The traditional swim school model often presents a series of hurdles for busy families. The commute to a big-box facility, inflexible schedules and the nature of crowded group lessons all play a role. But urSwim founder and CEO Marina Mentzel, who has personally overseen a system responsible for more than 100,000 lessons, launched the brand to solve these problems by prioritizing accessibility and the particular needs of each local community. What began as a personal mission for safe, home-based swim lessons has evolved into a multi-vertical system bridging private instruction and professional aquatics management through instructors using a proprietary curriculum built on American Red Cross safety standards.
"For me, it always started with a single question: ‘How do I give my child the opportunity to learn this skill in their very own backyard?’ That became, ‘How do I solve that problem and how do I do it at scale?’" Mentzel said. "I began by providing swim lessons and swim education in our clients’ homes and found a ton of success."
Mentzel’s vision for urSwim was driven by an innovation-first mindset, aiming to lead the category by being at the forefront of where swim education and water safety could go while remaining grounded in a core purpose: water safety.
Today, urSwim operates as a mobile franchise system providing on-site swim instruction programs, water safety education, lifeguard staffing and pool management services. The model allows franchisees to manage operations from a home office while service vehicles bring the poolside experience directly to customer homes, schools and local clubs.
Simply signing up is frequently one of the hardest parts of embracing swim school. Traditional programs often demand families commit to a single time for months on end. And that can build a barrier that thwarts learning. urSwim, however, removes that hurdle by delivering a subscription-based model that’s adaptable to the challenges of a busy schedule.
"Swimming is a disciplined sport. So, we wanted to introduce flexibility," Mentzel said. "Unlike our competitors, we allow customers to drop into different times and days each month within their subscription. And, as a mother of two, I know how essential that is. It’s a level of service most schools just don't offer. And our clients truly appreciate it.”
Today, the brand offers both monthly subscriptions and session-based choices. And, whether they’re just getting comfortable in the water or are advanced swimmers, a customized urSwim plan meets each student when and where it works.
Most home swim services focus on children younger than 10, but urSwim targets a much wider demographic, including groups that often get overlooked. While drowning remains a serious threat, especially for children younger than 5, Mentzel insists that true safety requires a much broader approach.
"There is a massive underserved adult population out there. In fact, many adults in the U.S. can’t swim competently," Mentzel said. "We built our pricing to address that. While most schools charge per individual, we price by household. This encourages parents and siblings to get into the pool together, which has been a major driver of our success."
By shifting the focus to the full family, urSwim fosters a comprehensive culture of safety. And it’s an approach that builds more than just good swimmers. It helps build long-term relationships that increase retention. And since the curriculum is designed to grow and evolve with each student, safety stands a better chance of becoming a lifelong habit.
urSwim differentiates itself further by maintaining a strong B2B vertical, serving commercial clients who lack the infrastructure to manage complex aquatics programs internally. The brand provides turnkey lifeguard staffing and pool management at multiple levels.
"I grew the brand and hired instructors to work under me. But I realized there were a lot of unanswered questions in the swim education space. One of the biggest gaps was providing lifeguards and swim instructors to commercial clients," Mentzel said. "Some of our customers include HOAs, summer camps, beach clubs and country clubs. They were all desperate for highly qualified lifeguards and swim instructors for their aquatics programs. But they never quite figured out how to deliver that well. That’s where we stepped in."
The commercial pool management services go beyond merely staffing. urSwim handles the logistics of pool openings and closings, chemical maintenance, and regular cleanings in coordination with licensed pool service professionals to ensure all work is completed safely, properly, and in compliance with industry standards. The brand also ensures that on-call staff have Certified Pool Operator credentials. For private consumers, the "Rent-a-Lifeguard" service provides peace of mind during residential events like birthday parties, weddings or corporate gatherings.As an authorized provider of the American Red Cross and other national recognized organizations, urSwim also conducts certification courses for lifeguarding, CPR/AED and general first aid, making it a central hub for safety training in the markets it serves.
The scalability of the urSwim model is inherent in its non-brick-and-mortar structure. By utilizing base locations (semi-permanent partnerships with local gyms, fitness studios and community centers), franchisees can provide year-round instruction without the massive capital expenditure building a dedicated facility requires. This allows the brand to deliver on its ambitious mission across diverse geographies.
"Our mission is to teach 1 million people how to swim. That’s what drives us every day," Mentzel said. "We want to be the leader in our category by delivering exceptional swim lessons and exceptional water safety. We’re hyper-focused on ensuring our personnel can achieve that and deliver above and beyond what customers expect."
This focus on people is a hallmark of the brand. Mentzel believes the quality of the franchisor team will continue to have a profound impact as urSwim continues to grow and scale via franchising. "It’s our personnel and our curriculum. It’s all about people," she said. "We believe that’s what drives retention month over month and year over year. And it will continue to do so."
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a home-based urSwim business ranges from $76,260 to $106,850. This includes a $44,500 initial franchise fee. For those seeking to develop multiple territories, the total investment ranges from $101,760 to $362,350. urSwim also offers a discount for qualified individuals who are existing swim instructors with a proven track record of annual sales.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/urswim/info.
urSwim
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By eliminating the constraints of a traditional brick-and-mortar, urSwim meets families and businesses where they are to deliver instruction, specialized lifeguard staffing and pool management.
