- Start Up Cost:
- Franchise Type:
- Sector Type:
- Investment Type:
- Market:
- £28,000
- Mobile
- Building & Garden Maintenance
- Start-up
- B2B, B2C
TruGreen is a professional lawn care franchise and part of multi-brand franchisor, ServiceMaster, who has almost 60 years of franchising experience. TruGreen franchisees cater for residential customers and small commercial properties and, through comprehensive training, learn how to diagnose and treat a host of lawn ailments, offering a full range of services aimed at improving poor lawns and maintaining them in top condition. This franchise has the potential to be a multi-van operation.
TruGreen began treating lawns in Lansing, Michigan, USA in 1973 and joined the ServiceMaster Family of Brands in 1990. The concept of TruGreen was brought over to the UK in 2003, with the first training academy taking place in February 2004; followed by three more that year.
We offer a year-long business opportunity, which involves providing tailored lawn care treatments to customers in your local area. Treatments will vary from lawn to lawn but will include scarifying, aerating, weed and feed, moss/algae clearing from pathways, patios and driveways plus a wide variety of garden clearing and tidy-up activities. When you’re not providing lawn care treatments, you will be marketing your business, liaising with your customers and training and recruiting staff to provide your lawn care services.
There’s huge scope to expand your business with the potential to run a fleet of branded vehicles. By servicing just 4% of the homes in your territory, you could build up a lucrative lawn care business with a fleet of up to 10 branded vehicles. Most of your customers will opt for a year-round treatment programme comprising of between 4 and 6 treatments, but you’ll also benefit from one off treatments too!
Why Choose TruGreen?
In addition to the attraction of a growth market and proven business model, you will benefit from the following:
In addition to the above you will benefit from on-going support from your Network Brand Manager, Steve Welch, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the turf industry.
All new franchisees receive a new business starter pack which includes the equipment, tools, product, uniform and business stationery required to get you off to a flying start. We even include a van wrap, all you have to do is provide your working van and we’ll do the rest!
All new TruGreen franchisees are required to undertake a comprehensive, two-week training ‘academy’, providing extensive technical and business training, marketing advice and methods on acquiring and retaining customers. During this time, you will also qualify for the National Proficiency Council (NCPT) certification.
Ongoing training, support and tools are also easy to obtain over the phone, in person and via our online portal where you can access further information, advice & business tools such as business and marketing plan templates, ‘how to’ guides and the operations manual. You are never alone with a ServiceMaster franchise.
TruGreen franchisee support is led by Steve Welch who has over 30 years’ experience in the turf industry. Additional training and business advice is available whenever required.
As a TruGreen franchisee, you will offer a full range of lawn care services aimed at improving poor lawns and maintaining them in top condition. Treatments include scarification, aeration, lawn weed/feed and hard surface weed control. Predominantly an outdoor role, you will also market your business through leafleting and other avenues. Arranging appointments, dealing with invoicing, accounts and banking are further required tasks which can be done from a home office, meaning a TruGreen franchise is perfectly flexible and cost effective.
Mike began his TruGreen franchisee journey in February 2015 after deciding he wanted to operate his own business and be responsible for his own income.
With a background in IT and financial services, Mike was able to transfer his skills in business management and customer services to the lawn care industry as a successful TruGreen franchisee. Within the first three months of owning his TruGreen franchise, Mike converted over 70 customers, meeting 60% of his annual customer acquisition target in his first quarter.
He said: “I needed to know I was investing in a company I could work with, after meeting with Steve and the team, I soon realised I would be confident in the service I was delivering with the TruGreen support team behind me.”
Over the next five years, Mike hopes to have a multi-van operation and add another nine members of staff to his team. He already employs one team member who has been through official training with TruGreen, after only three months of owning TruGreen Newbury & Basingstoke.
After a successful career in the finance industry, Martyn decided it was time to work for himself. He first searched for management franchise opportunities within the cleaning industry as he wanted a number of staff to manage and co-ordinate.
After looking at various different options, Martyn discovered TruGreen Professional LawnCare. This opportunity intrigued him and he began to look further into the lawn care industry, dedicating his time to researching all franchise opportunities available within this sector.
After completing his market research, Martyn decided TruGreen would be the right franchise investment for him. Although it was not the management route he initially considered, Martyn decided it was a less risky option if he was able to build the opportunity into a management business after doing all the ground work himself first.
He said: “My decision to choose TruGreen was down to the professionalism I saw when visiting ServiceMaster head office. Not only that but the level of knowledge and expertise brand manager, Steve Welch, has on lawn care is second to none.”
A business milestone came early: on 9 May 2015 not only had Martyn been in business for two months, he also signed up his 50th customer. With each customer being worth an estimated £400, Martyn has great first year expectations.
Martyn concludes: “Unlike other franchisors within the industry, with TruGreen I was able to choose an area where I was really able to put my local knowledge to work. I live at the centre of my area, which was not possible with other franchisors within the industry of lawn care.”
Karen Burdett operates the Milton Keynes & West Northants franchise and has been a TruGreen franchisee since February 2012.
After working for over 20 years in a commercial environment, Karen was looking for investment opportunities to set up a business which would give her a career change and a sensible return on investment.
“My passion is the outdoors,” she says. “I was more than happy when one of the areas I reviewed came out on top and I decided on lawn care. Not many people realise that lawn care is a quite a technical business so it was important that I had the right backing both technically and through a recognised brand.”
Following thorough research on four lawn care brands, Karen chose TruGreen. She explains: “Their business model and professionalism was more evident even from my very first discussions with individuals in the business. It was also learning that Steve Welch, TruGreen network manager, would be my support mechanism that really swung it for me as Steve is a highly-respected figure in the turf and sporting industry.
“The technical support with TruGreen is second to none and the ServiceMaster company is full of individuals who you can call on at anytime for support on a range of things – that’s the beauty of going down a franchise route.
“TruGreen really is a franchise I would recommend!”
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