Lawn Doctor

With more than 630 nationwide locations, the lawn care maintenance business Lawn Doctor is poised for continued growth through 2022. While the brand grew double digits from 2020 to 2021, it also showed that it has a pandemic-resilient business model.“As an essential and mobile service that requires limited face-to-face customer interaction, Lawn Doctor was not adversely affected by pandemic challenges,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmartinfranchisedevelopment/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lawn-doctor-saw-double-digit-increases-following-the-covid-pandemic-2717795" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Eric Martin</a>, vice president of franchise development at Happinest, the parent company behind Lawn Doctor. “Of course, there were some challenges along the way, but growing at the rate we did and recording double digit growth during the pandemic speaks volumes about the resiliency and durability of this business model.”Whether there is a pandemic affecting the way we live our daily lives or not, people are always going to need lawn care. As baby boomers age and can't do the things around the house they once did and millennials who are more than are willing to pay for home services to be done for them so they can spend more time with friends and family, there will always be a need for the services offered by Lawn Doctor.&nbsp;As part of its efforts to attract more franchise owners, Lawn Doctor prides itself on its business model and low-overhead costs. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-merrill-79914849/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-lawn-doctor-saw-double-digit-increases-following-the-covid-pandemic-2717795" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Trevor Merrill</a>, a franchisee in Utah, said that he was able to quickly grow his Lawn Doctor franchise in a high-demand area, for example.&nbsp;Lawn Doctor’s presence in the $600 billion home services industry is also a valuable business opportunity for potential franchisees who don’t want to spend a lot of money getting things up and running.“We were very drawn to the low overhead costs and didn’t want to have to worry about operating a brick-and-mortar storefront,” said Josh Stewart, a Lawn Doctor franchisee with a location in Baldwin County, Alabama. “That lower risk was really important to us compared to other concepts or starting our own business from scratch.”<h4>How Lawn Doctor and Other Happinest Brands Plan to Grow in 2022</h4>Happinest also oversees franchise operations for ecomaids and Mosquito Hunters. Together, the three brands signed more than 100 units in 2021, marking a milestone for the brand.&nbsp;“We plan to award just as many units, if not more, this year,” said Martin. “We definitely expect each of the brands under the Happinest umbrella to meet or exceed development goals in 2022, which is really great to see following the immense growth all of our brands experienced during the pandemic.”&nbsp;Happinest is becoming more nationally recognized, and their brands are preparing for continued growth. With franchising experience that expands over five decades, Happinest is well positioned to help franchisees grow not only within their chosen brand, but also grow with future brands under the umbrella company.&nbsp;“Our long-term vision includes plans to help franchisees, who have the desire and resources, to grow vertically within Happinest brands,” said Martin. “While it’s always nice to have franchisees expanding their territory reach with one brand, we see a day in the not-too-distant future where we have certain franchisee’s operating multiple Happinest brands — whether that be Lawn Doctor, ecomaids, Mosquito Hunters, or other future service concepts that become a part of Happinest.”&nbsp;A primary focus for the home service and route-based businesses is having newer franchise owners focus on going deeper in their territory, before growing wider. Trying to manage a wide-reaching and scattered customer base too quickly can, in many cases, become counterproductive and impact profitability, according to Martin.“We provide a system that is built for scale, but as importantly one that allows our owners to increase efficiency and drive down customer acquisition cost,” said Martin. “Our digital advertising tactics are extremely targeted and surgical, and when those combine with ground game efforts by a local franchise team, building density in a customer base is much easier now than ever before.”As for 2022, Lawn Doctor plans to continue its upward trajectory in signing new franchise partners to an attractive brand that utilizes a centralized approach to media marketing and customer sales with their very own in-house sales center. By centralizing these activities, franchise owners have the luxury of more time to focus on customer relationships, retention, and the offering of additional upsell services, all of which have become cornerstones of the Lawn Doctor and the Happinest business models.“As a cutting-edge leader in the home services space, regardless of the climate we are operating in, we are constantly looking at ways to innovate and improve both the business operations and overall customer experience,” added Martin.&nbsp;The initial total investment for a single Lawn Doctor territory ranges from $102,015 to $127,065. For more information, visit: https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.&nbsp;

How Lawn Doctor Saw Double Digit Increases Following the COVID Pandemic

1851 Franchise

The lawn care franchise proved to be pandemic-resilient following nationwide shutdowns that put many out of work and out of business.

