CANTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. Dzana is fond of telling and retelling her escape story from war-torn former Yugoslavia in particular Bosnia. As a franchise who has had contact with former corporate employees, we agree that Dzanas leadership at School of Rock has been deeply disappointing and based on our conversations with those folks, profoundly dysfunctional. I do not feel her goals are remotely aligned with the owners with all of us striving for success. February 27, 2023FRANCHISE. There is little to no trust in the CEO or the staff due to the constant fear of retaliation. - Their proprietary software is solid. So glad she is gone. In return, they incur volumes of stress because a business to consumer model dealing mainly with children comes with a host of complex problems on its own. There is a competitive nature of corporate not sharing best practices or knowledge gained from corporate owned schools with franchisees, which was one of the reasons for the organization of the IFA. Written by Matt Cain and David Andrew WilsonConcept development by Arlene PhillipsDirected by Jonathan O'Boyle Choreography by Arlene Phillips HOME, Manchester18 July - 12 August, 2023 It's summer in Manchester. The . We pay high royalties fees and brand funding fees with almost no national marketing campaign. This is one more thing that the franchisees are being required to pay for and did not plan for. During my first two years we were a franchise owned school and for the last 3 we were a corporate run school. She has pushed out every talented corporate staff member, and she only cares about herself. Instead of meaningful support, I was repeatedly told I needed to spend money on unnecessary items and was given inadequate advice on everything from our grand opening all the way to how to price our programs. Franchisee Profiles July 16, 2021 4 min to read. Hamilton was honored at the . For more information on School of Rock visit www.SchoolofRock.com or call 866-695-5515. Its a franchise that requires a lot of personal attention and is not an investment. Find a Great First Job to Jumpstart Your Career, Getting a Job Is Tough; This Guide Makes it Easier, Climb the Ladder With These Proven Promotion Tips, A Guide to Negotiating the Salary You Deserve. We have a really good GM at our school too and she makes it fun. Begins screaming at employee for being insubordinate. Filter by rating. The total investment to be expected is seriously understated. None to disclose! CANTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. But its all in a one-on-one call so there is no record to use against her. The initial investment for a School of Rock franchise is approximately $395,800 - $537,400 including a $49,900 . (Thats 6 days from now.) "Milwaukee is a city on the rise with its thriving cultural scene, making it a perfect place for a School of Rock franchise," says Matt McFarland, owner of School of Rock Shorewood. Best Children's Service and Education Franchise for Third Year in a Row. Search reviews. According to reviews on Glassdoor, employees commonly mention the pros of working at School of Rock to be culture, workplace, coworkers and the cons to be career development, management, benefits. The fact is they have not figured out how to make a turnkey business. Little has been said about the real heroes in this business. For more than 20 years, School of Rock has been teaching kids and adults how to channel their inner rock stars. We can never ask them questions. It has been that bad for that long. Results will vary, but likely for the better. School of Rock franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training & support . Ms. Homan.Owners have come to you with resolutions to issues and you turn a blind eye then call us whiners and complainers when confronted with the hard questions. the franchise advisory committee (FAC) was essentially dismantled when the new CEO took over and the Independent Franchisee Association (IFA) formed in 2015 has not been recognized by the franchisor owners have been contacted by the CEO for speaking out on unfair practices on closed Facebook group forums as well as statements they have made to prospective franchisees, a practice we have coined as being called to the principals office. Thursday 5/25/17 - We posted complaints alleging CEO Homan is an abusive CEO who makes racist & discriminatory comments. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, and Led Zeppelin. Franchise Business Review, a market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement, provides the only rankings and awards for franchise companies based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. The post above about Dzanas comments is so distressing, but I can definitely see those words coming out of her mouth, and that mindset has probably has started to permeate some of her staff. "As an independent research firm, Franchise Business Review is committed to helping prospective franchisees get an objective view of the best franchise opportunities available based on actual feedback from the people who own them. Love the students and overall environment. Not in number of students, but in actually making money. Are FRANNET Franchise Consultants Trustworthy? This award is given to one winner who has distinguished themselves most in the franchising industry in the opinion of the judges. 4 company employees have reportedly resigned in recent weeks. Otherwise, stop charging US for the work that YOU are supposed to be doing. James Adam Jenkins Criminal History. The school curriculum was very well curated, the other teachers were very supportive and nice. 273. High royalties, uncooperative leadership, ineffective and expensive technology systems so many reasons to look elsewhere to park your investment funds. