Lawn Doctor, the 600-plus-unit national lawn care concept, gives existing lawn care business owners the chance to convert to a proven franchise system with a strong support network and the backing of a team with years of experience. 

John Perry, for example, launched Lawn Doctor of Charleston–Huntington–Ashland in 2023 from his existing fertilization and weed business in the area. Perry, alongside a dozen new franchise owners and their partners, convened at Lawn Doctor’s New Jersey headquarters in November of 2022 for a weeklong training and graduation ceremony before launching his business in March. 

“I felt like my market had opportunity for seven figure sales years, but as I was doing it all on my own, I realized it would take a five to seven year timeframe to be able to actually develop that,” said Perry. “With Lawn Doctor, getting to a higher profitability will be much quicker. It’s also helpful to have the backing of a supportive team who are knowledgeable in each individual area of the business.” 

How Training Set Perry Up for a Successful First Year

At the New Jersey training, Perry got to work alongside the Lawn Doctor team, as well as a group of other new owners. 

“There was a healthy mix of owners there. Some were new to the business, some were repurchasing franchises and myself, converting an existing fertilization and weed business to a Lawn Doctor,” explained Perry. “Having the collective viewpoints leads to very productive conversations.”

He also noted that although he was familiar with a lot of the material from already being in the industry, it was beneficial to have a review on agronomy training and to be able bounce ideas off of other owners. 

“It's very beneficial to have a built-in peer group,” Perry said. “One or two years down the road from starting, we’ll be able to reconvene and discuss our progress, work through any growing pains and offer solutions to each other.”

After a week of learning and preparing for launch, Lawn Doctor held a graduation ceremony, where each franchisee received a framed certificate marking their accomplishment and had their photo taken in front of Lawn Doctor branded messaging. Franchisees also got to hear from CEO Scott Frith who offered insight and encouraging words to the new business owners.

How Converting to Lawn Doctor Benefits Perry

For Perry, not having to do it all on his own has been a major benefit of franchising with Lawn Doctor. “When I bought out the company I had to figure out what the best equipment to use was myself,” he said. “I had to go through and figure out what vehicles to use and set those up. I also had to work through software programs and develop all those, as well as setting up marketing programs. That all takes a ton of time when you're doing it by yourself.”

Perry noted that he is already benefiting from Lawn Doctor’s help with marketing, as well as any questions that he has about other aspects of the business, whether that be agronomy or the financial side. He also pointed out the support of Lawn Doctor coaches that he meets with on a regular basis, as well as his peer group who he is able to gain insight from. 

“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. “By the time they launch, new owners have been through all stages of preparation, including software training and on-site coaching visits. They’ve received equipment and have had ample marketing ramp-up to the spring power window opening.”

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