Greensleeves Lawn Care Franchisee Success Stories

“I wish I had bought a franchise sooner!” -

John Lilburne is the Greensleeves Mid Staffordshire franchisee. John has spent his entire life in employed roles, including The Football Association and a competitor of Greensleeves, and though he had always thought about being his own boss, he never had the confidence in himself to do it, until now!  “I had the opportunity to buy a franchise years ago but didn’t go through with it because I doubted myself. Looking back, I wish I had backed myself earlier.”

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Greensleeves franchise?

I’m 38 years old, married to Aimee, and we have two children – Eleanor (9) and Edward (6). Before becoming a business owner with Greensleeves, I spent my entire adult life in employed roles. I previously worked for The Football Association, where I was heavily involved in local grassroots football. I also had experience in franchising with a competitor of Greensleeves, which gave me insight into the industry before taking the leap into ownership.

Why did you go down the franchise route?

I always wanted to run my own business but without having prior experience as a business owner, I knew franchising was the right route for me. The backing of an established franchisor, the trusted branding, the proven systems, and the support network all made the decision easier. With Greensleeves, I purchased a business with a strong foundation and expert guidance every step of the way.

How did you raise the finance?

I used a combination of personal savings, support from family, and a business loan through Greensleeves' finance partners. The application process was smooth, and they were incredibly helpful and supportive throughout.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

Having prior experience in the lawn care industry meant I already understood the technical side of the service. However, I had no experience in running a business, so the support I received was invaluable. My training covered marketing, budget planning, cash flow forecasting, customer acquisition, retention strategies, future planning, and digital marketing, among many other things. It was intense but all-encompassing and gave me the confidence to hit the ground running.

How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee?

No two days are ever the same, and that’s what I love most about it! The part I enjoy the most is meeting new customers during quotations. I don’t see it as selling – I’m simply providing advice, guidance, and costings for our services. I take the approach of offering knowledge and recommendations, and so far, that’s worked really well.

Provide information on challenges overcome as well as your key successes to date.

When I took over, the existing customer base wasn’t bad, but the scheduling and routes needed serious improvement. The team was visiting the same area multiple times within a couple of weeks but then not returning for months. This led to inefficiencies, missed appointments, and unnecessary travel. We’ve now restructured the schedules, ensuring balanced workloads and more consistent service delivery.

How do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive?

I always put myself in my employees’ shoes and think about how I’d want to be treated. Sometimes, if they finish earlier than expected, I don’t always load them up with extra work – I let them go home early. In return, when we have longer days, they’re happy to stay and get the job done.

We’ve also introduced a drinks and snacks fridge stocked with water, cans, and chocolate bars. It costs around £30 a month to maintain, but the impact on morale is huge – something as simple as an ice-cold drink after a long day goes a long way!

Can you tell us about any community involvement, including any local partnerships, incentives, or charity work?

We’ve partnered with a local farm to help dispose of our green waste. Instead of using expensive waste disposal services, the farmer converts it into silage (cow feed). This keeps our costs down, reduces our carbon footprint, and allows us to offer free waste disposal to customers – giving us a competitive advantage over other lawn care providers.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?

Attend the discovery day! It’s free and gives you a real insight into what Greensleeves is all about. Also, make the most of the franchise network. There’s a wealth of experience among franchisees, and everyone is happy to offer guidance and advice. Be a sponge – absorb as much knowledge as you can!

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?

A successful franchisee is someone who is proactive, adaptable, and willing to learn. You have to be prepared to put the work in, but if you follow the system and take advantage of the support available, success will follow. Good customer service is key – building strong relationships with customers leads to long-term retention and word-of-mouth referrals, which is one of your main methods of acquiring new customers

What are your plans for the future?

My goal is to grow our customer base beyond 1,000. We’re already at the stage where we’ll soon need to bring in another staff member, and we’re also looking at moving into a dedicated unit to give the business a proper home.

If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?

I would have done it sooner! I had the opportunity to buy a franchise years ago but didn’t go through with it because I doubted myself. Looking back, I wish I had backed myself earlier. My only regret is wondering how much further along I could be now if I had taken the leap back then.

