Author: Weed Man Lawn Care

Making the Decision to Franchise

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When looking into franchising opportunities, it’s imperative that you develop a good feel for the company and the brand itself before making your final decision. Franchising is not a get-rich-quick solution, although if you work at it, you can certainly be successful. Just like starting any business, though, it is an investment – one that could change your life. So, do your research and get your feet wet before jumping right in! Here are some tips to review before taking the plunge.

1. Speak to existing franchisees (as many as you can). Even pay them a visit if it’s feasible. Make up a list of questions that could help you determine whether the franchise is for you or not. Ask questions like, ‘Why did you choose to franchise here?’ or ‘What did you do before you started with the company?’ or ‘How has this choice affected your day-to-day life?’ And lastly, one of the best questions to ask is, ‘If you could do it all over again, would you?’ This will allow you to get to know the franchise owner on a personal level, so you can relate to him or her and get a feel for whether or not the franchise brand in question would suit your lifestyle, values, and direction.

2. Next, talk business. Ask about franchise costs and revenue, how long it has taken other franchise owners to get where they are now, how they deal with their employees and what they are paid, etc. These are all questions that you can reference if you decide to buy into the company in the future; and the answers you receive will allow you to get a sense of how successful you could be.

3. Create a rating system. Another way to gauge their experience with the company is to ask franchisees to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how they feel about various aspects of the business. This could include anything from how useful initial training was to how effective the systems are. If you speak to a handful of franchisees and their ratings are similar, you can begin to rely on the numbers and develop a well-researched picture of what to expect. You can also do some digging to see if there are any reports, such as this one, where Franchise Business Review rates Weed Man.

4. Use the tools at your disposal. In today’s technology-driven world, the Internet is a great resource for doing research. Aside from speaking with franchisees, get online and check out the company website, customer reviews and how they compare to their competitors. Be thorough when reading over any important documents, such as the business plan and what your investment includes, so you can grasp where your money is going and what you’ll get out of it.

5. Don’t forget to reflect. Lastly, when all of your research is done, take some time to reflect on your findings. Determine whether you can relate to the company and the franchisees, whether you see yourself being successful with the material provided and whether or not you would enjoy owning a franchise with the company. If you are confident that the company can help you achieve your dreams and goals, you’ve got a winner!

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.

How to Succeed as a Franchisee

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When it comes to owning your own franchise, there are many factors you should consider. Franchising is not a get-rich-quick solution – it requires work and determination to reach your goals and become successful. Sure, there are several perks to franchising, but you need the skills, the attitude and the passion in order to succeed.

Weed Man USA has several success stories to tell – and that’s something we take pride in as a company. Our franchisees know what it takes to be successful and they do their best to achieve their goals. At the end of the day, it’s the small stuff that separates the top performers from the mediocre results.

Check out these 8 tips for success for more information on how to be the best business owner you can be!

Passion

You must have the passion for the product you’re selling or the industry you’re working in, otherwise the novelty of owning your own business will wear thin fast.

People Skills

You must have great people skills and provide excellent customer-service. This is imperative in any business. If you do not treat the consumer with respect, they will not come back. In fact, they’ll go buy from your competition and then, you’re not only losing their business, but you’re also giving your competitor the upper hand.

Follow the System

In a franchise, the systems are there for a reason. The company has invested money in perfecting the business model and that is essentially what you’re paying for, so if you decide not to follow the system, you are likely not to be successful.

Marketing

Don’t sit back and just expect success with no work. Marketing is a huge aspect to any business. The more marketing, the better. Offer new customers a discount for their service, sponsor a local event or throw a barbeque for your existing clients. Have fun with it!

Network

Be active in your community and make as many connections as you possibly can. The more people you know, the more business you’ll get. Word-of-mouth means a lot.

Sub franchisor, Phil Forgarty discusses Weed Man‘s company culture of giving back to the community in big and small ways through events. Check it out!

Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When you buy into a franchise, the company wants you to succeed. If you have a question, ask it! Fellow franchisees can also be a great resource.

