Were a little short on data, but you can help. CANTON, Mass., Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- School of Rock, the leader in . Question: Has anyone attempted to communicate these complaints to management at Sterling Partners? School of Rock, the perfectly pleasant, perfectly innocuous new musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Glenn Slater, and Julian Fellowes, is strictly adult contemporary. So glad she is gone. 70% of School of Rock employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. The . Innovation takes a lot more than just having creative ideas and solutions. The owners continue to ask for meaningful and effective marketing campaigns delivered within enough time to make an impact in their markets but campaigns are typically rolled out late in the game. Tells Schools she is coming to visit the school and will attend the schools event . The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. 70% of employees would recommend working at School of Rock to a friend and 57% have a positive outlook for the business. Seems like the complaints stopped after the leadership change. I would like to see what a franchisee from say Dunkin Donuts gets and what their royalties and brand fund fees get them. All we need is good content. Hamilton was honored at the . ALL POSTS Dzana Homan Kids Franchises SCHOOL OF ROCK Franchise Tutoring franchise SCHOOL OF ROCK Franchise Complaints: Corporate Employee Turnover June 16, 2017 ADMIN 12 Comments CEO Dzana Homan , Dzana Homan , education franchise , My experience as a franchisee matches up with the above. 4 stars. These are two people who work full time in corporate schools as Music Directors. An adaptation of the 2003 Jack . Section III - Initial franchise fee, royalty fee, marketing fee, and other fees for a School of Rock franchise, based on Items 5 and 6 of the company's 2020 FDD Section IV - Number of franchised and company-owned School of Rock outlets at the start of the year and the end of the year for 2017, 2018, and 2019, based on Item 20 of the . She is constantly attempting to retaliate against owners because they do not agree with her. "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. The result, claims franchisee(s), is a reluctance to renew on the part of franchisees: the franchise disclosure document leaves out a significant cost and management component related to securing copyrighted music for the music that is taught in the schools the franchisor is pushing other licensing costs onto the franchisees, as well as risk related to securing copyrighted music. Just Posted. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a School of Rock business is stated to be $136,850 to $339,100. 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. 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. yet those research results are never shared. We pay very high royalties fees and brand funding fees with little to no national marketing campaign. 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. "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. School of Rock Franchise Cost. Constant pressure to work within their app, instead of being able to tailor lessons to students. We all need a change of leadership. Sometimes those letters, arent even customized and you get [name] as the salutation. First to Review. According to the 2017 FDD, Dzana Homan Chief Executive Officer Ms. Homan became our Chief Executive Officer on June 9, 2014 and is located in El Segundo, California. - If you're in the right school with the right coworkers, you'll love going to work. There has been next to no interest by Dzana to recognize this group, despite the fact that most successful franchises have an IFA that helps to build the business. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2022 and 2021 Global Franchise's Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2023 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; Franchise Business Review's 2023 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 200 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America. Most days I wish it would just go away and I could close the doors. (Thats 6 days from now.) Employees also rated School of Rock 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.2 for culture and values and 3.1 for career opportunities. School of Rock has an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5, based on over 306 reviews left anonymously by employees. You should consider the 21 units as failed franchises in this case until SoR proves differently. 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. 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. The initial franchise fee is $40,000. 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. There has been a massive amount of turnover in the Corporate structure since the arrival of Ms. Homan. School of Rock has the franchise fee of up to $49,500, with total initial investment range of $169,350 to $399,100. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. Who We Are. It always seems it is about what she wants and will rarely consider another perspective. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of the top 200 franchises in its annual Guide to Today's Top Franchises. Unless you are fond of creating problems for yourself, you will keep your mouth shut and stay off her radar. The UPS Store: Multiple, wide-ranging services. 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. The International Franchise Association (IFA) today named Matias Puga Hamilton, master franchisee of School of Rock in Latin America, as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Initial Rent Outlays: $6,000 to $15,500. We are fortunate to have a school that is becoming successful and has gradually gained students, but we also feel the profitability of the school was oversold and we would not suggest that anyone purchase a franchise based on the franchise price, the franchise fees, the cost of a buildout and the challenge to get the right employees to build the right culture. The companies on this year's list of Top Franchises are the top-ranked brands in the key areas critical to their franchisees' success.". They answer questions on a help desk part time for a network of 200 schools This is like have a corporate store owner in a food business available on a chat wall to answer questions about recipes while they are making sandwiches. "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. 