ERPLI
Short answer: Read your agreement first, especially the notice period, the non-compete clause and who owns the student data. Then give written notice, let current students finish the level they are on, and relaunch under your own name with your own books, certificates and app. Most centres that plan this well keep the large majority of their students.
The students stay because of you, not the brand on the wall. Parents chose your centre because it is near home and because their child likes the teacher. What you are really managing is the 4–8 weeks when everything changes at once. This guide walks through it in order.
Step 1: What do you check in the franchise agreement?
Before telling anyone, find these five clauses:
| Clause | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Notice period | Often 1–3 months, in writing | Sets your earliest exit date |
| Non-compete | "Will not teach abacus within X km for Y years" | Decides whether you can stay at the same location |
| Student data | Who owns names and phone numbers | Some brands claim the list belongs to them |
| Materials and branding | Return of books, boards, signage | Removing their name is usually required |
| Exit fees or pending dues | Penalties, unpaid royalty, stock you must buy | Know the total before you announce |
If there is a non-compete clause, show it to a lawyer. In India, a contract that stops someone from carrying on a trade after the contract ends is often hard to enforce. But "often" is not "always", and a letter from their lawyer can still scare parents. Get advice for your specific contract before you rely on that.
Step 2: When do you leave?
Timing decides how many students you keep. The best window is right after a level exam, when students have just got their certificates and no one is halfway through a book. The worst time is mid-level, when parents have paid for books they now can't use.
Work backwards from the exam date: give notice so it ends just after results are out, and have your new materials ready a week before.
Step 3: What do you tell parents?
Keep it short, positive and about the child. Don't criticise the franchise. Parents don't care about your dispute, only about whether classes continue.
Cover four things in one message or a short meeting:
- Same teacher, same place, same timings
- Your child's level and progress carry over. They continue from where they are.
- Fees, especially if they are dropping now that there's no royalty to pay
- What's new: an app, online practice, quicker certificates
Send it 2–3 weeks before the switch, not the night before. Then call the parents who matter most, the ones who referred others, yourself.
Step 4: What must be ready on day one?
| Item | Franchise gave you | What you need now |
|---|---|---|
| Name and logo | Their brand | Your own. Check it's free on Google Maps and Instagram first. |
| Syllabus | Their level plan | Your own levels and topics. The method itself (soroban, small and big friends) belongs to nobody. |
| Books | Bought from them at a markup | Printed with your logo, or digital e-books |
| Certificates | Theirs, often slow to arrive | Your own, issued the day the student passes |
| Software and app | Their login, which stops when you leave | Your own system with your student data |
| Google listing | Often in their name | A new Google Business Profile in your academy name |
Do not copy their books page for page. Writing your own sums is easy. Copying their printed material is how a simple exit turns into a legal notice.
Step 5: How does ERPLI help with the switch?
ERPLI is built for exactly this move, from franchise to your own brand:
- Your brand everywhere: student app, website on your own domain, certificates and printed books with your logo (academy branding)
- Syllabus your way: start from ERPLI's recommended levels or build your own, with exams and practice tagged to each level (syllabus)
- Everything the franchise app did: attendance, batches, fee collection, level exams, 22 abacus practice modules and certificates
- No royalty: from ₹50 per student per month, dropping to ₹30 as you grow. Nothing is taken from your fees. See pricing.
If you have already worked out the numbers, our franchise vs own academy comparison shows the 3-year cost difference.
Step 6: What about paperwork?
- Udyam registration in your new academy name (free, online)
- A bank account in the new name, so fees go straight there
- GST, if you were registered under the franchise arrangement or are close to the turnover threshold. Ask your CA.
- New signage, receipts and visiting cards with the old brand removed
The first 90 days after you leave
- Run a level exam within the first two months, so parents see the system works
- Ask happy parents for Google reviews on your new listing
- Use the fee you saved on royalty for a small local push: society noticeboards, a free demo week. See how to get abacus students.
