Month: September 2015

We’re the #1 Lawn Care Franchise for a Reason!

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Becoming one of the fastest growing lawn care franchises across North America wasn’t an easy task, but Weed Man strives for nothing but excellence, and clearly, we have achieved that! Recently we had the pleasure of being named One of the Best Franchises to Buy by Forbes. And year after year, Weed Man USA has been named the #1 Franchise in Lawn Care by Entrepreneur magazine. “Weed Man USA is honored to receive the No. 1 ranking in the lawn care sector. It truly reinforces our strength as a brand,” said Jennifer Lemcke, COO of Turf Holdings, Inc. and Weed Man USA. “We take great pride in making sure the right systems are in place to help our franchise owners be successful. Without their passion and dedication on a daily basis, we would not be where we are today.” Below are just a few of the reasons we made it to the top!

Our History

Weed Man has been committed to delivering superior lawn care services to residential customers since 1970, when it was just a single-truck operation. Currently sold out in Canada, we have seen rapid growth across the United States since moving across the border in 1996 – and we don’t plan on slowing down any time soon! With over $140 million in system sales, Weed Man is now the leading franchised lawn care company in the green industry.

Our System

In everything we do, there are systems that have been conceived, tested, refined and ultimately proven to increase efficiency and profitability. Our systems are based upon measurable results that can be compared across the network to establish benchmarks for success. Proprietary software and algorithms have been created to ensure ease of operation and uniformity in the measurement of our franchisees’ results.

Our Network

Our network of Weed Man franchisors represents decades of lawn care operation experience. Their collective wisdom has been fine-tuned into a system that allows franchisees to run a successful lawn care operation with no prior lawn care or agronomic training or knowledge. In addition to that, every Weed Man franchisee is supported by their local franchisor who serves as a personal consultant and mentor, providing not only experience, but also guidance and encouragement in order to achieve long-term success. This is a unique benefit franchisees are unlikely to find elsewhere.

Our Passion

The many people who are a part of the Weed Man network not only bring valuable experience to the table. They also bring heart and passion, which definitely helps in the making of a successful business. The entire Weed Man organization is 100% dedicated to providing franchisees with the best possible (and enjoyable) opportunity available. When you become a Weed Man franchisee, you join the extended Weed Man family. We work together, all of us collectively, to ensure that franchisees excel, and become as passionate as we are in their new businesses.

If owning a business is something that you’ve seriously considered, or if you already own a business and are looking for an additional profit center, Weed Man is a great option. We would be happy to meet you, guide you and help you form a strategic partnership! For more information on franchising with Weed Man USA, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.

Truck

 

 

Lawn and Landscape Business Struggles and Solutions

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Being a successful lawn and landscape owner requires many traits – patience, dedication, great management skills, passion and the ability to make smart decisions. At Weed Man USA, we interact with industry people on a daily basis, and we’ve found that some of the biggest struggles they experience in owning a business have to do with employee management and retention, as well as having a poor bottom line. Every business-related struggle has a solution, whether it be taking on a different leadership style, offering competitive incentives or diversifying your services.

Struggle: Effectively Managing Employees

Solution: Every business owner is different in their employee management approach. If, as a business owner, you find that you are having difficulty effectively managing your employees, there are a number of strategies you can try to improve your efforts. To achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency when delegating tasks, ensure your employees understand exactly what you want them to do. Spend a few extra minutes to successfully communicate what the task is and let them know you expect feedback throughout the process, as this will allow you to monitor their progress and assess whether or not the final product is up to your standards.

As an added benefit, this approach requires less micromanaging Determine in advance how you’ll reward employees for a job well done. Successful delegation of authority takes time and energy, but it does pay off in the end. Empowering and trusting your employees and appreciating their success will build their self-confidence and provide you with a higher caliber product.

Struggle: Employee Retention

Solution: Owning a business in a seasonal industry can be difficult. With the possibility of a 4-month layoff period in the winter, it’s hard to sometimes keep employees. Although offering a competitive wage plays a significant role in retention, there are definitely other things to consider when it comes to keeping your employees for the long term. Instead of layoffs, look at downtime as an opportunity for staff to explore other skills relevant to your company. It’s always smart to cross-train employees in case you require some extra help. This also gives you more confidence in promoting from within, when and if that time comes. Or why not consider diversifying your business and offering winterized services during the colder months? Additionally, if you do find quality people, offer them incentives to stay, such as increased responsibility, a new and better title, or improved compensation. Good workers are the backbone of any successful company, after all. Make them feel a part of the team and not just like it’s a temporary position.

