Empty Pool? Not For Long

Elyse Kelly, the director of location services for British Swim School, shares how a pool can bring in meaningful revenue

Countless fitness centers across the country have underutilized pools. Many pools are available for member use, but simply aren’t taken advantage of. Or perhaps an aquatics program existed at one time, but the necessary staff aren’t available to run it anymore.

Whatever the reason, this expensive asset often sits unused. Draining and closing the pool is an option. But there’s another option — one that could bring meaningful ancillary revenue to your business. Swim schools.

Why partner with a swim school? There are highly reputable swim schools throughout the country, many with years of experience. These schools already have tried-and-true aquatics programs and are often looking for pools to partner with to host their lessons at. Partnering with a swim school takes the guesswork out of having an aquatics program and brings ancillary revenue to your business. 

What are the benefits of partnering with a swim school?  

A meaningful, ancillary revenue stream, leveraging a typically underutilized asset — changing your pool from an empty expense into a revenue generating resource.

A positive and measurable social impact. Partnering with a swim school to host swim lessons at your pool means your community has access to learning lifesaving skills and water safety.

Phenomenal exposure for your business, bringing new traffic through your doors. Not only will your members benefit from the accessibility and convenience of swim lessons at your location, but parents — prospective members — will be visiting your location every day for lessons.

Cross-promotional marketing opportunities, if desired. With new traffic comes new opportunities for cross-promotional marketing with your swim school partner.

A built-in halo effect from offering life-saving water survival skills. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages zero to four, and your partnership with a swim school helps reduce that terrible statistic. 

How to get started? Research the premier swim schools in your area and make contact. You want to make sure your partner offers comprehensive insurance coverage, meaning no risk to you. In your facility, you’ll want to ensure they have a limited footprint both in terms of space and time, typically starting at 12 to 15 hours per week. 

In return, you will need to provide a well-maintained pool — clean, warm, chemically balanced — along with space to run the swim school operation during their allotted hours.

Opportunity awaits in 2022 for clubs and fitness centers with empty pools.