women in franchising: Bonnie Alcid | British Swim School Franchise Owner
A Story of Firsts
Being the first to do something can be both exciting and daunting. Without an example or path to follow, it takes a combination of bravery and risk tolerance to step out into the unknown.
F
or Bonnie Alcid of Gaithersburg, Maryland, it was a leap of faith — or better yet, a dive into the deep end– when she decided to become the first franchise owner of British Swim School. Since taking that chance 12 years ago, she has collected several other “firsts” on her way to becoming one of the organization’s largest franchise entities, with multiple British Swim School territories across the Maryland and Virginia region. Although British Swim School is one of the most popular swim school franchises across the US and Canada, it got its start across the pond in 1981 when founder Rita Goldberg built an indoor pool in her own home in Great Britain to teach babies
12 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
and children the importance of the back float. In the 90’s, the brand moved across the Atlantic to make its name in North America. Where did Bonnie come in? After spending 12 years in a demanding corporate job in Washington, DC, Alcid resigned from her position as general manager of a manufacturing company in 2008 to take a break — both mentally and physically. Alcid always had a lifelong love of swimming, something she now had time to enjoy. It was during one of those water workouts that she met Goldberg, who was just launching her innovative swimming program in the area. She was impressed with Goldberg’s focus on teaching babies and children skills needed to survive a
water accident before moving to stroke development and more advanced swim techniques. It was this heart of the mission and the mantra of British Swim School, “Survival of the Littlest”, that Alcid fell in love with immediately. She began teaching these important life skills to children alongside Goldberg, who soon pitched her on the idea of licensing the program in other locations before officially launching British Swim School as a franchise in 2011. Bonnie now owns seven schools. The British Swim School model is innovative, as franchise owners partner with facilities that already have pools not being utilized to their full potential, if at all — such as gyms, hotels and retirement communities. Without the buildout, overhead and maintenance fees associated with managing a standalone facility, the franchise becomes an affordable opportunity for many potential owners. “Because I did not have to buy or build a pool, I was able to start the business right away — all I had to do was negotiate leasing contracts with facilities that already owned pools. The model is great for new owners,” says Alcid. “Because I had lower startup costs, I was able to focus my time and energy toward initial marketing, hiring and training.”