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. Deceased middle-aged man found near Maple Ridge school. The total investment to be expected is seriously understated. Why are these business owners not building more SORs if it is such an amazing investment? In answer to the Admin question if we have attempted to communicate this to Sterling, the answer is yes. I believe Ms. Homan tells them we are a handful of disgruntled owners who do not know what we are doing and that her team provides direction that we do not follow. Management is extremely lazy, very low pay, equipment in the school is consistently broken, wifi doesn't work great which makes it harder to teach, app is shoved down your throat and students do NOT like it. Fix the leadership and the problems that prevent owners from being successful and the brand and system will grow. I feel ripped off that I have to pay Corp 11% off the top PLUS $8 for every email address I have PLUS a fee for the software they require us to use (which, by the way is not specifically designed for music schools but is partially owned by the CEO we had prior to Ms. Homan) . Our Shorewood location has had a significant impact, having reached thousands of families with our community-enriching program and introducing them to the ever-evolving and powerful language of music.". "Our mission goes beyond merely imparting music knowledge to our students. Enjoyment and love for music are universal, and therefore, The School of Rock methodology can translate well into any country and culture. James Adam Jenkins Criminal History. There are many smart owners with skill sets that exceed those on the corporate side and to have to work in this environment is really counterproductive. Great culture and the fact that we change kids lives is fantastic! Please share your opinions and thoughts with a comment below, or email us in confidence at UnhappyFranchisee[at]gmail.Com. She has targeted high profile franchisees and initiated default proceedings against several of them. Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full description of the 2022 Top Franchises. "It's gratifying to be ranked among the top 200 franchises once again, said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. 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. Were told there were pilot schools, but its always top secret of what schools and which people participated. This employer has claimed their Employer Profile and is engaged in the Glassdoor community. School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2022 by Franchise Business Review. Great company culture and support when needed. . Then maybe we can get back to business. 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. Largest School of Rock Investor investing in programming schools Ceases all progress with no alternative plan. She did so much damage, it may be unsalable. Franchisees who have complained of unfair treatment on Facebook are reportedly called to the Principals office and admonished by Ms. Homan. She goes after franchisees who speak up instead of genuinely seeking to fix problems. When I was on the phone with the VP of Franchising, I was trying to explain my reasons for not wanting to open location number 2. Just curious if Sterling Partners is really interested in thatbased on their turning a blind eye to what has been going on, it might be some private equity company looking for an exit strategy. 2023 School of Rock LLC. Management is a bit of a nightmarevery high turnover rate reflects this. She is also unpleasant in her demeanor and can never accept any faults on her part. Charlotte: When I was sold this business, I was told I would break even at 70 students, I am not at 140 students and am hardly making enough to pay my loan payments. 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. 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. Would be great to have benefits but I never had either at any of my other part time jobs. 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. In addition to the comments above in the post, which I totally agree with, it should be pointed out that many of the franchisees will be totally afraid to post here for fear of retaliation from expressing their opinion, which really isnt right. By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our cookies policy. Each of the 200 Franchisee Satisfaction Award winners on this years list achieved stellar ratings from their franchisees.". Flies first class, stays in 5 star hotel, never shows up at school or event. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); School of Rock Franchise Complaints: Management Turnover, School of Rock Franchise Complaints: Condescension, Bullying. Ive done private instruction before but its cool to see kids make friends here and get to experience performing at venues. Maybe a few vodka and orange juices will help. He currently owns four schools in Latin America: Los Dominicos in Chile, Santiago in Chile, Polanco in Mexico, and Bogot in Colombia (Colombia). School of Rock: 8% franchisee fee, liquid capital of $100,000 and a total investment of $192,000-$422,000. I love that I get to work with kids and share my passion of music with them. This business used to thrive because of the passion for music education and the culture that was created across all of the schools. "This is a testament to the dedication of our franchisees and corporate team, who enrich lives through performance-based music education. Dear Broke Owner, If they eliminated the Brand fund would that help? 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. Im sharing some first hand experiences with Dzana Homan as she destroyed an otherwise beautiful company. 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. What does it say about School of Rock as a smart business investment when owners choose to invest elsewhere: - Unless you're a GM, it's not a sustainable income by itself. Get that fat Asian bitch out of my school Ms. Homan when she found out that an employee had given her two weeks notice. We were told it would take 10-15 minutes to complete, when in actuality it took several hours for most owners due to the comments and feedback that the owners added with their answers. The current mindset is that owners are unpaid laborers who should be on call to manage the business at all hours (because you could get a lead at 3 am that you should respond to within 10 minutes), be subjected to the dominance of the operations and leadership group and hold ALL OF THE RISK in the business. School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2022 by Franchise Business Review. 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. These new hires include a COO and several Franchise Business Consultants, which are supposed to provide support at the school level. 6/5/2009. Little has been said about the real heroes in this business. We can never ask them questions. This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months. We are sent graphics to use locally. I do not have confidence in nor do I trust Dzana Homans leadership. In an interview published on Forbes.Com, Homan stated that she believed in granting franchisees a degree of independence. Maybe that is the intent. Skillsandtech 2023 Content can not be published without prior approval. Heres one more point as to corporates incompetence: we are having a corporate conference call today to discuss Summer Camps. 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. I have so many great students that I love working with and look forward to teaching each week. Drinks vodka and orange juice in office and becomes inebriated. I saw 8 instructors quit in a month. Its also a part time job so its never been a problem that Im a gigging musician and have to go on tour with my band sometimes. The integrated SongFirst approach teaches students techniques and theory while also helping them apply those skills when performing with other musicians. Requests for meetings, follow up from meetings no agendas, no action, no results best sums it up. Overweights and overvalues the effect that School of Rock Musical and Nickelodeon television show will have on brand. The turnover rate is incredibly high. Not in number of students, but in actually making money. There is little, if any, thought given to financial impact on franchisee of decisions made at corp. We strive to empower them with the skills, confidence, and creativity needed to succeed in both music and life. CANTON, Mass. Feb. 27, 2023 School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education, has been named the Grand Champion of the 2023 Global Franchise Awards, the most prestigious Global Franchise award. I spent my life savings on this business, and have received nothing in return. 