From Employee to Franchisee -

Natalie Reid is the Greensleeves franchisee for Aberdeen.  Natalie worked in the oil and gas industry before deciding to take time off after her first child.  After 10 years, Natalie felt the time was right for her to get back into work. She started working for the local Greensleeves franchisee which she thoroughly enjoyed, and so when the opportunity arose to buy the business, she decided to take the plunge!  She already knew the business and had invested a lot of time in getting to know customers etc and so decided it was goa od opportunity to benefit from something she already loved doing.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Greensleeves franchise?

I am 43 years old, a wife, a mum to two girls (ages 12 and 15) and a black Labrador! I am married to Donnie – Donnie works offshore and therefore at present is Joint Franchisee/Director of the business, however continuing in his offshore role. It is his intention in the next 5 years to leave his current job and commit to the business full-time.

I had a long history of experience in the Oil & Gas industry, mostly working in Administration/Offshore Procurement and then I took a break to have my first baby. Being in the very fortunate position that we were, we could financially manage without me going back to work and therefore my maternity break turned into over 10 years out of work. I thoroughly enjoyed this time and wouldn’t change a thing, as it enabled me to watch the best years of my children’s growing up. Once both girls were independent enough, I decided it was time to get back to work.

I did study a degree in Primary Teaching for a few years, but found it just wasn’t the right fit for me. I struggled balancing homeschooling and studying etc throughout the Covid years and lost myself a little in it. I then decided I wanted to get back into an office environment. I did a short-term contract in the Finance Department of another oil company, before accepting an Administration Assistant role at Greensleeves. It was from there that the opportunity arose to take the reins!

Why did you go down the franchise route?

Prior to working at Greensleeves, owning my own business had never been on my radar…at all. When I started at Greensleeves, I was happy in the role and my intentions were to remain there for the rest of my working life. When the opportunity came to buy the business, although it initially took months and months of serious thought, once we had decided to take the plunge, we knew a Franchise would offer the best possible route into owning our own business. I was already very invested in the role, enjoyed the rapport I was building with the customers and thought if I intend to spend the rest of my working life here, we could benefit from this if we owned it. The Franchise route is ideal primarily because of the support around you. It feels like a family of business owners; we are all facing similar challenges and we help each other out. Knowing you have people around to ask questions, brainstorm, share ideas etc just makes owning the business so much easier. It really is a fantastic network of support and with a tried and tested ‘model’ to follow, you are set up for success.

How did you raise the finance?

As the Aberdeen territory is one of the biggest Greensleeves Franchises, it came at a price. Raising finance for such a huge investment really took some thought, planning and digging deep. We initially spoke with the bank regarding a loan, this took some back-and-forth negotiations as we were required to put down a more substantial downpayment than we had originally expected. However, knowing how much we wanted this, we took a good look at the investments we had in shares etc, and we sold everything we had that wasn’t ‘locked in’ for any period. That risk definitely took a lot of consideration, but we were so invested in the purchase that we were confident that it was the right move. We also have great faith that the business can and will do well, enabling us to pay off the finance and achieve a return on investment within the first 3 years. Considering the scale of the purchase, this timescale seemed very reasonable.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

I initially attended a week of training at the Neighbourly Training Centre in Brackley. The week was extremely intensive, with a lot of information to take in. Having worked for Greensleeves for a few years prior, I did have some background knowledge, although I still learned so much from that week in Brackley and came away with so many ideas to put into place, more efficient ways to run the business and the best route to maximising growth. I thoroughly enjoyed the week – it was varied, interesting and that continued feeling of support was evident throughout.

Since then, I have monthly meetings with my Business Development Manager, Mike. Having worked in the office prior to the purchase, I had met Mike several times, although discussions were very brief with myself, as he was largely visiting to hold meetings with the previous Franchisee. Mike has been a fantastic source of support, I know that I can call him at any time, with any question or concern and he will be there. I have had two BDM meetings so far and each time, I have said to Mike (and to Donnie) that whenever they are over and Mike leaves, I always feel instantly less anxious or worried and more positive. By nature, I am a fairly anxious person. I am a born worrier and notorious over thinker, this in itself can create challenges when I am running the business on my own whilst Donnie is offshore. At the training in Brackley, I mentioned this to Mike and since then he has come to know me as a person, knows what will be worrying me and continues to offer support and reassurance. His support in this has been and will continue to be instrumental.

