Franchise Opportunities

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.

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. 

Join Weed Man at the 2014 TNLA Expo!

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Nursery and Landscape EXPO

Weed Man will be at this year’s Nursery/Landscape Expo in San Antonio, Texas…will you? If so, stop by our booth (#305) to learn about our award-winning franchise opportunities!

What: The 2014 Nursery/Landscape EXPO

Where: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX (Booth #305)

When: August 14th-16th, 2014

Find out how Weed Man can help take your existing business to new heights. Click here for more information.  

Making the Move to Franchise Ownership

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ImageWe recently had a Q & A with Weed Man sub franchisor Phil Fogarty. Fogarty owned a lawn service company for years before transitioning into Weed Man franchise ownership. Find out why he decided to make the move and how Weed Man’s systems have helped him achieve both personal and business success.

1. Tell us about how, when, where, and why you got into your non-Weed Man business. Why did you want to start your own company?

I think it’s noteworthy to mention that I am in the lawn care business because I was very allergic to grass. To ensure my mother’s lawn didn’t need to be mowed often during the summer, I would cut it as low as I could and never water it. When I had brought it to the brink of destruction, she called in a local lawn guy, Crowley’s Lawn Service, to fix it. Mr. Crowley eventually became a family friend.

Back then I was working nights and going to school for marketing during the day. Mr. Crowley asked me if I wanted to learn the business and buy him out in a few years. So I quit school and started learning how to make grass grow.

2. What attracted you to Weed Man initially?

During my years learning and growing Crowley’s Lawn Service, I realized how difficult it was to create the systems it takes to make a business successful. There was no road map and no support. It was just me winging it as I went along each week. After I attended a seminar, I would want to change everything and try a new process. I drove everyone who worked for me crazy with the latest ideas and wasted a ton of time.

After we sold Crowley’s to a big brand name, I had the opportunity to start all over with a clean slate. The thought of having to create new marketing, admin and technical systems was overwhelming. Like an answer to a prayer I got a call from an industry friend who asked me to check out this company called Weed Man. After the first meeting, I realized the systems that Weed Man had created were the best I had ever seen and far better than anything I would have the time to create on my own. Add a product line that I would never be able to afford to use for my customers independently and I was ready to get started.

3. How has Weed Man helped your franchise succeed?

Weed Man simplifies the process. There is an incredible planning system that creates a road map to success. Step by step, week by week, line by line…all we have to do is work the plan.

Tracking keeps us from duplicating efforts and helps us to focus on what really matters to the customer. The systems make it simple to add new customers as we take great care of our current ones. Everything is scalable and allows us to see continued growth for years into the future.

Without the systems of Weed Man, we would have maxed out a long time ago…way short of the potential our market has.

4. What would you say to candidates considering diversifying with Weed Man? How would you help eliminate their fears? 

As I network with other Weed Man franchisees, there are at least 2 universal thoughts we all share. First, the training and support that we have received from Weed Man has made us better business people. We are better at running not only our Weed Man operations, but our other businesses that may be related as well (we have many landscape and pest control folks who have diversified). Second, we all wished we would have come across Weed Man sooner. We would be that much further ahead.

It’s always challenging to start something new and grow beyond where you thought you could. With a partner like Weed Man, getting to the next level seems like a natural step on your way to realizing your business dreams.

Find out if Weed Man is right for you. Contact us today for your free consultation:
1-888-321-9333

The Top 10 Reasons to Join Weed Man

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Thinking about starting your own business? Why not consider opening a Weed Man franchise in your area? Here are just a few reasons why you should:

  1. Weed Man Lawn Care FranchiseNamed the #1 Franchise in Lawn Care by Entrepreneur magazine year after year.
  2. Ranked #98 out of 500 franchise opportunities by Entrepreneur magazine.
  3. Franchisees gave Weed Man an 85.55% overall satisfaction as reported by Franchise Business Review.
  4. Ranked #10 out of 100 companies by Lawn & Landscape, the industry’s largest trade magazine.
  5. Ranked #2 overall on Franchise Business Review’s 2014 Top Multi-Unit Franchises List.
  6. Recognized by G.I. Jobs as a Military Friendly Franchise®.
  7. Fox Business listed Weed Man Lawn Care as a franchise business that you can start for under $100K.
  8. High customer retention; strong recurring revenues.
  9. Twenty-four Weed Man franchise operations have exceeded the $1 million net sales milestone!
  10. Weed Man USA continues a great track record of year-over-year, double-digit revenue growth.

 Weed Man: creating opportunities for growth. 

Meet the Team

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The entire Weed Man organization is 100% dedicated to providing you with the best possible franchise opportunity available. We’ve used our years of experience to develop a support network that is proven to provide you and your family with a bright future in the growing green industry. When you become a Weed Man franchisee, you join the extended Weed Man family. We work together, all of us collectively, to ensure that you receive all of the support you need to excel in your new business.

Meet the Weed Man team! 

