British Swim School Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A British Swim School franchise requires a total initial investment of $123K – $176K, including a $40K – $60K franchise fee. Per the latest FDD, average unit revenue was $179K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 4.5% charge-off rate across 67 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified
Overview
- Investment
- $123K – $176K
- 34th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $179K
- 4th pct Education
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 289
- 67th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- 4.5%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- Total investment $123K – $176K including a $40K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $179K/year.
- Verdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 4.5% across 67 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- British Swim School Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- BSS Acquisition Holdings, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Buzz Franchise Brands, LLC
- Predecessor
- British Swim Centers Franchising, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Ashley Gundlach
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 2829 Guardian Lane, Suite 100, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452
Overview
About
Swimming and water-survival instruction franchise offering private and group swim lessons for individuals of all ages (primarily children 10 and under), plus pool facility rental, pool parties, and related special events, operated from owned, rented, or licensed swimming pools.
- CEO
- Ashley Gundlach
- Headquarters
- Virginia
- States available
- 34
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 76% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $9K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $74K | $122K |
| Total initial investment | $123K | $176K |
Source: British Swim School FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $123K – $176K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $9K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $60K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- First full calendar year after Franchise Agreement effect…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 79% below the education norm.
Source: FDD · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$27K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
17%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $179K
- Per unit/yr · from the Item 19 franchised-cohort breakdown (no single system-wide average disclosed)
- Median gross sales
- N/A
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- per_unit_metric_not_whole_outlet
- Sample size
- 244 units
- vs category median 14 · large
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
Compared against 234 Education brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $179K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.2x.
Operator retention
System expanding at 49.0% CAGR over 3 years across 289 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Education averages
How British Swim School Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 289
- Opened
- 47
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 16
- Terminated
- 14
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.7%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +49.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +49.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 47
- Closed (3yr)
- 16
- Terminated (3yr)
- 14
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 18
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 34 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
34
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 67
- Loan volume
- $13.7M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 4.5%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 95.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 22
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 9.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 6116
- Jobs supported
- 656
- 4.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 27%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Vintage analysis
British Swim School charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing British Swim School franchisees
Showing 3 of 22 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 4.5% — 72% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Dave Warn (VP of Franchise Development) and his spouse jointly filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition on April 24, 2014; plan confirmed August 20, 2014; standard discharge entered January 27, 2020 (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division, Case No. 14-24219). This is a personal officer bankruptcy, not a company bankruptcy.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 25,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 89 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- Training location
- Virginia Beach, Virginia (and designated Certified Training Location for Aquatics)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee, subject to franchisor approval of Pool
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a British Swim School franchise?
The total investment to open a British Swim School franchise ranges from $123K – $176K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do British Swim School franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the British Swim School FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $179K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is British Swim School's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, British Swim School has a charge-off rate of 4.5% across 67 loans, meaning 4.5% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many British Swim School franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, British Swim School has 289 total units in the United States, including 289 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 47 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is British Swim School a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates British Swim School as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 76 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.