Background:

Jason Vahle, owner of Green Thumb Lawn Care n’ Landscape in St. Charles, Missouri, wanted to refocus his maintenance business on lawn care, and he hoped to make the business profitable from the start, skipping major growing pains.

Problem:

Jason’s maintenance company offered multiple services to keep busy and to turn a profit. “Historically I would start each year with my goal being to sell as much as I could until the end of the year,” Jason explains.

Idea:

Jason wanted to refocus his efforts on lawn care. However, he found it was more difficult to find business and promote his services within this one area. After a couple of years of self-directed marketing, without achieving the success he wanted, Jason sought help.

Solution:

Jason decided the answer was to partner with a franchise that had extensive marketing experience. “I was looking for a partner who had spent the last 30 years trying different things and who could tell me what worked and what didn’t.”

Spring-Green Lawn Care proved to be the answer Jason sought. “I was looking for a partnership that could bring resources to the table that I could not—like a fully staffed IT department, digital media, marketing and business planning.”

“I didn’t want to deal with many of the typical growing pains. If you look at any larger company, they have their own IT and marketing departments. I’m not that.”

For Jason, starting with a franchise meant being able to bypass a few steps that are common in the growth of a new business. “I didn’t want to deal with many of the typical growing pains. If you look at any larger company, they have their own IT and marketing departments. I’m not that.”

With Spring-Green, Jason benefited out of the gate from an all-inclusive business package, including marketing assistance, a fully staffed call center and established supplier relationships. “The biggest thing, in terms of increasing my profitability, has been the resources they provide.” Spring-Green’s corporate relationships with major suppliers go a long way toward increasing the profitability of franchise owners. “They get much better pricing from trucks to materials to office supplies for me.”

Success:

Jason met with Spring-Green in December 2014 to create a business plan for his franchise. Working the plan, Jason hit or exceeded every financial goal set for 2015. “That was impressive and most certainly exceeded my expectations. I’m glad to be with a partner that is like-minded and who wants to see me be as successful as I want to be.”

“That was impressive and most certainly exceeded my expectations. I’m glad to be with a partner that is like-minded and who wants to see me be as successful as I want to be.”

Spring-Green maintains that level of service and attention to this day in Jason’s opinion. “They will dive into it with you as much as you want and offer as much help as you need. For instance, last spring I hired a new guy, and my Spring-Green consultant told me, ‘If you’re busy, I will come down and help train him.’ He didn’t have to do that, but it was nice that he offered.”

To any Green Industry business owner looking to expand, Jason recommends Spring-Green. “I would say if you’re looking for a way to expand a division of your company and use the structure and resources of a larger partner, while staying independent, then this is a very strong strategic option.”

The Future:

“Spring-Green will do whatever it takes to grow your business. They do support you, and if you want to grow, they will help you grow. I grew over 100 percent last year.” Jason’s plan for his second year as a Spring-Green franchise owner is to grow by 150 percent. “They are totally ok with that, and I’m totally ok with that, too.”

To learn how Spring-Green’s industry-leading marketing and business strategies can help expand your green industry business call 1-800-777-8608 or visit us at www.growmygreenindustrybusiness.com.