Roger MongRoger Mongeoneon – Chief Executive Officer, Turf Holdings Inc.
Roger is a chemical engineer by trade and has over 25 years of Green Industry experience. In 1987, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to purchase his first Weed Man franchise in Hull, Quebec. He expanded two years later with the purchase of seven Weed Man territories in Montreal. His continued and aggressive growth in the Canadian market quickly made him one of the leaders in the lawn care industry. Roger formed Turf Holdings Inc. in 1996 when he saw an opportunity to bring the Weed Man brand to the United States. His ability to grow a company from zero revenue to $30 million in 20 years gives him the expertise needed to lead the company’s U.S. franchise development.

Jennifer LemckeJennifer Lemcke – Chief Operating Officer, Turf Holdings Inc.
With over 20 years of experience, Jennifer is highly regarded in the lawn care industry in both Canada and the United States. During her first year with Weed Man, Jennifer worked in every position from marketing to administration to field technician. Since then, she has run some of the largest Weed Man Lawn Care operations to date, which has given her the unique ability to support franchisees from start up to million dollar operations. Currently, as Chief Operating Officer for Weed Man USA, Jennifer is responsible for training and supporting Weed Man’s U.S. subfranchisors and over 100 licensed dealers covering 400+ territories.

Steve RussellSteve Russell – Sub Franchisor (MI, IN, KY, TN, Southern IL)
For over 15 years, Steve has been an active advocate for the Green
Industry and small business through activities on various associations
and legislative committees. He is currently President and a member of
M.I.K Holding, L.L.C. and N.P.K. Holdings L.L.C. These firms provide direct
support to local Weed Man franchises. He is also Vice President and part owner of Eradico Services, Inc, a multi-million dollar service company. Steve’s varied experiences have allowed him to offer franchisees exceptional support in all areas of the business.

Chuck RussellChuck Russell – Sub Franchisor (MI, IN, KY, TN, Southern IL)
Chuck is Vice President and a member of M.I.K Holding, L.L.C. and
N.P.K. Holdings L.L.C. Alongside his brother, Chuck provides Weed Man
franchisees with direct support – from start up to day-to-day operations.
As President and part owner of Eradico Services, Inc, Chuck has thorough
industry experience and a high level of expertise when it comes to small business. He is former President of the Michigan Pest Control Association and an active member in committees with the National Pest Management Association.

Ken HeltemesKen Heltemes – Sub Franchisor (NC, GA)
Prior to joining Weed Man as a sub franchisor in 2001, Ken Heltemes
ran a large, multi-unit franchise operation with Barefoot Lawn Care.
This, combined with his education in Agricultural Economics, has given
him unique insight and expertise when it comes to running a lawn care business. Ken has also represented the Green Industry as a board member of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina and the Professional Landcare Network. With years of small business management experience under his belt, Ken is able to provide exceptional support to local franchisees in every aspect of the Weed Man system.

Terry KurthTerry Kurth – Sub Franchisor (WI, MN, ND, SD, Northern IL)
As a past owner of Barefoot Grass franchises in the Midwest, Terry’s resume features a long history of both lawn care operations and franchising. In addition to holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy, Terry has extensive experience as a golf course superintendent, is a past president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, and is the recipient of an industry “Man of the Year” award. He currently works as Director of Development for Weed Man’s U.S. Operations and has ownership in the Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Rockford and Chicago Weed Man franchises.

Andy KurthAndy Kurth – Sub Franchisor (WI, MN, ND, SD, Northern IL)
Andy Kurth graduated from the UW-Madison with a degree in Soil
Science (specializing in Turf Management and Agribusiness). After
selling part time for Weed Man throughout his college years, Andy went on to become a technician, sales manager, and finally General Manager of the Madison, Milwaukee, Fox Valley, Rockford and Chicago Weed Man franchises. His advanced technical and managerial knowledge have allowed him to set a prime example for fellow Weed Man franchise owners and managers. He was recently voted one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by InBusiness magazine.

John SandersJohn Sanders – Sub Franchisor (NJ, Eastern NY, Eastern PA)
A Green Industry entrepreneur since his early teenage years and a
graduate of Yale University, John is the Founder and President of WM NJ PA, Inc., a sub franchisor firm for Weed Man USA. He began his own lawn care company, Verde Lawn & Shrub Care, during his university years. The company grew to over 2,500 customers before merging with ServiceMaster (the parent company of TruGreen Chemlawn). Recognized for his experience as a large independent lawn care operator, John is able to support local franchisees through the various stages of business planning and implementation.

Phil FogartyPhil Fogarty – Sub Franchisor (OH, Western NY, Western PA)
Phil Fogarty has over 30 years of industry experience as both a lawn care provider and environmental advocate. In addition to purchasing Crowley’s Lawn Service in 1980, he established the initial Weed Man franchise in the Cleveland area in early 2000. His team building and management skills have earned him repute across various industry channels throughout the United States. As a Weed Man sub franchisor, Phil currently shares his vast industry knowledge with Weed Man franchisees across the country.

Bruce SheppardBruce Sheppard – Sub Franchisor (VA, WV, MD, DC, DE, SC, LA, MS, AL, Northern FL)
Upon graduating with a degree in Agricultural Science, Bruce worked in Crop Protection before starting his own lawn care company, Weedbusters, in 1988. He came into contact with Weed Man early on as a supplier, and eventually went on to help launch the company into the U.S. market. As the current owner of the highly successful Weed Man Winchester franchise, Bruce has been a sounding board for new franchisees everywhere. His over 20 years of direct lawn care experience and familiarity with Weed Man’s systems make him an exemplary representative of the brand.

