What Is the SafeSplash Swim School Franchise Opportunity?
Company Overview and Industry
SafeSplash Swim School is a children’s swim instruction franchise that specializes in teaching water safety and swimming skills. The company was founded in 2005 in Colorado and began franchising in 2014. Over nearly two decades, SafeSplash has expanded to over 100 locations across the U.S., making it one of the nation’s largest swim school brands. The franchise has achieved notable milestones – it has delivered more than 7 million swim lessons to date and even earned an endorsement from Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin. SafeSplash is now part of a larger family of swim-school brands (Streamline Brands) under Youth Enrichment Brands, but it remains focused on its core mission of teaching life-saving swimming skills in communities nationwide. In essence, the SafeSplash opportunity allows you to run a purpose-driven business in the growing children’s education and sports industry, helping infants, kids, and adults become safe, confident swimmers.
What Franchisees Get
A SafeSplash Swim School franchisee operates a swim school program offering year-round swimming lessons and related services. Franchisees primarily serve local families – teaching children (as young as 6 months) and adults, hosting group and private swim classes, summer camps, birthday parties, and other swim events. SafeSplash provides a proprietary, progressive curriculum developed by expert swimmers, so franchisees don’t need prior swim-instruction experience. New owners receive comprehensive training on the business model and ongoing support to ensure they maintain the high teaching standards. Importantly, SafeSplash offers robust operational support tools: franchisees get a “SafeSplash Back Office” service, which is a centralized call center and software system that handles customer inquiries, class registrations, scheduling and billing seven days a week. This means much of the administrative workload (answering phones, managing make-ups and payments) is handled for you, a rare benefit in the swim school space.
Franchise owners also benefit from tech-enabled management systems – for example, online scheduling platforms and automated customer communication tools are provided to streamline operations. SafeSplash assists with local marketing and social media campaigns to help you attract families in your area, and it maintains a confidential operations manual to guide daily procedures. In terms of business model, SafeSplash offers two franchising formats: a **“Hosted” model and a “Dedicated” model.
- The Hosted Model allows you to run classes by partnering with an existing pool facility (for example, renting lane time at a local gym, school, or community center). This is a cost-efficient, turnkey approach – you don’t have to build a pool; instead, you bring SafeSplash’s program into an existing swimming pool. SafeSplash even has partnerships with large national health club chains in certain areas, making it easier to find pool access. Hosted franchisees still get the full curriculum and back-office support, but operate with lower overhead in someone else’s pool during designated hours.
- The Dedicated Model involves opening your own standalone swim school facility – a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled indoor pool center built to SafeSplash’s specifications. This offers the “ultimate” customer experience (warm water, kid-friendly design, viewing areas for parents) and maximum schedule flexibility. A dedicated location can run classes all day on your own property, but naturally requires a much larger investment to construct or lease and equip the facility.
No matter the model, franchisees serve a broad customer base in their territory. The typical SafeSplash clientele are parents of young children (from infants, toddlers, school-age kids up to teens), although adult learners and even competitive swimmers are also served through specialized programs. SafeSplash’s curriculum is designed to accommodate all ages and skill levels, from water-phobic beginners to advanced stroke development. This gives franchisees multiple revenue streams (varied class offerings) within the single franchise. Overall, what you get as a SafeSplash owner is a chance to make a positive impact (preventing drownings and empowering kids) while running a business with a proven system of training, support, and tools behind you.
Startup Costs and Ongoing Fees
SafeSplash requires a substantial investment, especially for those pursuing a dedicated facility. According to the company’s 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the total initial investment to open a SafeSplash Swim School ranges from about $785,000 up to $1,907,000. This wide range accounts for different build-out scenarios – at the low end would be a smaller facility or minimal build, and at the high end a large custom-built swim school with all the bells and whistles (or adding SafeSplash’s optional SwimLabs technology package for competitive training). The franchise fee is typically $55,000 for a new SafeSplash territory. In addition, franchisees pay ongoing royalties and marketing contributions: SafeSplash charges a royalty of 6% of gross sales and national advertising fund fee of 2%. These fees cover continued support, brand development, and system-wide marketing campaigns.
