Case Study - Moira Hampson

Moira has had great success training Tri Athletes and coached Trafford team swimmers for over 15 years. So when the Manchester Franchise became available it was an easy decision to make. Moira gave up being a part time waitress and channelled all her efforts into the Swimtime Franchise which has allowed her to develop her ability to teach children and adults to swim, into a successful business. Today, Moira and her daughter Sara, have over 600 swimmers on their registers, a number that is continuing to grow!

I was already involved with Swimtime as a Level 2 teacher when the Swimtime Manchester Franchise became available in May 2006. I liked the idea of working for myself and making some money from swimming after 15yrs of commitment with Trafford swim club. The change from being a teacher to running a business meant a steep learning curve so initially we needed a lot of support from Swimtime Head Office. There was a lot of contact by phone as well as on site support.

Once established, the challenges don't stop. We are constantly looking for qualified, quality teachers who can deliver a consistently high level of service, are good communicators, personable, all the things that we consider essential when providing a great service. Then there are our customers whom we regularly contact and general day to day issues associated with running your own business, all of which place a demand on your time!

For anyone who fancies running their own franchise business, I would say that you must be prepared to work very hard around the clock. Communicate with your staff all the time. Always leave money in your bank account for those unforeseen eventualities! Talk to your franchisor as they have a lot of experience that you can benefit from, talk to other Franchisees and always ask for support when you need it. Remember it is your franchise and the business has to suit you for you to be successful.

I consider myself to have been very lucky as I was already an established teacher when I bought the Swimtime franchise. I have greatly increased my income since 2006, maintained my passion for teaching, and look forward to maintaining Swimtime Manchester's good reputation by continuing to offer a "Personal Service". For Sara and I job satisfaction as opposed to wealth is paramount.