Franchise Anonymous 37+38: Custom drawer retrofits, swim lessons in rented pools

Happy Sunday, folks. 

As a franchise consultant, I hear pitches from hundreds of different franchise concepts every year. 

I’m taking the most interesting ones, and telling you: 

• What sets them apart

• One potential weakness

• Who the ideal buyer is

My promise: you’ll learn something about franchising every time. 

Today’s mystery franchises: Senior care matchmaking and mobile trash compaction.

The business: Swim lessons in rented pools

Most swim schools require you to build a pool (expensive), hire a big staff (stressful), and operate like a mini YMCA. This one skips the hard parts. You rent lanes in already-built pools—gyms, hotels, schools—and focus entirely on running a lean, scalable, mobile swim school.

What they do differently

• No pool, no problem. Instead of building your own facility, you rent time in underutilized indoor pools. That cuts startup costs dramatically and makes it easy to scale with multiple locations.

• It’s a home-based model. You don’t need real estate or even an office at the beginning. Admin can be done from your laptop, and most classes run weekday afternoons—a rare lifestyle perk in franchising.

• Purpose meets profit. You’re not selling sandwiches or fixing sinks. You’re teaching kids to survive in water. For many franchisees, that emotional connection is a big part of the draw.

• 🚩Potential weakness: You don’t own your locations. You’re relying on pool partnerships, which means scheduling can be tight and you’re not in total control. Good negotiation and relationship management matter.

The takeaway:

Perfect for someone who wants a mission-driven, scalable business with low fixed costs. You don’t need a swim background, just a willingness to manage a small team, follow a system, and build local relationships. It’s low-overhead and high-impact.

Interested? Let’s talk swim schools.

The business: Custom drawer retrofits

Kitchen remodels are expensive and time-consuming. This concept skips the gut job and focuses on a niche with serious appeal: retrofitting high-quality pull-out drawers into existing cabinets for better storage, access, and organization.

What they do differently

• Retrofit, don’t remodel. Instead of ripping out cabinets, they install custom drawers and storage inside what’s already there. It’s faster, less disruptive, and a whole lot more affordable—which makes it a much easier sell.

• You don’t do sales—or installs. The franchise handles lead gen and appointment booking, and there’s a centralized system for designer and installer training. Your job is managing the team and building relationships locally.

• No showroom or shop required. The business runs from a storage unit or small warehouse. No real estate overhead, no buildout delays.

• 🚩Potential weakness: It’s a newer brand. Franchising only started in 2023. The system seems strong, but if you’re looking for a 20-year-old playbook, this isn’t it.

The takeaway:

Ideal for someone who wants to lead and grow a small team—not swing a hammer. No kitchen experience needed, just organizational skills, people smarts, and a little capital. High-ticket jobs, low overhead, and clear value to the customer.

Interested? Let’s talk kitchen storage.

If these aren’t doing it for you, I work with hundreds of other brands. Get in touch and we can find something that scratches the itch.

Thanks for reading!

Connor

P.S. Please do check out my upcoming events. Getting on a webinar and asking questions is a great way to get a feel for a vertical.

Ready for the next step? Here are 3 ways I can help you: