urSwim Targets Connecticut for Franchise Development

urSwim, the six-unit mobile swim instruction and pool management franchise, is targeting Connecticut for franchise development. Being based in New York, the franchise wanted to start by scaling in an area where it could provide hands-on support to franchise owners.

“When we started thinking about expanding into other states, Connecticut felt very resonant with our demographic here in New York,” said founder and CEO Marina Mentzel. “It’s high-income, family-focused and has a strong demand for structured activities like swimming. Being a coastal state, swimming is something that families put a lot of value in.”

urSwim already has two locations in Connecticut, but there’s plenty of white space for franchise growth. The state has a high median household income of nearly $96,000. Children under 18 also make up nearly 20% of the state’s population.

“Connecticut fit the bill,” Mentzel said. “When you look at all the white space in the U.S., it’s about finding those areas that have the right demographics and have the need to really learn the skill. Swimming is something that everybody needs to learn, but certain territories, because of their access to water, will have an increased need.”

In Connecticut, urSwim is specifically looking at areas like Greenwich, Stamford and New Haven County. The franchise will start by targeting territories with a high concentration of pools, shorelines and lakes, where there is a high demand for swim instruction and water safety education. urSwim brings swim lessons and aquatic services directly to homes, schools, country clubs and recreation centers. The brand offers private and group swim lessons, water safety education, lifeguard staffing and professional pool management, giving families and businesses a convenient on-site solution.

There’s demand for swim instruction around the entire country, regardless of the climate. In the Northeast, urSwim has already built systems that allow customers to take lessons in their backyard pools through the brand’s at-home services and then migrate to one of its indoor facilities in the fall and winter.

“We’re giving them options throughout the year,” Mentzel said. “For us here in the Northeast, our summers are much shorter, but the opportunity is still extremely scalable.”

Because Connecticut-based franchise owners will be within driving distance from the New York headquarters, they will have easy access to the corporate team.

“One of the things that we do is we provide the training on how to secure access to water,” Mentzel said. “It’s about being boots on the ground, canvassing, learning the talk tracks, building relationships in your community and identifying which facilities are going to resonate. That will help the franchisee secure those relationships so you can provide that programming.”

urSwim is an asset-light business, so once franchisees secure access to water, they can just focus on finding customers and building their business.

“We support the franchises in helping them achieve those relationships and locations so that they can go out and really just start driving this skill in their community without having to wait,” Mentzel said.

Franchisees in Connecticut will be among the first to join the brand’s regional expansion and will help bring critical swim safety education and year-round instruction opportunities to families in their local communities.