JUMP! Swim Schools a double finalist in national franchising awards

Rapidly growing Gold Coast-based company JUMP! Swim Schools will vie for two national titles in the Franchise Council of Australia’s 2016 Excellence in Franchising Awards.

The national early childhood learn-to-swim provider joins four other leading franchises in the award categories of Emerging Franchisor of the Year and Franchise Innovation.

It has been a rapid rise to success for JUMP! Swim Schools after founder and Managing Director Ian Campbell bought his first swimming facility in Grafton in 2010.

Campbell recalls “it was a little pool in a former brewery shed: but the moment I stepped inside, it dawned on me that this set up solved the biggest problem with learn to swim - distraction.

“I bought the business, quit my job, moved to Grafton and built the company on country values - getting to know every customer and being invested in the kids so they can leverage off confidence to excel in the pool.”

JUMP! Swim Schools opened its first franchise on the Gold Coast in mid-2014 and has gone on to become the nation’s leader in infant swim instruction with 30 trading locations around Australia and a further 50 scheduled to open nationally within six months.

JUMP! has opened six interstate sites since June, with a further eight franchisees signed, 587 online enquiries for franchise sites in the past month and winter enrolments for infant learn-to-swim classes up 22.3%.

Campbell said the unique JUMP! competency-based program that was at the forefront of baby learn to swim teaching, was key to the JUMP! success.

JUMP!’s state-of-the-art swimming facilities, fun, safe and calm environment that was dedicated purely to early-years learn to swim lessons was also behind JUMP!’s model of excellence and rapid business growth, he said.

JUMP! Swim Schools teach babies as young as three months to swim through its distinct highly-personalised program and expert teaching.

JUMP! Swim Schools’ pools are indoors and the water is heated to 33 degrees to create a fun, friendly and safe environment for young swimmers.

Campbell added “swimming is a confidence-based skill and we saw the need for an intimate, purpose-built facility that delivers a very personalised experience for families.

“We are the child carers of learn to swim. We have a low teacher on baby ratio and we are putting specialised education with metrics back into learn to swim and that relates to our success across the country.”

JUMP!’s most innovative achievement is its purpose-built pools and facilities which average 350 students, in the 0 to five age group, per location, meaning that thousands of young children are learning a vital life skill and water safety.

The announcement comes after JUMP! was recently named winner of the Gold Coast Business Excellence Award for Health and Wellbeing, the Australian Swim Schools Association Inclusive Swimming Award for its service for children with special needs, and Silver Stevie Winner in two categories of the world’s premier business awards, the 2016 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

The Franchise Council of Australia is the peak industry body for the $144 billion Australian franchise sector. The Excellence in Franchising Awards recognise the important contributions franchising makes to local communities and the opportunities the sector provides to foster business success,

Winners will be announced at the MYOB FCA Excellence in Franchising Awards Gala Dinner on Tuesday 11th October 2016 in Canberra as part of the FCA National Convention.

Emerging Franchisor of the Year finalists

• JUMP! Swim Schools 
• Soul Origin 
• Salts of the Earth 
• Shoebox Book Keeping 
• KX Pilates 

Franchise Innovation finalists

• JUMP! Swim Schools
• Boost Juice
• Kwik Copy
• Fastway Courier
• The Leather Doctor

Top image: Ian Campbell

27th July 2016 - ASSA ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN SWIM SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE AWARDS

3rd June 2016 - NEW AUSTRALIAN SWIM SCHOOL ASSOCIATION AIMS TO LINK LEARN-TO-SWIM OPERATORS

12th May 2016 - JUMP! SWIM SCHOOLS TEAMS WITH WATER SAFETY ADVOCATE LAURIE LAWRENCE

4th November 2013 - PARENTS VALUE SWIMMING AND WATER SAFETY LESSONS ABOVE OTHER OUT-OF-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES