Big Blue Swim School Franchise Sees Consistent Month-Over-Month Growth in New Colorado Location Since Opening

Chicago-based Big Blue Swim School has plunged into the deep end of success in its newly opened Centennial, Colorado., location. This learn-to-swim brand is one of the country’s fastest-growing franchises in the $3 billion swim school segment. And the brand is experiencing extreme momentum - with 11 units open, and more than 200 units sold across 24 states, Big Blue plans to have 240 signed locations by the end of 2022.

The Centennial pool opened nearly a year ago in May 2021 with customer enrollments that were more than double what franchisees Erik and Wendy Skaalerud had hoped for, and the couple is already scouting their next location. The success is no surprise, though, to these seasoned franchise vets, who knew there was a unique opportunity for growth due to Big Blue Swim School’s business plan and its mission to show kids they can do anything by unlocking their full potential in the water.

“It is a very recession-resistant business,” Erik said. “And it's a really feel-good business, which checks a big box for us. We love building a team and culture — about 30 staff members — which is a good fit. We know who we're hiring, we know the service we're delivering, and it's really been a fun ride.”

The Skaaleruds' roots in franchising began in the early 2000s when the couple started a finance company. After that, they were early franchise partners in the well-known workout brand Orangetheory Fitness, operating locations and helping develop many more. Now, they’re already neck-deep in success at their first Big Blue location, making an impact on their local community.

Big Blue CEO Scott Sanders noted that he’s proud to have franchise partners such as the Skaaleruds, citing their strong business acumen and a franchise-centric background that allows them to transfer those skills to their new stores.

“Erik and Wendy are pros in the franchising industry,” Sanders said. “They know how to follow our processes and access our support, which helped them see astounding pre-enrollment numbers. With experience in fitness and a proven track record of growing their own franchise locations, the Skaaleruds represent the kind of franchise partners we want to continue bringing into our franchise system.”

The Skaaleruds noted they feel completely supported by corporate leadership and know they are in a business where they can really thrive and grow within the Colorado market because of that strong support.

“I think our pre-sales rate strategy, along with our grassroots and digital marketing, as well as community development, really went a long way toward our opening numbers,” Wendy said.

Wendy also mentioned that all of the highly trained professional instructors are on board with the school’s focus on prioritizing safety.

“We have a very long and strong training program and hold our instructors to high standards,” Wendy said. “Safety always comes first. And we do our best to recruit full-time employees in order to create more consistency for the students.”

And the final piece of the successful launch is the physical address of the Centennial location. One of the core tenets of Big Blue’s real estate strategy is seeking out locations that are in the paths that consumers are already traveling, maximizing convenience and time for busy parents.

“Big Blue’s corporate team has a formula put together to help bring its franchisees immediate success,” Erik said. “From real estate to technology, along with our new pool opening strategy, they’re helping guide us every step of the way to ensure we not only had a strong launch but that our enrollments continue to grow.”

With a commitment to open five Big Blue locations, this husband-and-wife team is working on opening more locations in Colorado, currently scouting out territories for their other Denver-area stores.

Multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big opportunity, and veterans can receive a 10 percent discount on the $80,000 franchise fee. The total investment necessary to begin operation of a new Big Blue is $2,475,200 to $3,966,700 (refer to item 7 in FDD) To learn more or inquire about Big Blue, visit https://www.bigblueswimschool.com/franchising/.