Danielle Rogers
Having spent the last 12 years working in the City for a London-based corporate investment fund company, Danielle Rogers, realised that she needed a better work-life balance following the birth of her son Rory.
Deciding to find a new career that would be flexible and rewarding Rogers chose to invest in a Turtle Tots franchise. She had previously enjoyed the baby swim classes with Rory when he was only five months old and was amazed by the difference it made to his water confidence and the fantastic bonding experience it provided.
Rogers explained: “I am ambitious and I loved my job in the city but after spending so much time with Rory during my maternity leave, my priorities changed and I didn’t want to return to the demands of a city-based role.
“The idea of owning and running my own business is something that has always appealed to me. When the opportunity to run my own Turtle Tots business arose, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.”
Turtle Tots offers affordable, fun, safe and structured baby swim lessons with an educational emphasis on the importance of teaching a life-saving skill that is vital to all children as they grow and develop.
The company says that even the youngest babies are capable of communicating their emotions and its classes are responsive to babies signals and cues to ensure the best swimming experience.
Rogers will be providing baby swim sessions across three venues in South East London and Bexley, with plans to expand her classes in the region as the business grows.
With charity being an important element of the Turtle Tots ethos, each franchisee in the company selects a charity to support and Rogers has chosen to donate a percentage of her revenue to the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice.
Rogers continued: “The classes are really personal and friendly plus they offer a great opportunity for parents to get active, meet like-minded people and enjoy some special, precious time with their little ones.”
Job satisfaction
Speaking about the career leap, Rogers adds: “I’d advise others to take the plunge. It isn’t easy running a business, but I have more job satisfaction than I could have ever imagined. I manage my own time and spend much more precious time with Rory than I would ever have achieved working in the city.”
Turtle Tots also offers aqua-natal yoga for pregnant women with progressive baby and toddler swimming classes once the baby is born. Class numbers are small and parents accompany their children until they are able to swim on a woggle (flexible foam tube) unaided.
The company says that its teachers are among the first in the sector to be fully qualified in the new STA Level 3 Diploma for Aquatic Teaching. It currently has 50 franchisees across the UK and Ireland with a further 150 classes teachers. The franchise costs from £13,000 plus VAT.
01275 462 022
www.turtletots.com