It’s worth noting that SafeSplash’s Hosted Model offers a lower-cost entry point. A hosted franchise (using existing pools) can start for a total investment as low as ** ~$50,000 to $125,000** in some cases. In contrast, a full Dedicated Model build-out can cost half a million to $1.5+ million on its own. SafeSplash requires new owners to have a solid financial base (for example, one listing mentions minimum $70,000 liquid capital and $250,000 net worth needed), ensuring franchisees can support the business through the ramp-up period. Aside from the franchise fee and build-out costs, expect typical startup expenses like pool equipment, insurance, training travel, initial marketing, and three months of operating reserves to be included in the investment figure according to, sharpsheets.io.
Earnings Potential: SafeSplash’s franchise model has demonstrated high revenue potential once the school is up and running. The brand’s 2024 FDD reports an average annual gross revenue of about $1,267,000 per franchised location. Naturally, results vary by model and market size – a smaller hosted operation will generate less revenue (and also has lower costs) than a large dedicated facility. For insight, SafeSplash’s own data show that a typical Hosted location averages around $266,000 in annual sales with roughly $68,000 in EBITDA profit (earnings before interest, taxes, etc.), while a Dedicated indoor facility averages about $1.11 million in sales with approximately $260,000 in EBITDA. Those figures translate to EBITDA profit margins of roughly 26% for hosted units and 23% for dedicated units. In other words, a well-run SafeSplash school can deliver healthy profit margins, and larger locations have potential to clear a quarter-million dollars in operating profit annually. Keep in mind that actual profitability will depend on factors like local pricing, rent, and how efficiently the owner manages labor scheduling – but the demand for swim lessons is strong enough that many franchises achieve solid returns. (SafeSplash highlights that formal swim lessons can reduce childhood drowning risk by 88%, driving many safety-conscious parents to seek out these classes.) Overall, while the upfront cost is high, the revenue and community impact can be significant if the business scales successfully.
How the Industry Itself Compares
SafeSplash Industry Advantages
- Purpose-Driven Mission: SafeSplash operates in a meaningful niche – it’s not just about making money, but teaching a life-saving skill. Franchisees often find personal reward in helping children become safer around water. The mission of preventing childhood drownings gives this business a strong sense of purpose that can be emotionally fulfilling (and also resonates in marketing to parents).
- Growing Youth Market: The swim school business taps into the broader youth sports & enrichment industry, which has been on a growth trend. Demand for kids’ activities and sports instruction is rising roughly 3% annually in the U.S.. Every year, a new cohort of young families look for swimming lessons. This provides a steady pipeline of potential customers as more parents prioritize swim education for their kids. In short, there’s a renewing market of toddlers and children in need of lessons each season.
- Strong Brand & Curriculum: SafeSplash is the largest swim school franchise in the country, which gives it brand recognition and credibility with customers. Its scale has enabled partnerships (for example, with well-known health clubs and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance) and even an Olympic champion’s endorsement – which independent swim schools can’t match. Franchisees benefit from a proven curriculum and nearly 20 years of operational experience behind the brand. This established system can make it easier to win trust from parents compared to starting a swim program from scratch.
- High Revenue Potential: A successful swim school can generate significant revenues in a given market. Because classes are typically recurring (many students attend weekly lessons for months or years), a single location can build up hundreds of enrolled families. As noted, a fully built SafeSplash facility can average over $1 million in annual sales. Even smaller hosted models, while more modest, can reach six-figure revenues. The key is that the business model naturally encourages repeat customers – kids progress through levels, and younger siblings keep coming – which can translate into reliable income for the franchisee. Profit margins of 20-25% on these revenues are attainable according to SafeSplash’s Item 19 figures, so the economics can be attractive if volume is high.
