Mean, green, franchising machine

ProLawn Care

Set up in 2000, ProLawn Care launched as a franchise only last year and already has two franchisees up and running.

With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the agrochemical sector, company founder and soil management and crop production expert, Richard Salmon, has fused his core skills to create an opportunity on par with the best names in the lawn care business for his franchisees.

Once are on board, new recruits benefit from Salmon's initial an ongoing support, learning everything they need to know the lawn care business directly from him.

In addition, as part of the franchise package, franchisees get a state-of-the-art, bespoke software to help them manage their business effectively, plus all of the equipment they need to get started, including liveried vehicle, branded clothing, aerator, fertiliser spreader, pesticides, and a year's supply of fertiliser.

Franchisees also get an exclusive territory consisting of approximately 150,000 detached and semi-detached homes within a post-coded area to market their business to.

New franchisees should expect to start their operation on an owner-operator basis, with the intention of expanding to a multi-van territory as they become more familiar with running the business. They should also prepare themselves for a trip to America, where the initial training is carried out.

Minimum total Investment: £24,500
Website: www.prolawncare.co.uk
Phone: 0800 100 2832
Franchise classification: Owner operator/management

Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care

Since the inception of Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care in 1996, the company - which is accredited by the Institute of Groundsmanship, The Guild Of Master Craftsmen, and ISO9001 - has painstakingly developed, tested and refined its gardening systems, and today has seven franchisees. Now, as a tried-and-tested business model, potential franchisees are able to buy into a business that not only has strong credentials in the gardening sector, but one that also sits beneath the umbrella of Myhome plc, a fast-expanding, and financially robust company.

With Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care's emphasis on reliability and exemplary service combined with a state-of-the-art, centralised IT support system, franchisees are able to look after their customers while head office keeps the administrative side of their business in neat trim.

Importantly, while an aptitude for all things gardening related is desirable, franchisees are ultimately managers of their business, and not gardeners.

The main key to an efficiently run Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care franchise is therefore having an overview of the entire business within your allocated fixed geographical territory, and managing unskilled staff accordingly.

Minimum total Investment: £24,900 + VAT
Website: www.myhome.com/lawncutting
Phone: 0845 230 7676
Franchise classification: Management

Countrywide Group

Up and running for 24 years, the Countrywide Group comprises of two separate franchise opportunities: Countrywide Grounds Maintenance (CGM) and Countrywide Lawn Doctor (CLD), and remains one of the largest operating groups in the gardening and landscaping sector today.

With CGM, franchisees carry out most of their work on commercial, utility and public authority properties including golf courses retail parks, schools, hospitals and industrial estates. In short, this is gardening on a much larger scale than CLD, the latter of which covers domestic lawns only.

Today, the network as a whole takes care of more than 600 school grounds and playing fields across the UK as well as tens of thousands of domestic lawns to give it a combined annual turnover of more than £20 million.

Once on board, franchisees of either business will get a fully liveried vehicle and all of the tools and equipment needed to carry out their work. Countrywide also provides its franchisees with marketing materials and offers ongoing support in all areas of running the business. Importantly, while franchisees buying of either operation will almost certainly start out as owner-operators, they should have the ambition to grow their business into a management franchise. Notably, some of the highest performing franchisees in the network have 50 or more employees working for them.

Minimum total Investment: CLD £24,950 / CGM £44,950
Website: www.countrywidegrounds.com/franchise
Phone: 0161 485 6666
Franchise classification: Owner-operator/management

Jim's Mowing

Jim Penman started Jim's Mowing in Melbourne Australia in 1982 as a way to pay his rent. From just one man and a lawnmower, Penman's ability to deliver a quality service to his customers meant that demand for his services quickly outstripped supply and, in due course, franchising was seen as the best way to expand the business without compromising on quality.

Today Jim's Mowing operates internationally, and has more than 2,000 franchisees worldwide. As well as offering mowing services, Jim's Mowing franchisees also carry out de-mossing, scarifying, aerating, lawn treatment, fertiliser application, weeding, hedge trimming and turfing work. Franchisees can also offer cleaning services such as patio and pavement power washing. More experienced operators can also offer services such as decking, fencing, paving and hard landscaping.

All Jim's Mowing franchisees gain from carrying full insurance, and are thoroughly trained in every aspect of running the business, from the lawn to the back office, giving customers peace of mind.

The company is on the lookout for individuals adept at dealing with people. Self-motivation and the desire to turn a simple gardening operation into a lucrative multi-van business are also considered important.

Perhaps best of all, for those tired of the bad British weather, all franchisees must undergo a comprehensive training course in Jim's home country.

Minimum total Investment: £15,000
Website: www.jimsmowing.co.uk
Phone: 0845 500 10 10
Franchise classification: Owner-operator

Matts Mowing

Offering mowing, lawn care and weed control for the domestic market, Matts Mowing provides an ideal opportunity for potential franchisees wanting a change of lifestyle and a good source of income. All Matts Mowing franchisees are licensed to operate under the recognised brand name, are fully insured, and attain a spraying license before becoming operational. As well as providing an excellent mowing service, Matts Mowing franchisees also offer other all-year-round services that include lawn treatment programmes and weed control.

Franchisees benefit from a high level of head office support, which includes thorough training, and the provision of colourful marketing materials to get their business off the ground. Importantly, the company's in-house marketing team helps with customer acquisition for franchisees, and uses a centralised, freephone system to filter calls through to local operators.

The company's scheduling system also helps franchisees to run their business effectively by providing them with job lists and optimising schedules, thus streamlining the local operations and further maximising income for all franchisees.

With more than 20 years' experience, Matts Mowing understands the nuances of the UK domestic lawn care market, and manages to fuse national branding with local delivery in a seamless manner.

Working for just 45 weeks of the year, franchisees can enjoy enough time off to enjoy the financial fruits of their investment.

Minimum total Investment: £15,995
Website: www.mattsmowing.com
Phone: 0845 874 2230
Franchise classification: Owner-operator/management

TruGreen

TruGreen started out as a lawn care business in the US more than 30 years ago, and since it began as a pilot scheme in the UK just five years ago, the company's network has expanded rapidly, now boasting more than 60 licensed operators.

Offering moss and weed control, aeration, scarification fertilisation and insect and disease control services for lawns and gardens, TruGreen is a popular choice for thousands of householders.

No experience in the gardening sector is required, but a passion for the trade and a head for business will mark a good start for the right candidates. Running a TruGreen operation from home for six months to a year as an owner-operator will give new franchisees a full understanding of how the business works at ground level, after which time they are encouraged to make the most of their allocated territory by expanding into a multi-van operation run from commercial premises. Full support is given in making the transition from a sole trader to a larger management business.

New recruits get a licence for five years with no cost renewal. They also benefit from TruGreen's intensive two-week, pre-study training course; two-week residential training course plus full launch support. Aside of their exclusive territory, franchisees also receive marketing and stationery products, aerators and scarifiers, a sign-written vehicle plus accounting and scheduling software. Full support from a central team is provided, which also includes the provision of some leads.

Minimum total Investment: £19,850
Website: www.trugreen.co.uk
Phone: 0116 275 9000
Franchise classification: Owner-operator/management