Starting a franchise is similar to starting your own business from the ground up. But as a franchisee, you join an already established organization with built-in brand awareness and some standard operating processes. Franchises can provide a proven business model as well as training and support throughout the business ownership experience. There are a variety of types of franchises to choose from, so you'll want to start researching to find the one that aligns best with your interests, goals and budget.

TURN PASSION INTO PROFIT

School of Rock is the best franchise for entrepreneurs with a passion for music, a love of children, and a willingness to give back to their community. An ideal School of Rock franchisee candidate believes in our brand and our mission of providing a safe and creative space for students to develop into musicians.

HOW TO OWN A FRANCHISE? BEGIN WITH RESEARCH

Before looking into how to buy a franchise, candidates should always research to learn more about their options. At School of Rock, we advise our candidates to begin their research with our Franchise Information Report to gain insights into our brand and our vision. We also encourage candidates to reach out to our franchisees to validate their findings or ask any questions. Candidates should also read industry publications, like franchise updates, Forbes, or Entrepreneur for the latest information on promising franchises to invest in.

1. How well-known is the brand?

When researching a franchise, you’ll want to look into the brand and gauge how well it’s known. We encourage candidates to ask their friends and community members about School of Rock to measure the awareness of the brand in the neighborhood they plan to start their music school.

In addition to speaking with your community, candidates should conduct a Google search and check social media channels to assess the local awareness of School of Rock. Candidates should also check for customer reputation, franchisee reviews, and the overall vision of the brand.

2. How much control do franchisees have?

When looking into a franchise, start with researching how much control you’ll have over day-to-day operations. The amount of control a franchisee has over their business varies from franchise to franchise. At School of Rock, our candidates must understand that they’re buying into a proven system.

The franchisee maintains our standards and is the face of the company on the local level. We’re always looking to improve, and we listen to our franchisees for ideas on how to make our brand stronger. However, all ideas must apply to our brand as a whole, and we make no compromises on the safety of our students.

After opening a franchise, most franchisees spend the first few years developing a solid understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Once they’ve built a solid foundation, franchisees generally start to get creative with music camps and workshops. For instance, all franchisees must offer dedicated School of Rock programs, but franchisees are in charge of determining specific aspects of the curriculum, like the genre of rock or the artists that are covered.

Franchisees also have flexibility when it comes to customizing their locations, and have the power to create their own rock-based design theme, so long as it adheres to School of Rock requirements. When building their teams, franchisees also have complete control over managing staff and can determine whom to hire and schedule as they see fit.

These are only some of the many ways franchisees can run their businesses. Contact us for more information about what franchisees can do with their School of Rock franchises.

3. What kind of equipment do franchisees need?

Like any business, it’s important to understand the equipment or capital investments needed to start your franchise. At School of Rock, candidates will need musical and educational equipment for teaching students how to play.

For a complete list of all equipment required by School of Rock, candidates will have access to our Franchise Information Report during the application process. Interested candidates can reach out to our development team to gain access to our Franchise Information Report.

4. Are there available franchise opportunities in your area?

Before buying a franchise, candidates should first verify that there are opportunities available in that particular locality. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about how to start a School of Rock franchise in your area.

When looking to buy a School of Rock franchise, we advise our candidates to choose a space that is approximately 2,500 square feet and located in an area of commerce. We have partnerships with real estate brokers and architects to assist you during this process.

5. How much support does the franchisor provide?

When owning a franchise, you don’t always want to go it all alone. That’s why School of Rock provides franchisees with all the tools and guidelines needed for success. Our ultimate goal is to efficiently minimize the time it takes from signing on the dotted line to opening your doors.

WHAT GOES INTO OWNING A SCHOOL OF ROCK FRANCHISE?

For those who aren’t quite sure how to buy a franchise and turn it into a successful business, we will show you how it's done.  

OPERATING A SCHOOL OF ROCK WITH DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS

With your staff of instructors, usually about 20 or so part-timers per school, you’ll be working day after day with professional musicians who are passionate about teaching their skills to children. You’ll also be afforded franchise training and support from industry experts who are just as connected to music as you and your staff.

To help our franchisees manage their day-to-day operations, all franchisees are required to attend a four-day management course in Chicago, where they will partake in an immersive training program that covers all aspects of what maintaining a franchise location entails. This includes marketing, employee management, IT overviews, and more.