This brand page has been paid for by LAWN DOCTOR. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-lawn-doctor-saw-double-digit-increases-following-the-covid-pandemic

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own a Lawn Doctor

Lawn Care Franchise Opportunity Overview

Franchisee Feature

Learn

Download Brochure

Visit Website

LAWN DOCTOR

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

Navy Veteran, Former Field Service Engineer Celebrates Early Success With Lawn Doctor Franchise

Former Lawn Doctor Employees Journey Back to Ownership Led to Succession Success Story

Entrepreneur: For 47 Years, This Brand Has Kept Up With McDonald's and Dunkin. Have You Heard of It?

LAWN DOCTOR MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT LAWN DOCTOR

CONTACT LAWN DOCTOR

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City

State / Province

Zip Code

graphic image of an 1851 franchise franchise deep dive article of lawn doctor.

Lawn Doctor Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

lawn-doctor-franchise-costs-fees-profits

Photo of Humbug Holiday Lighting team members wearing festive sweaters, beanies, smiling at camera

Happinest Brands Turns the ‘Off-Season’ Into a Bright Spot for Franchisees

happinest-holiday-lighting-franchise-support

image of a happiness business franchise logo on a wood wall on location

Happinest Brands Powers Through 2025 With Strong Franchise Growth Across Multiple Brands in the Portfolio

happinest-brands-q2-2025-growth

Photo of Happinest Brands vans and teams standing together

Happinest Brands Closes Strong Q1 With Strategic Growth, System-Wide Enhancements

happinest-brands-q1-2025-growth

After 11 years of ownership in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and more than 20 years with the brand, Todd and Janis Rucker have exited their&nbsp;<a href="http://lawndoctorfranchise.com">Lawn Doctor</a> franchise. In January, the pair officially closed a seven-figure deal as the business was acquired by their former general manager,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-dunning-218b1962/">Russ Dunning</a>, and his wife, Kalin, who will lead the next era of growth in the community.“When I hired Russ about six and a half years ago, I hired him with the intention of replacing me,” Todd said. “I feel like the transition with Russ was great because he’s been involved in a lot of the day-to-day decisions, and again, ultimately, we both knew that he and Kalin were going to acquire it.”While the Ruckers have spent the last few years actively preparing for a healthy exit from the Hot Springs territory, their journey with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor/info">Lawn Doctor</a> goes back much further.<h2>A Decades-Long History With the Brand</h2>The Ruckers’ first introduction to Lawn Doctor was over 20 years ago when they purchased a territory in another part of Arkansas, which they built from the ground up.“We had that up and running for about five or six years before we moved to Hot Springs,” Todd said. “After about a year there, I went to work for the local Hot Springs franchise and worked there for about five years. I was just thinking, ‘Let me get my kids through school, and we’ll see what happens.’ Then we ended up having an opportunity to buy it. We purchased that in 2015 and had it until early this year. It’s kind of a roundabout way of getting here, but had we not had the experience of learning and making a few mistakes [with our first territory], I don’t think this one would have gone quite as well.”When Todd learned of the opportunity to acquire the Hot Springs territory, he was confident that, using his prior experience as an owner and time spent as a team member in Hot Springs, he would be able to not just successfully acquire but continue to grow the business.&nbsp;<h2>A Thoughtful Ownership Journey Rooted in Stewardship</h2>A few years into leading the Hot Springs territory, Todd began looking to hire his eventual replacement, knowing the business would eventually change hands.“Our philosophy is that we don’t really own anything in this world anyway. We’re just a steward over it for a period of time,” he said. “So, when we took this business over, even though our names were on everything and we were the ‘owners’ of it, I knew we were a steward of it for a period of time. We did not know how long that was going to be. It’s a good mentality to realize that you’re not going to own anything forever. That’s freeing, in my opinion.”Though he never dodged the responsibility or accountability associated with business ownership, Todd knew that something would change down the line.“You manage it well and take care of it, but also think, down the line, what happens if I had a stroke? I want someone in there so that the business would continue on,” he said. “To make sure Janis would be alright until she could sell it, but also for everybody else that’s involved. There were 19 other families that were dependent on me being a responsible business owner. So I felt an obligation to have, at a minimum, somebody in there who would keep the day-to-day going. If we can find someone that could do the day-to-day but also transition to ownership one day — that’s even better.”When Russ joined the team, Todd took this approach. He knew that Russ would eventually take over, and he worked diligently to ensure Russ had the experience and expertise necessary to facilitate a seamless transition whenever that time came.<h2>The Road to the Exit</h2>While Todd had been working with Russ consistently to prepare him for the eventual transition, he embraced a more structured approach in early 2025.“I knew the energy had gone out of me,” he said. “I could have continued on for a couple more years with Russ running things day-to-day, but I didn’t think that was healthy for the business. I knew it was time to transition; I thought it was the fairest thing to do for everybody involved. I didn’t want the business to decline because my energy had waned.”After making the decision, though, Todd stayed engaged with Russ. He let Russ know in early 2025 that it would be their last year together, and they took on the next 12 months with intention.“That was leading into our spring season,” Todd said. “At that point, we both had to get over the shock. So we just went back to work, and throughout the year, I tried to show him the things that we did each time of the year — sales, advertising and things of that nature. He was already deeply involved, but we got him a little more involved with things like ‘Here’s who I talk to about the advertising,’ or ‘Here’s what’s going on in my mind.’”Ensuring Russ had the experience necessary and taking a step back to truly let him lead, the Ruckers set the stage for a smooth transition. While the existing team didn’t know exactly what was going on behind the scenes, Todd says they were getting accustomed to Russ being the leader and Todd and Janis popping in on occasion rather than being there all the time.Earlier this year, Todd and Janis officially exited the business, and Russ and Kalin took it over.Now in their early 60s, the Ruckers are taking time to travel, focus on their bucket list and take a bit of a breather.“Janis is happy to be a full-time grandmother. I intend to work at least part-time in the future, but I’m not sure what that will look like,” Todd said. “The immediate future is to travel and then see… I’m using this as my gap year.”As for the future of the business, the Ruckers are proud of what they’ve built and optimistic about what’s to come in Hot Springs.“Over the years, Russ has helped vet people, so they’re as much his team members as they were ours. And the fact that he was involved in the day-to-day decisions for several years was also good. It has worked out wonderfully,” Todd said. “I think Lawn Doctor of Hot Springs is in better hands now than it was when we had it. I hate to say that, but they’re very qualified. They’re great. And that’s what you want to do! You want it to get better.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor">https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor</a>.&nbsp;

