Crazy Crabs Swim School – from passion project to successful business

Emma Goudge, who left St Helen’s in 2017, went onto to study Business at university, where she will gladly admit she spent much of her time pursuing her passions of swimming and in particular synchronised swimming. She went on to have a successful athletic career, winning medals on the international stage representing England at the European Masters Open in 2020. Covid unfortunately cut her athletic journey short, but with a job offer to become a swimming teacher alongside university work, she found a way to share her sport with others. 

It was after graduating from university that the concept for the Crazy Crabs Swim School began to take shape. We caught up with Emma to ask her to tell us a little more about her successful and growing business. 

Can you tell us how the swim school concept came about? 

My old boss Gaby actually gave me the idea. She knew I was a capable swimming teacher, and she had no intention of expanding her own business beyond the Surrey borders, so she suggested I start my own business in Oxfordshire. At first, I disregarded the idea, but after realising how little you get paid in an entry-level job (London rent is crippling), I knew I needed to think of a side hustle, which is when I started working alongside my 9-5 with private clients. 

What was your background in the sport? 

I’ve always been a swimmer. It’s in my blood! My whole family swims all the time, with my mother and I doing Open Water swims together frequently. I first learnt to swim a width (five metres) aged only three and the passion for the sport only grew from there. Seeing Rebecca Adlington compete in 2012 at the Olympics only spurred me on further. In fact, I finally got to meet her at the STA conference in 2025 – she is so lovely. Synchronised swimming came as a bit of a curveball when I was 12 years old. I was getting bored of going up and down in pools, and with a dance background, my mother got me a trial for Reading Royals Synchronised Swimming Club. After one session they said I had potential but that I would need to work hard to get to where I needed to be to make Nationals. Cue 4am wakeups on a Monday and 8-hour sessions on a Sunday (and obviously training 8 times a week). After an intense two years, I finally made the ‘A Team’ ready to compete at Nationals and to be considered for the Olympics and beyond. I remember always writing in my diary that my goal in life was to make the Olympics. Didn’t quite get there but I’m proud of what I have achieved and what I can give back to others now with my knowledge.

Can you describe how your business has evolved and grown since it started two years ago? 

It’s crazy to think that I started this business as a side hustle. It was only ever meant to make me a bit of extra cash on the side. But opportunities kept presenting themselves and I had a hard time saying no! We have grown from five swimmers to 500 in two years. Eleven pool venues, 20 teachers, two admin staff and my first ever business acquisition! It’s been a wild ride and believe me, it’s not been easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.  

What have been your biggest learnings as an entrepreneur? 

My biggest learning around being an entrepreneur has been around people. They will never truly love the business in the same way you do which can make it hard to find, keep and retain the right people. Everyone has their own motivations for joining your company.  

My favourite piece of advice, which I got from another HelKat (thank you, Alison Hargreaves) is the lovely saying, "better to have a hole in your business, than an a*sehole!". People can make your business work, but they can also break your business. It’s important to identify the people who make your business great and reward them but get rid of the ones that don’t (as quickly as HR will let you). One bad apple can spoil the lot. 

What three pieces of advice would you give to others thinking of embarking on setting up a business of their own? 

The first thing I would say is just start. So many people chat to me about amazing business ideas and then do nothing about it. Make that first enquiry, send that first email. The only person holding you back is yourself. You can’t fail if you tried, and everything is a learning curve. 

Secondly, work out your USP and stick to it. Your Unique Selling Point is literally what makes you unique. There needs to be a reason that a customer would come to you over a competitor, so make it clear what that is and stick to it, even if you get pushback from different angles. 

Finally, marketing is everything. Our success stems from our continuous social media posting and advertising. You could have the best product in the world, but if nobody knows about it, you won’t sell anything. Think about your marketing strategy and utilise cheaper options such as social media. Content is free to make as an entrepreneur. Invest your time wisely! 

Where do you see yourself going in the next few years?

The only way is up! We are continuing to expand the business throughout the South East into Surrey, London & Kent. We hope to be turning over 7-figures by the end of 2027 with 1,000 swimmers on the books! The aim is to become a nationally recognised business by 2030 and become the UK’s first centralised Independent Swim School. 

Aside from the figures, I do have a personal mission which is to get more SEND children swimming. Having had the pleasure of working with paraplegics, children on the spectrum, and those with cerebral palsy for example, I want to make swimming more accessible to those with additional needs. We pride ourselves on not charging extra for SEND children’s lessons, being an innovator in the industry by providing low-cost options for those parents/families and not having turned away a SEND child (which is common practice in the industry unfortunately). Once my business is ready, I aim to set up a CIC (Community Interest Company) to help provide funding via councils to those who need swimming lessons the most. The additional benefits that these children get from swimming is unimaginable. 

I’m always looking to connect with like-minded individuals and founders, so if you would like to connect with me, my contact details are below.

Click on the links:  Emma’s LinkedIn   Swim school website   Swim school email

Thank you to Emma for sharing her story with the community, and we wish her every success for the future!