child care franchise

The swim school franchise ranks as a Game Changer for the second year in a row thanks to differentiators like a proprietary enterprise system, top-tier franchisor support, and strong unit economics

CHICAGO — Big Blue Swim School, one of the fastest-growing swim school franchises, was ranked among the Top 100 Game Changers by Franchise Dictionary Magazine for the second consecutive year.

The annual Game Changer list is part of the magazine’s December issue.  Franchises on the 2019 Game Changers list were evaluated on a variety of criteria including how they serve communities, if they create an opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to fulfill a niche, if they impact veterans, and how well they appeal to millennials.

“We are honored to be listed again as a Game Changer franchise in 2019,” said Chris DeJong, founder and President of Big Blue Swim School. “We have always known that Big Blue is a special opportunity thanks to our mission-driven business focused on creating big, life-changing moments for kids, and our strong support infrastructure for franchisees, and we are proud to be recognized for our achievements.”

Founded by U.S. National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong in 2009, Big Blue takes a holistic approach to swim instruction, developing critical life skills like confidence and self-esteem consistent with children’s developmental levels. Backed by private equity firm Level 5 Capital Partners, the largest CorePower Yoga franchisee and third-largest national yoga studio operator, the brand has the depth of leadership and strong investment model to emerge as a leader in the underserved swim school industry.

“Since starting to franchise last year, Big Blue has awarded 55 franchises in key markets across the country,” said Scott Thompson, Chief Development Officer at Big Blue Swim School and Level 5 Capital Partners. “As we continue to expand our presence through strong partnerships, we will further set ourselves apart as game-changers in the $3 billion swim school industry. With best-in-class consumer offerings, strong leadership support, a recession-resistant business model and an aggressive growth plan, Big Blue Swim School is uniquely positioned to go from Game-Changer, to industry leader.”

Big Blue currently has franchise agreements in place in several targeted markets such as Illinois, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Arizona. The game changing swim school’s aggressive growth plan aims to franchise to 150 units signed by 2021.

The multi-unit franchisee pair look forward to positively impacting the families and communities of northern New Jersey with the technology-rich swim school concept.

PARAMUS, N.J. — Premier swim school franchise Big Blue Swim School is coming to northern New Jersey next year as part of a three-unit deal signed by husband-and-wife franchisees Chris Burden and Penelope Clark. The avid swimmers come from a background of business management, marketing, and finance. While Burden and Clark are still working with Big Blue Swim School‘s development team to secure prime real estate in the three New Jersey territories of Paramus, Clifton and Union, they plan to open their first location next year.

“We are thrilled to be bringing Big Blue to the northern New Jersey community,” said Burden. “We have a deep passion for swimming and know how much joy, enrichment and confidence the essential skill can bring to a child’s life. The Big Blue executive team is fantastic and their approach to swim instruction is designed not just to teach skills but to help empower the kids and make them enthusiastic about the activity.”

Big Blue Swim School was founded by U.S. National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong after he missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008 by three-tenths of a second—just behind Michael Phelps. Big Blue takes a holistic approach to swim instruction, developing critical life skills like confidence and self-esteem consistent with children’s developmental levels. Big Blue is now positioned to become a dominant player in the $3 billion/year swim school industry thanks to key differentiators such as LessonBuddy™, a proprietary and easy-to-use lesson management platform and customer self-service mobile app; a proven curriculum; and optimized operational model involving data-driven capacity planning.

When the Manhattan-based couple decided to look into franchising, Big Blue’s concept of promoting pool safety and providing unparalleled swim instruction drew them in immediately. As parents themselves, Burden and Clark are well-aware of how difficult scheduling can be and loved how the brand makes it easy for families to coordinate swimming lessons—and how much work is taken off of a franchise partner’s plate as a result.

Their addition to the Big Blue franchise system is also heralded by the executive team.

“Chris Burden and Penelope Clark are perfect additions to the Big Blue team,” said Big Blue Swim School’s Chief Development Officer, Scott Thompson. “Their business and marketing experience set them up to be amazing franchise partners in New Jersey. In addition, our data-driven real estate assessment, pre-opening marketing strategy and executive leadership-provided support position the couple for continued success.”

As New Yorkers, Burden and Clark identified northern New Jersey as the perfect market for Big Blue Swim School development because of the tremendous number of families and young children that live in the suburbs of New York City and who are looking for convenient and community-friendly swim instruction.

“Swimming is an amazing fitness activity that has the potential to be a life-changing experience for children,” said Clark. “We can’t wait to bring our past business experience to this new opportunity and embrace the Big Blue mission of inspiring Life’s Big Moments for kids in the communities we serve.”

The husband-and-wife team signed a three-unit deal to develop the state-of-the-art swim instruction concept in the Raleigh market

RALEIGH, N.C. — Fast-growing swim instruction franchise Big Blue Swim School is coming to Wake County, North Carolina as part of a three-unit deal signed by husband-and-wife franchisees Wayne and Linda van der Poll. The pair originally hails from South Africa, but relocated to Apex, North Carolina nearly six years ago to bring new opportunities and a more diverse experience into their two children’s lives. The van der Poll’s children, ages 19 and 20, are currently attending college nearby at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Big Blue Swim School was founded in Chicago, IL by U.S. National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong after coming in just behind Michael Phelps for qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008.