Photo of former Lawn Doctor franchise owners Todd & Janis Rucker

Drawing on lessons from their first stage of ownership, Todd and Janis Rucker built a sustainable Lawn Doctor model that ultimately led to a seven-figure sale to their longtime general manager.

franchise-resale-succession-success

Each year, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 ranking is published, highlighting the strongest franchise brands in the industry. The list is prepared through the evaluation of over 150 data points spanning categories like growth, support and financial strength. In other words, size or rapid growth alone won’t guarantee a brand a spot in the ranking.&nbsp;For many franchise brands, being included in the ranking is an important achievement. According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/buying-a-franchise/for-47-years-this-brand-has-kept-up-with-mcdonalds-and-dunkin-have-you-heard-of-it">recent Entrepreneur article</a>, only three brands have enjoyed the honor every year since the ranking started 47 years ago. McDonald’s and Dunkin’, two industry giants, make sense. The third is&nbsp;<a href="https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/">Lawn Doctor</a>, a smaller brand but clearly just as strong.Part of the larger&nbsp;<a href="http://happinestbrands.com">Happinest Brands</a> portfolio,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor/info">Lawn Doctor</a> is a 665-unit lawn care brand. While the brand has evolved over the years, CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottfrith">Scott Frith</a> told Entrepreneur that the brand’s commitment to taking care of its franchisees has also been a key contributor to its success.“My father once said, ‘Treat a franchisee as if they can leave you tomorrow and you’ll be okay.’ In other words, make sure you understand their value in building this business alongside you. And that’s been a guiding principle,” Frith said. “So a real differentiator for us is how we’ve created the structures to help every franchisee unlock [success]. We’ve really ramped up training. For new franchisees, we have pre-training with digital content, then class for a week, practical training in the field — and then it’s ongoing with new initiatives. You also have a dedicated person with you for two years.”As Frith looks toward the future, he’s transparent about what has and hasn’t worked for Lawn Doctor, and he recognizes how the brand’s strength and history benefit owners across the Lawn Doctor system and larger Happinest Brands network.“Lawn Doctor, almost 60 years old now, is bringing a lot of operational experience — nearly 4,000 years between our franchisees and our team — across the platform,” he said. “So certainly that brings value to emerging brands that are small and learning.”Read the full article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/buying-a-franchise/for-47-years-this-brand-has-kept-up-with-mcdonalds-and-dunkin-have-you-heard-of-it">here</a>.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor">https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor</a>.&nbsp;

Photo of Lawn Doctor team member working outside, wearing blue button-down and khakis

Only three brands have been included in Entrepreneurs highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking every year. Lawn Doctor is one of them, standing next to some of the biggest names in franchising.

How Lawn Doctor Saw Double Digit Increases Following the COVID Pandemic

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS