From Enrolment Day to Profitable Centre: The AnzanPro Franchise Journey

By Mohammed Al Rashid, AnzanPro franchise partner — Dubai, UAE. Opened January 2024.

I spent 12 years in financial services before deciding I wanted to build something that outlasted a spreadsheet. My daughter was enrolled in an abacus programme since age 6, and I'd been watching the category from the outside for a while. When I came across AnzanPro, the technology gap between them and the incumbents was obvious. So I enquired.

Here's what the first year actually looked like.

The Enquiry and Onboarding Process

I submitted the franchise enquiry form on the AnzanPro website in September 2023. A territory manager contacted me within 48 hours. We had three calls over two weeks — covering my background, the Dubai market, competition landscape, and financial projections.

The total process from enquiry to signed franchise agreement was about 6 weeks, which I found fast compared to my research on other brands (some take 3–4 months).

The franchise fee for the UAE was clear from the start. No hidden costs at signing. The investment package included:

Franchise license (territory-based)
Full Tutor and Academy app access
Initial curriculum materials and abacus kits (enough for 30 students)
A 5-day new franchisee training programme in the regional hub

Finding the Location

Dubai is a city of malls and residential towers. I looked at three options:

A dedicated space inside a residential community
A room inside a private school (after-school arrangement)
A standalone shop in a mid-market area

I went with option 2 — a room inside a school in Jumeirah. Lower setup cost, built-in parent trust, and the school handles basic maintenance. Downside: I can only use it after 2 PM on weekdays.

Setup cost for the classroom (furniture, abacus kits, signage, Wi-Fi for tablets) came to a fraction of what the standalone shop would have needed — the school room came part-furnished, and that was most of the saving. Your own number will depend on the space you find, so it is worth getting it quoted before you commit to a site.

The First Month of Classes

I enrolled 14 students in the first cohort — all from the school itself, which was a significant advantage. The AnzanPro Kids app was a huge differentiator in my sales conversations with parents. Being able to show a polished, working app rather than a folder of paper worksheets closed enrolments fast.

First month observations:

Children aged 5–7 needed 10-minute maximum sessions on the app before attention dropped
The tutor dashboard in AnzanPro Tutor let me track which exercises each child completed between classes — this was enormously useful for personalising the next session
Parent engagement was high when I shared screenshots of their child's progress via WhatsApp

Month 3: First Competition

AnzanPro ran a UAE district-level competition in March 2024. I entered 8 of my 14 students. The experience was transformative — children who had been coasting suddenly wanted to practise every day. Two of my students placed in the top 10.

Three parents enrolled siblings after the competition. Word of mouth from competition results is powerful in the UAE parent community.

Month 6: Breakeven

By month 6, with 22 enrolled students on the standard monthly fee for my centre (covering classes, app access and one competition entry), I was covering all running costs and taking a modest profit. By month 9, with 31 students, I was at comfortable profitability.

Total time to breakeven from first class: approximately 5 months.

What I'd Tell a Prospective Partner

Do:

Choose a location where parents already gather (school, community centre, mosque/temple complex)
Use the competition calendar as a selling tool from day one
Be personally present for the first month — it builds parent trust quickly
Lean on the AnzanPro franchise team when you're stuck (I had a dedicated WhatsApp support line)

Don't:

Open in a mall unless you have the capital for 12 months of runway — foot traffic alone doesn't convert to abacus enrolments
Underestimate parental education time — many parents don't know what abacus training is; budget time for explanation
Rush to Level 2 students before they've solidified Level 1 — the curriculum pacing exists for good reasons

Interested in becoming an AnzanPro franchise partner? Visit our franchise page to submit an enquiry.