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of the top 200 franchises in its annual Guide to Today's Top Franchises. School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2022 by Franchise Business Review. I have no doubt that this system can be nurtured and can grow, but not with this administration and this CEO. I worked here for a year and it was amazing. October 7, 2022FRANCHISE. School of Rock Franchise Initial and On-going Franchise Cost. "This is a testament to the dedication of our franchisees and corporate team, who enrich lives through performance-based music education. If you do actually start these calls again, please promise us thisyoull stop spouting off erroneous numbers, stop taking credit for wins that were achieved by the owners, stop telling us that we need to come to you with solutions when that is all we do, and stop treating us like disobedient employees. You aren't paid for anything outside of lessons, so when you show up to set up, or stay late to write notes, you aren't paid for that. Section I - School of Rock Franchise Costs. It always seems that issues are raised, then ignored. New guy seems to be in place to facilitate the sale of SoR to another company, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! The fact is that at 11% its pretty hard to make this business financially successful if there is no robust ability to stuff the pipeline with new students on a regular basis. Article pretty much holds to our experience as well. Visit Franchise Business Review's websiteto see the full description of the 2023 Top Franchises. Group learning teaches both technical and soft skills and this revolutionary approach increases retention, results, and brand consideration. I hope that whoever is in charge this (the SOR Board?) "It's incredibly rewarding to be a top 200 franchise for 2022 and to know that franchisee satisfaction in the system is high," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full description of the 2022 Top Franchises. The UPS Store: Multiple, wide-ranging services. The one and only thing to corp team is concerned with is their how much money are they making. The relationship with the executive management team is not pleasant one, and is often confrontational. Royalty Fee. If Sterling would recognize that the owners are the precious mindshare in this company and work with us, we can build a great organization where everyone wins. Franchise owners were asked about their brands innovation and creativity as well as their trust in the franchisor, overall satisfaction with the brand, and likelihood to recommend it to others. Despite numerous attempts to receive all of the survey results from SoR Corp and Ms. Homan, the franchisees have still yet to receive the results other than a lot of numbers. Take 30 seconds to, Feb 11, 2023 - Instrumental Music Teacher, School of Rock has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 308 reviews left anonymously by employees. The program serves children as young as four years old through grandparents who want to release their inner rock star. 4 min read. Advertising Fee. What I received instead was, You seem very unhappy, maybe you should sell you school. - Take the first pro I listed and reverse it. To identify the companies on the list of this years Most Innovative Franchises, Franchise Business Review analyzed 18 months worth of data from over 30,000 franchisees representing more than 300 brands. Reading Time: 4 minutesThe first time he opened a new school he wore a mask, stayed six feet apart, and saw only students' eyes - with part online and others in-person. At first you think she cares and understands, but then once you take advantage of the direct communication channel to express a concern or you speak up, she slaps you back.hard. Then when we collect the fees from the student, Corporate takes their royalty on top of that. I thought at a minimum I would get advertising support and that the franchisor would work to bring the School of Rock brand front and center. 8%. The first School of Rock was opened by the musician Paul Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1997 and did business under the name Paul Green School of Rock Music (Since January 2010, they have conducted business under the name School of Rock.). School of Rock's concept is more potent than traditional music programs, combining private lessons powered by the patented School of Rock Method with weekly ensemble practices. You might be there for 8hrs and only teach four 1/2hr classes. This is a great business with great people in the system who want it to be successful. School of Rock was among over 360 franchise brands, representing nearly 38,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Reviews research. An anonymous franchise owner wrote to us: Over the course of the last 3 years, almost the entire corporate team has changed after the new CEO [Dzana Homan ] was hired, and several new hires left after a short tenure. For more options and additional information, visit our. Former CEO and current owner started his own art school franchise The job is becoming very corporate. First to Review. Renewals have begun in 2015 and 2 schools have closed rather than choosing to renew and 3 have renewed. They are not authored by Glassdoor. Mark Sheffield was nominated by the School of Rock franchise leadership team in the Freshmen category for a 2021 Franchise Rock Star Award. With regards to all the other comments posted here, I have experienced the same. Threatens franchisee of one of the largest schools with kicking her out of the system because the franchisee disagrees with her strategy. I opened the first location in 2014, and in 2015 decided it was not worth the investment to open my second location. These are kind, caring people who are working double or triple time, and often rely on family members and friends to keep all the balls in the air and pay the bills. