Login

USERNAME
PASSWORD

Become a Registered Guest Login Help Lost Password?

Tip: As the Christmas season approaches, we note with appreciation the beautiful lighted displays at shopping malls, town squares, government buildings, and many other sites around our communities. Louis Petrik, owner of L&L Lawncare in Austin, Texas, lists the following points as just a few of the reasons his Christmas décor franchise has proven to be an invaluable asset for his company.

"We purchased our Christmas décor franchise in 1997 after we received information about it at the Green Industry Expo. We did not do any installs that year, because it was too late in the Christmas season by the time the purchase was complete," he relates.

In 1998, L&L Lawncare was a two-crew operation that did mostly middle-income maintenance and some small-bed installations. "That Christmas, we ran three Christmas crews and made just as much in Christmas as we made in maintenance the rest of the year. This year, we are running five or six crews in Austin, and we have just expanded into San Antonio with one or two crews," Petrik notes.

Petrik goes on to say that the Christmas décor enabled his company to grow and expand at a greater than normal rate. "As I've stated before, we keep our employees all year long and also hire competitors' workers as they lay them off for the season. The employees love this time of year because they get to work as many hours as they want - unlimited overtime."

Petrik believes that the main advantage of owning a franchise is the support that he receives. "Just like being a member of ALCA, you get to network with hundreds of other companies that are doing the same thing you are. Every year there are one or two little things that enhance the system because there are so many people installing lights, and they benefit the entire organization."