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Should you Buy a Lawn Mowing Franchise?

According to the Franchise Council of Australia, there are more than 1,000 different franchises. This includes all business types and not just Lawn Mowing franchises. Australia has well over 50,000 franchisees.

Should you buy a lawn mowing franchise? You could choose to start your own lawn mowing company, instead. Which is right for you?

It could be that your skills, confidence, and knowledge make you an ideal candidate for owning your own company or it could be that your financial goals and geographic location are such that owning a franchise would work out better for you. This article will help you decide if buying a lawn mowing franchise is right for you.

Lawn Mowing Franchisors in Australia

Jim Penman became a household name after building up Jim's mowing into Australia's best known lawn mowing franchise, today there is no shortage of lawn mowing franchises to buy into, however did you know that Jim's was not the first aussie lawn mowing franchise? V.I.P Home Services was the first one in Australia was started in 1979 by a chap called Bill Vis. Whereas Jim Penman started franchising Jims Mowing in 1989.

While Jim's Mowing and VIP Home Services are the oldest franchises around. Until recently, they were also the largest in the lawn mowing sector in Australia. However, not too long ago, Reece Arcon's Express Group overtook V.I.P.

The following list contains some of the lawn mowing franchises you may come across when you begin researching the lawn care market, the list is not in any particular order of preference, it is not an exhaustive list of companies and we neither get paid or endorse any of them.

  • Andrew's Affordable Mowing Service
  • Boring Chores Property Services
  • Express Lawn Mowing and Gardening
  • Fox Mowing and Gardening
  • Graham's Garden Care
  • Grey Army
  • James Home Services
  • Jim's Mowing
  • Mark's Mowing
  • Top Cut Lawn Mowing
  • VIP Home Services

Advantages to buying a franchise:

  1. Having the independence offered by small business ownership which is supported by a larger business network.
  2. Not needing so much business experience to run a franchise successfully. You will get training from the franchisors so you learn how to operate it according to their business model.
  3. Having a much higher rate of success than regular businesses have.
  4. Having an easier time getting financing for a franchise. It costs less to buy one than it does to start your own business from scratch.
  5. Having the established branding, reputation, management and work practices that come with the franchise.
  6. Having the benefit of existing advertising for the franchise.

Disadvantages to buying a franchise:

  1. You must enter into a formal agreement with a franchisor. These agreements dictate how you operate the business. You will not have a lot of room for creativity. Restrictions are set on where you operate, the suppliers you work with and the products that you sell.
  2. If you underperform, it can affect your entire franchise's reputation. If you buy a franchise, you have to share the profits with the franchisor.
  3. Once the term of your agreement ends, the franchisor is not obligated to renew it with you.

You could always get customers by starting your own lawn mowing business. Check out our article 23 Tips for growing your lawn care business.

If you actually already own your business for lawn mowing, as well as ABN, then you might want to register with expertEasy in order to gain more lawn mowing work.

How much do lawn mowing franchises cost?

In Australia, these franchises can cost anywhere from $5000 to a crazy $60,000. These are upfront costs, but there are also fees, commissions, marketing, and call centre referral charges.

Franchise resale

Franchises are often sold new, where no one else has ever run the franchise in the area. You also have the option of buying an established franchise with a customer base and a territory. These are called franchise resales. Prices for resales are higher than new franchises. This is due to having customers right from the start.

Where to Find Out More About Buying a Franchise

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) publishes a franchisee manual which offers a useful guide on what to look out for when considering buying a franchise. The manual provides detailed information about franchising, and what you need to look out for when doing your research and verifying the franchisor's claims. Franchise Council of Australia also offers a useful set of guidelines on what to look out for.

Source: http://www.business.vic.gov.au/setting-up-a-business/checklist-buying-a-franchise

To get more information, visit the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission online. They provide plenty of information as well as details regarding the Franchising Code of Conduct. You will learn how to spot a genuine franchise from a fake one. You will learn about franchise agreements, ending an agreement, resolving disputes, acting in good faith and more. You can even get free training.

Franchise Directories

Franchise directories are helpful. Here is a list of Australia's major directories which you might like to look over. They have listings of businesses for sale as well as FAQ and informative articles.

  • Franchise Expo
  • Top Franchises
  • Australian Franchises
  • Franchise Business

You may also wish to attend the Franchising expo. This is held annually in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth and is well worth considering.

If you decide to buy a lawn mowing franchise, you are certainly not alone. Thousands of other owners are out there who have decided to do franchising rather than start their own new business. Also, there are many thousands of Australians who have decided to start their own businesses and not invest in franchises and succeeded.

Questions to Ask Before Buying a Lawn Mowing Franchise

You should ask yourself several questions before you buy any franchise:

  • Do I have the commitment and ability to run a business?
  • What are my strengths?
  • What are my weaknesses?
  • Can I work within the scope of a franchise?
  • Could I bear going into debt to buy a franchise?
  • Will I sacrifice long hours to succeed?

Which mowing franchise should you buy?

Once you have done your research above you can read our article Which Lawn Mowing Franchise Should I Buy?.

No matter what you decide to do, make sure to play it smart. Weigh all your options carefully. There is plenty of professional advice available online.



This post first appeared on ExpertEasy, please read the originial post: here

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Should you Buy a Lawn Mowing Franchise?

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