Training

Weed Man’s Business Plan

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Weed Man franchisees come from several different backgrounds. Whether you currently own an independent landscape or pest control company or work in a completely unrelated industry, Weed Man offers entrepreneurs an opportunity that many franchise organizations do not. Not only do franchisees get the chance to experience recurring revenues and economic stability – they also receive one-on-one mentoring with their highly experienced Weed Man consultant.

Each and every year, franchisees sit down with their franchisor to create a road map to success, or in Weed Man’s terms, the business plan. But this isn’t just any business plan. The time spent with your franchisor will be used to go over everything from the number of employees required, to the amount of printer ink you’ll use – an ideology that began decades ago when Roger Mongeon, C.E.O., Weed Man USA, decided to get involved in the lawn care company as a franchisee.

He created a 10-year business plan – a practice he perfected while working in his decade-long career at Union Carbide. Today, Weed Man’s systems make up a large part of the company’s ‘secret sauce.’

“If you start off with great people and you stick with your commitment to taking care of your customers…and then you instill this cultural way of looking at your business through a business plan, that’s the heart of the franchise system we brought to the U.S.,” Mongeon says. “Through that we use people and systems to make sure once you develop the business plan, you can execute the plan.”

The business plan incorporates many factors of running a successful business. Over the two-and-a-half-day long meeting, franchisees and franchisor discuss the budget for the coming year, marketing tactics and hiring, equipment-buying and so much more. “Many people make a business plan, but they don’t make it alive throughout the year [like Weed Man does],” C.O.O. of Weed Man USA, Jennifer Lemcke states.

To learn more about franchise opportunities in your area, visit us online at www.weedmanfranchise.com or call 1-888-321-9333.

 

Franchise Today & Weed Man USA COO Jennifer Lemcke

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Recently, Weed Man C.O.O. Jennifer Lemcke was invited to participate in a discussion with Franchise Today, an online radio show discussing what’s going on in the franchising world, serving up discussions with weekly guests and touching on best practices for building and growing sustainable franchise brands.

Host Stan Friedman and Lemcke touch on the tremendous growth Weed Man USA has experienced in the past decade and Weed Man’s title as the fastest growing franchise in lawn care. For the second consecutive year, Weed Man has been named One of the Best Franchises to Buy by Forbes magazine and with an initial investment of under $150,000, it’s no wonder the lawn care franchise has seen so much success.

“Our strategy in the U.S. has never been to differ from quality. We do have some good competitors at a national level…but between us and [them], I would boil it down to [the quality of] our fertilizer…and that’s been a staple [for us],” says Lemcke when asked about Weed Man’s strategy.

You can learn more about Weed Man’s exclusively-blended, golf course quality fertilizer HERE.

There are several things that set Weed Man apart from other lawn care franchises. For instance, during our off-time,“[In November, we do budgeting and] our business planning, which is unreal – top of class, not only in our industry, but top of class in probably most industries. We do zero-based budgeting with our franchisees and a business plan with each and every one of our franchisees – the crutch to all of our systems,” Lemcke states.

franchise-today

To listen to the entire podcast and learn more about the Weed Man opportunity, click HERE.

For more information on opportunities in your area, visit us online at www.weedmanfranchise.com or call 1-888-321-9333.

Happy Customers

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Happy Customers

At Weed Man, we are extremely customer service-oriented. We try our very best at all times, to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations; because not only are we committed to the environment, we are also committed to our philosophy of “Promises Kept.” We offer customers open and honest communication and educate homeowners to ensure they are equipped with the information to help their lawn meet its full potential. The true value of Weed Man’s services is realized only when both the company and the customer are doing their part. But it doesn’t stop there! Here are some helpful tips for keeping your customers happy.

Train Your Employees.

At Weed Man, our employees are the backbone of the company. We take pride in offering ongoing training, to ensure all staff is equipped with the skills and tools necessary for providing excellent customer service.

Look Professional.

