At Lawn Doctor, the 600-plus-unit national lawn care concept, one of the reasons the brand’s franchisees have such success is the brand’s commitment to aiding owners with all aspects of the business, starting before operations begin with an in-depth training course.
 

Todd Voss, a multi-unit owner in Central Texas, attended the November 2022 training and graduation, and now owns three territories with the brand. 

Voss had been in the green industry for over 40 years, working with big names in the business when he decided it was time to part ways and look at new opportunities. When he was looking for his next move, he had a conversation with a friend who was already a Lawn Doctor franchisee in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The friend let him know of a connection to another owner looking to sell two franchises and, after seeing his friend’s enthusiasm for his career, Voss decided to reach out. 

“We had some very positive conversations and then over around six to 12 weeks, we put together a plan where he would sell the business to me and I would take it over,” Voss recalled. “He would also be part of the business for a short period of time to make sure I got acclimated and was able to learn about Lawn Doctor as much as I could, and then he'd move on to a family business that needed his assistance.”

Voss onboarded with Lawn Doctor in July of 2022 when he purchased the existing two franchises in the greater Waco, Texas area. He also added on a third territory, expanding his reach to cover everything between Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. 

Voss convened with a dozen new franchise owners and their partners — one of the company’s largest groups in recent history — at Lawn Doctor’s New Jersey headquarters in November for a week-long training. Franchisees were able to learn from company executives and trainers during detailed sessions on important topics like marketing and agronomics, to equipment and local sales management. These training classes are built to deep-dive into Lawn Doctor’s model, and give new owners a chance to network with staff and each other.

“The week was filled with detailed information and getting to know more about Lawn Doctor and understanding the theme behind the brand, what it stands for and what its goals are,” said Voss. “The company made sure to provide us with everything we need to feel confident and ready about operations.”

The week of training ended with a graduation ceremony, where each franchisee received their own framed certificate marking their accomplishment. At the conclusion, CEO Scott Frith offered insight and encouraging words to the new business owners.

“It was professionally done,” said Voss “It felt like you actually graduated. It wasn't kind of like someone just said, ‘Hey, you're done.’ They made a point of making you feel special, and I think this is a really big deal.”

The training and graduation process is just one of the many ways that Lawn Doctor supports franchisees. Voss noted that, even before his training process began, Lawn Doctor was supportive from the very beginning and made his transition as seamless as possible. “They've always been very good about answering questions and providing whatever I needed to get set up,” he said.

The brand stands with franchisees to ensure they have all the answers they need to keep their business growing smoothly. Regional Business Consultants are assigned to franchisees as a primary point of contact to help answer any questions about any aspect of the business. Additionally, every eight weeks for the first two years in business, franchisees and their Regional Business Consultant will meet to discuss and optimize an operating plan. 

Franchisees also benefit from ongoing training and support through features such as quarterly regional business meetings, an annual conference, weekly webinars, an e-learning platform and more. 

“We have built a proven, step by step approach to get our owners prepared to embark on their new business. Training is step one toward starting the business, and we don’t skip steps or skimp on substance,” said Eric Martin, senior vice president of franchise development for Lawn Doctor. 

Now having graduated, Voss looks forward to expanding with the brand in 2023. He also believes that the because of the brand’s reasonable investment costs, care for their customers and seamless business model, now is the time to invest in Lawn Doctor 

“I believe when the customer chooses Lawn Doctor, they're not picking it because we're the cheapest, or the most expensive,” said Voss. “They pick Lawn Doctor because they're looking for a professional, and more importantly, they're wanting to build a relationship with that professional. They want to know that the person walking on their lawn cares about their lawn as much as they do.”

The startup costs for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $116,465–$141,815. To learn more about franchising with Lawn Doctor, visit https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.

ABOUT LAWN DOCTOR:

Since its first franchise in 1967, Lawn Doctor has established itself as a leader in the lawn care services industry through innovative technology, its ability to satisfy the needs of consumers on a national level, and its development and expansion within the industry. Lawn Doctor specializes in treatment and conditioning services, such as fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration and tree and shrub care. The Lawn Doctor brand has hundreds of locally owned and operated franchises and is the #1 ranked lawn care franchise in the United States.  Lawn Doctor is a 2023 Franchise 500 brand, ranking no. 79 for its financial strength and stability, unit growth and brand power.