“I bought my first franchise in 2018 when I decided to open Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Richmond,” says Owner Richard Popio. “As part of the Empower Brands family, I was excited to learn last year about a new business joining the portfolio, Canopy Lawn Care. With my previous successes in franchising, I decided to open Canopy Lawn Care of Richmond in January 2024.”
Empower Brands capitalizes on its portfolio of services to aid franchisees in promoting their businesses. The brands work well together and Empower’s marketing system takes this into account. Vanesa Elis, who was recently awarded Franchisee of the Year for Conserva Irrigation, says this is one of the keys to her success.
“As part of the Empower Brands network, I have access to cross-promotion from other landscaping brands in the portfolio. I get access to landscaping industry resources and entrepreneurship advice…. Empower Brands also gives us access to the shared services marketing program which helps us with budgeting and creative assets to use in our local marketing.”
Year-Round Work
In terms of start-up fees, home service franchises can be relatively inexpensive compared to other industries. This means investing in one as an added service to your core lawn or landscape business can make a lot of sense — particularly if the new service provides year-round income for a seasonal business.
“For summer seasonal business owners, such as those in landscaping or outdoor industries, expanding with Christmas Decor presents a unique opportunity to diversify revenue streams, retain employees year-round, and leverage existing client bases,” says Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor. He adds, “The crossover potential with services like landscaping creates an economically resilient client base, making it an ideal fit for those looking to maximize their business potential. Many of our franchisees own existing landscaping or pest control companies. By utilizing this side-by-side model, franchisees are able to secure impressive revenues without pulling attention away from their other ventures.”
As owner of a pest control business since 1991, Bill Cowley faces the same seasonal challenges as many lawn and landscape businesses. Today, he’s a Christmas Decor franchisee. “We get a little slower in the Winter, but we are very busy in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Because the demand for our service obviously falls off a bit in the Winter, that’s where Christmas Decor comes into the picture. When we got into the Christmas business, we did it to increase cash flow in the Winter and provide work for employees who would have otherwise been seasonal workers.”
Consistency & Training
Franchising works well due to consistency. Consumers buy from franchises because they know what to expect in both services and products regardless of location or franchise owner. “By taking the time to create standardized procedures, we ensure the ability to duplicate our successes throughout the Weed Man network,” comments Mike Richard, COO of the Weed Man franchise. “Our systems are based upon measurable results that can be compared across the network to establish benchmarks for success.”
As a result, when you sign a franchise agreement, you are contractually saying you will follow a certain system with no exceptions. “Owning a franchise is not for everyone,” says Richard. “The type of person who does not do well in any franchise system would be the type of person who has to do things ‘their way’ or feels the need to ‘reinvent the wheel.’ The benefit of a franchise system is that you have a proven track record and a playbook for success. If you follow the road map and the systems in place, you are more likely to find success. The type of person who does best in our system is one who is willing to commit to this business full-time and who follows our proven systems.”
“The benefit of a franchise system is that you have a proven track record and a playbook for success. If you follow the road map and the systems in place, you are more likely to find success.”
— Mike Richard, COO, Weed Man
Initial and ongoing training is naturally a key component of any franchise business in order to establish such consistency across the brand. “Training is mandatory for franchise owners and employees, including managers and turf technicians,” says Blaine Young, vice president of Franchise and Business Development at NaturaLawn.
“Initial training is typically conducted for one week at our home office in Frederick, MD, and for two additional weeks at a home office-owned location in Maryland or Virginia, before the opening of the franchised business. This training prepares all NaturaLawn team members to deliver our ‘Two Scoop’ service commitment consistently across all locations.”
After the business is opened to the public, franchise owners must attend one or two annual training programs. “These meetings are conducted in various locations and will normally include training in marketing and sales techniques and promotional plans, as well as technical updates and idea exchanges among franchise owners,” says Young.
This kind of oversight serves two purposes. The first, as stated above, concerns providing consumers with consistency. The second is just as simple. The parent companies have spent the time, money, and energy on doing the research and development to provide the products and services that work well and ensure success for their franchisees.
“We are forecasting another double-digit growth year this year and anticipate finishing 2024 near $390 million. In 10 years, we expect to reach $1 billion in annual revenue,” says Richard of Weed Man. “In everything we do, we’ve created systems that have been conceived, tested, refined, and ultimately proven to increase efficiency and profitability.”
And following the system does indeed pay off in exponential growth for those franchisees who follow it religiously. “Here’s a success story for you. In the last four years, we have increased our average invoice by 328%!” says Baker.
“Our average ticket price in 2020 was $253, and our average in 2023 was $1,084. Our jobs became more valuable and the amount we had to do went down at the same time that individual invoices went up, and our revenue increased 174% from 2020 to the end of 2023. That’s just selling our existing customers additional services.”
