Landscape Management, January 2019

Mowing Maintenance A road map for franchising F or contractors who want to scale their business but feel stuck in a rut franchising may be a viable route to consider Franchising is also an option for startup landscapers who may need help learning how to run an effective business and understanding the ins and outs of the green industry The franchise system is like having a guardrail on each side of the road says Ryan Deatherage owner of Grounds Guys in Edmond Okla There are systems and procedures in place and as long as you follow the road map youre usually successful Deatherage became a startup Grounds Guys franchisee in 2012 after years of working in the corporate world To gain more insight into the maintenance franchising world we spoke to a few experts from Grounds Guys and U S Lawns Brandon Moxam vice president of U S Lawns Michael Green president of Grounds Guys David Wells senior director of franchise recruiting for U S Lawns and Deatherage 1 BRAND Those thinking about joining a franchise should consider the potential franchisors brand as well as the direction of their own brand Its a deep self reflection on your goals Moxam says We look for people who are looking to pull away from the dayto day activity within the business and start focusing on running the business Its also important to note that once a company becomes part of a franchise it typically gives up its original name and runs under the franchisors name However with that brand name also comes the buying power of a national company according to Wells 2 SYSTEMS A franchise organizations set of systems can help contractors market their business recruit new employees and hurdle any obstacles they may face Experts warn however that its crucial that contractors follow all the systems completely I call it the buffet syndrome Green says Its not really to your advantage to pick and choose aspects of systems thatve already been proven Comprehensive utilization of those resources leads to success 3 TIMING Grounds Guys and U S Lawns both implement 10 year franchise agreements with the option to re up at the end of 10 years The onboarding process for a franchisee may take about 90 days depending on the franchisor and the size of the franchisee 4 COST Many franchisors request a onetime franchise fee as well as a monthly royalty fee Some franchisors are willing to work with a contractor to partially finance the initial fee I would say franchisees could break even at about 12 months depending on an individuals skill set and onboarding process Green says 5 NETWORK By design franchise organizations foster a large support network consisting of up to hundreds of other franchisees who can call one another with questions and advice Its a lonely world out there being a small business owner Moxam says Wouldnt it be nice to have a team you can rely upon to provide coaching and guidance Five things to consider before joining a franchise BY SARAH WEBB LM ASSOCIATE EDITOR Franchisees can rest easy knowing they dont have to go it alone BUSINESS BOOSTERS PHOTOS THE GROUNDS GUYS U S LAWNS Contractors who join a franchise benefit by gaining the buying power of a major brand JANUARY 2019 LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET 43