Author Archives: Carly Jane

AMEX Excludes Franchises From Small Business Saturday

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“With every dollar we spend, we cast a vote.”

 

My economics teacher used to repeat this whenever the question of spending came up. If only it really were that simple. She was right, though, in that with every purchase we make (and don’t make) we vote businesses on and off of America’s economic island. The holiday season is a retailer’s chance at surviving the tribal council.

 

As I’m sure many of you in the franchise industry have heard, American Express (AMEX) excluded franchises from participating in Small Business Saturday this past weekend on November 26, 2011. While many are understandably upset about the exclusion of their business from AMEX’s economic initiative, the situation opens the door to several important questions, including but not limited to where franchising fits into America’s spending psyche.

 

Many blogs, articles and forums have focused how this happened and how it can be remedied next year. I’m personally more interested in why it happened. If the franchise industry can figure out what inspired AMEX to exclude an entire industry, in which many businesses in my opinion qualify as small businesses, perhaps the thought process behind the decision can be resolved as opposed to simply the situation.

 

First and foremost, while the success of fast food franchises has certainly helped the industry as a whole, it hasn’t helped the industry’s reputation as a small business job creator. The general public most likely doesn’t understand what franchising truly entails. The term “franchise” often conjures images of McDonald’s golden arches, not mom and pop independently owned businesses.

 

The term “franchise” should first make us think of an agreement rather than a fast food restaurant. For those who don’t know, the franchise agreement is made between two parties: the franchisor and the franchisee. The franchisor lends his trademark or trade and accompanying business model to the franchisee who in turn compensates the franchisor with a royalty fee, and often an initial fee, for the right to do business under the franchisor’s name and use of the business model. In some cases, but not all, the franchisor takes responsibility for creating marketing materials and implementing marketing strategies to further the success of the franchise. That being said, marketing isn’t free and may factor into the franchise’s royalty fee.

 

Aside from the extraneous fees, franchises aren’t so different from small businesses. They are are owned and operated by the same kinds of people as small businesses. They serve and employ the same local residents. Lately, they’ve been facing the same economic challenges. It’s understandable why so many franchisees and franchisors are upset.

 

We’re all, consumers and businesses alike, pinching pennies right now. There certainly isn’t much profligate spending happening this holiday season. The Wall Street Journal hinted that only 29 percent of small businesses are able to give year end bonuses this year. As I said before, every dollar we do or do not spend really matters.

 

From what I’ve read and heard, marketing has been another issue within the franchise exclusion situation with AMEX. AMEX’s Small Business Saturday offered $25 dollar credits to shoppers who shopped at qualifying establishments, those independently owned and operated businesses that don’t have the budget for national marketing campaigns. These credits didn’t extend to those who supported chains or franchises during Small Business Saturday.

 

Then again, it’s an understandable mistake. For those of us who are part of the franchise industry that may be difficult to digest. While we recognize the hard work and long hours franchisors and franchisees put into their respective roles, many outsiders can’t see beyond the brands and logos we have pushed to make mainstream.

 

It is my hope that next year AMEX helps the franchise industry’s small business owners financially by including them in Small Business Saturday. I also hope AMEX helps the franchise industry’s reputation by putting a Main Street face on mainstream logos, so everyone, including industry veterans, remembers who’s behind the cash registers and counters.

 

 

What We’re Reading (Thanksgiving Edition)

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MASHABLE- Domino’s Pizza has put the pizza making in the hands of its consumers with a new app for Apple’s iPad. The game-like app simulates the pizza-making process and allows users to order their pie and track its delivery in real-time. – Todd Wasserman

 

CNN MONEY- Flip Flop Shop franchisee Scott Santy’s love affair with flip-flops served him well with his store’s Las Vegas location. Santy’s store has surpassed the $1 million mark, especially exciting considering his Flip Flop Shop location opened during the height of the Great Recession. – Kristine Hansen


 

BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK– President Barack Obama signed into law a measure providing tax credits to companies hiring unemployed veterans. The law also repales a requirement that federal, state and local governments begin withholding 3 percent of payments to contractors in 2013. – Roger Runningen

 

ENTREPRENEUR– J.J. O’Connor’s paralyzing hockey accident hasn’t stopped him from entrepreneurial success. The 33-year old first realized franchising was for him when he was 15 working for a friend’s father’s convenience store. Today, he owns his own Sports Clips franchise. – Dinah Wisenberg Brin