I also find the monthly network meetings fantastic in being able to just take an hour to sit back, listen and share experiences with other Franchisees, whilst hearing from Head Office about all the developments coming up!

How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee

My day-to-day role can vary quite widely. I have a great team of staff who take care of carrying out the treatments etc, whilst I focus on the administrative/management side. Some days I am totally snowed under, the to-do list has nothing ticked off, but 10 things added…and other days I can come up for air. Overall however, my day usually would consist of ensuring the workload is planned effectively, keeping on top of customer calls/emails (that is a huge focus on my day – trying to not have customers wait unreasonably long periods for responses) and thereafter spending a little time each day covering other aspects of the business. In order to not become overwhelmed, I try to plan my jobs into 30-60 minute blocks. Perhaps 30 minutes of following up recommendations, 30 minutes of ensuring activities are up to date, 30 minutes of following up quotations etc. That way, I am consistently attending to each ‘list’, whilst not becoming too bogged down with one job, whilst the others fall by the wayside. I try to ensure my banking is done at least once a week, if not twice per week (where time allows) so that customers payments are updated regularly. My ‘in-tray’ is never empty, my to-do lists never complete each day, but I feel that this is positive as if I had nothing to do, the business would surely be failing.

Provide information on challenges overcome as well as your key successes to date.

Weather is an enormous challenge in the North East of Scotland. We lost around 7/8 working days in January which set us up on the back foot, chasing our tails to the end of the month. However, we made it and one thing I have learned is that we can neither control nor change the weather. It can have a significant impact upon our business, but these external factors can only be accepted…not changed. Whenever we had ‘good days’, it would be pedal to the metal. A real positive about the business is that the work postponed due to weather is not ‘lost business’…it is postponed business. Nothing is lost, only delayed.

Staffing is always a challenge. Prior to taking over the Aberdeen Franchise, I saw relatively high levels of staff turnover in the business, and this was a big concern for me when taking the business on. However, I feel that my present team (following one or two recent additions) is good, the staff appear positive, and I am hopeful to continue that way. Although every day can bring challenges, I try to manage my mindset in terms of the issued I need to worry over…and those I really don’t.

I would suggest that my key successes to date have been hitting our turnover target every month. We hit our January and February targets comfortably (despite those weather delays) and we are well on course to do the same in March. We all breathe a sigh of relief on the last working day of each month, and give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back!

How do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive?

Treating your staff well is absolutely key – the staff are the ones out there, in all weathers, carrying out the work and bringing the money in. Making your staff feel valued, appreciated and important is vital. From the offset, Donnie and I sat the team down and laid out our expectations for the year ahead. We encouraged input from the team and reassured them that an open-door policy is in place here. We asked them ‘is there anything you dislike or would change about your job?’ and we took on board the feedback, making changes where we felt we could and where they made good business sense.

We find that small tokens of appreciation go a long way. This year we have implemented a commission scheme, whereby a financial reward is paid out on any additional work the Lawn Technicians bring into the business. Furthermore, with a young workforce, we could see how popular some drinks/snacks were amongst them. Therefore, we installed a fridge to our workshop and we re-fill it weekly with snacks/drinks. This has been running for a month or so and is very, very much appreciated. At the end of a long day, they can grab a drink and snack, and it may have saved them a few pounds at the shop. It does not cost the earth to make these small changes, when weighed up against the value each team member brings to the table. Therefore, if we can offer small gestures every now and again to remind them of that value, we are more than happy to do so.

Can you tell us about any community involvement?

We currently treat the lawns at ‘Charlie’s House’ in Aberdeen, completely free of charge. Charlie’s House is a local charity, who aim to improve the quality of life for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. This is something we are extremely happy to do for such an incredible cause.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?

The most invaluable piece of advice I could give would be: follow the model, take the support, ask the silly question (it’s not silly!) and enjoy being a part of this (cliché as it sounds) family. We are in our very early stages, but we can safely say that we are so glad we made the move!

