Lawn Doctor franchisees can enjoy a myriad of benefits from working with the brand, from flexible hours to a relaxed dress code.
Three long standing Lawn Doctor franchisees spoke with 1851 Franchise and shared some of their experiences.
Craig Barnes of Texas
Craig Barnes owns two Lawn Doctor franchises and runs them both out of Granbury, Texas. He started franchising with the company in 2004, and he’s very much enjoyed the journey.
He noted that he and his wife did not have children yet when they started franchising with Lawn Doctor. Now they have two, and so the freedom to spend time with family is more valuable than ever.
Before franchising with Lawn Doctor, Barnes worked for a turf producing company. He traveled extensively throughout the United States installing turf on professional ball fields, at universities, golf courses and more. After a while, Barnes decided it was a good time to move on.
“It was a perfect time to be focused on a homegrown business that’s right out your back door versus traveling all over the nation,” Barnes said.
Barnes has always enjoyed the Lawn Doctor culture and loves being able to help others, such as “being out on the property, dealing with customers one-on-one and getting to know people.”
Barnes loves the relationships he gets to build at Lawn Doctor, both with the corporate team and with other franchisees, and the “opportunity to lean on other franchisees and they help you along. I get to help them along, too.” Being able to see franchisees in different growth stages that he’s gotten to know through the years has been very rewarding for him.
David & Cindy Callahan of Connecticut
Husband-and-wife duo David and Cindy Callahan started franchising with Lawn Doctor in 1985.
Today, they own three Lawn Doctor franchises in Connecticut, and David, for one, cannot stop emphasizing how much he loves being in business with his wife, who is the controller and looks at forecasting.
Long before he franchised with Lawn Doctor, David worked in the golf course industry. Right before he franchised with Lawn Doctor, he actually worked for a Lawn Doctor dealership. He was struck by the positive relationship employees had with the corporate team, which is something he has enjoyed as a franchisee.
David noted that a Lawn Doctor franchisee must be willing to work hard, especially in the beginning, in order to get their franchise up and running.
“If you don’t dig in and get on it, you don’t get the traction you need to build a good business,” David said.
One of the lifestyle benefits David has particularly enjoyed is the opportunity to do charity work in his community. He was on the board of the Red Cross for 10 years and the chairman of their board for two years. He also works with the homeless. He credits his competent team of employees for allowing him to have the time to stay involved in his community outside of work.
A major culture benefit of franchising with Lawn Doctor has been the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with team members, other franchisees and the company’s corporate team.
“Many of our employees have become friends,” David said.
The relationships go beyond that. Cindy recently had surgery, and David said his team was extremely helpful, particularly during the business’ busy fall season, and simply told him “Stay home and take care of your wife.” He credits their team of technicians, as well as their Service Manager, Bennett Lawrence, for being so supportive and helping keep it business as usual while they handled personal matters.
David especially credits Executive Director Tara Pratt and Operations Manager Erin Richmond.
“They are the heart and soul of the company,” he said.
Chad Norton of Utah
Chad Norton now owns four Lawn Doctor franchises in the Logan, Utah area.
He bought his first Lawn Doctor franchise in 2007 and opened it in 2008. He purchased an existing location from an owner that he had a relationship with, and he felt that he had a strong opportunity to make the brand a recognizable name in the area.
“In terms of lifestyle, you have your own freedom,” Norton said. “You can control your own destiny.”
Before franchising with Lawn Doctor, Norton previously owned three of his own businesses, including a landscaping company, which he started after graduating from college with a degree in accounting.
“I always wanted to be on my own,” he said. “I didn’t like working for somebody else.”
Norton has enjoyed the culture benefits that come with being a Lawn Doctor franchisee.
“I’ve made a lot of good friends that are tenured franchisees all over the country,” Norton said. “I get a lot of input from all of them on best practices and how to better run my business. That’s one of the biggest benefits, everybody having the same goals and being able to talk to someone who’s been in business a little bit longer.”
And Lawn Doctor franchisees can save the fancy clothing for special events.
“There’s no suit and tie,” Norton said smiling. “I get to wear khakis, a collared shirt and my tennis shoes to work every day, and I absolutely love it.”
The startup cost for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $101,840 to $115,890. The franchise fee is $35,000. To learn more about owning a Lawn Doctor franchise, visit http://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.