Why the Owner of Monster Tree Decided to Sell Franchises

This is the follow-up to the article to the one that was published last week featured on The New York Time’s “You’re the Boss” blog. 

The blog post is about Josh deciding to franchise and where the current locations are. Josh elaborates that he felt franchising would help him grow at a faster pace with higher revenues. He elaborates that franchising is like a partnership to help the business grow. Josh also discusses employees and systems differences within franchise systems. He mentions that Monster is set up as an executive model and that all locations are on track to make $1 million in annual sales for their first year. Josh positions Monster as the national provider of tree service. Click here to read full article or begin below. 

"Why the Owner of Monster Tree Decided to Sell Franchises"

By JOHN GROSSMAN

Last week, we published a case study about the founder of a suburban Philadelphia tree-trimming and -removal business. Having built his five-year-old company, Monster Tree Service, to 15 employees and more than $2 million in annual revenue, Josh Skolnick, 29, debated how best to expand: With corporate-owned locations or with franchises?

The experts we assembled and most readers offered pretty much the same advice — that he forgo or postpone franchising at least until he opens a second  company-owned location. In a conversation that has been condensed and edited, Mr. Skolnick explains why he decided to franchise Monster Tree Service, which is based in Fort Washington, Pa., and how that decision is working out. The first franchise opened in May, near Salt Lake City. Eight more have opened since then, all in Pennsylvania.

Click to read full article. 

A Fast-Growing Tree Service Considers Selling Franchises

Check out our article featured in The New York Times.  Click here to go straight to article or preview below. 

"A Fast-Growing Tree Service Considers Selling Franchises"
By: JOHN GROSSMANN

Monster Tree Service is a five-year-old tree pruning and removal business based in Fort Washington, Pa., north of Philadelphia. It is owned by Josh Skolnick, 29, an entrepreneur since boyhood, whose outdoor businesses have evolved from lawn mowing to mulching to his current company, which has 15 employees and annual revenue of more than $2 million. Mr. Skolnick, who manages the business, takes pride in the fact that he has “never pulled the cord on a chain saw.”

THE CHALLENGE Having established himself in a profitable niche, Mr. Skolnick wants to add more locations, but he is not sure whether he wants to own the locations or franchise them.

THE BACKGROUND Like many boys growing up in the suburbs, Mr. Skolnick mowed lawns in the neighborhood. At first he did it to earn spending money, but by the time he graduated from high school, he had three employees and 110 clients. He bought his first house (for $167,000) when he was 18. His friends had headed off to college, and Mr. Skolnick realized, “I didn’t want to be cutting grass for the rest of my life.” He took landscaping courses at a vocational school and started offering additional services, like putting in patios, walkways and ponds with waterfalls. He acquired other landscaping businesses, paying much of the purchase price out of future earnings, and folded them into Josh Skolnick Landscaping.

Click here to read entire article.