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of the top 200 franchises in its annual Guide to Todays Top Franchises. The comment above that outline some of the personal attacks she was purportedly made seems like some inside information for her senior team. Shes not pretty enough for LA Ms. Homan regarding coworker. Furnishings and Finishings: $12,000 to $26,000. Verify your email to use filters. We start camps in June. People are really left to their own devices, which is maybe ok if you are an experienced owner, but it is not really fair to new owners who buy in expecting a formal franchise relationship with best practices around managing a music education business, when there are none. "We survey franchisees from franchise companies in the marketplace today and identify those with the highest levels of satisfaction and performance in order to educate potential buyers and help them choose which franchise to invest in. To our knowledge the results in totality were never published. We strive to empower them with the skills, confidence, and creativity needed to succeed in both music and life. The corporate team does a great job of selling franchises with little to no support once opened. Why didnt you tell me she was gay, I could have flirted with her to get what I want Ms. Homan mocking homosexual member of School of rock community. Please comment below or email us in confirdence at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail.Com. 2023 School of Rock LLC. Also, its very disappointing to have such a hostile relationship with the franchisor, especially, the CEO. The initial franchise fee is $40,000. Were received complaints that Dzana Homan eliminated the School of Rock Franchise Advisory Committee (FAC) shortly after taking the helm. Which is what most of them want to do and why theyre here. She should be fired, and I should be reimbursed. Franchisees who have complained of unfair treatment on Facebook are reportedly called to the Principals office and admonished by Ms. Homan. Basically acquiring a location with no risk and with the grunt work of community awareness spear headed by the initial investment of the trust fund kids. Keep them coming. School of Rockdoesnt ask that its franchisees can play "Sweet Child o Mine" on the bass guitar, but it simply asks for a love of music, and a passion for education. 5 stars. The problem starts at the top. For more options and additional information, visit our, "It's gratifying to be ranked among the top 200 franchises once again. Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock, School of Rock Named a 2023 Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review. So I guess thats to be expected. This is not the business that I bought into and has seriously declined within the past 3 years. Ms. Homan likes to say we are an entertainment brand. School of Rock, Sterling Partners Controversy Grows, UBuildIt Responds to Forbes Worst Franchise List, SUPERGREEN SOLUTIONS Cease & Desist Letter. It is considered a full time employee at SOR but not considered full time to anyone else. In 2018 School of Rock reacquired 21 locations from franchisees and had one closure. You have stated that you are glad to start the CEO/Owners calls again (which only serves to prove our point that you stopped having them). I unfortunately have to agree with everything above. Seen and worked for multiple brands from . We have lost VPs of Marketing, COOs, CFOs, and the entire training department, which is now being run by the former IT manager/director. Double Dipping? Join the School of Rock franchise family today and prepare to change your life! Enjoyment and love for music are universal, and therefore, The School of Rock methodology can translate well into any country and culture. She did so much damage, it may be unsalable. contact ADMIN at unhappyfranchisee[at]gmail.com. School of Rock franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training & support . Were told there were pilot schools, but its always top secret of what schools and which people participated. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. I have hope that if they can replace her and retool the senior team, we can get this to work. Has call with Franchise Advisory Committee and tells them they are to dismantle. #franchising #ifa2023 #culture #FranchisingAtWork #employeeengagment . As an Engineer followed by Management degree,I always knew that Management is something I would rock as my career choice. The relationship with the executive management team is not a nurturing one, and is often confrontational, with considerable effort put on compliance and very little on finding ways to make the franchise owners money. Nineteen-year-old Wadsworth was murdered in the U.K. Feb. 1, 2022, by Jack Sepple, 23, who she had travelled to England to meet after connecting with him online. "As an independent research firm, Franchise Business Review is committed to helping prospective franchisees get an objective view of the best franchise opportunities, based on actual feedback from franchise owners," said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. So does this model make financial sense now? Each of the 200 Franchisee Satisfaction Award winners on this years list achieved stellar ratings from their franchisees.". SCHOOL OF ROCK Franchise Complaints. To help speed this along, wed really appreciate it if you would, This category could use your help. There is little, if any, thought given to financial impact on franchisee of decisions made at corp. Zack Wylde, the lead guitar player in Black Sabbath Ms Homan on national television embarrassing the brand. Defending defaults takes money and