Lawn Doctor, the 600-plus-unit franchise and leader in the lawn care segment, has proven its ability to create a successful path to business ownership for franchisees coming from all different kinds of backgrounds. Take Trevor Merrill, for instance, a franchisee in the greater Salt Lake City market.

Merrill previously worked as a banking professional and was inspired to enter the franchising industry through a constant reminder of his now-current profession. “I had this office with a big window that looked out onto a golf course. I'd get to work early in the morning, I'd watch guys out there working on the course, and I'd say to myself, ‘Man, I'd way rather be out there.’”

Merrill has an undergraduate degree in business management and a master's equivalent degree in banking and finance. He spent 16 years working in the baking industry before franchising with Lawn Doctor, and spent a decade working as a bank vice president and district manager for a bank where he managed multiple branch locations.

“I always felt like I wanted to be outside,” Merrill said. “That’s kind of what planted the seed for me.”

Merrill says the financial figures of Lawn Doctor helped pull him into franchising, along with the brand’s proven franchise model that has stood for over 50 years. Since that proven concept is combined with a low-overhead business model and a booming real estate market in greater Salt Lake City, Merrill has been able to quickly establish his franchise as a leading service in a high-demand area.

Eric Martin, the vice president of franchise development for Lawn Doctor's parent brand, Happinest, said Merrill is a franchisee that has helped model the brand’s push for continued West Coast expansion. “It’s been a great advantage of this business to create instant appeal to a variety of investors, and we’ve really been able to grow as a company thanks to input from Trevor and his constant push to expand further.”

Merrill had a consultant recommend the Lawn Doctor brand to him as a target franchise to invest in. He was drawn to the branding and learned more through a discovery process, speaking with other brands but being constantly drawn back to the business model and design that Lawn Doctor presented.

Merrill did extensive research into the franchising industry before diving into business with Lawn Doctor, seeking the right opportunities and receiving input from family members and industry professionals. “When I started thinking about franchising, I already kind of knew what it was about, but it did take me around two years to finally pull the trigger as a franchisee, just because I was making good money in banking and it was hard to walk away from,” he said.

“I knew of another Lawn Doctor franchise on the other side of Salt Lake City, and I knew they were killing it with business.” Merrill said. He said it was common to see branding for Lawn Doctor throughout greater Salt Lake City, and he knew a lot of people that did business with them. That’s why he decided to take the leap and become an entrepreneur himself.

“When I did, I went all in.,” he said.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Merrill says his Lawn Doctor franchise has seen unique advantages unlike others in the industry. He said a lot of people are staying at home, looking at their lawns a lot more often than they may have before.

“There is almost always somebody home when I arrive for appointments, and people are willing to go out and look at their lawns a lot more than before,” he said. “I found that if I can get on the lawn with clients, diagnose it and talk to him about what their issues are, I have a very strong close rate and a passionate client to work with. Those two things are huge.”

The initial total investment for a single Lawn Doctor territory ranges from $102,015 to $127,065. For more information, visit: https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.