Karen Burdett of TruGreen Milton Keynes and West Northants is celebrating after winning the title of ‘New Woman Franchisee of the Year’ at the EWIF (Encouraging Women into Franchising) Awards, held in London on 16th May 2013.

It was just last April when Karen left her position in the commercial, customer focused

environment she had worked in for 20 years, to join the franchise network as TruGreen’s only female franchise owner-operator. To triumph as winner is the reflection of sheer hard work and early success.

Karen reported fantastic figures after only a few weeks, with an enquiry to quote conversion rate of 99 per cent. Of those quoted, a staggering 96 per cent became customers. Lawn care is tough, physical work and not for the faint-hearted, but Karen wasn’t fazed in the slightest and showed grit, determination and a genuine desire to get started.

It was this hard work and achievement in this male dominated industry that no doubt contributed to her victory. Karen says, “I’m honoured to have reached the finals of these awards, especially after such a short time as a business owner but to win is incredible! I have to thank ServiceMaster Ltd and the TruGreen team for all their help and support.”

“The technical support with TruGreen is second to none and the ServiceMaster Company is full of individuals who you can call on at any time for support on a range of things,” adds Karen.