time, and owners tend not to have much of either, so they dont risk it. We are proud to recognize the franchises that prioritize and value innovation to support their franchisees success and the long-term resiliency of the brand.. The initial investment for a School of Rock franchise is approximately $395,800 $537,400 including a $49,900 franchise fee. "It's incredibly rewarding to be a top 200 franchise for 2022 and to know that franchisee satisfaction in the system is high," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. RT @FranchiseReview: Every year, FBR recognizes the franchise companies with the best workplace culture with the Franchising@WORK Awards. I spent my life savings on this business, and have received nothing in return. As educators, we're trailblazers with our performance-based model of music instruction. What we do get I spend hours reworking. UPS Drop Boxes: For 24/7 drop-off. Gain experience teaching lessons, the clientele is good, staff is mostly like-minded and it's fun working around music. We used to work together with corp to fix this stuff but now there is zero concern at the top about franchisees ability to make money. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (UnhappyFranchisee.Com) According to complaints weve received, some School of Rock franchise owners are singing the blues. Over the past 3 years weve seen a number of SOR owners invest in franchises outside of School of Rock bread, art schools, programming schools instead of further investing in School of Rock. School of Rock Franchise Cost. UPS Customer Centers: On-site UPS Evening hours are the hours of each day between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. the time after office hours and just before the sun sets. Maybe a few vodka and orange juices will help. Still hardly above $20/hr after all this inflation and cost of living increase. Why are these business owners not building more SORs if it is such an amazing investment? Promises made at owners conferences not realized is typical of School of Rock. The cost to open a school is incredibly high and the company drains it's franchise. They promote a one size fits all approach. Who We Are. TAGS: School of Rock, School of Rock franchise, School of Rock franchise opportunity, School of Rock franchise complaints, Sterling Partners, Dzana Homan, CEO Dzana Homan, School of Rock franchise disclosure document, School of Rock FDD, education franchise, education franchise opportunity, education franchise complaints, Paul Green School of Rock Music, unhappy franchisee. Are things better? School of Rock's approach to music education is unique. Fun students, fun staff, overall sor ethos is good, Pay is far below industry standard. With her the kids come last. Many owners have invested significant amounts of money in this business, some their entire retirement bankrolls, and to have to deal from a position of fear of retaliation from the CEO simply isnt right. I wonder if the powers that be at Sterling had to invest their personal money in a franchise, would THEY want this person in charge of their personal money. ( UnhappyFranchisee.Com ) In addition to the alleged bullying and intimidation tactics by . The CEO Dzana Homan is doing a wonderful job at destroying the company that used to thrive because of the culture and passion for music education. - Robust catalog of music to learn and teach. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our cookies policy. School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2022 by Franchise Business Review. About School of RockSchool of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Ms. Homan had previous educational franchise experience with FutureKids, Goddard Early Learning and Huntington Learning Centers. The current leadership of Dzana Hohman is not visionary, collaborative, inclusive, innovative or interested in building a partnership model with owners, and this approach has spread down the chain like wildfire. Heres one more point as to corporates incompetence: we are having a corporate conference call today to discuss Summer Camps. 70% of School of Rock employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. No-Nonsense Hype-Free Franchise Issues & Discussion Site. While I love what we do at the school level and feel this is incredibly rewarding, I have no real confidence in the future due to Dzana Homans leadership. Failure to acknowledge owners assoction to have 2 way communications with owners since 2015 the members have created an Independent Franchise Association to try to bridge relationships between owners and corporate and work together to fix problems and grow the business and the brand. Regrettably, I have to agree with everything above as well, knowing firsthand what it is like to be on the receiving end of the CEOs retaliation tactics. But Dolly Ravage, who runs the club and is the unofficial . 4 stars. For more information, consult the 2017 School of Rock Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). School of Rock franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training & support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, and financial opportunity. Shouldnt they be marketing our business so as to become a household name? When asked to address the situation and give guidance, Corp has consistently ignored us and continues to delay giving the system a legal and consistent answer. Misses call after call after call while team members were working diligently to solve copyright issues and curriculum issues with Hal Leonard publishing. Im pretty sure it would help me. Were a little short on data, but you can help. They are as culpable as she is. School of Rock Franchise Opportunity. 