How a Low-Cost Franchise Opportunity with The House of Colour Transformed One Woman’s Life
Identifying the way that certain colours and styles complemented her better than others was a pivotal moment for franchisee Helen Venables. Struggling with post-natal depression, she found that a career with House of Colour provided her with a low-cost franchise opportunity that allowed her to improve her own wellbeing.
Passionate about the business, Helen quickly worked her way up to become a managing director at House of Colour. Responsible for more than 100 personal stylists in the UK alone, Helen is currently seeking to double this number by creating an additional 100 new stylist jobs. Alongside working in the UK, she’s also helping to contribute to the incredible growth in the US.
Quite the result for someone who describes herself as “switched off academically” and whose fashion experience prior to joining House of Colour stretched no further than selling handbags in John Lewis. So, how exactly did Helen find herself as the managing director of a company whose UK franchise revenues are up 12% on last year despite increasing economic uncertainty?
To answer this question, we need to hop back in time to a decade defined by big hair, shoulder pads and bell bottom trousers. In other words, we need to return to the 1970s.
Enamoured by David Bowie’s androgynous take on fashion as a teenager, Helen embraced all the styles and bright makeup of the glam rock movement. Face constantly illuminated by bright green eyeshadow, her outfit of choice was made up of brown cord flares, a velvet jacket and a brown fedora hat that left her father speechless.
It wasn’t just her clothes that made her father despair, though.
No, he was disappointed when Helen performed poorly in important tests and turned her back on an academic path. In hindsight, Helen admits that she “completely wasted the opportunity of attending an outstanding girls’ school in London”.
Whilst she might not have earned top marks at school, her formative years saw her discover a personal style that would provide her with invaluable insight when it came to franchising with House of Colour.
Before her journey into franchising, however, Helen worked in retail, training, and charity work. From selling handbags to founding a group that helped teaching in schools, she developed an impressive CV that prepared her to run her own business. Seizing everything with both hands, Helen reflected that “from a young age I learnt to be independent, energetic and to take the opportunities offered.”
Seemingly on track for great things, Helen was unfortunately struck with crippling post-natal depression following the birth of her third child. Highly debilitating, she struggled to get out of bed in the morning and lacked her charismatic energy. It was at this point that a good friend stepped in and suggested she get her colours done at House of Colours.
This experience turned out to be transformational to say the least.
Discovering that she was a spring palette, more suited to warm and bright colours than the navy and black tones she was dressing herself in, Helen went home and immediately switched up her wardrobe.
“This ‘wow’ moment acted like a switch for me.” she explains, “I had been really quite ill with post-natal depression and couldn’t relate to myself in any way. I had completely lost my way. My consultation helped my recovery because I could see the person I knew I had once been and I felt exactly what my House of Colour clients experience now. Colours are far more powerful to our mood and how we see ourselves than we fully understand and wearing the right colours can be incredibly confidence building”.
Keen to discover other elements of her dress which could be improved, Helen took part in a style session at the House of Colour. Just as eye-opening as her colour consultation, she describes how:
“I learnt style is about more than just dressing your body shape. It’s understanding things like proportion, balance and personality. We can reflect that through pattern, texture, cut, accessories and detail and together this results in who you are being expressed visually. We often see that lightbulb moment in our clients and sometimes the results produce some very happy tears.”
Two years after her initial consultation, Helen made the move to becoming a stylist herself. Armed with her former confidence, she graduated from stylist to trainer and then regional manager within six years. In 2012, Helen was officially promoted to managing director of House of Colour. Under her tenure, the business has enjoyed a healthy expansion and has become one of the most popular franchises for sale.
Originally conceived as an image consultancy, the House of Colour was established back in 1985. Over the last seven years, Helen and her team of co-directors have overseen an evolution that’s seen the business become a more contemporary colour and style consultancy that’s fit for the 21st century.
Particularly popular among investors seeking out a franchise opportunity, the House of Colour has attracted the attention of 18 new franchisees in the UK and 13 in America over the last year alone. A new range of makeup products have also been launched in this time, adding to the existing line of 250 seasonally oriented products.
When probed about the future of the fashion industry, Helen explains how “it’s going to be really interesting. Digital has completely disrupted the fashion industry. The consumer has so much power - we can rate, deliver the next day, review and choose whatever we want at the click of a button. Powerful ecommerce platforms are the only way to go".
As for the future of House of Colour, Helen explains how “I want us to be known for changing lives, building confidence and revolutionising people’s approach to creating an eco-friendlier capsule wardrobe. We want the brand to use our powerful voice to talk against fast fashion and for protecting the environment. We advise our clients to buy less and buy as good quality items as they can afford so that they last and feel wonderful”.
In terms of her own development, she goes on to say:
“For me personally every day is different, and it is fulfilling and a huge privilege to help our clients go through powerful transformations. I have the opportunity to recruit and coach new consultants to make this incredible company even better in the future.”
As well as advancing her mental health, the business also brought Helen closer to her father. Proud of his daughter’s success, he recognised her passion to lead and her determined, entrepreneurial spirit. He was no doubt pleased to see the back of the fedora hats and Ziggy Stardust makeup, too.
Happy to impart some of her wisdom, Helen’s top style tips are:
- Focus on the foundations - buy the best underwear you possibly can. The correct bra and knickers will make or break your outfit.
- Once you know your best colours, it really is easy to create an impact. Simply select any three colours from your colour palette and you’ll find yourself making a statement.
- Make sure you’re wearing the right colour jewellery for the time of year - this means warm colours in autumn and spring and cool colours during winters and summer. Go shopping in your wardrobe. More specifically, try items on together that you haven’t already. If your clothes are in your colours and style, you can easily create an interesting collection of outfits you didn’t know you owned.