He adds, “Our guys might go to cut the lawn and they say to the customer, ‘Hey, what about if we do this, this, and this?’ And the customer typically says ‘yes.’ Our invoice ticket has increased because we’ve learned how to price appropriately and we’ve learned how to sell correctly. Those are all things our franchisor teaches us if we are willing to receive them. That’s the key to franchising. They understand the business principles and if you apply those in combination with understanding your local market, you’ll be successful.”
Strategic Thinking & Tech
Continuous market research, strategic thinking, and innovation are essential for staying ahead of competitors and meeting evolving customer needs. Yet sole business owners are often so busy simply providing products and services to customers, they have little time or energy to innovate or make adaptations to services. As a result, this is one of the important ways franchisors stay relevant and help their franchisees be successful.
“I receive ongoing support in business operations, team training, marketing, technology, finance, and accounting, ensuring my success as a franchisee,” says Elis of Conserva. “We recently implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to help improve efficiency in our various business practices. Introducing us to new tools and processes helps keep us ahead of the competition and ready for the ever-changing consumer.”
“We are committed to investing more heavily in technology to ensure we stay on the cutting edge,” says Richards. “Weed Man also continues investing in R&D to find new products, services, or delivery methods to sustain growth and relevance in all market conditions.”
Leveraging technology can be particularly important. For example, Neighborly was recently named as a recipient of CIO magazine’s Foundry’s 2024 CIO 100 Award, which honors 100 organizations worldwide that exemplify the highest level of strategic and operational excellence in IT.
“Receiving the CIO award is a testament to our commitment to driving innovation, fostering leadership, and achieving excellence in the ever-evolving landscape of technology. It’s an honor to receive this award and it underscores our dedication to leveraging IT as a strategic asset in propelling Neighborly forward on our digital transformation journey,” says Amer Waheed, CTO at Neighborly.
Franchisors may even come up with a brand-new franchising concept that can be added to a current business or launched on its own. That was the case recently with Christmas Decor. “As the market grew, we added Nite Time Decor services. Nite Time Decor provides lighting solutions to create an outdoor oasis in each client’s yard,” says Stephens. “There are also lighting solutions offered to improve safety and security, and to help reduce energy consumption and costs.”
Outpacing Competitors
Franchises often outpace solo entrepreneurs due to the factors just discussed:
Franchises benefit from brand recognition and trust, which can lead to a more instant customer base and loyalty.
Franchises typically have access to proven business models, operational procedures, and marketing strategies, which can streamline operations and reduce the risk of failure.
Franchises often receive ongoing support and training, helping franchisees navigate challenges and optimize their businesses for success.
Additionally, franchises may have greater access to financing and resources compared to independent entrepreneurs, allowing them to scale more quickly and efficiently. Overall, these advantages can enable franchises to outperform competitors in terms of growth, profitability, and longevity.
“I would say our success 150% outpaces the privately owned businesses doing the same thing we are. I talk to people in our industry all the time, and I’ll hear them say things like, ‘I don’t know why you franchise. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and we do X amount in revenue a year,’” says Baker of The Grounds Guys. “In my head, I’m like, ‘I’m making triple or quadruple that revenue. You’re an industry expert that’s been around forever, and I opened a franchise a few years ago and I’ve already surpassed you.’”
Where you are today is a result of your passion for the business you have built. The landscape industry is experiencing a wave of consolidation — are you ready? Read more…
Baker continues, “As far as growth, we’ve reached levels that weren’t even in my head as far as possibilities or capabilities. And that wasn’t even part of my plan. It has grown way beyond what I would have ever imagined, literally.”
“We outpace our competitors in many ways, but there’s no better measurement of our success than our customer retention,” says Young of NaturaLawn. “System-wide, our franchise owners, on average, retain a customer relationship for eight years, which is well above the industry average of one to two years. Long-term, sustainable relationships are what drive our business. We have decades-long relationships with franchise owners, who have decades-long relationships with their customers. Some of our longer-established franchise owners have 30-year customer relationships, which shows the partnerships our owners build in their local communities.”
Clapp has more than 35 years of experience in media and publishing and is a former Editor-In-Chief at Turf’s sister publication, Business Facilities. With a Master of Media Arts from the New School, she is president of Visitivity Media in Ft. Myers, FL, specializing in video and digital marketing.
Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at cmenapace@groupc.com.
Where you are today is a result of your passion for the business you have built. The landscape industry is experiencing a wave of consolidation — are you ready? Read more…
Clapp has more than 35 years of experience in media and publishing and is a former Editor-In-Chief at Turf’s sister publication, Business Facilities. With a Master of Media Arts from the New School, she is president of Visitivity Media in Ft. Myers, FL, specializing in video and digital marketing.