Attitude

Having a positive attitude in life (and in business) will help you in any situation. Nobody wants to work with a Negative Nancy. Put a smile on that face!

“Attitude is everything” is a phrase many of us have heard before. Click here for tips on how to coach yourself and your team to stay positive and enjoy coming to work!

Employee Relations

Your employees are the face of your company. Make sure you treat them right and they will be loyal to you.

When it comes to learning styles, no two employees are alike. Click here for more information on pumping up your team and acknowledging your employees’ needs.

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 centre, Weed Man is a great option and 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 or to read our many Success Profiles, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.

Franchising – Is It a Strategy That Fits You?

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Have you ever thought about owning your own business? Well, if you have, you are right alongside the 70 per cent of others who have also considered it. There are many reasons people may think seriously about becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business. Owning a business, if successful, allows you to control your own financial freedom and create more time for yourself and your family. The two go hand and hand, don’t they? In addition to these perks, owning a business can create emotional fulfillment of building your own dream, help build a legacy for your kids, create opportunity to work with family, remove threat of job loss and so much more.

Not everyone is as business-minded as Donald Trump and not everyone has a business idea worthy enough to be featured on the TV show Shark Tank, but that’s where franchising comes in. Franchising is not a business or industry itself, but instead a business strategy, designed to penetrate and dominate a marketplace. With franchising, people can receive all of the perks we listed above, as well as all of the business support, systems and proven models. It’s a package deal!

For instance, when you decide to hop on the franchisee train with Weed Man USA, we provide you with a successful brand – one that’s widely known across North America, an effective operating system – all which have been tested, refined and ultimately proven to increase efficiency and profitability, as well as all of the support you could ever need – fellow franchisees and franchisors are just a phone call away. Your Weed Man franchise will still be yours, but you won’t be doing it alone!

Other advantages of franchising include: reduced risk – proof of success is already in place; the opportunity to collaborate – share your best and worst practices with your fellow Weed Man franchisees; systems continually being adjusted and improved, for your success; extensive training provided by the experienced and knowledgeable staff at Weed Man USA Headquarters; sales and marketing strategies and systems; manuals and other documentation for your reference, if you ever need a memory refresher; letters, contracts, agreements and documents all in place, meaning less work for you; and last but definitely not least, purchasing power – we get the best rates for the best products!

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 centre, Weed Man is a great option and 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.

Find Out What Makes Our Franchisees Successful!

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At Weed Man, we’re proud to have a diverse group of franchisees representing a wide range of professional backgrounds – including landscaping, golf course industry, corporate America, pest control, lawn care conversion, and many others. Each and every one of our franchisees brings something unique to the table that helps the Weed Man brand flourish. Our year after year growth is a direct result of their hard work and dedication.

Take a look at these recent success profiles and discover people just like you who have made the transition to Weed Man franchise ownership:

David Waskey, Owner, Weed Man Louisville, KY

Jon & Vicky Cundiff, Sub Franchisors & Owners, Weed Man Kansas City, MO/Springfield, MO/Des Moines, IA/Fort Worth South, TX

Ken Bieber, Owner, Weed Man Buffalo East, NY

John Hotchkin & David Boyle, Owners, Weed Man Greenville, SC

Brandon Burns, Owner, Weed Man Arlington Heights, IL

Steve Sartorius, Owner, Weed Man Minneapolis, MN

Weed Man Franchisee and Sons Expand Into Nashville

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Stephen Hillenmeyer, owner of Weed Man Lexington, KY, recently expanded into Nashville, TN with the help of his sons Chase and Seth. The Hillenmeyer family has also purchased four additional territories in their existing market. This rapid growth comes as a result of consistent success led by a solid core team. Congratulations Stephen and family!

Learn more about the Hillenmeyers’ decision to expand and their plans for Nashville by listening to Weed Man’s latest podcast (found at the link above).

For an in-depth look at our current franchise opportunities, visit  www.weedmanfranchise.com

GIE+EXPO 2014: Follow the Weed Man Superhero

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Ever wondered how the Weed Man superhero prepares for the GIE+EXPO? Simply click HERE to follow his journey to this year’s event in Louisville, Kentucky.