Struggle: Poor Bottom Line                                                                       

Solution: There are many ways to better your bottom line. It’s often hard to balance your time focusing on business developmentwhile remaining visible and active in the field. Improve cash flow, gain more market share and balance your time more effectively by making smart investment decisions. Weed Man has helped hundreds of landscape professionals better their businesses. Today’s markets are filled with opportunity, but owners need to move fast. Several Weed Man franchisees owned existing businesses and saw the value in aligning themselves with a national brand. They were looking to diversify their services and Weed Man was their answer.

We are the fastest growing lawn care franchise out there, and we don’t plan on slowing down any time soon. We were recently named One of the Best Franchises to Buy by Forbes magazine! We currently have several franchise opportunities available throughout the U.S. If owning a lawn care business is something you’ve considered, or if you already own a business and are looking for an additional profit center, Weed Man is a great option, and we would be happy to meet with you to determine whether it would be a good fit for us both. For more information on franchising with Weed Man USA, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.

Weed Man Franchise Meeting

The Benefits of Diversifying & Cross-Selling

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Starting and maintaining any business, in any industry, isn’t an easy feat. Franchising, though, provides business owners with proven systems and tools for success. If you own a landscaping company, for example, diversifying your services by expanding the lawn care segment of your business can be a lucrative option to help you achieve long-term success. And from an owner’s perspective, there are many benefits to cross-selling by franchising with Weed Man USA.

Maximize Profitability

Our business model at Weed Man is designed to help maximize your profitability, giving you the opportunity to cross-sell between both your existing company and your Weed Man franchise. We offer franchisees in-house, proprietary software to help produce and send out email campaigns, promoting our services, current discounts and any other interesting news. This is just one of the many great ways to cross-sell and promote your existing landscaping business and additional services that may be available to your customers. Aligning yourself with a national brand never hurt, either!

Seasonality

In many markets, particularly in the North and Midwest, landscaping services aren’t needed all year long, forcing industry owners to put their businesses on hold during the colder months. However, Weed Man services start in the early spring and run right through to the late fall. In the few months of off-time, franchisees are busy business planning, hiring, and selling for the year ahead, allowing them to maintain a full-year, recurring revenue stream. We also encourage Weed Man owners to offer early sign-on incentives to customers.

Benefitting Customers

Diversification also benefits customers, and keeping your customers happy should always be a priority. By expanding the existing lawn care segment of your business, customers are able to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ by only having to hire one company, rather than two. If you already have a loyal customer-base, this should be a breeze!

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of cross-selling services between green industry businesses – or if you’re interested in learning more regarding Weed Man franchise opportunities in your area, visit us at www.weedmanfranchise.com.

cross-selling

What Sets Weed Man Apart From Other Lawn Care Franchises?

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When opening a business, it’s important to consider your potential competition. In any industry, having competition is inevitable – and can actually help drive your success! In lawn care, it’s no different. Although we are in the same industry and offer similar services to other lawn care franchises, there are several factors that set Weed Man apart from the competition:

Locally Owned & Operated

At Weed Man, we’re proud of the fact that all of our franchises are locally owned and operated, meaning that we live and work in the very communities that we serve. With other lawn care franchises, franchisees act as managers, while corporate controls day-to-day activities. Hiring locally is important to many consumers in today’s day and age. Our model allows franchisees to run their businesses independently, while only asking for support or guidance when wanted or needed. Owners are also able to cater to their communities in the best way they see fit, whether through involvement in local initiatives, giving back, or building a visible presence at community events.

Supportive Extended Weed Man Family

On the flip side, when franchisees do require our assistance, we have the best support in the industry in the form of regional sub franchisors and a dedicated corporate team. When new franchisees come on board, they immediately become part of Weed Man’s extended family, and we will do all we can to help them achieve success in their new endeavor.

One of the Best Franchises to Buy

Did you know? Just recently, Weed Man was named One of the Best Franchises to Buy by Forbes magazine. The decision was made based on data compiled by the franchise industry research firm FRANdata. Each and every franchise brand was analyzed and ranked by cost of initial investment. Five-year growth rates, five-year continuity rates, consistency of ownership, and level of franchisee support were weighed heavily in the process.

