Q&A: Sam Langrick gives us the lowdown on Lawnkeeper

Managing director Sam Langrick gives us the lowdown on Lawnkeeper

Why should someone invest in a lawn care franchise?

Lawn care is a relatively new service in the UK. so there’s lots of untapped potential. There’s a good stream of domestic and commercial customers all year round and our franchisees are seeing continued growth in their customer bases.

The service is inexpensive - it’s cheaper than doing it yourself - so anybody who enjoys spending time in their garden is a potential customer.

You might think the economic downturn would have affected the industry’s growth, but Lawnkeeper hasn’t experienced this at all. In fact, there’s an argument that says if people cut down on foreign holidays they will spend more time in their garden and so want to make it look as healthy and attractive as possible. That’s where we come in.

Why choose Lawnkeeper?

We believe we have a number of unique features. With a Lawnkeeper franchise, you’ll get a territory of at least 110,000 households - and with some considerably more.

Each territory has been designed to have a good proportion of high income households, so it’s possible to be generating a turnover of £250,000 per annum within five years.

In addition, we believe in working less and earning more. Our philosophy is based on providing a high quality service that delivers the best results, rather than being the cheapest. As a result, we concentrate on making a greater return on each customer, so that our franchisees need to service fewer customers to generate a good level of profitability.

Also, customer service is vitally ukimportant in the lawn care sector and it’s an area in which we excel. It’s one of the main reasons why we enjoy such high levels of customer retention and why sales are booming, with a 40 per cent increase last year.

What does a franchisee get for their investment?

As well as a large protected territory and a full, industry leading equipment package, the Lawnkeeper franchise includes a proven sales and marketing package, which allows franchisees to win business time after time; a bespoke franchise management system, which means franchisees can spend more time earning money instead of doing paperwork; and a comprehensive two-week training course, which covers all aspects of the business.

What’s next for Lawnkeeper?

We have taken on three new franchisees in the past year and are on target to do at least that in the next 12 months.

Prospective franchisees don’t need a background in lawn care, as we provide all the training. What is essential is a liking for people and a desire to succeed.

At A glance Lawnkeeper

Established: 1994 (franchised 2007)
Number of franchised outlets: 14
Location of units: Airedale, Aylesbury, Barnsley, Cheshire, Clayhall, East Leeds, East Yorkshire, Hull, North Leeds, Nottingham, Peterborough, South Glamorgan, Stafford, Wakefield, Worcester, York
Investment range: £25,000
Minimum required capital: £10,000
Contact: Sam Langrick. 0800 073 5252. franchise@lawnkeeper.co.uk lawnkeeper.co.uk