Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Safety focus of swim school
New Rogers facility teaches skills, respect around water.
ROGERS — The owners of Goldfish Swim School which recently opened in Rogers will be the first to say they’re not selling swim lessons, they’re teaching safety in and around the water.
That lesson of safety resonates even more these days in the face of the nation’s covid-19 crisis.
The Fleming family opened the franchise, the first in the state, in June after moving to the area from Michigan. The couple say they fell in love with the Goldfish Swim School there and decided Northwest Arkansas was the perfect place for them to begin their business.
“The community here has welcomed us with open arms,” co-owner Mark Fleming said. “It’s been a bright spot in a tough time.”
Goldfish Swim school provides swim lessons and water safety instruction for children from 4 months to age 12. The company uses a proprietary curriculum it calls The Science of SwimPlay to make kids comfortable, confident and safe around the water using play-based learning.
Troy, Mich.-based Goldfish Swim School was founded in 2006 by husband-andwife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston and teaches more than 138,000 students per week to swim and be safer in and around the water. It opened its first franchise location in 2009 and currently has 104 schools open, and 128 in development in more than 28 states and Canada, according to the company.
Co-owner Niki Fleming, a pediatric nurse, said while the couple had never considered a challenge like covid-19 when they decided to take the plunge into the franchise, starting off in the new environment gave them some advantages.
She said they didn’t have to pivot and adjust established policies and practices on the fly; instead, they just included the challenges brought on by covid-19, into how the operation did business from day one. She said they got a great deal of support from the franchiser so they didn’t have to learn everything on their own.
“We didn’t have to change polices,” she said, noting the couple feels God has guided them through the entire process of opening their business. “It’s not the perfect time, but we feel it’s His timing.”
In response to email questions, Chris McCuiston, chief executive officer and co-founder of Goldfish
Swim School, said the company is working hard with its franchisees to deal with the challenges of covid-19. He said the company continues to expand with plans to open 16 new schools this year.
“We acted swiftly to support our franchisees, immediately jumping into action and developing an interactive COVID Support Site to provide franchisees information on navigating covid-19 – legal insight, financial resources, downloadable marketing templates, operational guidance, reopening support, etc.,” McCuiston wrote. “Furthermore, our leadership team hosted weekly ‘Franchise Features’ in which owners and general managers across the system connected to share feedback, problem solve, and adapt to the ever changing business landscape.”
The Goldfish Swim School in Rogers is located at 4319 Pleasant Crossing Blvd. The school encompasses more than 10,000 square feet and features a 30-foot by 80-foot pool complete with a brightly colored wall mural showing underwater creatures, with some nods to Northwest Arkansas, including a swimming beaver, to represent Beaver Lake and a chicken complete with snorkel gear, a reference to the region’s poultry industry. There is a large, partitioned viewing area that runs most of the length of the pool for families to watch the swim lessons and other activities. The swimming area is kept at a comfortable 90 degrees, and the humidity is controlled.
“We have a shiver-free pool year-round,” Mark Fleming said.
The Franchise Business Economic Outlook 2020 report prepared for the International Franchise Association predicts in 2020 franchises in the United States will grow by 1.5% to 785,316 establishments and franchise employment was expected to stand at 8.67 million, up 2.8% from 2019. It projects Arkansas will rank third in the U.S., behind Texas and Colorado, for the number of franchises and employment growth for 2020. The report was released before the impact of covid-19 on the economy was known or even anticipated.
The personal services sector, which includes healthcare and fitness, childcare and beauty-related services, is projected to rank highest in 2020 in both franchise establishments and employment growth. The success in the segment it traditionally tied to growth in consumer spending and disposable income.
The Flemings said the business is operating at a limited capacity because of Arkansas’ covid-19 requirements, and their safety protocols follow the guidelines suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and meet all state guidelines as well. They include social distancing, regular sanitation of high-touch surfaces and their swim instructors minimizing contact and wearing face shields.
According to the CDC website, “There is no evidence that the virus that causes covid-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, or water playgrounds. Additionally, proper operation of these aquatic venues and disinfection of the water (with chlorine or bromine) should inactivate the virus.”
Niki Fleming said it is vital for children not only to learn to swim but to be aware of the dangers around a pool and other bodies of water. She said the Goldfish program focuses on instilling confidence, social skills and a safety mindset in its students.
“It’s the only sport that can save a life,” she said.