We shared the same principles and ethos

Oliver is a very unique case study – he joined the Greensleeves franchise when he was just 19! It was a huge commitment for one so young, but it has really paid off for him.

When Oliver left school, he really did not know what he wanted to do, except that he knew he would be much happier working for himself. His family were already Greensleeves customers, and one day, a leaflet arrived in the post along with their invoice, advertising our franchise opportunity.

Living just a few streets away from his nearest franchisee, Oliver decided to learn more, and soon realised that this was the career opportunity he had been looking for. We initially took a bit of persuading to sell a franchise to someone so young and inexperienced, but Oliver spent a lot of time talking with our team and convinced us he had what it took.

“It did take me a couple of years to get my head properly round the work ethic I needed, “explained Oliver. “But with the great support I received from the Head Office team, the penny soon dropped that this was a good business, and that there was an opportunity here to make some money and grow, if I put the right effort into it. Since then, the business has just kept on growing!”

Thanks to all his hard work, 15 years on, Oliver’s franchise now treats an impressive 7000 lawns each year. The proximity of his franchise to the main HQ and depot has allowed him to take on some neighbouring territories too. 

As one of our most successful and long-standing partners, he has now been able to give something back to the network by offering guidance and advice to new franchisees.

“Really, the training and learning never ends at Greensleeves. There are regular training events all year, and we talk to each other all the time. Everyone shares stories and advice and best practice. I have new franchisees ring me all the time, asking me how to do this or do that, or what systems I am using etc. It’s really good – there might be a lot of franchisees now, but it still feels like a small, friendly, family business.”