“We are so thrilled to have Wayne and Linda as franchise partners. Not only do they bring an impressive level of business acumen but also a shared passion for helping kids,” said DeJong.

The brand approaches swim instruction holistically, imparting life skills like confidence and self-esteem in students while benchmarking swimming progress. Big Blue Swim School is well-positioned as a dominant player in the $20 billion swim school industry, with national expansion currently ongoing. Big Blue Swim School’s key differentiators include their proprietary lesson-management platform Lesson Buddy™, a more effective curriculum that teaches independence, and a data-driven operational model.

Wayne is currently Chief Financial Officer of Landmark Management Partners with a background in accounting and enterprise development. He was looking to diversify his portfolio with a franchising opportunity in the services sector, with a diverse client base and recurring revenue. Then he discovered Big Blue Swim School. “When I started researching Big Blue Swim School, it met all of my qualifications and I felt that being involved with a school really resonated with my skill set,” said Wayne.”The Raleigh territory is ripe for opportunity with Big Blue Swim School.” Raleigh’s high concentration of young families makes it a perfect fit for Big Blue. Given that it’s one of the fastest-growing cities in North Carolina and one of the top cities for millennials, Wayne feels the market is primed for a convenient and technology-driven swim instruction brand to take hold.

In 2017, private equity group Level 5 Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in Big Blue Swim School and began to grow the brand through franchising. This partnership largely influenced Wayne’s choice to invest. “I wanted to buy into this process because I really believe in the way that Chris Kenny, Managing Partner of Level 5 Capital Partners, is leading this organization.”

Big Blue Swim School’s Chief Development Officer Scott Thompson shared that he is thrilled to see the van der Polls join the Big Blue system.

“They are passionate about unlocking children’s full potential and believe swimming is a fantastic vehicle to deliver on this,” said Thompson. “Their experience in operating schools in South Africa and the states—accompanied by Wayne’s background in accounting and enterprise development—makes this partnership invaluable for the brand.”

The Chicago-based siblings look forward to positively impacting communities while bringing vital life skills to local families.

CHICAGO — Leading children’s swim instruction brand Big Blue Swim School is officially coming to South Florida, Orlando and South Carolina, thanks to the recent five-unit signing of accomplished franchisee duo Adryenne Hearne-Alvarez and Derek Hearne.

Born and raised in Chicago, the Hearne siblings both graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago; Derek received a degree in economics while Adryenne holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree in sociology. They both worked in the corporate world for several years before making the transition to multi-unit franchise ownership with Amazing Lash Studio and seven Orangetheory Fitness locations.

An avid fitness enthusiast, Adryenne has worked in the industry in several capacities such as personal trainer to boutique gym owner before taking the plunge into franchising. Derek had a successful sales and operations management career in logistics, marketing and IT Security prior to starting with Orangetheory Fitness in late 2014. For their next venture, the sister-and-brother duo were looking for a proven business model that would positively impact the community. When they discovered Big Blue Swim School at a multi-unit franchising conference in Las Vegas, the Hearnes were sold.

“There are a few things we look at when evaluating a new concept, and Big Blue checked all the boxes,” said Adryenne Hearne-Alvarez. “We had the opportunity to meet the team at a Dive-in Day in Chicago, and we were really impressed by the business model and the effort put into growing the brand. We didn’t look back. This is what we want to do, and it fits our short-term and long-term strategy.”

The Hearnes seized on the opportunity to be first-to-market in South Florida, Orlando and South Carolina. As multi-unit franchisees, they were impressed with the model’s scalability, strong unit economics and use of technology, including the LessonBuddy™ app, an easy-to-use customer-facing lesson management and scheduling platform.

Big Blue Swim School was founded by U.S. National Champion swimmer Chris DeJong after coming in just behind Michael Phelps in qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008. The brand approaches swim instruction holistically, imparting life skills like confidence and self-esteem in students while benchmarking swimming progress. Big Blue Swim School is well-positioned as a dominant player in the $20 billion swim school industry, with national expansion currently ongoing.

“When people walk into your business, they want to feel a sense of happiness, belonging and community. That’s what we’re looking to bring,” said Adryenne Hearne-Alvarez. “Parents will be able to come in and enjoy themselves, watch their children gain major survival skills, and be proud to and show their friends and family pictures of what their children learned. For us, success is bringing that to the community.”

Big Blue Swim School’s Chief Development Officer Scott Thompson shared that he is excited to see the Hearnes join the Big Blue system.

“Adryenne and Derek radiate energy and passion. They are always reaching beyond their grasp and going the extra mile for their clients,” said Thompson. “They cultivate great teamwork between with their employees, and embrace others’ differences. They are just awesome—you can’t find better people than them.”