Entrepreneur magazine: The Best of the Best

By Tracy Stapp Herold

Which franchises are the best? There are a few ways to answer that. You could, for example, look at this year's edition of our annual, definitive ranking, called the Franchise 500. While 500 brands might sound like a lot, consider that it's only 43% of all the brands that applied for the list. But we can narrow it down even more than that. We group brands by category, and only 12.6% of the brands we ranked earned the No. 1 spot in their space. They are, quite literally, the best of the best–which is why we're recognizing them all here, in our annual "Best of the Best" list.

School of Rock / No. 1 in Children's Enrichment Programs: Music

School of Rock has more than doubled its active student enrollments over the last five years, hitting a new milestone of 50,000 enrollments in January. Those students can be found all around the world, including the newest countries the brand expanded into in 2021: Taiwan, Spain, Colombia, and South Africa. Over the years, some School of Rock students have gone on to record deals, Broadway, and appearances on American Idol and The Voice.

Comprehensive Music Education

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. Students learn theory, practice, and life skills through intensive, but fun preparation for live shows in real venues. Group learning teaches both technical and soft skills and this revolutionary approach increases retention, results, and brand consideration. The program serves children as young as four years old through grandparents who want to release their inner rock star. 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.

School of Rock understands what it takes to succeed and has a proven track record going back to the mid-’90s. Over the years, it has developed the techniques, the business processes, and the franchisee-centric culture that provides franchisees a blueprint for their own success. It is excited and passionate about its current international growth and future potential. The criteria is simple; if there is a love of Rock music and a desire to learn in a group format, then there is potential for School of Rock.