With their children growing up and graduating high school, Tyrone and Jamelia Ward started to have the “what’s next?” discussion. They wanted to do something entrepreneurial that utilized both Tyrone’s background in sales and Jamelia’s in education. The couple knew they wanted to avoid transactional-based businesses because they wanted to build long-term relationships with the community. They also wanted it to be a family business that their son and daughter could be a part of. 

When the pandemic hit and they were staying home more, they went on a lot of walks in the neighborhood, and that’s when the idea for lawn care came about. Eventually, they considered investing in Lawn Doctor, the 630-plus unit lawn maintenance franchise that operates all over the nation. 

“On our walks, we saw the opportunity to help people improve the curb appeal of their homes,” Ward said. “We were using a national company for our lawn at the time, but the service wasn’t very good. We saw a chance for improvement, and we felt like we could do something better.”

Ward was familiar with Lawn Doctor already, as he grew up in New Jersey where the brand was founded. He researched the franchise, as well as competitors like Weed Man and Natural Lawn of America, but found that Lawn Doctor stood out as a strong, reputable brand that was willing to give them the custom care and support of a local company. In December of last year, he signed on for the territories of Charles County and Prince George County in Maryland. 

After signing, the Wards and their daughter Jada, who is involved in the business, all went to Lawn Doctor headquarters for a week of training. They all hit the ground running to gear up for a March 1 opening, the beginning of what the lawn care industry calls the “power window,” as warmer weather rolls in. Ward said the corporate team was very helpful in providing the support they needed to open in time. 

“We did not want to miss the initial push for lawn care in the spring,” said Ward. “Lawn Doctor was fantastic in making sure that we got the equipment, and they put us on the website which led to us immediately getting inbound leads. That also offered us the marketing and support that we needed to be successful and see traction right away.”

His operation already has 150 customers, and that number grows every day. Ward said many customers used to live elsewhere and used Lawn Doctor, then were disappointed when moving to the area and having to hire another company. They are happy to be Lawn Doctor customers again since Ward has opened. 

Ward’s franchises have made great strides in their ten weeks of operations so far, connecting with the community and making an imprint. They are a member of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce, and the county’s commissioner was present for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Ward says his wife and daughter have been amazing at helping field calls and build their relationships in the neighborhood. His son Jalen has also been assisting with the business and has brought on friends from college to help with advertising efforts over the weekends. 

“Our entire family is excited about Lawn Doctor and for the opportunity to bring this strong brand into this community,” said Ward. “It’s a family effort and family business where we want to provide other families with services long-term, so when they want to enjoy their outdoor space, it’s free of mosquitoes, weeds, fleas and ticks.”

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/.