Your Scalable Success Landscape
Want to build real wealth through franchising? The multi-unit model might be your answer. This means owning and running several locations of the same franchise brand. It’s a popular way to grow in home services and the green industry. You can scale up while using proven systems with a known brand name.
The Rise of Multi-Unit Franchise Ownership
Multi-unit franchisees have grown a lot over the past twenty years. Today, multi-unit operators control about 54 percent of all franchise units in the United States. This comes from FRANdata. That number keeps growing by about 1 percent each year. More than 43,000 multi-unit franchise operators now control over 223,000 franchise units across the country.
Home services work especially well for multi-unit expansion. The U.S. home services franchise market was valued at $225 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach nearly $396 billion by 2032. This comes from Verified Market Research. This large market size, plus steady customer demand, makes home services ideal for building portfolios across many territories.
Why Home Services Work Well for Multi-Unit Operators
Several things make home services perfect for multi-unit ownership. Unlike retail franchises that need expensive storefronts, many home services franchises run from home offices or small warehouses. This cuts costs a lot. This mobile setup lets franchisees expand into new areas without big real estate investments.
The repeat revenue model gives another big advantage. Lawn care, pest control, and property maintenance involve regular visits throughout the year. This creates steady income that makes expansion easier to afford. Multi-unit operators can predict cash flow and plan growth with more confidence.
The International Franchise Association says home services is one of the sectors seeing major growth. Multi-unit development and area development deals are driving fast expansion in key markets. Franchising now adds over $800 billion to the U.S. economy every year.
The Multi-Unit Advantage
Running several franchise units offers clear benefits. You can’t get these with just one location. The most important are bulk savings. Buying supplies in bulk, shared marketing costs, and one central office all help lower costs per unit. A franchisee running five lawn care territories can get better prices on fertilizer and equipment than someone managing just one.
Having income from several sources adds security. If one territory faces problems—maybe from bad weather, local money troubles, or more competition—other locations keep making money. This safety net is something single-unit operators don’t have. This protection gets more valuable as you grow.
Research shows that 53 percent of all franchises are owned by multi-unit operators. The average multi-unit franchise owner runs just under six territories. This shows that smart expansion happens in careful steps, not big jumps.
Building Towards Multi-Unit Success
Most successful multi-unit operators start with one territory. They learn the business model first. They build skills and prove they can run the franchisor’s systems well. This base becomes valuable when expanding to more locations.
After doing well with their first territory, franchisees often find that adding a second location is easier. They’ve already learned marketing strategies, hiring steps, and operating systems. Adding territories lets them get more value from that first learning phase.
Many franchisors help multi-unit expansion through money-saving deals. Lower franchise fees for the second and later units are common. Territory discounts are also popular for franchisees who commit to area development. These deals help both sides. Franchisors get faster brand growth with skilled operators. Franchisees get growth chances at lower costs.
What You Need to Know About Operations
Success in multi-unit ownership needs different skills than running a single location. You must be able to hand off tasks well. Single-unit operators might handle many daily tasks themselves. Multi-unit franchisees must build strong teams. Hiring good site managers to handle daily work at each location lets you focus on big-picture growth, money matters, and improvements across all sites.
Technology plays a bigger role in running multiple locations well. Advanced scheduling software, GPS tracking, and customer systems help franchisees keep things consistent across territories while managing teams from afar. These tools let multi-unit operators find what works best at one location and use it across their whole portfolio.
Franchise Business Review says banks are more open to multi-unit loans. This is especially true when franchisees have past experience in the industry. This access to money becomes a big advantage for skilled operators looking to expand. Lenders see lower risk with proven franchisees.
Challenges to Think About
Multi-unit ownership has challenges too. The upfront money needed to launch several territories at once or quickly can be a lot. While bulk savings eventually improve profit, the path to profit may take longer when money is spread across many locations instead of focused on one.
Running multiple locations adds more work in hiring, following rules, and keeping quality high. Without strong systems and leadership, quality can slip. This can hurt the brand name across all territories. Successful multi-unit owners spend a lot on training, written procedures, and regular site visits to keep standards high.
The time you need to put in also differs from single-unit ownership. While multi-unit operators can eventually step back from daily work, the early stages of expansion need hands-on work at each new location. Franchisees must make sure each territory is properly set up, staffed, and ready for success before moving to the next phase.
The SpringGreen Opportunity
For franchisees in lawn care and landscaping—an industry worth about $78 billion every year—the multi-unit model offers strong growth potential. Brands with nearly five decades of experience give franchisees proven systems, complete training, and ongoing help designed to support successful expansion.
Strategic partners who do well in their first territories often find themselves ready for area development chances. The mix of repeat revenue, low overhead compared to retail franchises, and systems that can scale makes lawn care very attractive for multi-unit growth.
Looking Forward
As demand for professional home services keeps growing, multi-unit franchise ownership is a smart path for people who want to build big, lasting businesses. The model rewards operators who can hand off tasks well, keep quality high across locations, and use their first success for careful expansion.
For franchisees willing to invest in strong teams, use technology, and stick to the franchisor’s proven systems, multi-unit franchising offers the chance for real wealth building. It can also keep the work-life balance that attracts many to franchising in the first place. With more than half of all franchise units now run by multi-unit operators, this approach has clearly become a key part of modern franchising success.
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