Local Alpharetta Mom Starts Swim School Business to Teach Water Safety and Survival: Why I Chose British Swim School

Starting a swim school business wasn’t something I saw coming—but as a local mom of three, water safety hit close to home. Here’s how I went from playdates to pool decks and started British Swim School Alpharetta.

In my last post, I shared how life as a full-time mom, combined with immigration challenges, made returning to work feel impossible—until a job loss forced our hand and led to a bold new chapter.

That chapter? Business ownership.

The BSS Head Office - Official Owners!

Why Franchising Made Sense

When we learned that starting a business could help us secure our stay in the U.S., we considered everything—from scratch-startups, to small local businesses, to buying an existing business, and more. But ultimately, franchising gave us three key things:

• A proven system

• Built-in support and training

• A faster (and more visa-friendly) path to launch

  
  

But even within the world of franchising, choosing the right brand was daunting. We reviewed hundreds of franchise options, poured over disclosure documents the size of phone books, and conducted nearly 50 validation calls (conversations with current franchisees—essential in the vetting process).

My Must-Haves for the Business

We weren’t just picking a business. We were choosing our family’s future. So the right business for me had to be:

• Community-Impacting – The number one requirement for me was that I wanted to do something that made a difference to the people around me.

• Family-Friendly – Based on the stage of my life and being a mom, I wanted something that would help children and families that would also provide me with some sort of flexibility to be there for my girls.

• Passion-Driven – I wanted to love what I was building and be excited to go to work everyday.

  
  

  

  
  

Why British Swim School?

The moment I discovered British Swim School, something clicked.

Here’s what stood out:

• 💦 It Saves Lives – Drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in children under 4. This program teaches life-saving water survival skills—starting as early as 3 months. British Swim School is a survival-first swim program, and when I thought about what I wanted my children (and others) to learn, safety came first. The curriculum is excellent, built on more than 40 years of proven results, and backed by serious training requirements.

• 🛟 It’s Personal – I love the water!! As a former lifeguard, swim-obsessed mom of three, this mission hit home. My girls are some of our first students!

• 💙 It’s Purposeful – We partner with Hope Floats to sponsor swim lessons for underserved families.

• 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽 It Has a Strong Support Network - During my Validation calls, I was overwhelmed by the passion of all the people I spoke with or met. Everyone was on board with the mission, from the Headquarters to the other Franchise owners. I knew I had found a new family and that I would be highly supported through my journey.

• 🧘🏽‍♀️ It’s Flexible – Outside of pool hours, I can adjust my schedule to still be present for my family

• 💼 It’s Scalable – Swim-lessons are not just an extracirrucual, they are an essential service that no one should be without. The need will always be there, and as a result the business model is strong.

  
  

The (Very Real) Startup Process

This wasn’t a “just start a business” situation. It took a full year of focused effort to get to launch—and to secure our E2 Treaty Investor Visa. Here are the 10 biggest steps we took:

1. Aligned on family goals and what this new life would look like

2. Hired an experienced immigration attorney

3. Worked with a franchise coach to narrow down the options

4. Researched and interviewed 50+ franchisees

5. Reviewed Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)—100+ pages of legal fine print

6. Transitioned to a Business Visitor Visa to extend our stay while preparing

7. Built our business plan and committed our investment

8. Submitted a 200+ page E2 Visa application

9. Traveled to Toronto for our in-person visa interview

10. Completed training and secured our territory in Alpharetta

And finally—we got approved. 🎉The visa was granted, the paperwork was done… and the real work was just beginning.

Because getting approved wasn’t the finish line—it was the starting line. After months of planning, researching, and preparing, we now had to actually launch and run the business. That meant finalizing pool partnerships, hiring and training instructors, marketing to local families, and building something from the ground up—all while still being a mom of three.

But we did it.

In February 2025, we officially opened the doors to British Swim School of Alpharetta, and began welcoming students into the water. 💦 I’m so proud of what we’ve created—and even more excited for what’s ahead as we continue growing a business that saves lives and serves our community.

Our first positive review from one of our first little swimmers

Teaching a Mommy and me class (Daddy's too)

Starfish Level Swimmers with British Swim School of Alpharetta

If you're a parent in Alpharetta, Milton or Roswell, here's how you can support us:

• 🫧 Join our program for swim lessons: www.britishswimschool.com/alpharetta

• 💙 Sponsor a swim student by donating to our Hope Floats fund.

• 🤝 Partner with us for events, water safety presentations, schools or outreach—just reach out!

More behind-the-scenes stories and launch updates coming soon and how I’m building a mission-driven business in Alpharetta, Georgia. Thank you for following along on this wild ride—and for supporting a family-run, mom-owned business.