What We’re Reading – Nov 22

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POST AND COURIER – Franchises tend to do quite well during times of recession, according to the IFA. Read how two franchisees found success, and how one business can help you find it for yourself. – Warren Wise

WALL STREET JOURNAL – The holiday season looks to be a turning point for a few retailers grabbing for the small share of consumer dollars. The International Council of Shopping Centers predicts mall sales will rise just 2.2%. – Miguel Bustillo, Ann Zimmerman, Dana Mattioli

HOTEL NEWS NOW- Inbound Chinese tourism is expected to increase 274% over the next five years, evidence of the country’s rapid emergence as a super power into the global economy. Hotel chains are responding to this influx with programs catered to Chinese guests. – Patrick Mayock

 

Bach to Rock: A Prodigy Amongst Children’s Franchises

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A prodigy amongst its competitors, Bach to Rock is an innovative and fun children’s musical franchise concept that’s on the road to major success. I spoke to Ralph Rillion, Bach to Rock’s VP of Development & Sales about the franchise’s history, its future, what it’s like to be a franchisee and what makes it such a rockin’ concept. Article first published as Bach to Rock: A Prodigy Amongst Children’s Franchises on Technorati.
Bach to Rock

In the two months that Bach to Rock has been franchising, it’s earned awards and attention that even the most established of franchise concepts would covet. Inc magazine named Bach to Rock one of the Top 10 Franchises of 2010 and the Washington Business Journal named it one of the Fastest Growing Companies to Watch for 2012. It’s clear that the children’s franchise is rockin’ its way to the top.

History of the Concept

The origins of Bach to Rock lie, as with most things, in the recognition of something missing. A Juilliard-trained middle school music teacher realized the music curriculum was, frankly, lacking in his Washington D.C. classroom. So, he created his own.

Instead of just playing scales by themselves, he put his students in groups so they could ‘jam’ together and socialize. Instead of strictly classical music, he integrated popular music to make lessons more fun. Instead of teaching students just one way, he identified each students’ preferred learning method (audio, visual or kinesthetic) and customized his teaching approach accordingly. As a result, he created more engaged, happy young musicians and his curriculum spread to other public and private schools.

Better Test Scores For Kids, Jobs for Teachers and Musicians

 

 

The Juilliard-trained teacher eventually sold his method and curriculum to the creators of Bach to Rock, who have taken the concept to new heights. While the concept has been hailed as a roaring success, Bach to Rock is much more than just a career opportunity for franchisees.

As we’ve all heard, playing music has been linked with higher test scores and greater aptitude for science, math and reading subjects. We’ve also all heard that education budget constraints are leading to job cuts for many teachers and budget cuts for fine arts projects like band classes and school musicals. Opportunities for children and young adults to play music are less and less available in schools.

Bach 2 Rock offers a solution. Obviously, the children’s franchise offers music lessons, but it also provides jobs. Bach to Rock not only teaches music, but provides a place for music teachers– often the very same that the school system couldn’t afford to keep.

It’s no wonder Ralph Rillion, Bach to Rock’s vice president of development and sales and a “lifelong musician,” “fell in love with the concept.” According to Rillion, the teachers at each of Bach to Rock’s franchise locations are “musicians by trade at some point or another, hobbyists or music teachers.”

Bring Me a Beat! Kids, Parents and Bach to Rock

 

 

As a parent (Rillion has a 13-year old son who’s a stand up bass player), Rillion says kids will let you know they have an interest in music. “They’ll be beating everything around the house,” says Rillion, a percussionist himself for 40 years. You can bet Rillion’s son will be a Bach to Rocker as soon as there’s a location near their home.

“There’s only so much a school can do, parents or private lessons can do,” says Rillion. While personal one-on-one attention is definitely part of Bach to Rock’s curriculum, it’s the emphasis on “group jam sessions” amongst similarly skilled young musicians that parents and students love. Kids enjoy their music lessons, which means they learn more, something parents are quick to applaud.

In addition, young musicians learn to become comfortable in a performance setting– something that builds confidence now and will be important in the board room later.

“Twice a year our Bach to Rock bands perform at the 930 Club [in Washington D.C.],” says Ralph Rillion. “Parents get to see their kids perform on a national and regional stage.”

 

Rillion adds that, “Not everyone is comfortable going on stage. It’s different under the lights.” Bach to Rock students can experience the stage without the fright next to their cohorts and with their teachers and parents in the the audience.

Behind the Music– Being a Franchisee

Bach to Rock franchisees aren’t called franchisees– they’re fittingly called directors. Directors are responsible for the hiring of music teachers, the day-to-day business management and scheduling of lessons and special events. Rillion says an ideal Bach to Rock director “has a business background, can run a business and, of course, loves music.”

Retail space in shopping centers are coveted for Bach to Rockers as the best locations to create a comfortable environment to accommodate 6-to-18 year olds. “We’re currently  expanding from New Jersey to North Carolina,” says Rillion, “though if the right candidate came along we’d consider a different area.”

The children’s music franchise currently has 9 locations, 6 of which are company-owned. “The business is growing and its franchisees are successful,” says Rillion. “We provide ongoing training to our franchisees on everything: sales, operations and curriculum, our three key components for success.”

 

 

 

The biggest reward for Rillion, along with the Bach to Rock franchisees is “watching kids learn and enjoying learning to play music,” he says.

 

Interested in becoming a Bach to Rock franchisee? Franchise Clique can help!

 


What We’re Reading- Nov. 16, 2011

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FOX NEWS: Veterans have what it takes to become successful franchisees. As more veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan many are turning to franchising as a career. – Liza Porteus Viana

SACRAMENTO BEE: Guidant Financial will sponsor one veteran each month for the next year free of charge. The financial company will also offer a 10 percent discount to all U.S. veterans in hopes of jumpstarting locally owned businesses. – Guidant Financial

PR URGENT: The United Franchise Group announces that after recent success with its franchisee lending program, its available funds have increased from $5 million to $10 million. – United Franchise Group

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What We’re Reading

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The Street: A lack of capital in an uncertain economy has made it increasingly difficult for franchisees to find sufficient funding. Not everyone loves the idea, but several franchises have taken the responsibility of financing in-house by helping franchisees through the lending process. — Laurie Kulikowski

Business Insider: A $13 billion fast food revolution is taking over India. With 60 percent of the Indian population currently under 30, it’s no mystery why both domestic and American brands like McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts are aggressively expanding in India’s franchise-fertile economy. — Jason Overdorf

Market Watch: The Georgia Small Business Development Center has turned to franchising to help with Georgia’s joblessness. Funded by the Small Business Jobs Act, HR5297, FranNet consultants educated transitional corporate workers, retiring executives and returning veterans for businesses in the franchising industry.

Webinar Presentation: How to Get Leads

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If you’re a franchisor, you’re probably one of many who utilizes portals and directories to find franchisees. The relationship between lead generator and franchisor can be, at times, tenuous.

If you’ve wondered why you’ve received ‘bad leads’ or simply want to know how to get the most out of your relationship with your lead generator, then tomorrow’s webinar from Franchise Clique and the Upside Group is perfect for you. On Tuesday, November 8 at 1:30 p.m. EST David Schwartz, CEO of Franchise Clique, will speak about:

  • How to Get the Best Leads Possible
  • How to Get the Most Out of Your Relationship With Your Lead Generator
  • Why Bad Leads Happen
Learn more about the webinar and other presenters here.

Interview with Bob Wright, COO of Charley’s Grilled Subs

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Article first published as A Heart For Service: Interview with Bob Wright, COO of Charley’s Grilled Subs on Technorati.


In September, Charley’s Grilled Subs opened their 100th restaurant on a military installation on Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Seattle, W.A. It was Charley Shin, Charley’s CEO and Founder, who, “was smiling the widest when the first soldier came through the lunch line,” says Bob Wright, chief operating officer of Charley’s.

A self-described “incurable patriot” despite having not served in the military, Wright shares a heart for service with both Shin and the international Philly Steak sandwich franchise’s employees, which he says, “makes the franchise’s relationship with the military so special.”

 

It’s this heart for service that Wright loves about Charley’s Grilled Subs and what attracted him to franchising in the first place.

 

“My grandfather always said everyone needs a job where they work for tips,” says Wright, who got his start in franchising as ‘the pizza delivery guy’ in college for Domino’s. Eventually, Wright became a Domino’s franchisee for about a year. “I’ve been there, too,” Wright says. “Nothing replaces that experience of being the business owner, of being responsible for every customer’s experience.”

