What a Down Economy Means for Your Investment With Big Blue Swim School

U.S. national swimming champion Chris DeJong founded Big Blue Swim School in 2009, at the height of the great recession. So a rocky economy is nothing new to the brand, which since launching its franchise opportunity in 2018, has signed agreements for 124 new units in markets across the country, making it one of the fastest growing players in the fragmented $3 billion per year swim school industry.

Today, the country is contending with the dire economic fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but Big Blue Swim School not only remains a stable investment, it is growing faster than ever thanks to an increased interest in franchising, a glut of prime real estate opportunities, pent-up consumer demand and a recession-resistant service offering, among other features.

Economic stability

Swim lessons fill a vital need for safety that cannot be outsourced or automated, making swim instruction less susceptible to downturns in the economy.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to see enormous demand from parents who want to enroll their children in swim lessons,” said CEO Scott Sanders. “Regardless of what is going on in the global economy, parents know that this is an essential life-skill. Easily accessible swim lessons will always be top-of-mind for parents, providing our franchise owners with a stable and consistent customers base.”

And while consumer demand is increasing, competition is shrinking — a rare combination for a brand in any industry.

“The great thing about the Big Blue model is that it is a relatively high-capital proposition, which may sound counterintuitive for a down economy, but it makes it very hard for others to compete at scale,” Sanders said. “If you are investing in a 10,000-square-foot pool that can offer 2,000 swim lessons a week, you allow parents to bring all of their children to swim at the same time, which most facilities cannot match. This, along with our state-of-the-art technology, is not something that can be replicated by most competitors.”

Real estate opportunities

In addition to increased consumer demand, the Big Blue team is also taking advantage of an increase in real estate opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic. As brick-and-mortar retail businesses across the country continue to shutter, this provides increased opportunities for Big Blue stores to take over those spaces, and deliver to landlords a thriving and recession-proof business.

Over the years, Big Blue’s large real estate footprint has proven beneficial to landlords of retail pools. As the growing online marketplace makes it increasingly difficult for commercial retailers to bring foot-traffic to their facilities, Big Blue offers a particularly attractive solution for landlords, as the model is essentially unaffected by online shopping trends. That value proposition helps Big Blue negotiate and secure premier locations so franchise owners are well-positioned for high traffic.

Big Blue leverages an experienced team of real estate professionals to support franchise partners through site location, construction, and facilities management. The team has a tested, proactive, data-driven real estate strategy designed to place every pool in an optimal location.

Growth and development

Prospects who sign on with Big Blue can be confident they are joining a growing brand. Last June, the brand opened a new store in Atlanta, and have 4 more slated to open in 2021 In 2020, Big Blue also signed franchise agreements for 65 new units and closed out the year with a massive 37-unit signing for stores across Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Louisville, Lexington, Miami, Nashville, and Tampa.

When it comes to franchise development, Big Blue has also adapted its process to appeal to prospective franchise partners in the post-COVID landscape. For example, the brand’s socially-distanced discovery day — called Dive-In Day — offers heightened safety measures, branded masks, and other resources to ensure prospects received a safe and productive introduction to the franchise opportunity.

“We have received excellent feedback from the socially-distanced Dive-In Days,” said DeJong. “Our Dive-In Days are one of the most important resources we offer candidates, and it’s something we look forward to every month. We continue to see enormous demand from prospective franchise partners, so we are adamant about finding ways to provide the full experience without unnecessary risk.”

Today, the swim school brand currently has six units open with 124 in development and a goal to have 150 units signed by the end of 2021. With strong unit-level economics, proprietary technology, and a data-driven approach to site selection, the brand continues to emerge as one of the leading players in the swim school industry.

Multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big opportunity, and veterans can receive a 10 percent discount on the $80,000 franchise fee. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a new Big Blue Swim School is $2,329,223 to $3,636,998 (refer to item 7 in FDD) To learn more or inquire about Big Blue Swim School, visit *