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. This has happened to me and there is no mistaking that the intent is to instill fear of losing your school. Join the School of Rock franchise family today and prepare to change your life! Makes zero sense. On June 26, 2009, Sterling SOR, LLC, a subsidiary of Sterling Partners, a private equity firm that owns an interest in approximately 28 other companies, acquired a controlling interest in School of Rock, LLC and its affiliates. That is not what they told us in the sales pitch. I opened the first location in 2014, and in 2015 decided it was not worth the investment to open my second location. Effects are basically zero positive and actually trivialize the real School of Rock experience. However, even with great opening numbers, I too cannot seem to figure out how to make money at this business. I really appreciate the help! The program serves children as young as four years old through grandparents who want to release their inner rock star. In addition, if more schools were successful they could sell more franchises. October 7, 2022FRANCHISE. We need more students and our franchisor either has no idea how to do that or chooses not to spend to grow the business. Ive got the FDD. It looks like someone else mentioned that there are other franchises who have opted to take their investment money and put it elsewhere. The initial investment for a School of Rock franchise is approximately $395,800 $537,400 including a $49,900 franchise fee. Glassdoor has 308 School of Rock reviews submitted anonymously by School of Rock employees. 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. Are you familiar with Dzana Homan and the School of Rock franchise program? We have lost VPs of Marketing, COOs, CFOs, and the entire training department, which is now being run by the former IT manager/director. 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. INSTANT IMPRINTS: Deceptive Franchise Marketing 101, GRAZE CRAZE Franchise: Kerry Sylvester Bankruptcy, Court Records, GRAZE CRAZE Franchise: J.A. Not a ton of benefits, but it varies by each franchise. Search reviews. This is the 18th annual ranking of the 200 best franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners. Through the power of music, prospective franchise investors have the ability to positively impact the lives of their students and their community as a whole. I wonder if the door hit her in the ass on the way out. Franchise Business Review, a research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction, provides the only ratings of franchises based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. 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. News flashwe are an INTERNATIONAL brand and our marketing content and creative should reflect as such. Owners got into this to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and many have developed health issues, relationship issues, and have drained retirement savings. I am glad this public forum got set up. School of Rock Named a 2022 Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review. We are now starting to see some of them give up and relinquish their schools back to corp or close completely. Were all hoping to make this business successful but that wont happen in the current environment. 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. Maybe the business model is flawed? However, results were delivered in a pick your favourite approach, and the real issues were left in the closet. In three years, we have lost a significant amount of knowledge due to the departure of long term employees, some of whom were original to the Paul Green School of Rock Music. Article pretty much holds to our experience as well. It is considered a full time employee at SOR but not considered full time to anyone else. Find your private company bowl on Fishbowl, join the hottest conversation with your colleagues anonymously. 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?. She should be fired, and I should be reimbursed. 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. Do the right thing. "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. Not sure how they all sleep at night. This is why you dont hire women with kids, children are a weakness.-Ms. Homan when she found out an employee was pregnant and had limited travel ability. Almost every interaction is adversarial, to the point where you almost go out of your way not to have them. Thinking maybe these were a limited few, and I went with my gut and did it anyways. We look forward to continuing to provide our franchisees with the support and resources they need to be successful.". I love the business itself and that is what keep me (and probably a lot of owners) in the professions. School of Rock was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. SOR does events that can help connect you with community. School of Rock totally underpays employees. That story helped her get hired at all the companies shes left. This core program, combined with camps, workshops, global touring opportunities, and other special events is helping us build the largest community of music creators in the world. Wondering if any of the former franchisors miss her? The pay at school of rock is at the absolute bottom end of any music instruction . How much does School of Rock franchise cost? Thanks for these comments. Other complaints received include an understatement of disclosed costs, insufficient franchisee support, and allegations of a competitive, adversarial attitude from the franchisor. Other franchise owners investing in or starting their own franchises outside of School of Rock 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. Thanks to the school's performance-based approach, students around the world have gained superior musical proficiency, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway. From December 2010 to March 2014, Ms. Homan served as the Chief Operating Officer of Goddard Systems, Inc. in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.. Love the students and overall environment. 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. 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. School of Rock. We again invited SoR & Homan for response or rebuttal. Theres now a collective calm over the organisation. High royalties, uncooperative leadership, ineffective and expensive technology systems so many reasons to look elsewhere to park your investment funds. It's raining (obviously) and on Canal Street storm clouds of another sort are gathering. All of this happened in front of my eyes. None to disclose! Gain experience teaching lessons, the clientele is good, staff is mostly like-minded and it's fun working around music.