Act small, think big

A firefighter mentality mixed with bold branding, efficient systems and a hands-on approach is a winning formula for Weed Solutions in Mansfield, Texas. After years of working in the lawn care industry while serving the local firehouse, Kevin Seeton launched the business out of his garage in 2010.

“In the early days, balancing it all was tough,” he admits, adding that his wife, January, was still working a corporate job at the time. “I’d work 24 hours at the fire station, come home and take care of clients — plus we were raising kids and trying to get new customers.”

In 2012, Weed Solutions hired its first employee, and its team grew from four to 11 between 2020 and 2022,” he says.

Weed Solutions has grown by 50% every year for the past three years and revenue currently sits at $10.5 million.

So, what is that firefighter mentality anyway?

“When a firefighter or a police officer comes to your house, you don’t question them because you know they are there to help,” Kevin says.

“They’re there to take a problem away from you and do the right thing. We are problem-solvers.”

Case in point: When one crew member servicing a lawn noticed water leaking out of the client’s garage, he didn’t bypass it to move on to the next job. “We contacted the client, and luckily it was just a leak and we caught it early,” Kevin says.

“We had a situation where a technician noticed something didn’t sound right with the customer’s pool equipment,” he continues. “We notified the client, shut it down and saved them thousands of dollars.”

Clients tell the Seetons, “‘We love you guys because we don’t feel like we are just a number,’” Kevin says. “‘We feel like we are a friend, and you look out for us.’”

A real differentiator is that Kevin and January walk clients’ properties. January says, “One thing that keeps us grounded is that we are still day-to-day in the business talking to clients. So, even though we are growing fast, it still feels like that same small business.”

Big on branding

Acquiring new clients in the competitive Texas lawn care market calls for some creativity. You could say the Seetons take a go big or go home approach. Rather than a wallet-sized yard sign left on a lawn after an application, their 10-by-10-inch posters are emblazoned with the company’s frog mascot.

Trucks wrapped with the logo, frog and company name stand out in traffic.

“I was at a red light and my phone rang and it was the lady behind me who said, ‘I have been meaning to call you and I’m behind your truck ad my little girl is yelling, ‘Frog! Frog! Frog!’” Kevin says, laughing.

Technicians often hear, “I see your trucks and signs everywhere.”

Beyond the signs team members stake in yards after applications, Weed Solutions also runs a Yard of the Month program. Results require buy-in, and the Seetons think customers deserve recognition when their mowing and watering practices allow the company’s treatments to work.

“When we meet with clients, we explain that lawn care is like your personal fitness and going to a gym,” Kevin says. “This is not going to happen overnight. ‘We need you to help us with the watering and proper mowing, and we will help you along the way.’ We educate them.”

Notifications sent to customers 48 hours before service also include pointers and what to expect. When clients sign on for the eight-application, year-round program, they receive a tips sheet with information about when certain weeds are treated, the correct mowing height and watering schedule guidelines.

“It helps filter out questions and frustrations because they have expectations set up front rather than wondering along the way,” Kevin says.

So, when a client’s commitment to improving lawn health shines, the Seetons might name the property Yard of the Month. The cities Weed Solutions serves are divided into routes, with technicians servicing about 30 properties per day. One yard from each route per month receives recognition.

“People love it,” January says, adding that they post pictures of themselves in front of the sign on social media, which is another viral way of getting the word out to potential clients.

Finders, keepers

Beyond “recruiting” clients, Weed Solutions also has grown its workforce significantly in spite of a tough labor market. With 11 team members on board, Kevin optimistically expects to add another dozen to support a goal to double revenues this year. Also key to accomplishing this is hiring people dedicated to neighborhood sales, he says.

“Some of our guys have been with us since we started hiring, and some of our customers have been with us for 10 years and they see the same technician servicing their lawn,” Kevin says. “Our team members really see the improvements in the lawns they care for.”

The last few years, Weed Solutions has attracted technicians from competing companies without trying. “We were getting stopped and they’d say, ‘Your yards look great. Are you hiring?’” Kevin says.

Because the company keeps its people on board year-round, they find stability at Weed Solutions — and the Seetons do not have to invest in hiring and onboarding new people after some time off, which happens several times a year when a Texas freeze occurs. Weed Solutions uses those days for training, which pays off when technicians are prepared to upsell services.

Also, Weed Solutions incentivizes its team to generate new business by giving gift cards to team members who bring on new clients.

“That’s the beauty of those training days — they can bid yards and offer extra services like ant control, tree and shrub care and aeration,” Kevin says. “Instead of saying, ‘Call the office for a quote,’ they can educate the client there and let them know how much it is.”

Smooth operator

As Weed Solutions has grown, adopting software and operational systems has improved efficiency and allowed the company to serve more clients. A customer relationship management program sends communications to clients and offers personalized portals for customers to view their lawn program and pay.

In the past, the company accepted every form of payment — Zelle, Venmo, PayPal. “We were trying to accommodate everyone and the way they pay,” January says. “Now, we have one way we want to get paid.”

When customers pay annually, one of the eight applications is free. Half of Weed Solutions’ clients take advantage of this offer. “That helps us with upfront costs and eliminates having to keep up with payments,” January says.

Kevin points to the company’s fill system as a significant time saver. The company only applies liquid treatments. “We used to fill each large truck with a water hose, but now we have a series of large tanks that hold clean water, and I mix up large batches of different products for each truck,” he says.

This way, the team isn’t dedicating valuable service time to mixing product, and Kevin can assure accuracy.

The Seetons anticipate another healthy business year for Weed Solutions, though Kevin emphasizes, “We don’t want to be the biggest. We just want to be the best.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Ohio.