HOW SCHOOL OF ROCK OFFERS FRANCHISEES SUPPORT

Whether you’re a musician looking for your first business venture or an experienced business executive looking to buy a franchise, we’ve built up an incredible support team to provide you with everything you need to build your business.

“When a new franchise candidate signs up to become a franchisee, we provide them with a guaranteed weekly exchange and communication with their franchise business consultant,” says Tony Padulo, Chief Development Officer. “On a weekly basis, they are going to touch base with their consultant on a number of things: marketing, staffing, construction, architectural drawings, business systems, and music programming — everything.”

“The support teams we have in place include marketing, operations, music programming, IT — we have several folks that work at a help desk that are available to answer technical-related questions throughout the day,” Padulo says. “Our response rates are excellent. Our franchise owners are going to receive a level of support on all aspects of their business that is, I would say, the best in the industry.”

GRAND OPENING FRANCHISE SUPPORT

From the moment you sign a franchise agreement, our team springs into action to help get you on the road to success. From the real estate search to making sure you open with a sufficient number of students, our team is at your disposal.

“We have a series of support calls, and we walk franchisees through every step of the process,” says Alexandra Kendall, VP of Marketing.

At the start, each new franchise owner is connected with our New School Opening team and assigned a dedicated project manager. Our franchise support team will provide weekly touch-base meetings where they use project management software that allows franchisees to communicate with their consultant on any number of projects.

“At the end of the day, everything lines up so that when you have the grand opening of your school, you have a sizeable amount of attendees,” Kendall says. “And ultimately have the number of enrolled students that you need to set you up for success in the long run.”

ONGOING FRANCHISE TRAINING & SUPPORT

The support doesn’t end there. We also offer continuous training, with teams in place to help franchisees with operations, marketing, and IT, including a 24-hour help desk to address technology-related issues.

Once you’ve bought your new franchise, we go into execution mode. We provide tools so franchisees can chart their own progress as they build up their business, and we make sure our franchise support teams are available and responsive.

Our response rates are excellent, and franchisees receive a level of support in all aspects of their business that is the highest in the industry. School of Rock walks franchisees through every step of owning a franchise while still allowing them latitude to adapt our systems in a way that best suits their individual markets.

No matter the task, School of Rock franchisees will have the support they need for as long as they own the franchise. School of Rock’s mission is to transform children’s lives through music. Our franchise support is designed to help you successfully carry out that mission.

UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS OF FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP

School of Rock franchisees come from all sorts of backgrounds, but share a passion for music. Whether they’re experienced entrepreneurs or musicians themselves, they get the coaching and guidance they need to maximize the profit potential of their School of Rock franchise. For a complete breakdown of the initial investment and costs of starting your School of Rock franchise, visit our Franchise Costs page.

Ways to finance your franchise

Our candidates may choose from the following three options to finance their School of Rock franchise:

1. Self-Financing
2. A general SBA Loan requiring a 15%-to-20% cash injection
3. 401k rollover (US only), which allows franchisees to borrow against their own money through a Rollover as Business Start-up (ROBS) plan.

Candidates may also choose to work with one of our financial adviser partners. Contact us to learn more about how you can finance your own School of Rock franchise.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE BUYING A FRANCHISE

1. HOW LONG HAS THE FRANCHISE BEEN RUNNING? AND HOW MANY SCHOOL OF ROCK FRANCHISE LOCATIONS ARE THERE TODAY?

Since we began franchising in 2004, School of Rock franchisees started and grew to more than 325 locations in 15 countries around the world. That’s an average of 20 new franchises opening every year.

We have nearly 25 years of experience specializing in music education. Close to 20 of those years have been spent expanding both our national and international presence.

2. HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I MAKE?

Unfortunately, we’re unable to provide any projected revenue, as we are governed by the Federal Trade Commission. However, we welcome our candidates to contact both current and previous franchise owners to discuss any further questions.

Money isn’t the only driving force for our School of Rock franchisees. You’ll be filled with the satisfaction of watching your students develop from bashful and self-conscious pupils to musicians who can own a stage.

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

Check out our School of Rock Franchising FAQ page or contact us to speak with our development team about how to start your franchise today.

SCHOOL OF ROCK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FRANCHISE COMPANY

At School of Rock, we believe diversity cultivates creativity and innovation, inspires high-quality decisions, and promotes economic growth. Our company is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion within our schools and throughout our system. People of all ethnicities, genders, orientations, religions, and backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to join the School of Rock family if they are able to meet the franchising requirements.