 

Though his time as a Domino’s franchisee was short, it was his time as ‘the pizza delivery guy’ that was so influential in Wright’s franchising career. “I didn’t start out wanting to be in the food service industry,” he says, “but I loved it.”

 

Over the course of his career, Wright has had the chance to work with big-name franchises like Checkers, Wendy’s, Café Express and, of course, Charley’s. Though Wright’s original plan was to practice law. Today, he practices management. To him, serving as chief operating officer of Charley’s means he gets to develop, train and lead other to success. “For a quarter of a century, I’ve had the opportunity to serve others; whether it’s my team or franchisees. It brings out the best in a person.”

 

With Wright, his words express a continuous theme of service in the name of others, which is why he fits in so perfectly at Charley’s Grilled Subs. Charley’s makes its food to order. While this might sound obvious, it’s not—most food court establishments “assemble to order” as Wright likes to say. “We don’t put anything on the grill until you order it,” he explains.

 

This is because, like Wright, the people at Charlie’s believe “a good quality meal can make a difference in someone’s day,” he says proudly.

 

For those interested in becoming a Charley’s franchisee, the selection process is straightforward. Financial liquidity and wherewithal are necessary. Above all? “A heart of service,” says Wright. It’s important for potential franchisees to have adequate experience running a business in a managerial role. It’s not easy balancing the business side of the franchise and pleasing customers.

 

With all that said, “Charley’s has experience same-store growth throughout the recession,” says Wright. “Restaurant units have seen 13% growth this year and expect a 20% unit growth through to 2013,” he adds. Charley’s Grilled Subs has a growth model in place that still includes the bread and butter food court locations but specifically internationally, which are traditionally underserved.

Visit Franchise Clique’s website if you’re interested in more food franchises or sandwich franchises.

What We’re Reading

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Notes on what’s going on in the small business and franchising worlds.

 

Las Vegas Sun: Two tax breaks that small businesses got during the Recession are shrinking. The changes affect small business’ deductions for equipment. – Associated Press

PRNewswire: CRAL Franchise Development, Inc. joined the national VetFran program in order to offer financial incentives to veterans interested in franchise opportunities. – CRAL Franchise Development

Winston-Salem Journal: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts announces plans for expansion across the pond in the United Kingdom. – Richard Craver

 

 

Franchise Clique appoints new director of sales

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (September 23, 2011) – In the wake of tremendous growth and planned expansion Franchise Clique brings new talent to the Charleston-based firm’s team as it hires a new director of sales, Young Chung.

Young Chung joins Franchise Clique as the director of sales in September. Chung brings with him over nine years of experience providing lead generation, advertising and web-based marketing services and solutions for the franchise industry. Franchise Clique’s newest hire has worked with hundreds of new and established franchise concepts.

“I’ve been impressed with the company as a whole,” says Chung of his his new employer. “Franchise Clique is very proactive and constantly making improvements, whether to the company’s website or any part of the business strategy,” he adds. Chung, who has worked for companies similar to Franchise Clique, says that, “The team is very responsive and the support for clients is outstanding.”

“Franchise Clique needed someone with a unique skill set and years of franchise industry experience,” says Franchise Clique CEO David Schwartz. “Young is the perfect addition to our rapidly growing organization.”

Schwartz, who previously worked with Chung at Atlanta-based Franchise Opportunities Network, adds that, “Young represents the next step in the evolution of our company. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome his professionalism and industry know-how to Franchise Clique.”

Founded in 2009, Franchise Clique already serves over 400 growing and well-known franchise, business opportunity, distributorship, dealership, and licensure clients. Local brands include Batteries Plus and 360Clean. “Franchisors should know that Franchise Clique’s team has over 40 years of combined experience in helping grow franchise concepts,” explains Young Chung. “The company is setting the industry standard for not only customer service, but results for its clients.”

Franchise Clique’s growth as a company hinges on more than its team’s years of combined experience. In addition to its proprietary LeadClique technology, Franchise Clique’s team members design and build out each client’s individual advertising and lead generation campaign on an individual basis, resulting in a 90 percent contract renewal rate.

 

About Franchise Clique

Franchise Clique, one of the nation’s fastest growing Internet-based marketing companies, specializes in lead generation services and solutions for franchises and business opportunities. Founded in Charleston, S.C. in 2009, Franchise Clique has used its uniquely designed innovative technology in conjunction with its team’s combined 20 years of experience to become one of the industry’s highest-ranking lead generators. Franchise Clique enjoys a top rating from the Better Business Bureau and an association with the International Franchise Association. For more information, go to http://www.franchiseclique.com or call 877-252-2340.