2017 School of Rock Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)(PDF FILE). Maybe the business model is flawed? We will reach out as best we can to CEO Dzana Homan, School of Rock executives, franchise owners, and staff for comments, corrections, clarifications, affirmations and/or rebuttals. Last minute: my buddy just got called to the office. When a board member has to take the stage at an owners conference to defend the CEO, because we have trouble working with her style its a glimpse into the delusion of the board members. We pay very high royalties fees and brand funding fees with little to no national marketing campaign. Despite numerous requests to be given the owners comments and feedback, we have yet to see any of these results. These are not absentee owners who choose to work elsewhere and let their business run. "At School of Rock, we are proud to have nurtured hundreds of thousands of talented musicians, many of whom have taken the stage at Milwaukee's Summerfest, one of the largest music festivals in the world," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. When tools or products are released, its hard to tell if legitimate stakeholders were engaged, and deliverables were tested for usability and quality prior to launch. Unless you come into this with very deep pockets of cash, no debt, own the building so you do not have to pay rent, you cannot make a profit with less than 150 students. $321,000 - $521,000. They say they have done extensive research. He was chosen by Franchise Business Review from among 200 nominations for his outstanding achievements as a School of Rock franchise owner in Chula Vista, CA. She has targeted high profile franchisees and initiated default proceedings against several of them. At the end of 2016, there were a total of 168 School of Rock locations, comprised of 152 franchise and 16 company-owned locations. When I became involved with School of Rock, I purchased two locations. 2023 School of Rock LLC. "Our mission goes beyond merely imparting music knowledge to our students. . This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our cookies policy. Follow School of Rock on Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Releases Black Friday marketing collateral with African American student as the model. Nelson's Dryden Hunt to join 4th NHL franchise in single season. One had a mental breakdown and could not function for a year or so. 2 stars. It was not like this when we bought into this business. We owners also invest in some pretty heavy marketing that actually benefits schools around the globe.shouldnt that be what SoR is doing? We are sent graphics to use locally. We've received complaints about the stability of the School of Rock management team since the appointment of a new CEO in 2014. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, with management and customer service backgrounds, i work at the gowanus brooklyn location and our, , enjoy getting to know the students and their families. Were still collecting data to inform categories such as Age, Disability, Sexual Orientation, and Veteran Status. School of Rock totally underpays employees. 02 Mar 2023 19:11:01 We have asked for editable marketing materials to use in local markets only to be met with demands for phone calls to be called down by the principal and berated. All we need is good content. Black Rock Coffee Bar . "Franchisee satisfaction levels hit an all-time high last year despite the pandemic, and we are pleased to report that our 2023 research shows satisfaction has remained sky higha sure indicator that franchisee satisfaction is a top priority for franchise companiesand thats good news for franchise owners and anyone thinking about investing in a franchise," said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. That story helped her get hired at all the companies shes left. School of Rock. This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months. Great culture and the fact that we change kids lives is fantastic! She views any dissent or pushback as a threat to her job/position and she has consistently worked to keep owners quiet. There are no standard operating procedures, no training manuals, no training department, no curriculum, and no support in regards to operating our business effectively or developing leads. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets . If you dont comply to MONTHLY P&Ls (when we signed on, there were no P&Ls collected and were told maybe annually would be the request from corp) you are in default and will be sent a threatening letter from corporate. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a School of Rock business is stated to be $136,850 to $339,100. Independent Survey Shows Franchise Owners Are Highly Satisfied with School of Rock's Performance SCHOOL OF ROCK NAMED A 2023 TOP FRANCHISE BY FRANCHISE BUSINESS REVIEW | International Franchise Association Innovation takes a lot more than just having creative ideas and solutions. It takes years to build a student base from the ground up. Recommends that they stand up at the conference in front of the company and announce they are dismantled. Congratulations to @SchoolofRockUSA for being a top place to work. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. They see all this stuff going on and they do nothing about itbut maybe they are in a position of saying well others have raised issues to the Sterling Board and nothing happenedthen why should I?. Management is a bit of a nightmarevery high turnover rate reflects this. Our fees pay your salaries, so Corp. needs to start working for us and build the brand. Additionally, there is not really much of a community; the work culture is poor. 6/5/2009. and only payed for time teaching not total time in school. Based on my conversations with many owners system-wide the issues are not confined to a small group of owners.