How did you get into the pet services industry?
We heard about the service from some friends who live in another state and saw it in their area. We decided to open up Yardsweepers in North Carolina once we understood the business model and felt that we could do better for the customer. Our business model, brand and operating system was built to be customer-centric and focus on customer experience. It didn’t take long to recognize that we were on to something as more and more people were so thankful that we were there for them and we were off and running.
What’s New in the Business or in the Yardsweepers Franchise Model?
We are servicing more HOAs for their pet station maintenance, as well as working on increasing sales for the treatment services at our current properties. We also work with a few Landscape Companies who hire us to take care of the pet stations at their HOA accounts.
Where do you See Opportunities or Challenges for the Yardsweepers Franchise/Business Moving Forward?
We see opportunities for the franchise/business because it is a service oriented business, which is a popular trend currently in our economy. More and more people are adopting pets as companions and treat their pets like their kids and will continue to spend money on taking care of them.
Challenges would be in hiring people to work for you. We have the most success with using Craig’s List and paying a fair wage. You would be working for yourself in the beginning but as you grow, you’ll be hiring people to help.
What is your Goal for the Yardsweepers Franchise Business Moving Forward?
Our goal is to continue to streamline and improve our systems that we currently have in place. We also want to continue to grow our clientele. The number one goal for the franchise model is to replicate what has made us successful in our North Carolina business in new markets under franchise ownership. We are a family owned and operated business and don’t want to lose that culture and the relationship that we have with clients as a brand.
Talk to us About Training and Support, How Do You Deliver?
We pride ourselves on our support and training. The Yardsweepers franchise delivers both training at the corporate location and training in the field. Once a franchisee opens for business, we are there every step of the way for our customers and our future franchisees. We are always a phone call away to help trouble shoot any concerns that may arise.
Your most difficult moment at the Franchise Business?
It would be not having a solid workforce. When the business grows and you are unable to handle all the accounts yourself, it takes time to get reliable, trustworthy employees to work for you. But once you do, the business runs smoothly! Fortunately, we’ve created systems and a business model that helps with the labor scenario and we are seeing the market for staff getting better each week. With the current Yardsweepers Franchise system, you only need maybe one employee if the owner is operating the day to day business.
What does Your Franchisee Do in the Business Every Day?
The business is all about taking care of the customer and essentially scheduling a regular program to visit customer’s homes and keep the yard looking nice and useable. We are all about the relationship with the client, so a lot of our day is basically to keep people happy, seeing the value and making sure that they feel taken care of.
Who is the Ideal Franchise Candidate?
I’m thinking this is from the brochure and landing page. But we would also say someone who wants to be their own boss and own their own business with low capital investment and low inventory needed. Good and customer service. Willing to work hard and know all aspects of their business. Maybe most importantly, you need to care about people and want to take care of the customer.
What Goals Do You Have for the Franchise Model in the Future?
To continue to streamline the process and automate as much of the process as we can in order to keep it organized and updated. Our vision is to scale the Yardsweepers business model and replicate not only the business side of what we do, but also to help more customers in more markets with premium pet services.
For more information on the Yardsweepers franchise system, visit the corporate website: