Become Part of the Next Franchise Success Story with Big Blue Swim School

Founded by five-time National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong, Big Blue Swim School is emerging as one of the dominant players in the $3 billion swim school industry. Big Blue’s first pool opened in Wilmette, Illinois, followed by four additional Chicagoland schools. In 2017, Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a stake in the brand and through that investment, Big Blue Swim School is growing through franchising to 150 pools sold by 2021.

“At Big Blue, we approach everything with the goal of being the best at what we do,” said CEO Chris Kenny. “We want to build something that will give us more than 50 percent of the market share and make it impossible for other brands to compete. Since Big Blue’s franchising infrastructure is advanced for the industry, we compare ourselves to established brands, not emerging brands. We have a clear path to being the leader in this swim-lesson category, and have the data to support that plan. There is plenty of room for growth in the fragmented swim-school segment.”

Big Blue’s recession-resistant business model, proprietary technology, leadership support, and in-demand consumer offering position the brand as one of 2020’s most promising companies in the franchising space.

Recession resistant industry

A Recession-Resistant and Fragmented Industry

**“It has taken a long time for the swim school segment to catch up to consumer demand for a number of reasons,” said DeJong. “Sometimes the best business ideas are hiding in plain sight—and that’s the case with Big Blue. Since owning a swim school has a high capital cost, many people don’t see it as a profitable entity.

But it’s a business that fills a critical need for every parent, and it can’t be outsourced or automated. Water safety lessons need to exist on a local level and can only be provided through personal instruction.** **It’s a recession-resistant industry because swim lessons will always be necessary, regardless of the economic environment..

This is also what makes Big Blue Swim School a smart business investment.

Market growth potential

The swim lesson space is a fragmented market, meaning there is no dominant leader and business practices vary widely. With strong differentiators and an aggressive growth plan, Big Blue is emerging as one of the leading players with 81 pools already in development across 18 states.

“The success of the boutique fitness industry demonstrates that focus on a niche discipline can result in a higher value product than the one-size-fits-all model,” said Kenny. “We are doing the same thing by becoming the leader in delivering swim lessons for families through technology and customization.”

Technology and innovation

An Innovative and Advanced Focus on Technology

From day one, Big Blue’s mission-driven business model has prioritized technology to stay ahead of the curve. The swim instruction brand’s proprietary, cloud-based ERP software, LessonBuddy™ is delivered from the cloud to provide franchise partners and customers access to the data they need with just the tap of a screen.

Big Blue is able to lean into the software to run a high-scale, high-margin model at a market price point. The easy-to-use lesson management software and customer self-service mobile app operationalize the business and provide a tool that parents appreciate.

Through the use of in-depth dashboards and KPIs, LessonBuddy™ allows Big Blue franchise partners to efficiently evaluate the success of their practices and adapt as needed to increase ROI.

Instead of recruiting a third-party vendor to manage technology platforms, Big Blue’s proprietary enterprise system is handled completely in-house, resulting in an unprecedented depth of consumer data and analytics. “If a brand’s quality of operations and customer experience is dependent on a third-party provider’s roadmap, it is much harder to execute an effective technology strategy or differentiate from the competition,” said Kenny.

Business model and support

A Proven Business Model and Support Infrastructure

“Big Blue's proven business model, which includes optimized facility layout, strong unit-level economics, turnkey operations and significant leadership support, has set us apart from the rest,” said Kenny. “Big Blue has 10 years of success and customer data to inform our decision-making process. Most early-stage franchises can’t claim that.”

Big Blue’s analytical approach ensures each pool is set up for success, whether it be through unparalleled site selection, pool optimization or market reach. All of this has helped Big Blue deliver a weekly process that allows franchise partners to operate at a high level from day one.

Big Blue leverages an experienced team of real estate professionals to assist franchise partners through site location, construction and facilities management. The team has a tested, proactive, data-driven real estate strategy designed to place a pool in the path of least resistance and maximize revenue.

Finally, the Big Blue investment opportunity, with its proven business model and streamlined operations, is ideal for multi-unit and semi-absentee franchise partners looking to maximize their time and their capital.

“We are a very high-service franchisor,” said Kenny. “We connect the dots so the franchise partner is positioned as a market leader from day one. Our franchise partners are able to stay focused on service delivery to the customer, and on hiring, retaining, and training the best, full-time swim associates possible to deliver those services.”

With best-in-class consumer offerings, proprietary technology and an aggressive growth plan, Big Blue is positioned to be the next franchise success story. With a recession-resistant business model, it is a great time to become part of that success.

Multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big opportunity, and veterans receive a 10 percent discount on the $75,000 franchise fee. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a new Big Blue Swim School is $1,825,500 to $3,687,000, (refer to item 7 in FDD). To learn more or to inquire about Big Blue Swim School, visit ***