Greensleeves model has proven to be future-proof

After 20 years of managing some of the most well-known golf courses in Norfolk, Greensleeves franchisee Mike already knew the value of well-kept lawns, and just how much they were worth to customers. However, his stress levels were through the roof and, with the imminent arrival of his daughter, he knew that he needed to rethink his work-life balance and start prioritising himself and his family.

However, Mike wasn’t initially convinced that franchising was the right direction for him. “With my background,” explains Mike, “I really wanted to be independent and focus on customer service and quality of product. From my initial research into other franchises, I just didn’t feel like I was going to get that from them. However, I met up with David and his team and really did an about turn. They made me realise that we shared the same principles and ethos. Their passion, drive and commitment to customer service were infectious and it was clear that they had what it took to let me hit the ground running.”

Mike signed his franchise agreement with Greensleeves back in 2018. Business is booming and, despite the challenges faced by a lot of other companies in 2020, he has managed to grow his customer base to the point where he has now taken on a second operative to pick up all the extra work. He is starting to take on a less hands-on, and more managerial, role and is so confident of his business in 2021 that he is planning to take on yet another new employee in the Spring.

“I’ve grown at least as much as I could have hoped this last year, so the Greensleeves model has proven to be future-proof in many ways. I love the process of meeting new customers and building quotes. Though I already had a long background in customer-facing work, I could see that the training Greensleeves provided was really helping some of the less experienced franchisees gain the confidence they needed.

“I owe a lot to the reassurance of being part of the franchise. The software systems, the logistics of management, the huge customer potential, all the support from the team in the head office – all this has allowed me to confidently grow my business from scratch without the extra stress of being on my own.”