The traditional swim school model often presents a series of hurdles for busy families. The commute to a big-box facility, inflexible schedules and the nature of crowded group lessons all play a role. But urSwim founder and CEO Marina Mentzel, who has personally overseen a system responsible for more than 100,000 lessons, launched the brand to solve these problems by prioritizing accessibility and the particular needs of each local community. What began as a personal mission for safe, home-based swim lessons has evolved into a multi-vertical system bridging private instruction and professional aquatics management through instructors using a proprietary curriculum built on American Red Cross safety standards.
"For me, it always started with a single question: ‘How do I give my child the opportunity to learn this skill in their very own backyard?’ That became, ‘How do I solve that problem and how do I do it at scale?’" Mentzel said. "I began by providing swim lessons and swim education in our clients’ homes and found a ton of success."
Mentzel’s vision for urSwim was driven by an innovation-first mindset, aiming to lead the category by being at the forefront of where swim education and water safety could go while remaining grounded in a core purpose: water safety.
Today, urSwim operates as a mobile franchise system providing on-site swim instruction programs, water safety education, lifeguard staffing and pool management services. The model allows franchisees to manage operations from a home office while service vehicles bring the poolside experience directly to customer homes, schools and local clubs.
Simply signing up is frequently one of the hardest parts of embracing swim school. Traditional programs often demand families commit to a single time for months on end. And that can build a barrier that thwarts learning. urSwim, however, removes that hurdle by delivering a subscription-based model that’s adaptable to the challenges of a busy schedule.
"Swimming is a disciplined sport. So, we wanted to introduce flexibility," Mentzel said. "Unlike our competitors, we allow customers to drop into different times and days each month within their subscription. And, as a mother of two, I know how essential that is. It’s a level of service most schools just don't offer. And our clients truly appreciate it.”
Today, the brand offers both monthly subscriptions and session-based choices. And, whether they’re just getting comfortable in the water or are advanced swimmers, a customized urSwim plan meets each student when and where it works.
Most home swim services focus on children younger than 10, but urSwim targets a much wider demographic, including groups that often get overlooked. While drowning remains a serious threat, especially for children younger than 5, Mentzel insists that true safety requires a much broader approach.
"There is a massive underserved adult population out there. In fact, many adults in the U.S. can’t swim competently," Mentzel said. "We built our pricing to address that. While most schools charge per individual, we price by household. This encourages parents and siblings to get into the pool together, which has been a major driver of our success."
By shifting the focus to the full family, urSwim fosters a comprehensive culture of safety. And it’s an approach that builds more than just good swimmers. It helps build long-term relationships that increase retention. And since the curriculum is designed to grow and evolve with each student, safety stands a better chance of becoming a lifelong habit.
urSwim differentiates itself further by maintaining a strong B2B vertical, serving commercial clients who lack the infrastructure to manage complex aquatics programs internally. The brand provides turnkey lifeguard staffing and pool management at multiple levels.
"I grew the brand and hired instructors to work under me. But I realized there were a lot of unanswered questions in the swim education space. One of the biggest gaps was providing lifeguards and swim instructors to commercial clients," Mentzel said. "Some of our customers include HOAs, summer camps, beach clubs and country clubs. They were all desperate for highly qualified lifeguards and swim instructors for their aquatics programs. But they never quite figured out how to deliver that well. That’s where we stepped in."
The commercial pool management services go beyond merely staffing. urSwim handles the logistics of pool openings and closings, chemical maintenance, and regular cleanings in coordination with licensed pool service professionals to ensure all work is completed safely, properly, and in compliance with industry standards. The brand also ensures that on-call staff have Certified Pool Operator credentials. For private consumers, the "Rent-a-Lifeguard" service provides peace of mind during residential events like birthday parties, weddings or corporate gatherings.As an authorized provider of the American Red Cross and other national recognized organizations, urSwim also conducts certification courses for lifeguarding, CPR/AED and general first aid, making it a central hub for safety training in the markets it serves.
The scalability of the urSwim model is inherent in its non-brick-and-mortar structure. By utilizing base locations (semi-permanent partnerships with local gyms, fitness studios and community centers), franchisees can provide year-round instruction without the massive capital expenditure building a dedicated facility requires. This allows the brand to deliver on its ambitious mission across diverse geographies.
"Our mission is to teach 1 million people how to swim. That’s what drives us every day," Mentzel said. "We want to be the leader in our category by delivering exceptional swim lessons and exceptional water safety. We’re hyper-focused on ensuring our personnel can achieve that and deliver above and beyond what customers expect."
This focus on people is a hallmark of the brand. Mentzel believes the quality of the franchisor team will continue to have a profound impact as urSwim continues to grow and scale via franchising. "It’s our personnel and our curriculum. It’s all about people," she said. "We believe that’s what drives retention month over month and year over year. And it will continue to do so."
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a home-based urSwim business ranges from $76,260 to $106,850. This includes a $44,500 initial franchise fee. For those seeking to develop multiple territories, the total investment ranges from $101,760 to $362,350. urSwim also offers a discount for qualified individuals who are existing swim instructors with a proven track record of annual sales.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/urswim/info.
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