Like most parents, Karen Yeo had faith in the education system. However, when her primary school-going son Jayden surprised her with less than desirable results for his English language exam results, it concerned her. “He did not do as well as we thought he would as he speaks English relatively well. When we saw the exam papers, we realised that the English language standard at his international school was different from the curriculum provided when my husband and I went to national schools. We decided to get Jayden English language tuition,” said Ms. Yeo.

After much research and speaking with friends, Ms. Yeo found I Can Read. “It was an enrichment centre that prides itself in their literacy courses for younger children and enrichment classes for primary school students,” said Ms. Yeo. “We also found out I Can Read is very established in Singapore and it is the centre most parents would send their children to for English language enrichment. However, at that time, there were only two I Can Read centres in Malaysia,” said Ms. Yeo.
As a parent and an entrepreneur, Ms. Yeo thought there was a potential market for I Can Read in Kuala Lumpur. Together with her husband, she decided to take the plunge with an I Can Read franchise. “We opted to franchise because we have access to tested and proven business models that we can implement immediately – we can skip the hassle of starting from scratch,” said Ms. Yeo.

The education business made sense to Ms. Yeo because firstly, it would benefit her son. The Malaysian education industry was also booming and parents were searching for quality education classes for their children. Ms. Yeo also found education had an altruistic purpose: to give back to society by raising the quality of education in Malaysia.
It has only been four months but Ms. Yeo wouldn’t give it up for the world. “It is my first time running my own business and I have no regrets taking this leap of faith. There are teething issues during the set-up period but the experience gained is priceless,” said Ms. Yeo.

“The support from the I Can Read headquarters led by Director Huang Yee has been immense. Huang Yee is a very hands-on person who is open to feedback and always ready to dish out advice and render support. The team in Malaysia, led by country manager Grace, is the same.

“They’re always available to offer advice and support. Even though this business is a sole effort, I’ve never felt alone in this journey,” said Ms. Yeo.

Ms. Yeo also has this advice for people thinking of taking an I Can Read franchise: “Don’t overthink about whether the business is right for you or not. Follow your heart. Do it if it feels right. Matters will fall into place as you learn on-the-go.”
In the immediate future, Ms. Yeo hopes to grow the student base to a number that could generate a sustainable income. “Then, if the situation permits, I hope to open a few more centres,” she mused.