HouseTrap: balancing expansion and resource management
Meet Stéphanie Krieger, head of HouseTrap, an escape game center opened in Bulle in 2018. She talks to us about her entrepreneurial vision and plans for expansion in the canton.
We know all about your energetic personality and strong entrepreneurial spirit. What brought you to this path?
I began my career with UBS, then Club Med, which turned out to be a school of life for me. I learned the importance of creating a unique experience for customers, no matter what business you’re in. However, the intense pace, with managers who were sometimes less than understanding, also showed me the limits of this model. These experiences have left a lasting impression on me, and have inspired me to create work environments where the well-being of employees is at the center, while offering quality immersive adventures to our customers.
Can you tell us more about your first entrepreneurial experience and the impact it had on your career path?
After setting up two companies in 2012 and 2014 in very different fields where I gave courses and training, I launched into the escape game business in 2016. I had partners for the technical part, but we didn’t have the same vision, which led to differences of opinion. In 2018, I finally decided to sell this Valais-based company. It was a difficult decision, as it was my life project. However, the experience taught me re-silience and to be more vigilant about par- tnerships. It was a milestone that enabled me to bounce back with greater clarity and determination.
Today, you're in charge of a facility in Bulle, but you also have projects in Fribourg and Payerne. Can you tell us more about them?
Yes, I opened a new structure in Bulle in 2018, HouseTrap. That’s where I was really able to develop my vision with a solid team. This year, we decided to grow. We’re currently preparing to open new centers in Fribourg and Payerne, due to open in 2024. These expansions are exciting, but they also add a layer of complexity, particularly in terms of finances and re- questioning the current business model.
What are the main challenges or difficulties you are currently facing?
The current challenges are mainly financial and organizational. I have to decide whether to continue on my own or open up the capital to investors. There’s also the need to strengthen the team structure to make it more specialized and capable of managing several site openings, in order to ensure sustainable growth. Finally, we need to diversify our activities to generate more autonomous revenues and reduce the pressure on our teams due to the opening deadlines demanded by the escape game business model. It’s a delicate balance between expansion and resource management.
In particular, Fri Up supports entrepreneurship. What's it like for you?
Fri Up helped me to continue structuring and consolidating my financial objec- tives, especially in this phase of growth when decisions have to be made carefully. The association’s coaches gave me the support I needed to make informed choices. In the end, this enabled me to assess the risks and opportunities associated with this entrepreneurial project, which is facing major expansion. Not to mention that when you’re the sole shareholder, the sole director and the sole CEO, it’s sometimes a good idea to surround yourself with outsiders, so that you can challenge your own decisions with humility.