New Lawn Doctor Franchisee Josh Stewart Is Preparing for a Green Spring

One of Lawn Doctor’s newest franchisees is Josh Stewart of Spanish Fort, Alabama. Stewart came to the brand from a background in construction, engineering and project management, but was looking to finally start his own business. Stewart and his wife Shannon did their due diligence and reviewed many different businesses. After browsing for investment opportunities in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500, Stewart came across Lawn Doctor. At No. 58, Lawn Doctor was one of the most highly-ranked outdoor services franchises, and the Stewarts ultimately decided that Lawn Doctor was the right fit for them.

Beginning the discovery process in the fall turned out to be perfect timing for Stewart, who recently finished the legacy brand’s intensive, week-long training program. While lawn care is necessary year round in Baldwin County and Mobile County, Alabama, the fall and winter seasons are slightly slower and offer a great opportunity to take advantage of the support offered by Lawn Doctor’s corporate team.

“Fall and winter are good times to start training because there is a brief slowdown in the demand for services in the Southeast region,” Stewart said. “Obtaining training during the slower winter season and working with the RAMP team during the start-up process should allow us the greatest opportunity to optimize market share during the busier spring and summer seasons.”

“The new franchisee training program was held over seven days for eight hours a day in Holmdel, New Jersey,” said Stewart. “The training was split into functional and technical aspects of the business, and different department representatives spoke to the class about their respective areas of responsibility.”

“Upon the completion of training, support is provided by the RAMP Team, which consists of a Regional Business Consultant, National Field Marketing Manager and a Franchise Business Advisor,” said Stewart. “The information that they provided has been very useful thus far, even though we have not yet officially opened our doors yet for business.”

Lawn Doctor also offers a soft roll-out strategy that is unique to the industry, and allows franchisees to enter business ownership fully prepared for success even if portions of the Spring season are missed.

According to Vice President of Franchise Development Eric Martin, training in the Spring for a mid-Summer launch allows franchisees to become accustomed with brand and equipment without the added stress that accompanies a startup during the busiest time of year. “Josh is diligently following the processes and is armed and ready for a great spring season. Some new franchisees miss the pre-season training window and need to wait until mid-Spring or Summer before fully rolling out their services,” said Martin. “Every new owner gets a full Spring season in year one, the only difference is if it’s the beginning or end of their first year. In Josh’s case, he is ready, his business is ready, and he has the time to make adjustments as needed before the pre-Spring power window opens up. We are all really excited to see what he and Shannon can do when the lights come on in this Spring.”

The most important thing that Stewart learned during training was, as he put it, to “use all the tools in your toolbox.” “That is, follow the roadmap and complete all of the tasks laid out for us. There are many others who preceded us who were successful because they followed the plans outlined by the Lawn Doctor team, and those that adhere most closely to that plan tend to be the most successful franchisees.”

The startup costs for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $100,015 to $116,065. The franchise fee is $35,000. To learn more about franchising with Lawn Doctor, visit https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.