Natalie Reid is the Greensleeves franchisee for Aberdeen.  Natalie worked in the oil and gas industry before deciding to take time off after her first child.  After 10 years, Natalie felt the time was right for her to get back into work. She started working for the local Greensleeves franchisee which she thoroughly enjoyed, and so when the opportunity arose to buy the business, she decided to take the plunge!  She already knew the business and had invested a lot of time in getting to know customers etc and so decided it was goa od opportunity to benefit from something she already loved doing. to myself ‘this gets better….’, because in hindsight…it did.

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee? 

A forward thinker – a growth mindset! This isn’t something I was born with or something that comes naturally to me, but it is essential. You must believe in the franchise, the model and the business…if you don’t, it won’t work. Drive and ambition are key, the business will remain stagnant (or decline) if it is not being pushed. If you have those attributes, the rest will fall into place with the support of the network. Be willing to listen, be willing to be guided. Some days you really need to grit your teeth and dig deep, there is no mistaking that. However, the quality of life, the flexibility and the pride in watching your business grow are all entirely worth it

What are your plans for the future?

My focus right now is on hitting our overall turnover target for the year. I think if we can get our first year down, whilst still finding our feet and make target, this counts as a success.

Going forward into year two and beyond, I would love for the business to continue to thrive and grow. With more customers embracing our packages and adding to their lawns, therefore improving the quality.

I try not to look too far ahead as it can be overwhelming, so smaller achievable goals are my go to. I tell my team, don’t get bogged down with the yearly figure, perhaps don’t even get bogged down with the monthly figure…if we hit the daily target week on week, those big numbers will take care of themselves. So far..it’s working!

If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?

I genuinely don’t know that I would do anything differently. I feel that we have made a solid start to the year and have no regrets. If I could go back to January when I was second guessing absolutely everything, as we had the worst snow we have had (probably in my lifetime) and I was watching every day go by with absolutely no work being done, I would probably say to myself ‘this gets better….’, because in hindsight…it did.

From starting at just 19, Oliver Wood is now a successful multi-unit franchisee -

• Name: Oliver Wood
• Location: Huddersfield
• Franchise: Greensleeves Huddersfield, North Sheffield & Wakefield
• Date launched the franchise: August 2006

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Greensleeves franchise?

Currently I am 37 Years old, married to Lucy with two girls, Sophia 6 & Georgia 4.  I started the franchise @ 19 years old with the help of my parents.  After seeing other members of the family run their own successful businesses, I was keen to do the same. In all honesty I was a little young to go at something like this alone, it was the guidance of my Dad and the franchise network that made me see the potential and after 12 months things started to take off and I was hooked!

In 2010, I purchased my second franchise area, Huddersfield.  This was the first Greensleeves territory which I purchased from Head office.  This area came with 2000 accounts and we had to borrow the majority of the funds from HSBC.  Overnight I was a 23 year old with 6 members of staff old enough to be my dad.  Quite daunting.

In 2015 I purchase the Wakefield area, with 1950 accounts.  This was due to the original owners retiring.

Now we run all three areas from out 4000 sqft unit in Skelmanthorpe. We look after over 8000 customer lawns & have 18 full time members of staff including an operations manager who helps me oversee the day to day running of the business.  We have 16 vans on the road and expect to see a Gross T/O of around £1.5m in 2024.

Why did you go down the franchise route?

Led by my parents really.  Seemed like a better option than uni.

How did you raise the finance?

• Franchise area 1 – Family Funds
• Area 2 – Personal funds & HSBC
• Area 3 – Fully funded by HSBC

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

Plenty of support.  Greensleeves support really is great.  They offer tailored support based on the size of your franchise, your experience and so on.

How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee

This has changed over the years but now we have a great structure within the business including an Operations Manager, 4 office staff, quotes manager and 12 Lawn Operatives out in the field servicing customers lawns.  Without this team I couldn’t run the business as well as we do.  My role involves overseeing all elements of the business ensuring we achieve our goals.

Provide information on challenges overcome as well as your key successes to date.

• 2020 – 10% growth
• 2021 – 13% growth
• 2022 – 9% growth
• 2023 – 12% growth

Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?

To be honest I have done it that long I don’t know any different.  I have a great work/life balance and really enjoy the work I do.

How do you achieve a work-life balance?

With the help of the fantastic team I have around me!

