- Start Up Cost:
- Franchise Type:
- Sector Type:
- Investment Type:
- Market:
- £22,000
- Home Based, Office Based
- Childcare & Education
- Start-up
- B2B, B2C
Angela’s Swim School is driven to deliver the best learn-to-swim teaching programme for babies, children and adults. We provide the complete swimming education whatever the starting age or ability of the swimmer.
The swim school began in 2002. We hold weekly lessons at 27 pool locations throughout south London and five counties, with around 3,000 swimmers joining us for classes. Children can swim with us from four months old.
The school was created by former international swimmer, Angela Wilson. Our results-driven teaching is based around Angela’s in-depth knowledge of swimming at the highest levels before her 20+ years as a swim instructor. All franchisees apply Angela’s methods to ensure every swimmer has the best learning experience. Our methods have already taught thousands of children to swim, professional athletes and Olympic gold winners among them.
The swim school franchised in 2014 and quickly established five franchises post launch. Our current reach within the South-East easily demonstrates the opportunity potential for further regional and international expansion.
Repeat business is an attractive feature of a swimming franchise. Our quality, learn-to-swim programme is designed for children from four months old, upskilling them until they complete a 1500m swim after years of successful tuition.
We have developed agreements for single franchises with one territory or seen ambitious operators go on to establish multi-unit franchises. Being a successful and growing franchise business we offer plenty of opportunity, with new and ongoing businesses available to buy.
Recognised for our work, we’re proud to have been recognised for many awards including the UK Business Awards, BFA Emerging Franchisor of the Year, the National Family Business Awards. Particularly proud to see one of our franchisees crowned New Woman Franchisee Winner of the Year at the EWIF awards.
To grow our business further we need committed, like-minded people. You bring that and we’ll deliver the training to see your business thrive.
Our initial training is an intensive on-site four-day classroom and pool-based induction to familiarise franchisees with all the elements of our unique learn-to-swim programme. If you’re not already a swim teacher we can guide you towards the qualifications and help you recognise the potential of your swim instructor recruits.
This is supported by additional days set aside for business development and support training. We get you comfortable with our bespoke client booking and business management system, marketing resources and how to optimise them, pool selection, working with host venues, and a complete management and finance overview. We’ll work with you until you’re comfortable with your skills, supporting everything with training resources and our Operations Manual.
Once established and programme-trained, telephone support is available for any enquiries as they arise.
A swimming franchise gives you a full and flexible business experience. Franchisees manage their own daily routine around the needs of establishing and managing weekly term-time lessons. Where two days are never quite the same, expect this to include taking on local marketing and PR; handling swimmer, instructor and venue administration; teaching groups of children; appointing instructors; organising classes and maintaining lesson quality. To begin with franchisees are active in all areas, going on to delegate coaching and admin responsibilities as the business grows.
Although working independently we like all Franchisees to feel connected. There will be opportunities to work with Angela and the Head Office team, as well as networking with fellow franchisees.
Son inspires new business venture
Sara’s son was taught to swim by Angela’s Swim School founder, Angela Wilson. Watching his swimming improve week after week really inspired Sara and she could see the potential of opening up a franchise of her own. She runs a South London Franchise, working with venues until she now operates a series of four prime locations for weekly lessons in Lambeth, Southwark and Greenwich boroughs.
Part of the appeal of becoming an Angela’s Swim School franchisee for Sara is our Swimstylers learn-to-swim programme. “Talking to my son,” Sara explains, “I could see he really understood what he was learning and how this was helping him become a better swimmer. The Swimstylers levels have child characters not crabs or jellyfish. When a swim teacher wants to inspire learners and say move like our pre-schooler character, or be brave like our improver character when see the similarity for themselves. They want to keep on learning until they become a strong lengths swimmer like our highest level.”
Sara’s found working with the Swimstylers levels in her own franchise really helps children and their parents understand individual progress. After pre-school awards, each level has its own distance challenges, which start from 5m. She finds working through the stages of the badge programme encourages families to stay with us term after term.
Sara has found being a franchisee really rewarding and very much enjoys being part of Angela’s franchise network. “Angela really has a passion for her swimming methods and what she wants children to learn. This really brushes off on us Franchisees and adds much to our own sense of success.”
Sara was awarded New Woman Franchisee of the Year at the EWIF Natwest Bank Awards 2016.
Jenna had been working for Angela’s Swim School for many years before thinking of becoming one of her Franchisees. Starting out as a part-time teaching assistant, Jenna went on to achieve her Level Two teaching certificate while still at school. This gave her well-paid part-time hours for her age but left her unable to have full control of her working hours.
After going off to university, Jenna was delighted to find a role with the swim school was still possible. Taking on more hours, she grew in confidence and experience as a pool coordinator at a range of pools. But she was aware there remained a disadvantage to staying a swim instructor.
“As a swimming instructor you have to go looking for available teaching hours and often have to take what you can, with little control over when you work. Now, as a working mum and franchisee I choose when I work, whether that’s teaching or overseeing at pools. I fit this around my family, I’m a mum of 4, and have built up my team to take on the hours that I can’t.”
Jenna took on her Sevenoaks territory and her Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells territory in Kent in 2014. Sevenoaks was already running as a successful franchise, it was a going concern for Jenna, allowing her to retain the venue, client levels and teaching staff. This meant she hit the ground running with her first venture and was immediately able to see revenue returns in response to her investment.
Inspired by this success, Jenna opened three pools in her Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells franchise in her first term. For this area Jenna began from scratch with no swimmers and went on to create popular venues that flourished to full capacity of 350 swimmers a week in under two years. Jenna is now in her further year of her second franchise term for both territories.
Ambitious to grow her business when her children are little older, Jenna is delighted by the return and lifestyle her current business is able to offer her.
Due to our successful exit programme do request more info about our latest resale options.
Subscribe To Our Monthly Magazines To Keep Up To Date On Hot Topics Within The Franchise Industry
© 2020 The British Franchise Association
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to browse this site, you give consent for cookies to be used. For more details, please read our Cookie Policy.
