Since taking on her Banbury-based franchise in 2004 Ms Brewis has steadily built up her business, focusing specifically on increasing her client base when the first hints of an economic downturn appeared two years ago.

Her achievements were recognised when she collected the Silver award in the 2009 British Franchise Association’s (bfa)/HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards earlier this month, along with a cheque for £3,000, courtesy of HSBC Bank.

Sponsored by HSBC and Express Newspapers, the Awards celebrate the UK’s best performing franchisees in an industry now worth an annual £11.4 billion to the economy.

Water Babies, the UK’s largest baby swimming organisation, which runs classes from birth to four years old, had a natural appeal for Ms Brewis who had always been passionate about the importance of teaching young children to swim in a safe, fun environment.

While the Water Babies concept has remained resilient to the economic challenges, she was determined not to be complacent and worked hard to manage business growth efficiently.

Strategies developed to combat the tougher economic environment include enhanced customer service, partnerships with community organisations, the introduction of achievement certificates and a staff incentive scheme.

Instead of reducing expenditure, she has invested in staff training, expanding the skills base of her team to encourage career development, and in new technology, which has allowed her to improve office efficiency and enhance client communications.

Marketing initiatives have included attracting local event sponsorship and increasing her presence at exhibitions and baby shows, while her PR strategies have focused on delivering talks and presentations for key health workers and children’s centres, helping to maintain the company’s profile.

Both financially and in terms of quality of service, she has continued to develop her business and out-perform the competition.

HSBC’s Head of Franchising Cathryn Hayes, said: “Judging these awards is always a difficult task but we felt that Tamsin showed determination and commitment to building a successful business.”

Express Newspapers’ Franchise and Business Opportunities Advertising Sales Manager, Geraldine Haenow, added: “We hope that being named the 2009 Silver award winner will add to Tamsin’s future success and we look forward to sharing her story with our readers.”

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