If you are a multi-unit franchisee, can you tell us why Greensleeves is ideal for those looking for a scalable opportunity? 

Greensleeves works well as a multi-unit Franchise because staff can be based at home and only come to the office 1-2 times per week to collect stock etc.  The web-based systems in place allow us to send all work and invoiced digitally.  This allows us to employ staff in parts of our territory that we would previously not have considered.

How do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive?

I believe being a providing a friendly work environment and being fair and flexible with your staff help maintain a reliable team.  We have a few team members now that have been with us for over 10 years and plenty that have worked for us for over 5 years.

Can you tell us about any community involvement, including any local partnerships, incentives or charity work you are involved in? 

We are the main shirt sponsor for the local football team, Skelmanthorpe FC & we also sponsor several local cricket teams.  We also provide sponsorship to a few local open garden weekends.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise? 

Do your own research and speak to other current franchisees.  They will tell you all the good and bad points.  Running a business is at times difficult and you must be prepared for that! Remember, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.  Work hard and you will be rewarded!

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?  

Hard work, planning, look after your staff!  You can’t do it alone!

What are your plans for the future?

More of the same really. Keep growing the business.

If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?

Taken on staff sooner! It’s always tough to employ your first team member or the next one.  Every time I have it gives you time to spend time growing your business.  Work on your business not in it!

Six months on as a franchisee - Neil Grainger's franchise journey -

The first six months of new business ownership are likely to be a rollercoaster ride for anyone. Not only will you experience the highs of building a new business but also the challenges of global and local business landscapes continually evolving. However, for franchisees, the wisdom of a supportive franchisor can help you come through the opening months to create a business with a strong and lasting foundation.

Greensleeves’ 100th Franchisee Neil Grainger has just completed his first six months with the lawncare company. Since investing with the franchise and launching in the fabulous coastal town of Bournemouth, Neil’s business has gone from strength to strength and is already treating the lawns of 132 customers.

“When I started six months ago, I set myself some goals. Now, I’m happy to say I’ve certainly exceeded my expectations. I’m in a great location and have a good number of customers, but now the goal is to get even more,” said Neil.

Neil joined Greensleeves alongside Keith Fox and Radko Yordanov, both launching new territories in Derbyshire and Brentwood. Combined Keith and Radko are looking after well over 300 customers' lawns between them.

“Since leaving my last job as a precision engineer to become a franchisee with Greensleeves, my work-life balance has improved drastically. I get to spend more time with my family and do the school drop-offs, which I much prefer to getting up and going to a factory job I didn’t enjoy,” explained Neil.

“I’ve been so impressed with the support I’ve received from head office over the past six months. The team are really accessible, and they always reply within a few minutes whenever I have a question. I also have access to the wider network through a WhatsApp group, so if I’m out on the lawns and ever need suggestions on which treatment to use I can just drop a message in there. The response is always pretty much instant. Last month, head office also launched an app called Greensleeves Live to speed up our admin process. This has really benefitted my day-to-day running of the franchise.”

This month, Greensleeves is also welcoming two new franchisees to their network, Mick Perrone, who is launching the Bedford territory, and Richard Crewdson, who is kickstarting the Lancaster territory. Both Mick and Richard are new to business ownership and are looking forward to taking on a new challenge.

As franchisees grow their businesses, they begin to take on staff to help deliver their services. To ensure consistency of high-quality customer service and lawn-care treatments, the horticultural franchise has developed a Staff Training Academy for franchisees’ staff.

Fiona Williams, franchisee at Greensleeves Stockport, Oldham, Trafford & Tatton, recently had a new team member go through the training academy. “We wanted our newest employee to be able to see how we do things at Greensleeves - the ‘Greensleeves way’ if you like. The training reiterates what the brand does and our values. We completed the training on zoom with them and the content was great.”

Steven Large, Greensleeves’ Corporate Manager who developed the academy said, “We decided it’d be a great idea to put together a training package for the new guys, including a brand induction. The training helps us deliver industry-standard training and consists of four modules for staff to complete. The academy enables learning and development, giving staff a sense of belonging. So far, we’ve had 36 people complete training as part of the new academy and the feedback has been really positive. It’s great for our franchisees because staff feel valued, leading to increased staff retention.”