Sam and Darren Morris have been running their Lawnkeeper franchise for over 10 years, and their customer base continues to grow
For Sam and Darren Morris, starting their Lawnkeeper franchise was not only their way of escaping the corporate grind, but it was also the start of more than 10 years of running their own successful and profitable business.
Sam and Darren are one of the franchise’s longest-running teams, with 2023 marking their 11th year as franchisees. Darren is one of the few members of the Lawnkeeper network – aside from Sam Langrick, the founder – to actually come directly from a career in lawn care.
Lawnkeeper’s comprehensive training means that the franchise opportunity is open to anyone, regardless of their background, but it is also ideal for those with experience in the industry who are ready to take things to the next level with their own company.
Sam handles all the admin and sales side of the duos business. She says: “Darren spent a good eight to ten years working for a big-name lawn care company before he decided it was time to do it for himself in the local area. I have a lot of experience as an office manager so together, our skill set was perfect for running our own lawn care business.
“We saw an advert for Lawnkeeper in one of the national newspapers, and then spoke to Sam Langrick at a franchise exhibition not long after. We were very impressed by both his experience and his attitude.”
Expanding earlier than expected
As a simple business model with very streamlined systems, a Lawnkeeper franchise is a great way to run a compact business where you can be your own boss and the only key employee, keeping overheads and admin time low. However, with a little extra work, it has the potential to be much more as it can rapidly grow into a very lucrative multi-van operation. With Sam taking charge in the office, and Darren out on the lawns, the Peterborough team were able to take on a second van and employee as soon as year three.
Sam explains: “It was always our intention to expand the business, but thanks to the amount of work we received, we were able to achieve our goal of taking on a second van even earlier than we expected. In fact, our new employee was someone Darren had already worked with in his last job!
“Customers really love how he and Darren come across as so experienced when they visit. They can add that personal touch to their customer service, which is something you just don’t get with a bigger company.”
Customer satisfaction
Focusing on customer service is absolutely essential in lawn care, especially if you want to take advantage of one of the biggest benefits of working in this industry: long-term, repeat business. By offering a friendly, professional service which is both affordable and has very tangible results, Lawnkeeper franchisees can enjoy year-round business and a very loyal customer base who are always more than happy to make recommendations to friends and family.
“Most of our business has come from recommendations and word-of-mouth, and most of them stay with us for many years,” Sam explains. “Some come and go due to changing circumstances, such as moving house, but many more have come back to us to help out at their new properties in the area too!”
Even the pandemic didn’t slow business down for Sam and Darren. In fact, they saw customer numbers rise during that time as there was an increase in how many people wanted their lawns taken care of, and customers spending time at home wanted to see the immediate effects of a quality lawn care service.
Sam adds: “Customers might be cutting out the big expenses, like going away on holiday, but that just means they are spending even more time at home and want their gardens ready to enjoy when the weather is nice. We are able to offer a great value service, and that is something which never goes out of demand!”
