Exploring the Challenges of Bringing an International Franchise to the U.S.

Most franchise expansion stories follow a familiar path: a U.S. brand heads into Canada or takes a concept overseas. The assumption built into that model is that the hard part is already done; the concept works, and now it just needs to travel.

Reverse that direction, and the assumptions get more complicated. Water Babies, one of the United Kingdom’s most recognized baby swimming programs, is in the middle of that experience right now. Bringing the concept to the United States has made it clear quickly that a proven model doesn’t guarantee a seamless transition. The product may be the same, but the market is not.

What’s emerged from that process are lessons that apply to any established franchise brand that believes success at home is a reliable predictor of success somewhere new.

Test before scaling

When a franchise has a proven model, the instinct is to move quickly. It knows the systems work and the customer demand exists. The temptation is to begin selling franchises immediately.

A smarter move is to acquire an existing business or run a pilot location first, and to understand how the new market operates before layering in systems, principles, and practices. That means testing everything from pricing and class schedules to instructor recruitment and local partnerships.

Maintaining company-owned operations during expansion allows a brand to keep testing, refining, and improving the model before introducing changes across the broader franchise network. That approach supports long-term scalability, and it’s worth considering for any brand entering a new market.

A pilot location exposes assumptions a brand doesn’t realize it’s making until it operates inside a different market. Scaling before understanding those differences doesn’t accelerate success. It accelerates problems.

Research beyond the data

Most brands research a new market before entering it. The ones that do it well go beyond high-level industry reports. They mystery-shop competitors, observe lessons or experiences in real-world environments, and study the customer experience from the consumer’s perspective.

Just as importantly, research helps clarify where a concept fits within an existing market. The U.S. already has strong swim brands with loyal followings and different approaches to instruction. Understanding that landscape matters. The goal isn’t to replace what already exists. It’s to identify where the model adds value and where it needs to adapt.

The U.S. franchise system demands clarity

One of the biggest shifts when entering the U.S. market is the level of operational clarity required before scaling. In the UK, many brands grow organically over time. In the U.S., franchising requires systems, support structures, and operational standards to be clearly defined early. The U.S. franchise market rewards operational consistency and support infrastructure at a level many international brands underestimate.

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) becomes more than a legal requirement. It becomes a pressure test. It forces brands to answer difficult questions before expansion begins: Is the model repeatable? Is training scalable? Can franchisees realistically execute the system consistently? Is the support structure strong enough to grow responsibly?

Done properly, that process strengthens the business long term.

Expect customer behavior to change

One of the most common mistakes in international expansion is assuming customer behavior will automatically transfer between markets. Even when the need is the same, how customers engage with a product can vary in ways that affect operations, staffing, training, and delivery.

For Water Babies, that showed up in parent participation. The model relies heavily on parent involvement and coaching, which means customer engagement patterns directly affect lesson structure and instructor training. In the UK, parents often remain actively involved in lessons longer. In the U.S., many families begin transitioning children toward more independent instruction earlier, often around age three.

That shift affects lesson structure, instructor coaching, and the management of progression. The goal isn’t to change what makes a concept effective. It’s to build flexibility into how it’s delivered while protecting the core of the experience.

Expanding into a new market isn’t about proving a model works. It’s about understanding where it needs to evolve. International expansion works best when brands protect the core of what made the concept successful while adapting thoughtfully to local market expectations.

Carl Higgins is president of North America at Water Babies.