With rising operational costs and economic pressures continuing to challenge swim schools and leisure operators across the UK, STA has teamed back up with Bigwave Growth to offer members an exclusive free new business support service. This free ‘Swim School Assessment’ is designed to help members improve operational efficiencies and strengthen their businesses for the future by clearly understanding their market potential and market penetration.

Running and forward planning a swim school or leisure operation is demanding, especially with rising costs and operational pressures; this is exactly why STA and Bigwave Growth have brought back this desk-based market potential assessment to help swim schools identify immediate improvements and create opportunities for long-term growth.

“At STA, we understand the operational pressures our members face,”

said Zoe Cooper, STA’s Commercial Director.

“That’s why we’ve reconnected with Bigwave Growth – experts in business solutions for the leisure industry – to offer this remote audit completely free for our members. We know how challenging it is to balance practical and financial demands, and that bringing in external expert support with fresh eyes and industry knowledge isn’t always affordable. This professional audit service, therefore, provides tangible, practical help at no extra expense for our members – a benefit we’re able to offer thanks to our strong partnerships and commitment to supporting the industry.”

Delivered by Bigwave Growth’s experienced team, the Swim School Assessment includes a comprehensive review of swim school and pool operations, covering areas such as programme structure, pricing strategy, marketing, customer journey, and operational efficiency. The audit also examines future trends and local demographics to help identify potential challenges and new opportunities for growth. Bigwave Growth uses Experian Demographics and has extensive experience working with swim schools of all sizes and has a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes to over 600 pools across the UK.

The premise of the desk-based assessment is to identify if, and where, costs can be saved without compromising quality of service, and where new streams of income can potentially be generated for future stability and growth.

Nick Masson, Managing Director at Bigwave Growth and a former CIMSPA board member, adds:

“The free assessment will review your demographics, your current market penetration, and its future potential – and will be benchmarked against the national average. Once the remote audit is complete, our leisure experts will then provide a personal 30-minute review via Zoom or a phone call to discuss the business opportunities that exist.”

Originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to support members through unprecedented challenges, Bigwave’s assessment service proved invaluable for many swim schools and leisure operators. Its reintroduction highlights STA’s ongoing commitment to supporting members in both immediate operational improvement and long-term business success.

STA members interested in booking a free remote Swim School Audit can find out more by emailing nickmasson@bigwavemedia.co.uk.