 

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Exclusive Interview with Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant President

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What began as a way to earn some extra cash in college turned into a career for Hugo Marin. After working part-time in a small, family-owned Mexican restaurant, he realized nothing would keep him on his toes like the food and beverage industry. He changed his major to business administration, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, thirty years later, Hugo Marin is the President of Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant. Marin’s résumé is impressive. Since leaving engineering behind, Marin rose through the ranks at the small, family-owned restaurant where he got his start, eventually becoming a manager. From there, it was on to more management positions at The Cheesecake Factory and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Hugo served as vice president of operations at Ted’s Montana Grill and, later, as chief operating officer of Al Copeland Investments.

 

Homecoming

 

It was during Hugo’s time at Al Copeland Investments, the parent company of Copeland’s, Cheesecake Bistro and Copeland’s Express, that the opportunity to work for Margarita’s came his way. He had been approached by headhunters before looking for candidates with his years of experience, but hadn’t been interested until now.

“My stars aligned,” says Hugo of the job opportunity. Marin’s wife is originally from New England and the two of them had been patrons of Margarita’s for years before moving to Louisiana so Marin could work for Copeland’s. “It was like coming back home,” he explains.

 

Getting Down to Business

 

Nine weeks ago, when Hugo Marin became president of Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant, he was charged with expanding the Margarita’s brand both as a franchise and as a corporation.

For 2012, he’ll put the majority of his effort into supporting new and prospective franchisees. “Knowing how to manage relationships with franchisees,” is something Marin says he’ll bring with him courtesy of his years with Ted’s Montana Grill and Copeland’s. As of the first of June, Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant’s welcomed its first franchisees wand their new location in Livingston, N.J. The newest members of the Margarita’s family are in the process of opening four additional locations.

As far as the Mexican restaurant’s corporate growth is concerned, Marin says he’ll focus on that component of his strategy in 2013. He hopes to perfect Margarita’s franchising model and have a strong infrastructure in place so the company “can grow sustainably.”

 

This disciplined approach to franchising stems from co-founders John and Dave Pelletier. The brother duo staunchly believes that being successful franchisors means viewing things in terms of “our business” as opposed to “their business” when it comes to the franchisee-franchisor relationship. Rapid-fire franchising doesn’t allow for Hugo, John or Dave to provide the type of support they feel their franchisee partners deserve.

 

Being a Margarita’s Franchisee is Like Being a New Family Member

“The perfect Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant franchisee is experienced in quick serve restaurants, quick casual restaurants and multi-unit franchises,” says Hugo. Of course, access to financial resources is also important. Franchisee hopefuls need access to capital to grow and sustain their franchise location for 5-6 years. The initial investment to open a Margarita’s franchise unit is between $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

 

“We’ve been lucky,” says Hugo of the financial fortitude of Margarita’s. Their franchisees haven’t experienced any problems securing loans, SBA or otherwise. The franchise is pre-approved by the SBA for loans.

 

In addition to financial backing, “It’s important that the franchisee has local knowledge of consumers, laws and regulations,” says Marin. Part of the Margarita’s culture is its commitment to the local community. Those who want to become a part of the Margarita’s family must be capable of duplicating Margarita’s brand and culture. Margarita’s Mexican Restaurants are, above all, a family.

 

“The family feel that the owners have created is like no other,” says Hugo of founders John and Dave. There are a number of employees, from servers to corporate employees, who have been with the company between 15 and 20 years. One such employee in the Boston area has been a server for 22 years. She’s otherwise employed, but picks up a shift or two during the week because she loves the work environment so much.

 

All franchisees have Hugo, John and Dave’s personal cell phone numbers and are met with on a monthly basis to receive support and guidance from the executive team. According to Hugo, the secret to the franchise’s family feel is that John and Dave understand that, “it’s not about them. They take into consideration how people are going to react. People work hard for them without being asked.”

 

That’s the kind of love and dedication Hugo himself has for the company. “Right now my number one goal and challenge is immersing myself in the culture inside-out,” Hugo explains. “I’m learning the Margarita lingo.” Marin feels it’s important to run a company as if you own it—just another way he’s committed to making himself a true member of the Margarita’s family.

