primrose Schools Franchise

Suppose you are a potential franchisee with prior experience in teaching or administration and have a passion for early childhood education. In that case, this might be the right opportunity for you. By starting this franchise, you may reap rewards from educational child care in your community. The franchise educates more than 60,000 children all over the country.

Over time, the company's balanced learning curriculum has proven to be effective in raising the bar towards quality education. This is typically why many parents continue to entrust their children's education with Primrose Schools education systems. The franchisor usually provides the franchisees with a support system through ongoing training programs and field consultants.

What Might Make a Primrose Schools Franchise a Good Choice?

Primrose Schools has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 many times in the past two decades. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points, including costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. 

The market for premier education providers may be great in your community. Parents are typically looking for proven ways to provide a better foundation for their children's success. For many parents, high-quality early childhood education and care may prove to be worth the investment.

To be part of the Primrose Schools team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. Additionally, you should be prepared for ongoing fees, including royalty fees, advertising fees, and renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Start a Primrose Schools Franchise?

To begin your quest to open a franchise, you may chat with the franchise development team and fill out a franchise inquiry request. Primrose Schools may then schedule a franchise disclosure meeting. After meeting the development team, you might review and discuss the Franchise Disclosure Document. The team may link you up with existing franchisees and third party financial sources if needed. The third party financial sources may include the startup cost, equipment, inventory, and payroll.

If you pass the assessments, you may review and sign a franchise agreement. After this, you generally begin site selection with the franchisor's real estate team. From here, Primrose Schools may take you through classroom, online, and onsite school training. After training, you will usually receive multiple months of pre-opening support from the franchisor. Soon you may be helping to shape young minds with your Primrose Schools franchise. 

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Company Overview

About Primrose Schools

Industry Children's Businesses
Related Categories Childcare, Miscellaneous Children's Businesses, Children's Education/Enrichment
Founded 1982
Parent Company Roark Capital Group
Leadership Jo Kirchner, CEO
Corporate Address 3200 Windy Hill Rd., #1200E
Atlanta, GA 30339
Social Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1988 (36 years)
# of employees at HQ 162
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.

# of Units 507 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Primrose Schools franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$80,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$651,900 - $8,453,500
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$1,500,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$650,000
Veteran Incentives Information Circle
$30,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Information Circle
7%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
3%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
10 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing Primrose Schools has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 40 hours
Classroom Training 119 hours
Ongoing Support
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Primrose Schools landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where Primrose Schools ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022