Frequently Asked Franchising Questions

Yes! If you already own a lawn care business, you can transition to Augusta Lawn Care. This allows you to leverage our brand, training, and support to grow your business while benefiting from the proven Augusta system. More than half of our franchisees started with an existing business. Within two years, you will need to fully integrate your business into Augusta Lawn Care, ensuring consistency across our brand and preventing market competition with other franchisees outside of your designated territory.

Augusta Lawn Care operates differently from other franchises. We do not charge a percentage-based royalty; instead, we have a flat monthly fee. There is no renewal fee, and if you decide to leave Augusta Nation, you can do so at any time—keeping your customers—without any additional exit costs. If you attend our training and decide not to move forward, you can receive a full refund of your initial franchise fee. Our Giveback Program allows you to earn back your franchise fee over time, while the Franchise Fee Forgiveness (3F) Program helps you attract top talent by offering qualified employees the opportunity to become franchisees with a $0 initial fee after two years.

Joining Augusta means gaining access to a structured business model, ongoing training, and a supportive network of fellow owners. While running a business still requires dedication and effort, the resources we provide—including coaching, brand discounts, marketing tools, and backend systems—greatly increase your likelihood of success. Augusta Nation fosters a community that helps make the challenges of business ownership more manageable and rewarding.

We teach our owners how to implement Pay-for-Performance (P4P), a system that rewards employees based on their productivity rather than just hourly wages, ensuring higher motivation and efficiency. To simplify administrative work, Command Center is available to handle essential admin tasks like phone calls, email inbox management, payroll, and sending estimates, freeing you to focus on growing your business.

Yes! Augusta’s founder Mike Andes provides direct guidance through daily livestreams for Augusta Nation. These "Mike Minute Mastermind" sessions cover topics like business strategy, investing, and personal finance, while also offering opportunities for franchisees and general managers to ask questions and receive real-time insights.

The initial franchise fee grants you exclusive access to your protected territory, along with a comprehensive suite of resources to set you up for success. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Exclusive rights to all leads generated within your territory from Augusta Lawn Care and Augusta Lights
• Discounted pricing with preferred vendors
• Access to training programs, marketing tutorials, and business coaching
• Direct guidance from Mike Andes through live masterminds and conferences
• Use of Augusta’s brand, trademarks, and reputation, which significantly lowers your customer acquisition costs

This fee is an investment in a system that provides a proven shortcut to success, rather than having to build everything from scratch.

Augusta Lawn Care positions itself as a premium service provider, charging above-average prices. When we deliver high-quality service, customers are willing to pay more and stay loyal even if prices increase. Unlike commercial contracts, which often go to the lowest bidder, residential services provide higher margins and recurring revenue. Commercial work is allowed under the Augusta brand, but the best profit potential typically comes from residential clients in affluent areas.

Our franchisees offer a wide range of services beyond mowing, including:

• Bush trimming, landscape installations, yard cleanups, snow removal, and holiday lighting
• If you receive leads for services you do not offer, you can sell them through AugustaLeads.com, allowing you to focus on your core services while earning 50% of the revenue from those sold leads

This system ensures you maximize revenue while maintaining an efficient, scalable business model.

The best time to launch depends on your region. In colder climates, starting before spring is ideal. In warmer areas, you can begin at any time.

The majority of our locations rank on the first page of Google within weeks of joining due to our strong brand reputation and domain authority. It is common for significant growth to occur in the second spring season as lead volume increases, Google reviews accumulate, and search rankings improve.

The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a legal document outlining everything about the franchise, including financial details, operational guidelines, and obligations. Our FDD provides transparent data on all franchise owners, and we encourage you to contact current Augusta Nation members to hear their experiences firsthand.

The first step is to schedule a call with us. We’ll answer your questions and assess whether your market is primed for growth. Only about 1 in 7 applicants complete the process and become Augusta franchisees, ensuring that only the most committed and qualified individuals join Augusta Nation.

Yes! Each Augusta franchise operates within a protected territory, meaning no other Augusta location can open within that area. We conduct detailed market research, providing a 30-page report analyzing local demographics, hiring potential, and other key factors to optimize your territory selection.

We charge a flat monthly fee of $1,600, rather than a percentage-based royalty. This fee covers training, support, and business tools. We have never increased this fee for existing franchisees, and we do not charge renewal fees when a franchise term is completed.

If you are starting a new location, startup costs range from $69,999 to $139,999, depending on location and setup requirements. We recommend having access to sufficient capital to maximize growth in your first year. Our initial goal is to help you reach $500,000 in annual revenue, which requires sufficient funding for marketing and advertising. Switching an existing lawn care business will reduce initial costs since you already have equipment and trucks.

Augusta provides continuous support through:

• Daily mastermind sessions
• Weekly GM scorecard reviews
• Monthly 1-on-1 coaching calls
• Quarterly roundtable meetings
• Annual Augusta Nation conference

This comprehensive support system ensures you are never alone in running your business.

The onboarding process typically takes 4 to 6 weeks, depending on legal requirements and access to funds. Our team will guide you through the steps to ensure a smooth launch.

We provide marketing tools, a well-known brand, and supplier connections. Our AugustaLeads.com system allows you to monetize unserviceable leads, and our Done-For-You Ads tutorials walk you through setting up and tracking Google and Facebook Ads to maximize conversions.

No! Many of our most successful franchisees joined Augusta with no prior experience in the lawn care industry. We provide all the training you need to succeed.

Our Giveback Program allows franchisees to earn back their initial franchise fee over time. If you stay with Augusta for 10 years, you receive a full cash refund. If you expand after 5 years, your refund can be applied towards opening a second location.

This program allows your team members to become franchise owners with a $0 initial fee after working for you for two full years. This helps attract and retain growth-minded employees who aspire to business ownership.

The Executive Model allows you to open up to six locations at once for an initial fee of $75,000, saving over $60,000 in startup costs. You must open all locations within one year, and significant management experience is required. We recommend having at least $800,000 in available capital to ensure success.