Name: Scott Garrod

Territory: East Anglia

Year you commenced/How long in the business: March 2023/ 11 months.

Number of staff: Myself and one to be recruited in March 2024

The UK's most trusted lawn experts.

👔 Professional Background Overview: I spent 40 years as a Tesco store manager running 17 different stores across this time from Metro to superstore format. Turnover up to £1m per week with a management team of 24 and 300 colleagues per branch.

💡What motivated your decision to venture into running your own business? I retired in 2022 and took a year off travelling, playing golf, enjoying fishing and football refereeing. I always had an interest in grass and having worked in the corporate world for 40 years mainly indoors, I fancied the chance to manage my own business and work outdoors. At 56 I felt I still had a lot to give but not the 24/7 operation I had been involved in previously.

🚀 What factors influenced your selection of Greensleeves as your franchising avenue? Although fundamentally it is your own business, the franchise model helps support with marketing, HR, structure, brand awareness, process and routine, purchasing power for materials, IT support, business development support, fantastic trust pilot score, consumer confidence. It is a fully packaged business. And although this comes with a fee, it would take time and money to build these things. With the package you receive for your initial fee, your business can go live from day one.

📈 From a managerial perspective, what aspect of operating a Greensleeves franchise yields the most satisfaction? Customer service has always been my driving force and seeing the difference you can make to people’s outdoor space and wellbeing has been the most rewarding.

🌐 Reflecting on your tenure as a Greensleeves franchisee, what achievement stands out as particularly noteworthy? I would say achieving £41,000 sales off just 80 customers in my first 12 months with the highest average customer spend in the network and positioning myself to employ my son at the 12-month point was something I look back on with pride

💼 In what ways has your ownership of a Greensleeves franchise facilitated opportunities wise, that you wouldn’t of been able to do previously? I now have more flexibility of hours, control of my own diary, and a better work life balance. Working outdoors has helped with weight loss, fitness and wellbeing, as well as maintaining a positive mindset.

🏢 What advice would you impart to individuals contemplating franchise ownership? Definitely to in with your eyes wide open. Be clear on your first 5-year plan, don’t just buy yourself a job.

Year 1 experience the job, understand the machines and products but then have a clear plan to grow the business so you can step back more and manage / lead progression and change.

You are part of a network with a contract and process and routines so be flexible in your thinking and appreciate the freedom it brings but with some clear deliverables and non-negotiables.

Work within the guidelines as they are proven. Have a bit of capital in year 1 & 2. It is not a get rich quick scheme. If you will rely on this for an income in the early years then have a clear financial plan understanding year 2 marketing costs etc.

Greensleeves are committed to delivering beautifully healthy lawns that can be enjoyed all year round.

🤝 Reflecting on your franchise journey, what insights have you gained about yourself? I have many transferable skills, process, routine and good customer service skills have served me well in both retail and lawns. I am resilient, driven and self-motivated and I am able to work on my own as well as in a group.

🎣Outside of work commitments, how do you typically spend your leisure time? I really travelling, playing golf, and fishing. I am also a senior county football referee, whilst also being a referee mentor/coach for the FA progression pathway.

📅 What are your aspirations for personal and professional development within the upcoming five-year horizon? I want to develop the business to a minimum 2-van operation with my son, in a lawn manager position with at least one other operative. Personally, to remain current and in tune whilst maintain a healthy work life balance for me and my wife.

👨👩👧👦 Describe your approach to commemorating the attainment of your initial business milestone. We approached our first year as a family, my daughter works for an accountancy outsourcing firm so she completes Sage/Tax returns etc. My wife assists with the admin and my son joins shortly so we will be having a celebratory meal looking back over the last 12 months and agreeing targets for the following 2 years. This is a business that eventually we hope to hand over to our two children, so we wanted to involve them in the journey from the start.

🔑 What strategic objectives have you outlined for the advancement of your franchise over the subsequent 5 years? I believe building a strong local brand is key. Royal mail and personal leaflet drops and local magazine marketing will be key, also driving our recommend a friend scheme. Getting the balance right between great customer service and going the extra mile versus good time management and productivity.

🎓How valuable did you find not only the initial training, but the ongoing support from your franchisor? The 1st weeks training is invaluable but does leave you a bit flooded and with many questions and a few insecurities.

I would have preferred this to of been 2 weeks with time spent going through the end to end process of customers in a training app mode.

That said over time things do drop in place, but I would have appreciated more time practising with the various software platforms, prior to going out in the field.

The support from the business development manager is good and working side by side with the machinery I found useful and this drops in place easier than all the system work. Setting up a Whatsapp group has been really good and allows you to get instant support.

🏪Lastly, for prospective franchisees considering taking the plunge, what message would you give them? I would say do lots of research, understand all aspects of running your own business and what is expected of you within the franchise agreement.

Try and have a trial with an existing franchise. Understand your finances so you don’t apply pressure to yourself as you build your business, how will you fund your family in those early years etc.

It will require discipline and hard work. Make sure everyone around you understands this, so your support network is in place and you can then put in what is required as you build your business. You are your own boss to a point, timescales, processes, deadlines etc must be met, so be open minded and don’t let closed thinking hold you back.

It was fantastic chatting with Scott, it really provided us with a great insight into how franchising has enabled him to have a much better work life balance, compared to the corporate world he previously worked in, which the Greensleeves franchise model has allowed.

For those considering joining the ranks of over 100 thriving Greensleeves franchises, Scott's story gives us a great flavour of the possibilities that await within our network. Whether you're seeking to escape the constraints of traditional employment, embark on a new venture, or simply want to take control of your future, franchising with Greensleeves could be the answer you've been looking for.