The Pros & Cons of Offering Mobile Swim Lessons

Offering mobile swim lessons is easy, but deciding whether it’s the right move for your swim school requires a little more thought. In this article, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of offering mobile swim lessons and the factors you need to consider before you launch your mobile swim school. 

Let’s dive in. 

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5 advantages of mobile swim lessons 

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1. Mobile swim lessons are a great, low-cost option for swim schools operating at capacity from their fixed pool location. They’re also an easy way to diversify your swim school’s current offering and target a new market. 
2. In-home swim lessons are much more convenient for parents/students who don’t have to travel to classes or be bound to a fixed lesson schedule. What’s more, customers recognize this convenience factor and are willing to pay more for it. 
3. Mobile swim lessons are typically one-to-one or small group environments, which can be highly personalized to the student’s needs. Personalized lesson plans are a great marketing tactic and an excellent way to differentiate from traditional brick-and-mortar swim schools. 
4. Mobile swim lessons have low start-up and ongoing costs as you don’t need to pay to rent/maintain a pool. This allows you to set up your mobile swim school quickly and cheaply and price your lessons competitively to attract clients. 
5. Offering in-home swim lessons allows you more flexibility over your schedule and can easily be balanced alongside other work/life commitments. For this reason, mobile swim lessons are an excellent option for anyone with teaching experience looking to bring in extra income. 

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Why mobile swim lessons might not be suitable for your swim school

Although there are many benefits to offering mobile swim lessons, they’re not the right decision for every aquatic entrepreneur. For example, due to the smaller class sizes or one-to-one nature of mobile swim lessons, you’re limited to the number of clients you can teach in a day without hiring additional instructors. Therefore, your earnings are potentially lower. 

Additionally, scheduling mobile swim lessons is more complicated as you now have to account for travel time and an ever-changing lesson location.  However, to avoid complex scheduling, you can use an all-in-one appointment management software like MarketBox, the only software specifically designed for businesses offering in-home and mobile lessons.  

MarketBox makes it easy to get booked online, 24/7, minimize wasted travel time, schedule providers, process payments, and so much more. Book a call with an expert to learn more about how MarketBox can help streamline your mobile swim school. 

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6 things to consider before offering mobile swim lessons 

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1. What is the market demand for mobile swim schools in your area? 
2. Do you operate in an area with a high number of backyard pools? 
3. How long is the swim season where you live? In Florida, practically year-round; northern Canada, not so much. 
4. How much competition is there in your area? 
5. What certifications do you have vs. you need to offer mobile swim lessons? 
6. You’ll need liability insurance. 
7. Are you going to offer private or small group lessons?
8. How will you market your mobile swim school?

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Related: How to Start Offering Mobile Swim Lessons

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Tips for success

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• Use appointment management software to handle your admin (bookings, scheduling, and payments), so you can focus on providing high-quality instruction and excellent customer service. 
• Implement a bad weather policy. Working outside can be unpredictable, so make sure your customers and your instructors know what to do in the event of bad weather. 
• Continue improving your skills and teaching knowledge to provide first-rate customer service. 

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