Brandon SheppardBrandon Sheppard – Sub Franchisor (VA, WV, MD, DC, DE, SC, LA,
MS, AL, Northern FL)
Brandon joined the Weed Man team full time in 2004 after receiving his Juris Doctorate from the West Virginia University College of Law. Since then, he has been instrumental in developing brand strategy for Weed Man and promoting the company within the Southeastern United States. As Weed Man sub franchisors, he and his father, Bruce, own Tara Holdings LLC and Acacia LLC. These firms currently provide all-around support to local franchisees.

Jon CundiffJon Cundiff – Sub Franchisor (MO, KS, IA, NE, AR, OK, Northern TX)
Jon Cundiff has over 30 years of Green Industry experience and has actively participated in every aspect of the lawn care business. After selling his own lawn care company, Jon joined the Weed Man organization in 2001. He is currently a sub franchisor for Northern Texas and the Midwest region of the U.S. Locally, Jon has been an active member of the Mid America Green Industry Council for over 20 years. An excellent advocate for Weed Man, Jon provides dedicated support to Weed Man franchisees in the areas of leadership, customer service, business management, and staff development.

Mike RichardMike Richard – National Marketing Director, Turf Holdings Inc.
Prior to his role at head office, Mike became involved with Weed Man through his positions as lawn care technician, senior technician, sales manager, and eventually shareholder and general manager. He ran a very large, multi-unit operation in Canada for almost 10 years. Mike has helped franchisees grow exponentially in their marketing pursuits through the National Sales Analysis Program, which includes weekly conference calls, regular macro sales summaries, and franchise system benchmarks.

Chris LemckeChris Lemcke – National Technical Director, Turf Holdings Inc.
Chris manages vendor relations and product testing of all Weed Man materials. He has over 20 years of industry experience within the company, from operations to his current role at head office. He provides franchisees with dedicated technical support, regular product and vendor updates, and handles any issues relating to delivery or quality of products. He is also the company’s representative for proper product selection, application, and calibration on lawns.

Laurie YoungLaurie Young – National Administrative Coordinator, Turf Holdings Inc.
Laurie has been with Weed Man for over 15 years in various aspects of
the business. She ran a large Canadian franchise before making the move to head office as the National Administrative Coordinator. She currently works directly with our software support company (Shaco) in order to provide franchisees with the best systems in the industry. Laurie provides daily training and support in accounting, computer systems, and day-to-day administrative operations.

Dan MongeonDan Mongeon – Online Marketing Coordinator, Turf Holdings Inc.
Prior to his position at head office, Dan worked in operations and
within the marketing department of the largest Weed Man franchise
in North America. He currently manages all online properties for
franchisees across the United States. His varied experiences, coupled with his educational and professional background, allow him to provide franchisees with exceptional support. His roles range from website training, social media management, SEO, and reputation/online directory management.

Erica KnappErica Knapp – Content & Communications Coordinator, Turf Holdings Inc.
Erica Knapp holds a Master’s Degree in English and has been involved
with content marketing for a number of years. Before joining the Weed Man team, Erica worked for a digital publishing company and as a writer for a national online coupon website. Combining her education and experience, Erica manages both online and written content for all Weed Man franchisees. Additionally, she provides direct e-mail marketing support through the Get in Touch Online program and assists franchisees with advertising, design, and promotions.

Greg CupplesGreg Cupples – Marketing Coordinator, Turf Holdings Inc.
Greg Cupples started with Weed Man in 2000 as a lawn care technician.
He was promoted to Senior Technician/Telemarketing Supervisor after just one year, and then again to Production Manager for Weed Man’s Scarborough office. His hard work ultimately led him to Vancouver, where he went into training to become a General Manager. During training, he found success as a Marketing/Sales Manager, helping the Vancouver office hit its sales targets and increase its renewal rate year over year. Greg joined the corporate team in early 2014 and currently provides comprehensive marketing support to Weed Man franchisees.

Cindy CodeCindy Code – Creative Director, Turf Holdings Inc.
Cindy Code is an award-winning journalist who spent 22 years with Lawn & Landscape magazine. In her role as editor, publisher and editorial director, she helped build and publish print and online tools that helped contractors nationwide expand their businesses. She is an active ambassador for the green industry as a founding member of Project EverGreen and the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association and also serves on the PLANET membership committee. Cindy’s key areas of expertise include: marketing and communications, social media, public relations, media training and research.

Scott DavisScott Davis – Director of Franchise Sales
Scott graduated from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis with a
degree in Finance. He has over 15 years of franchise industry experience, from ownership of his own franchise to over 100 franchise sales. Scott is an ambassador of Weed Man and assists in guiding prospects through the franchise process, ensuring the potential franchisee has a comfort level with the Weed Man system and brand.

For lawn care franchise opportunity information, contact us today at 1-888-321-9333.