Reasonable Start-up Costs

Having been ranked #10 by Forbes of all franchise companies with entry fees less than $150k, Weed Man is an affordable investment for entrepreneurs. When investing in a double territory (300,000 population), like the majority of new franchisees do, the total capital investment can be as low as $118,450. That investment includes rights to the territory; initial and continuous training in all aspects of the business, including marketing, administration, technical, computer, business training and long-term planning; and our state-of-the-art computer system – developed especially for Weed Man.

Exclusive Products

Our exclusive, golf course quality slow-release fertilizer is top of the line and only accessible to the Weed Man network. This product provides our customers with visible, long-lasting results, which allows us to build our reputation of excellence.

If owning a business is something that you’ve seriously considered, or if you already own a business and are looking for an additional profit center, Weed Man is a great option! We would be happy to meet you, guide you and help you form a strategic partnership. For more information on franchising with Weed Man USA, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.

Weed Man Lawn Care Franchise

Exploring the Common Myths of Owning a Lawn Care Business

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A question we get asked a lot at Weed Man, especially from franchisee prospects, is ‘what do you do during the off-season?’ Many people believe that lawn and landscape companies put their businesses on hold in the colder months, which isn’t true. There are many things business owners can do to keep their business and employees thriving during the winter. With the summer months coming to a close, today we’re going to explore the most common myths of starting a lawn care business by discussing several things Weed Man owners do when, baby, it’s cold outside!

Myth: Lawn and landscape companies close during the winter.

Debunked! This is one of the biggest myths out there. In fact, lawn and landscape businesses that simply close during the winter months often have low employee retention rates and also experience difficulties when trying to gain momentum in the new season. Several business owners in our industry decide to diversify and offer season-relevant services, such as snow plowing or holiday lighting. However, there are still several ways to keep busy and generate revenue if companies do not offer winter services. The off-season is a great time to run a thriving sales room, meet and plan for the upcoming season, and make structural improvements in preparation for the following season.

Myth: Lawn care employees get laid off each winter season because they have no work to do.

Debunked! There is always something to be done during the winter season, regardless of whether or not technicians are needed in the field. The off-season gives businesses the chance to tend to vehicles and equipment, as well as focus on training. This is also a great time to acquire new customers for the upcoming season- a project that requires a steady employee base.  As a Weed Man franchisee, you’ll always be building on a growing database of renewing customers, creating equity and expanding your business in the process.

Myth: Lawn care businesses don’t generate revenue in the off-season.

Debunked! We’re sure there are probably lawn care businesses out there who don’t work at all during the off-season. At Weed Man, we believe the colder months are a great time to sell, sell, sell and plan for the upcoming season. We encourage franchise owners to offer early sign-on incentives to customers to keep the momentum going all year long. Offering discounted rates for pre-paying is a great way to generate revenue during the winter season. Additionally, our skilled corporate team has mastered the art of marketing lawn care, no matter the season. We are the #1 lawn care franchise, after all! Not to mention that our services run through to the fall months and start in early spring.

Myth: If a recession hits, lawn care companies will go out of business fast.

Debunked! Year after year, research shows a significant increase in the use of professional lawn and landscape services. Despite the ongoing vulnerability of the economy, lawn care services continue to be a desired service by dual-income families, maturing baby boomers and consumers who are choosing to enjoy vacations at home. Across all of these demographics, consumers understand the value of a healthy looking lawn and landscape and enjoy the tranquility that a lush, green lawn can provide. Lawn care is just a small slice of the consumer’s disposable income and one of the last budget items to be cut when belt-tightening is necessary. While nothing is recession-proof, many of our companies have flourished during recessions. Also shielding lawn care from exposure to recession is its high perceived value as a low-cost service that enhances both property value and pride of ownership. In fact, studies have shown that professional lawn and landscape services can add as much as 15% to a home’s value at resale.

Yes, lawn care businesses are booming in the spring and summer months. After all, this is when our lawns need the most care; however, as we’ve laid out above, there are still ways to successfully run your lawn care business in the winter. With the support of a franchise, especially, there are also ways to maintain recurring revenues.

If owning a lawn care business is something you’ve considered, or if you already own a business and are looking for an additional profit center, Weed Man is a great option and we would be happy to meet with you to determine whether it would be a good fit for us both. For more information on franchising with Weed Man USA, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.