Once you have decided to get into the lawn care industry, one of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether to start your own independent business or to go with one of the many lawn care franchises that are available.
Lets take a look at some of the things that you should be aware of when making this decision.
A franchise is usually a business system that has been proven to work well, no matter where it is set up. Franchisees usually receive full guidance into the business, a complete business model and plan that they then only have to implement for success. Well that is the ideal anyway. In reality many franchises fail just like independent businesses do and the franchise route can be limiting in some ways as your business grows and it can cut into your profits.
The early support that you will be offered during the startup phase is one of the best aspects of a franchise. Your franchisor will hold you hand through the whole process of learning about the lawn care business and get you off to a start without you having to do a lot of research and learning yourself. But in the long run those who do put in the hard work in the beginning and build their own baby from the ground up are usually rewarded more and are free to grow and profit to a greater extent. Bear in mind that lawn care is not that difficult to learn and you can easily learn how to mow and maintain lawns without expert advice from a franchisor.
Taking the independent route will mean that you have to develop and grow your own brand over time and to slowly build relationships and reputation with your customers. Franchisees immediately inherit a brand that has already been built up over many years so often they will have an easier time selling their services at first and may even be able to command a premium for their work. Not every brand has a good reputation though so do your research to make sure that franchise brand recognition will work in your favor.
The main downside with franchising is that it comes with an expensive price tag with startup and annual fees and ongoing obligations in terms of having to buy certain supplies from the franchisor. In the early stages of your business life it can be better to preserve your capital instead of handing it over for a lawn care franchise.
Independent lawn mowing operators will have the freedom to work as they wish and grow their business into new niche markets when opportunities arise. On the other hand, a franchise can limit your future potential for growth by placing constraints on what you can and can’t do. Being told exactly how to run your business is nice for the first six months but after that you want to be in charge of your own destiny and not be told how to manage your business.
Before going with the franchise route you should try and talk to some franchise owners, in any industry, and try to understand some of the pitfalls. Franchisees often complain that their franchisor opened too many branches within a small area and thus limited their opportunities by reducing the size of their market.
If you do go with a franchise then make sure that you read the agreement carefully and ask a lot of questions. Try to find out about the failure rate and also an exit route if you want to sell or dump the franchise and go independent. Getting advice from a lawyer is prudent as contracts can often be long and complicated and may not include some key clauses that you need to protect yourself.
Overall I would recommend the independent route for small businessman or businesswoman wanting to get into the lawn care business. It is easy enough to get started on your own so why invest a large amount of cash into a franchise that offers no guarantees when you can put that money into growing your own business from scratch.
For information on how to start a lawn business independently visit – http://www.StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com
For a comparative review of some of the top expert lawn care business guides that can help you get started and lead you to success.