What training must be completed before a Big Blue Swim School can open?
Big_Blue_Swim_School Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ntation and Training Programs
If this is your first BIG BLUE Swim School, your Managing Owner must attend a 2-day initial orientation session on the BIG BLUE Swim School franchise system at our principal business address or another designated location before you open the School. Your Managing Owner and a School general manager and assistant manager also must attend and complete to our satisfaction our initial training program before opening the School for business. The School always must have on staff at least 2 fully-trained (or "certified") managers for the first 6 months of operations; after that, the School must have on staff one person who is fully trained. (Franchise Agreement—Section 6.A) We will conduct the initial training program at our designated training location and/or through video and other electronic means. We expect training (which currently is approximately 4 weeks long) to occur after you sign the Franchise Agreement and while you develop the School. We plan to be flexible in scheduling training to accommodate our and your personnel. There currently are no fixed (i.e., monthly or bi-monthly) training schedules. We use a learning-management system and other training aids during the training program. Your training attendees must complete training at least 60 days before the School's scheduled opening date.
If you replace an existing Certified Manager, the new manager must attend and satisfactorily complete initial training within 90 days after being hired in order to become a Certified Manager. You must pay our then-current training fee to provide initial training to your new manager.
We provide the initial orientation and training programs for your Managing Owner and 3 other people for no additional fee. We have the right to charge our then-current training fee for each person (after 4) you send to initial training. You must pay your employees' wages, benefits, and travel, hotel, and food expenses while they attend training. Our training program may include a "train the trainer" module so your senior-level personnel can learn how to train your other employees in our Brand Standards.
If your Managing Owner or any general manager or assistant manager cancels participation in any training class for which he or she pre-registers and pays us a training fee, we will not refund or reimburse the training fee you paid. If participation is cancelled more than 2 weeks before the class or program is scheduled to begin, we will apply one-half of the training fee as a credit toward
the fees due for a future training class or program that your Managing Owner, general managers, or assistant managers attend.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–51)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Big Blue Swim School's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, several training requirements must be met before opening a school. The Managing Owner must attend a 2-day initial orientation session covering the Big Blue Swim School franchise system. Additionally, the Managing Owner, along with a school general manager and assistant manager, must attend and complete the initial training program to Big Blue Swim School's satisfaction before opening the school for business. This initial training program is approximately 4 weeks long and is expected to occur after signing the Franchise Agreement while the school is being developed.
Big Blue Swim School aims to be flexible in scheduling training to accommodate both their personnel and the franchisee's. Training attendees must complete training at least 60 days before the school's scheduled opening date. The training program may include a 'train the trainer' module, enabling senior-level personnel to train other employees in Big Blue Swim School's Brand Standards. The school must have at least two fully-trained (or 'certified') managers on staff for the first 6 months of operations, and after that, at least one fully trained person must be on staff.
Big Blue Swim School also sends an 'opening team' to the school for at least 3 days, typically starting before and continuing after opening, to help train supervisory employees on their philosophy and Brand Standards and prepare the school for opening. Big Blue Swim School covers the wages, travel, hotel, and living expenses for this opening team. Furthermore, the school cannot open until Big Blue Swim School approves it in writing, the Managing Owner, general managers, and assistant managers complete the initial orientation and training programs, the school has sufficient trained employees to manage and operate the school, and all employees complete required third-party certifications for lawful operation.