Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, the premier learn-to-swim franchise concept, has been making waves in 2021 – reporting high performance and strategic growth. The leading swim school franchise now exceeds its pre-COVID enrollment numbers - teaching more than 150,000 children each week how to be safer in and around the water - and is projected to close out 2021 with 11 signed agreements comprised of 30 schools, 13 new openings, with five more projected to open in Q1.

This immense success is attributed to Goldfish Swim School's exceptional leadership team, world-class franchise office support and dedicated franchisees who were recently honored at the brand's virtual celebration, aptly titled, "Getting Back in the Swim of Things." Franchisees were celebrated for embracing Goldfish Swim School's core values to help navigate the tricky waters of daily operations during the ongoing pandemic, as well as implementing these core values in their communities. The celebration reconnected and energized the system after achieving remarkable success amid the pandemic, while laying the foundation for a strong future ahead.

"Our core values have served as a guiding light for all our decision making and it's proved us well," said Chris McCuiston, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "We've focused on flexibility and creativity while maintaining our brand standards to prioritize our franchisees and their success. Even during the uncertainty of the last 18 months, we didn't lose sight of our vision – this has brought our system together to collaborate, innovate and adapt, making data-driven decisions to drive performance. Shared values inspire accountability, and by leaning into our core values we were able to persevere and emerge stronger."

The success achieved by the brand has not gone unnoticed as the franchise industry has honored Goldfish with several recent award wins: ranking No. 29 and the top swim school franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2021 Franchise 500®, named a Top Franchise for 2021 by Franchise Business Review, earning a spot on the 2021 Inc. 5000 Midwest Regionals list, claiming a 2021 Breakout Retailer Award by Chain Store Age and making an appearance on the 2021 Franchise Times Top 400. Additionally, several Goldfish franchisees were recognized by Franchise Business Review as 2021 Rock Star Franchise Owners.

Consistently outranking its competition, Goldfish Swim School continues to prove itself as a top-rated and most established swim school franchise in the space. Its ability to go above and beyond to nurture a culture that provides a GOLDEN Experience! is unmatched by its competition.

As franchise development continues to surge, Goldfish Swim School's multi-unit franchise opportunity has played a strategic role in its nationwide expansion. Goldfish was among just 50 brands recently named a Top Multi-Unit Franchise by Franchise Business Review in its 2021 Top Multi-Unit Franchises Report. The growing brand recently signed multi-unit agreements in Arizona, Georgia, New York, Texas, Florida and Virginia. A significant number of multi-unit signings have come from existing franchisees, speaking to the tremendous belief they have in the brand and the support they receive.

"The future of the industry remains strong and vibrant, and our goal is to solidify our mark as the industry leader in innovation, member experience and community goodwill," added McCuiston. "Our growth strategy has been centered on finding the right franchise partners while continuing strong operations, and we look forward to a momentous 2022 as we build on our notoriety and grow our presence across North America."

Within its 10 years of franchising, Goldfish Swim School has built an incredible infrastructure for growth with increased support and services to members and franchisees to assure a Golden Experience & Extraordinary Results across the board. Most recently, the company made key internal hires including a Vice President of Operations and Director of Technology, while also building out its online training program and restructuring its support team to best service franchisees with a hands-on approach. Also new this year is Goldfish Swim School's enhanced website that was refreshed as a result of extensive research to strengthen the customer journey with user-friendly functionality – leading to a streamlined approach to registering for lessons, gathering information and more.

Furthermore, the brand has enhanced its vendor partnerships and brought on an impressive roster of partners and brand ambassadors including World Champion Swimmer & Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Murphy,  Four-Time Olympic Swimming Medalist & First African American World Record Holder Cullen Jones and Dr. Molly O'Shea of Birmingham Pediatrics + Wellness Center, who is the official pediatrician of Goldfish Swim School, playing a critical role in helping create happy, healthy, holistic kids both in the pool and out.

Riding this wave of success, Goldfish is looking to bring on qualified and engaged individuals seeking single and multi-unit opportunities who are involved with their community, have a passion for water safety and are hungry to dive into the world of franchising. Today, with 120-plus locations open and more than 130 in development, the brand is on track for strategic franchise expansion across North America – with the most opportunities available in California and the southern region of the United States. As the brand continues to grow, it is looking for passionate individuals to join its team of 'Wavemakers in the Workforce.' There are exciting opportunities at each individually owned and operated school for those who love making a difference, having fun, feeling part of a team and helping make their community safer.

Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main priority is always the same – educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water.

For more information on Goldfish Swim School and its franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities/ or call 248-801-1850. 

Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500® ranking, Franchise Times' 2020 Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's 2019 Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 120 schools open, and an additional 130 in development in more than 30 states and Canada.