House Of Colour

I love the impact we have on clients and the confidence this business gives people. I also value the strength of the House of Colour brand, the relationships I’ve built, and the opportunity to grow a successful business and team while contributing through training.

I don’t like the increasing costs and royalties when some of the technology, communication, inventory management, and operational support still create unnecessary friction. At times, decisions and systems seem designed for an individual stylist rather than franchisees running higher-volume businesses with associates.

Have been able to make great friendships with other franchise owners who agree with me that changes need to be made. There is a reason why people don't stick around past 5 years and why many leave before then.

Technology and royalty fees are not paused for maternity leave after 1 month. The expectation that you are to work or else pay a fee 1 month post partum is appalling.

I felt like I was able to grow with the franchise. When I started in 2018, there was no US corporate team. Everything was in the UK. When I left in 2023, there was a really strong US Corporate team. Everything was much more organized and the culture was amazing to be apart of. I was able to sell my franchise for 3x what I paid for it.

I felt like we had a lot of autonomy when I came in, basically there was a lot of flexibility and freedom. Over time, it became more that we needed to follow the system created by HQ. Most people really like this as then they can "set it and forget it." At first it was hard bc I felt like what I was making was better than HQ but over time their quality surpassed what I could do on my own. Not really a negative but an observation about the shift in the brand.

I like that I can control my schedule and make as little or as much money as I put forth effort.

Often times there's so much extra work that goes into it, that maybe it doesn't seem worth it to me. Also- things have changed so much, it's not the "mom and pop" company that I started with. That's a little disappointing. It's not what it used to be.

- The American leadership team is friendly - The drapes are well-made - The size of the training cohorts

- The communication and education around compliance, standards, and how to uphold the manual are abysmal. Everything around related to that department is hidden, misinformed, and lacks proper education or training. This lack of clarity around what is and is not allowed for franchise operations drastically impacts the profitability and limits the ability to expand/scale the business. - The required POS and scheduling system that was built in-house is horrible, limited, and prevents efficient operations for franchises and their teams. - The limited options for makeup colors that we are allowed to sell to clients. There should be more options and variety to make for a great customer experience so that we can sell more product and be competitive with other beauty product brands. I lose sales and customers because there's gaps in makeup shades. - We do not have an assigned account manager that's accessible by phone for questions, coaching, and support in the first year of business. This is a unique timeframe with challenges that require specific attention to set up for long-term success and it makes the onboarding process difficult as a new franchisee to have to figure it out on your own.