 

“We’ve been around for 25 years; if you want to be a part of a family that celebrates your successes on both the corporate and franchising sides, this is a great company to work for,” concludes Hugo.

 

Interview with CEO of British Swim School

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If you’re a British Swim School franchisee chances are you don’t own your own pool.

 

“We don’t build pools,” says Chris Simnick, founder of Synergy Franchise Group, LLC.  While that might sound counterintuitive, it’s actually just one of the many important details Chris and British Swim School CEO Rita Goldberg have nailed down in the process of making British Swim School a successful franchise. As it turns out, owning your own pool increases your overhead costs due to maintenance, repairs and general upkeep.

 

 

The Beginning of The British Swim School

 

Rita Goldberg has always been a swimmer. Born in Manchester, England, the British Swim School’s chief executive officer was a national swimmer in Britain and later worked in England’s education system as a swimming instructor. She began giving swimming lessons independently and soon a light bulb went off—this was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

 

Rita opened her first swimming instructional facility in 1981, after installing a swimming pool in the basement of a Victorian house, which according to Rita was “no small feat.” Within two months she had over 450 students and was operating at capacity. It was here that Rita took painstaking measures to develop standardized procedures to make swimming lessons both effective and fun for her students.

 

Growing, Growing, Growing

 

Ten years later, Goldberg moved to the United States. In 1993, she opened her first indoor swimming school in Coral Springs, Fla. and began implementing programs at other pool facilities in Marriot hotels and health clubs.

 

As the success of her swimming instruction classes grew, Rita turned to franchising to expand her business. “I knew I couldn’t do it all myself,” she said. Goldberg recognized in order to expand her business in a way that upheld the standards she had created she would need others that had a passion for swimming, children and teaching.

 

Rita enlisted the help of Chris Simnick, whom she’s aptly nicknamed “Guru,” to help her with the process. Simnick has over 30 years working with franchises; he’s been a franchisee, a franchisor, and an independent business owner.

 

Being a Franchisee

 

“We should prepare our franchisees to hear, “My child learned more today than a full summer of lessons!” from parents because we hear it so often,” says Goldberg.

 

Goldberg has done more than create a service that parents love; she’s developed a method of teaching children that appeals to them. “Children learn so much better when they’re having fun,” says Goldberg. It appears the British Swim School has found a way to integrate what both parents and children want. Today, there are 3,000 students taught at a British Swim School location in the U.S. in one week.

 

Though the franchise is fairly new, that hasn’t stopped British Swim School franchisees from experiencing tremendous success. One franchisee, located in Maryland, doubled in size in one summer; increasing the number of students she teaches from 250 to 500.

 

But it’s not all fun and games—there’s a tremendous amount of hard work that comes with the territory. The training process for a new British Swim School franchisee is rigorous. Hours are spent in the pool and also learning about the business model itself. “If the franchisee isn’t ready things don’t move forward,” says Rita.

 

That’s not to say the British Swim School’s management team isn’t supportive. “Unless we are good franchisors we won’t have good franchisees,” says Rita. That applies to more than just the training process. Whenever a franchisee is experiencing difficulty of one type or another or simply needs advice Rita herself and her team are more than happy to help.

 

The Business Model

 

“Rita’s successful track record validates her business model,” says Chris Simnick.

 

The possibility for a British Swim School franchisee to do well and “make a great wage,” as Rita says, is very high. First and foremost, franchisees don’t need to own a pool to become involved. Pool construction, as Rita knows, can be an expensive undertaking. Pool maintenance, upkeep and adherence to health codes are added concerns a franchisee doesn’t need to worry about with British Swim School.

 

All franchisees rent pool time from hotels, health clubs and similar organizations with the help of the British Swim School’s management team. Pools are selected with particular demographics in mind.

 

The beauty of the British Swim School’s model, aside from minimum costs to the franchisee, is the capability to move and follow clientele as neighborhoods change, students move, and pools undergo maintenance. Also, because of this fluidity, franchisees are able to generate income from multiple locations.

 

For Rita, it’s rewarding, “getting others to do equally well and watching others experience the same joy,” that she experiences from the success of the British Swim School.

 

It’s clear, however, that for Rita Goldberg, the success of her students remains the most rewarding aspect. “When you have a little one come in terrified one day and swimming laps the next, it’s a particular type of joy.”

 

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a British Swim School franchisee we can help!