HQ is the add-on that rolls up multiple shops under one organization — aggregated KPIs, shop switching, a shared catalog, and royalty, contract, and franchisee-onboarding tools (available to both org types, not just franchises). This article walks through creating your HQ organization, the two org types, and what "Default Billing" actually controls.
Where to start
If this is your first time setting up HQ, you won't find it in the sidebar's main navigation yet — the sidebar's "Multi-Shop HQ" section only appears once you already belong to at least one organization, so for a brand-new setup it's empty and hidden.
Instead, press Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K on Windows) to open the command palette, type "HQ," and select it — that takes you straight to `/app/hq` and starts the setup flow below. Once you've created your first organization, the sidebar's workspace switcher grows a "Multi-Shop HQ" section listing it, which is the faster path back in from then on.
Step 1: Create your organization
On the HQ page, click Create HQ Account to open the setup form (Step 1 of 2 — step 2 is adding your first location, from the HQ dashboard, right after this). You'll fill in:
- Organization Name — e.g. "SalesThumb Corporate." The URL slug is generated for you automatically.
- Organization Type — see below.
- Default Billing — see below.
When you're ready, click Create HQ to finish.
### Multi-Location vs Franchise
You'll choose one of two organization types, and it's worth getting right since it shapes what the HQ dashboard shows you:
- Multi-Location — "I own multiple shops." Pick this if you personally own and operate every shop under the org.
- Franchise — "Corporate HQ over franchisees." Pick this if you're the franchisor and shops are run by separate franchisee owners. Both org types get the same royalty, contracts, and franchisee-onboarding tools in the HQ nav — Franchise mainly changes labeling and a couple of franchise-specific branding controls in HQ settings, not which tools you have access to.
### What "Default Billing" means
This setting decides who's charged by default when a new shop is added under the org:
- HQ pays — "One subscription for all shops." The organization is billed centrally for shops under it.
- Each shop pays — "Shops manage own billing." Every shop keeps its own separate subscription.
It's a default, not a permanent rule — the app itself notes "You can override per-shop later," so you can mix billing ownership across individual shops after the org exists.
Try it with sample data first
If you'd rather explore before committing real shop data, click Try with sample data instead of building your org by hand. It seeds a demo franchise with 3 sample shops plus sample customers, invoices, and payments so you can click around a populated HQ dashboard. Sample data is safe to delete at any time.
What HQ costs
HQ is a flat $599/mo add-on that stacks on top of whatever per-shop plan your locations are already on — it isn't a replacement for your shop subscriptions. (You may still see older in-app copy near the setup screen quoting a different number; that string is stale — $599/mo is the correct, current figure.)
Need help?
Email info@roffik.com.