Dressing the part is half the battle. If your business doesn’t already offer employees branded uniforms, we suggest considering it! Weed Man technicians, customer outreach representatives and other in-field staff members are given uniforms to help create recognition throughout local communities, and to promote a professional, put-together look. If uniforms are not an option, try implementing a dress code to ensure every employee is meeting your company’s attire standards.

Pay Attention.

It’s imperative that you hear what customers are saying. Feedback, whether it is positive or negative, can help your company improve and grow…successfully! Communication is a two-way street. Saying that, there’s no point in listening if you’re not going to take customer feedback seriously. Point of sale dialogue is a crucial part of the process. Customers will surely use these encounters to form an overall opinion of your business.

Be Honest and Open.  At Weed Man, we pride ourselves on offering customers open communication. If we make a mistake, we own it. If customers are not satisfied with the results on their lawn, we will visit their home within 48 hours to resolve the situation.

Communicate. Stay in touch with your consumers. Creating a relationship with them will make them feel more at ease and with that, the likeliness of referrals and continuous service increases. To stay connected, consider writing regular emails and/or e-newsletters (we suggest about twice a month), create useful and informative marketing pieces and even consider making phone calls to ensure they are happy with the service they’re receiving.

To learn more about franchise opportunities in your area, visit us online at www.weedmanfranchise.com or call 1-888-321-9333.

Why Proper Training and Support Are Imperative

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At Weed Man USA, we believe that proper training and support are imperative. Whether new employees are experienced in the industry or not, training is a great opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all staff members. We encourage franchisees to provide ongoing support to all of their staff, to support the success of employees and allow them to handle any issues they may have on the field or in the office, with more confidence. In a franchised business like ours, franchisees can utilize Weed Man’s large network of experienced and knowledgeable contacts to train appropriately, rather than spending a large part of their budget on development, like many independent businesses do. A little bit of training goes a long way, providing both the company and the employee with benefits that make regular training worthwhile. These benefits include:

Employee Satisfaction & Improved Performance

Giving employees the opportunity to learn while on the job is a great way to boost morale. Taking the time to work with staff will help improve the overall performance of your team. Supporting your team members in their roles will also provide them with more confidence that will ultimately result in a better overall employee retention rate. Everyone wins!

Less Supervision

As mentioned above, when employees are equipped with proper training, everyone benefits. Less supervision is required on behalf of the employer, eliminating the need for micromanagement. This also goes hand-in-hand with boosting employee morale, as your team will feel trusted and work harder to maintain that trust.

Chances of Promotion

Not only does ongoing training increase employee confidence, it is also a tried and true method of molding your employees into the brand ambassadors you want them to be, giving you the confidence to promote key players. This will save you time and stress when you need a position filled; rather than hiring externally and having to spend hours of time training a new employee, you can simply provide existing employees with increased responsibilities and career opportunities.

Opportunity to Address Weaknesses

Training is an integral part of bettering your business. Inevitably, employees will always have different personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. One-on-one training sessions will allow you, as a business owner, to address their weaknesses in an appropriate way, allowing them to learn and work with more confidence.

Fewer In-Field Accidents

Health and safety is always a concern. It is important that we keep our employees safe. Proper training helps lower the number of in-field accidents, especially in industries where large machinery is used.

When Weed Man USA brings a new franchisee on board, we provide extensive, 10-day training at our head office in Ontario, Canada. We take the time to really teach new franchisees about our systems and our business model as a whole. Additional training is always available down the road, anytime our ‘zees’ feel the need to spruce up their skills or take a refresher course in business systems, marketing, admin, or agronomics. Proper training and support largely contribute to the success of Weed Man, and remain one of the reasons we have become North America’s leading national lawn care franchise.

If you own a business in the green industry and are looking for an additional profit center, or if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur and are interested in learning more about franchise opportunities with Weed Man USA, visit http://www.weedmanfranchise.com.

Training and Support