Franchise Focus Go for green
A couple who pride themselves on customer care have been voted franchisees of the year for GreenThumb, the country’s largest lawn care company
Investment level: £31,700
Their franchise currently employs eight people but in 2012 there are plans to recruit a further three. This will include a lawn operative, a sales person and an administrator. Martin and Michelle have not treated lawns themselves for years, instead, they focus on driving the business forward and providing the best possible service. On presenting their award and cash prize at GreenThumb’s prestigious Annual Conference and Gala Dinner, GreenThumb director, David Griffiths, said: “Michelle initially built the franchise up while Martin worked elsewhere but the last couple of years they have worked together.
“They have been able to maintain strong
growth year on year even in difficult times both economically and climatically. “They’re model franchisees in that they have always had a great relationship with the franchisor. They have also attended a number of sessions at head office providing valuable input as we look at ways of driving the business forward.”
Other winners at the awards included,
brothers Graham and David Sanders, from Dartford, Kent, who won the Business Generator of the Year award after signing up 843 new customers in 2011. Remarkably, the brothers, who founded
their GreenThumb franchise in February 2009, now have well over 2,000 customers, after winning the Newcomer of the Year award in their first year.
Centre: Martin and Michelle winning their award T
The Newcomer of the Year award went to a franchise set up in July 2010 in Cardiff and the Rhondda Valley by Rob Wiseman and Vince Dupuy. In their first year of trading in the Cardiff West territory, they have already recruited 514 customers.
he coveted annual award was the ultimate accolade for the winners, Martin and Michelle Williams, who have owned their Leicestershire West franchise since 2000. Today they and
their dedicated staff look after the lawns of 5,917 customers. Each customer’s lawn receives a year-
round programme of treatments designed to transform and maintain their health and appearance, and all of this at value for money prices and with the option of paying by Direct Debit.
The difficulties within the UK economy are well known to everyone but, despite this, GreenThumb has continued to flourish and the couple and their staff have recruited 1,036 new customers.
Martin, 53, the former director of an engineering company, and Michelle 52, pride themselves on keeping customers happy. They know that happy customers recommend
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Businessfranchise.com | February 2012
“We’re very fortunate in that we have a product and a service that we believe in and know to be excellent”
the service to more potential customers. Indeed this award comes on the back of winning GreenThumb’s Customer Care award in 2010.
Michelle, who used to work as a trainer in adult education, adds: “We’re very fortunate in that we have a product and a service that we believe in and know to be excellent, so we have very few negative customer-related issues. “The secret is always to see things from the customer’s perspective. One of the most satisfying aspects of this job is the satisfaction a good result brings.”
David Griffiths adds: “This is a business going places with a fantastic first year in a difficult economic climate and in an area that has suffered more than most.” There are a range of opportunities for would-be franchises who want to become part of one of the UK’s most investable and successful franchise systems. Resales in varying locations and at prices relevant to their stage of development plus a number of virgin territories are available. Prospective franchisees are invited to contact and visit GreenThumb’s impressive head office located in St Asaph, North Wales to find out more about the company and meet the team behind its success. n
greenthumb
Website:
www.greenthumb.co.uk/franchising email:
franchise@greenthumb.co.uk Phone: 01745 586 041 classification: Lawn care
Investment: £20k-£50k
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