An Independent Spirit

While Placement in Large Corporations May Seem like Common Sense for Most Vets, Owning their Own Business is the Best of Both Worlds

Lockheed Martin, BNSF Railway, General Electric and DuPont are all large, well-known corporations. All four also made G.I. Jobs magazine’s “Top 100 Military Friendly Employers” list for 2012, which debuted this May. Companies that make the list are committed to hiring former military with a focus on recruiting and hiring efforts geared specifically to veterans. Although working for a company with such positive name recognition can be a perfect fit for returning service members, many veterans wish to work for themselves. Of course, the barriers to starting one’s own business are many, no matter what field the veteran has a passion in. Look past those attention-grabbing corporations and you will also find a company called Lawn Doctor* included on G.I. Jobs’ list. Lawn Doctor is also a franchised company, meaning its placement on this year’s list makes it among the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide. Founded in 1967, Lawn Doctor is recognized as a leader in the lawn care industry and has more than 460 units located throughout the United States. Every Lawn Doctor location is locally owned and operated by a franchisee. It’s also recognized as one of the best options for returning veterans who are looking to own their own business, offering $15,000 off the franchise fee. Charles Fowler, who opened his Lawn Doctor franchise in Huntsville, Alabama in January 2012, saw Lawn Doctor as the perfect opportunity to be his own boss. “I served in the U.S. Army from 1981-1992 and was also a part of the Iraqi Freedom operations on Redstone Arsenal in the Emergency Operations Center,” said Fowler. Fowler discovered Lawn Doctor and the company’s programs and special incentives geared towards veterans early on in his job search, however the timing wasn't right to start his own business. After several years in the corporate world, Fowler couldn’t hold back his desire to own and operate his own business any longer. “I knew the corporate world was not where I wanted to be. The corporate world has many restraints, and I knew I could provide better customer service on my own if I had the right venue.” With the help of the VetFran Program that Lawn Doctors offers, Fowler qualified for a discount off the franchise fee, allowing him open and own his Lawn Doctor business. Fowler was also attracted to the support that comes with owning a business with a successful business model. “A lot of franchise concepts do not provide that opportunity, and I’m grateful to take advantage of this opportunity from Lawn Doctor.” Fowler’s story is one of many that highlights the success veterans have owning and operating their own franchise. Paul Mumm, vice president of marketing for Lawn Doctor, says that many times, veterans are among the most successful franchisees.. “We’ve found that military servicemen and women make successful Lawn Doctor Franchisees because of their discipline and leadership skills,” Mumm said. “We are proud to employ several veterans in our system.” As for Fowler, he can’t imagine going back to work at a large corporation. “As a franchisee, if you have what it takes and you want to do something you know will make a customer happy, you have more freedom to build the brand and grow your business.”