Weed Man Contest:

Snap a photo with the superhero and upload it to our Facebook page for your chance to win a Weed Man swag bag and an iPad mini! He’ll be at booth #7025 and exploring the expo center on October 23-24. Good luck!


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Visit Weed Man at the 2014 GIE+EXPO!

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Join Weed Man at this year’s GIE+EXPO! We’ll be in Louisville next week and would love to speak with you. Visit us at booth #7025 and find out why we’re on pace for our best year yet.

Where: Ky. Expo Center, Louisville – Booth #7025
When: October 23-24, 2014

For a limited time only, receive 50% off GIE+EXPO registration when you sign up early. Click HERE for details. 

Green Industry Expo

From Golf Courses to Lawn Care: Finding Success with Weed Man

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Weed Man’s Terry Kurth recently spoke to us about his former role as a golf course superintendent and why he decided to embrace his entrepreneurial spirit and make a major career change.

  1. Weed Man FranchiseBriefly describe your educational background and early career.

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1975 with a B.S. degree in Agronomy with a specialization in Turf Management. I worked at Nakoma Golf Course in Madison while going to college, which gave me incredible experience in caring for turf. I was hired upon graduation to become the Golf Course Superintendent at Peninsula State Park Golf Course in NE WI.

  1. Explain your transition into lawn care. Why lawn care? Why did you decide to leave the golf course industry?

After two seasons of being a superintendent, I realized that my chance for substantial advancement in that industry was limited and wanted to broaden my experiences. I was then hired by the Scotts Company in Ohio to give educational seminars around the country to golf course superintendents, landscape contractors and lawn care operators. While working for Scotts, I moonlighted in sales in the summer of 1977 for their former spinoff, Barefoot Grass Lawn Service in Columbus, OH. I had substantial success selling for them and felt I could go back home to the Madison, WI area and open my own Barefoot Grass franchise, which I did in March of 1978.  I grew it and my expansion areas to over $3,000,000 in sales and ultimately sold it to TruGreen in 1997 after they had acquired my franchisor.

  1. Why Weed Man?

Though set financially after selling my Barefoot Grass franchises, I was only in my mid 40s and certainly looked forward to more business challenges in my life. After I honored my non-compete agreement, I looked into starting anew with Weed Man. When I did my due diligence on their systems, branding, ethics and quality of people, I felt that it was a no-brainer in terms of joining forces with them. So I started over in January of 2001 with Weed Man in Madison.

  1. a) How has franchising helped you succeed?

Most people will spend way too many man hours trying to reinvent the wheel that a quality franchise system has already created. The training, systems, marketing concepts, support people and in-house consultants prove invaluable over time. I would bet that if a business study was done, it would be found that a franchisee in a given industry generally will outperform an independent in that same industry in the same market.

b) How has Weed Man helped you succeed?

It simply delivers what it says it will and goes beyond what it promises. The systems are unbelievable and the business planning is like no other. These two mandatory ingredients of success are exceeded by the people involved. The mentoring by all involved from the Weed Man franchising support staff is typified by great, caring attitudes and a desire to participate in your success. We now have reached about $5 million in sales for our franchise network in 14 years.

  1. What advice would you give to anyone considering making the transition into franchising?

Do your homework. See how the particular franchise you are looking at is rated by their current franchisees. Entrepreneur magazine does this for you. Talk with current franchisees and see if they are happy, are they buying more franchises, etc. Go to the headquarters of the franchisor and see if your culture and goals mesh with theirs. Once the decision is made, don’t look back. Bring a tremendous passion to succeed, make sure you can manage time well, compete with yourself in the initial year or two so you keep driving forward with your goals. The Brass Ring is there for most — you just need to have the intestinal fortitude to make the first step and then decide that failure is not an option.

To hear more from Terry, listen to his latest podcast HERE.

Looking to expand your current business or make a career change? Find out if Weed Man is right for you: call 1-888-321-9333 or visit www.weedmanfranchise.com.