- “Recession-Resistant” Service: While no business is entirely immune to economic cycles, swim lessons are considered essential by many families. Safety education for children tends to remain a priority even when belts tighten. In fact, SafeSplash’s positioning is that it’s providing an essential child safety service – much like daycare or education, many parents will budget for swim classes because of the importance of drowning prevention. The franchise also benefits from a mix of revenue sources (individual families, school/camp contracts, etc.), which can provide some stability. This year-round necessity (particularly in areas with indoor pools) means the swim school industry is not as fad-driven as some other franchise sectors.
Compared to Commercial Cleaning Industry
Now, how does the swim school industry stack up against the commercial cleaning industry – and why might a cleaning business franchise offer a stronger long-term play? There are some clear differences in market size, business dynamics, and scalability that prospective franchisees should weigh:
Market Size and Demand: Commercial cleaning is a massive, ubiquitous industry. In the U.S., businesses spend on the order of $100 billion+ annually on cleaning and janitorial services. Every office building, school, medical facility, and retail store needs cleaning regardless of location or season. This market is far larger than the niche swim school market. Swim schools, while growing, serve a more limited demographic – essentially households with young children (and a subset of adults). By comparison, commercial cleaning serves virtually all industries and operates everywhere that commercial real estate exists. The broad base of demand in cleaning means an entrepreneur has a huge pool of potential B2B clients to go after. In contrast, a swim school franchise is constrained by how many families with children live in your area, and you only draw customers from a certain radius around your pool. The cleaning industry’s sheer scale also implies you can build a much bigger business over time (some commercial cleaning franchises hit seven or eight figures in revenue) without saturating the market.
Essential vs. Discretionary Service: Commercial cleaning is essential and typically non-negotiable for clients – a professional workspace must be cleaned regularly for hygiene, safety, and appearance reasons. This was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic: even when many businesses shut down or went remote, cleaning services were still needed (in fact, sanitization demand spiked). Cleaning is often mandated by health regulations or lease agreements, so cleaning contracts tend to be stable even in recessions. By contrast, swim lessons are important but somewhat discretionary for consumers. During economic downturns or public health crises, families might postpone kids’ activities like swim classes. For example, in early 2020 many swim schools had to pause operations, whereas commercial cleaning companies were deemed “essential” and continued operating (some even grew). Even outside of extreme events, a swim school can be affected by seasonal and economic factors – sign-ups might dip in winter or if households cut spending. Cleaning, on the other hand, is needed year-round and in all economic climates – an office building still needs to be cleaned whether the economy is booming or in a recession. This makes the cleaning sector more recession-resistant in practice than a consumer-facing business like swim instruction.
Recurring Revenue Stability: Both businesses seek repeat customers, but the nature of recurring revenue differs greatly. Commercial cleaning contracts are typically long-term B2B agreements – e.g. a company signs a 1-year or multi-year janitorial contract for service 5 nights a week. This yields very predictable, recurring income for the franchise owner. As long as you keep the client happy, that revenue recurs automatically each month. In the swim school model, revenue is also recurring but in a looser way – families usually pay monthly or enroll in sessions, and they can cancel at will. There’s no long-term contract binding a customer to your swim school; you have to continually re-market and re-enroll students as they either “graduate” or life circumstances change. In other words, customer churn is higher in B2C businesses like swim lessons. A cleaning business franchise benefits from “sticky” contracts where clients often stick around for years, whereas a swim school must constantly ensure new enrollments to replace kids who eventually move on. The commercial cleaning revenue is more durable and easier to forecast as you scale.
Operational Complexity and Cost Structure: Running a swim school involves significant fixed assets and operational complexity that a cleaning franchise does not. A dedicated swim facility requires maintaining a pool (or multiple pools) – balancing chemicals, heating, filtration, safety compliance, etc. You have to manage specialized equipment and potentially expensive real estate or leases. Even a hosted model requires coordinating schedules with host facilities and possibly transporting and storing equipment. In contrast, a commercial cleaning business can be run without any costly facilities or heavy equipment. Cleaning crews use relatively inexpensive supplies (mops, vacuums, cleaning solutions) and typically work on-site at client buildings (no need for a dedicated storefront). Many cleaning franchises are home-based or only need a small office for admin. This means lower overhead and far less capital expenditure compared to a swim school that might have a million-dollar build-out. The absence of specialized infrastructure in cleaning also simplifies operations – there’s no equivalent of a broken pool pump derailing your week. Furthermore, seasonality tends to affect swim schools (enrollment often peaks in summer and can lull in certain months), whereas commercial cleaning demand stays steady year-round (if anything, offices need more cleaning in winter flu season!). The cleaning business doesn’t have “off-seasons” – contracts produce revenue continuously.
Labor and Scalability: Both businesses rely on frontline staff, but the hiring dynamics differ. Swim schools need highly trained instructors (often with certifications like lifeguarding or teaching credentials), and class ratios mean each employee can only teach a limited number of students at a time. There’s also a customer service aspect of interacting with parents and kids, which means staffing requires strong people skills. Commercial cleaning staff requirements are easier – cleaners need to be reliable and detail-oriented, but the labor pool is larger and training is simpler (no certification required to mop floors). From an owner’s perspective, scaling up a cleaning franchise often means hiring more cleaners for relatively independent night shifts, which is straightforward if you have good recruiting systems. A swim school’s growth is constrained by facility capacity (only so many lessons you can run in one pool at a time) and by finding enough qualified instructors to meet peak-time demand (after-school hours). To significantly expand a swim school business, you might have to invest in additional locations or pools. A commercial cleaning franchise can scale within one territory by adding more client contracts, without a hard cap on volume – you just deploy more cleaning crews as you grow, using others’ facilities (the client buildings) to do the work. Additionally, owner involvement can differ: cleaning franchises like Assett are designed for semi-absentee ownership – you can hire supervisors and step back, putting in as little as 5-10 hours/week, because the work is done off-hours by your crew. Swim school franchises often demand a more hands-on approach or a full-time manager on-site during operating hours (especially for a dedicated facility dealing with dozens of customers daily). In short, the cleaning industry offers simpler scalability with fewer operational moving parts, whereas the swim school industry, while rewarding, comes with higher complexity, higher upfront costs, and a narrower market focus.
How the Assett Franchise Compares
Simpler Systems, Bigger Potential
Assett Franchise is in the commercial cleaning business – meaning it benefits from all the industry advantages outlined above (huge market, essential service, recurring B2B revenue). In fact, Assett was created to let owners tap into that $100B+ cleaning market without the typical headaches of small cleaning operations. The Assett model is intentionally built for owners who want to work on the business, not in it. Unlike many traditional cleaning franchises where franchisees end up cleaning themselves, Assett is set up as an Executive model – you manage the business and build client relationships, while a trained cleaning team performs the actual janitorial work. This is ideal for professionals transitioning from corporate careers, as you can apply your leadership and sales skills rather than pushing a mop. The system’s track record shows big growth potential: Assett franchisees have the opportunity to build $1M+ in recurring revenue relatively quickly. In fact, the average Assett franchise territory generated over $1.53 million in revenue in 2024 – demonstrating that the model can deliver seven-figure sales by leveraging long-term contracts. Yet, the cost to start an Assett cleaning business is very low compared to a swim school. The initial investment is roughly $70K–$116K (including a $50K franchise fee, which is discounted for veterans). There is no expensive real estate or construction needed – you can launch from a small office or home base. This means minimal risk and a faster path to profitability. And crucially, you don’t need any prior cleaning industry experience. Assett provides a complete business playbook and training program to get you up to speed on sales, operations, and quality control. In short, Assett offers a simpler, more cost-effective franchise system that still has big income potential (thanks to the stable commercial cleaning industry and Assett’s growth-focused approach).
Automated Hiring = Time and Money Saved
One of Assett Franchise’s standout features is its proprietary Automated Hiring System. This system, developed by founder Matt Pencarinha, tackles one of the toughest challenges in any service business: hiring and retaining employees. In the commercial cleaning world, high turnover and constant hiring needs often slow down growth – but Assett has essentially “cracked the code” on this problem. The franchise’s recruiting system uses automation and clever processes to continuously attract, screen, and onboard qualified cleaning staff, with far less effort from the owner. How effective is it? Assett reports that this system saves an owner 20–30 hours per week in hiring-related tasks, reducing the owner’s role in hiring to just 2–5 hours a week. In practical terms, this means as your cleaning business grows, you’re not bogged down interviewing dozens of applicants or dealing with paperwork – the system handles much of that, ensuring a pipeline of vetted workers. This automated hiring advantage has several ripple effects. It lets Assett owners scale up faster, because you can confidently bid on new cleaning contracts knowing you can quickly staff them. It also improves service quality: by consistently bringing in good candidates and training them, you maintain a high-performing team that keeps clients happy. Plus, you save money by not needing a full-time HR manager or recruiter – the system does the heavy lifting, and you might only need a part-time assistant as you grow. Overall, Assett’s automated hiring removes a growth bottleneck that most independent cleaning businesses and other service franchises struggle with. It ensures that having enough cleaners will never be what limits your revenue. For a franchise owner, that means you can focus on adding clients and expanding the business, rather than constantly dealing with staffing headaches.
Personalized and Founder-Led
Another way Assett differentiates itself is through its culture and leadership. Assett Commercial Services is a family-owned franchise, not a faceless corporation or private equity-backed conglomerate. The founder, Matt Pencarinha, personally owns and operates the franchise brand to this day according to bizbuysell.com. For franchisees, this translates into a much more personalized support system. You aren’t just a number in a portfolio – you have direct access to the franchisor’s leadership and the founding team’s experience. Matt’s story is one many new franchisees can relate to: he left a corporate career, started his own cleaning business in 2019, and grew it explosively (from $0 to over $557K in revenue in the first 12 months). He built Assett to replicate that success for others, and he remains hands-on in mentoring every new owner. This kind of founder-led ethos means decisions are made with franchisees’ success in mind, not just investor returns. In contrast, SafeSplash and many other franchise brands are part of larger holding companies or investment groups – they have their strengths, but they can feel more corporate. Assett prides itself on being community-focused and values-driven. The company’s core convictions (such as “People First” and “Partnership in Everything”) show in how franchisees are treated as true partners. Franchise owners get to plug into a tight-knit network and can directly collaborate with the founders on strategies, challenges, and local initiatives. There’s a shared mission to “be a blessing” to clients, employees, and franchisees, creating a positive business that’s about more than just profit. For someone investing in a franchise, this level of personal support and genuine culture can make a huge difference in your satisfaction and success. You’re joining a franchise where the founder is in your corner, and where franchisee feedback is truly valued (not lost in bureaucracy). Assett’s approach is modern and relational – they want owners to build a business that fits their life and goals, and they provide the direct guidance to help make that happen.
Final Thoughts
When comparing franchise opportunities, it’s important to consider your own goals and what day-to-day role you envision. SafeSplash Swim School is, without question, a strong franchise in its category – it offers a rewarding chance to teach kids an important life skill, and for the right owner (particularly someone passionate about youth sports or education) it can be a fulfilling business. The swim school industry has solid demand and SafeSplash provides a well-established platform to succeed in that space. However, it also comes with higher complexity, a narrower customer base, and a hefty upfront investment. By contrast, Assett Franchise offers more advantages for entrepreneurs who prioritize: a scalable and stable business model, low operational complexity, and predictable recurring revenue. Assett leverages the fundamentals of the commercial cleaning industry – essential services, B2B contracts, recession resilience – and enhances it with a franchise system built for executive ownership. The result is a model with minimal risk and faster ROI (thanks to lower costs and quicker break-even), and a path to long-term income that doesn’t require working 60-hour weeks or being on-call every weekend. If you’re looking for a cleaning business franchise that can deliver the lifestyle flexibility and financial control of owning a business – without the common headaches – Assett is a compelling alternative to consider.
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities and want a model that can deliver long-term income, flexibility, and control — we’d love to show you how Assett Franchise can help you build a business that works for your life. Visit https://assettfranchise.com to connect with our team and learn more.
