Case Study: Root Development

How SPRAYE Helped Root Development Scale with Less Stress

Company: Root Development
Owners: Kevin & Stacey Salters
Started with SPRAYE: January 2022
Previous CRM: Real Green

Company Background

Root Development, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Kevin and Stacey Salters, provides personalized lawn fertilization services. Like many small businesses in the green industry, they initially managed their operations using Real Green but quickly realized the need for a system that better fit their evolving needs. In January 2022, they made the switch to SPRAYE to streamline day-to-day operations and set a strong foundation for growth.

Challenges Before SPRAYE

Before adopting SPRAYE, Root Development encountered several hurdles common among small but growing lawn care businesses:

• Manual Workload: Daily administrative work, including scheduling, invoicing, and routing, consumed over an hour each day.
• Compliance Burden: Chemical and weather record-keeping required at least 30 minutes of manual effort daily.
• Limited Automation: Reliance on printed invoices, outdated systems, and a lack of customer-facing digital tools slowed business growth and limited customer convenience.

Solution: Choosing SPRAYE

Kevin and Stacey were drawn to SPRAYE’s all-in-one CRM capabilities tailored specifically for lawn care businesses. SPRAYE offered built-in automation for scheduling, routing, invoicing, and compliance documentation—features that were missing or cumbersome in their previous software.

Implementation Process

The transition to SPRAYE was described as a major relief by the Root Development team. The platform’s user-friendly interface and time-saving automation features made a strong impression from the beginning. The Salters were able to offload repetitive administrative tasks and begin exploring tools they hadn’t previously had access to.

Results and Outcomes

The impact of SPRAYE on Root Development’s operations has been significant:

• Customer Growth: The company nearly tripled its active client base, growing from approximately 200 to 564 active customers in under three years.
• Time Savings:
  • Office Work: Administrative work has been reduced from over 7 hours weekly to as little as 50 minutes (10 minutes a day), with slight increases during peak estimating periods.
  • Compliance: Time spent on chemical and weather records dropped from 30 minutes a day to zero—SPRAYE automates it all.
• Revenue Growth: Annual revenue grew from an estimated $180,000–$225,000 to well over $550,000.
• Team Expansion: Root Development grew from a solo operation to a two-person team, with both Kevin and Stacey now managing the business together.
• Operational Efficiency:
  • Electronic invoicing has nearly eliminated the need for printed invoices.
  • Routing and scheduling tools are described as “on point.”
  • Credit card payments and automated notifications have transformed client communication and payment collection.

Customer Testimonial

Kevin Salters shared his experience:

“It was honestly a massive weight lifted off our shoulders when joining the SPRAYE team! The auto per notification is a game changer. Having the clients be able to pay via credit card is another great accomplishment, and a 2025 goal is to move toward either pre-payment or having cards on file. Routing and scheduling is on point. We only print 5 invoices per application! All electronic invoices are amazing. I don’t use the system to anywhere near its full potential—and that’s another winter goal—to learn how SPRAYE can help make us even more accurate and efficient.”

Conclusion

SPRAYE has helped Root Development reduce administrative overhead, streamline operations, and drive impressive business growth in just under three years. By automating essential tasks and enabling digital-first customer experiences, SPRAYE has given Kevin and Stacey the time and tools they need to focus on service quality and strategic goals.

🎧 BONUS:
Want to learn more from Kevin? He also hosts The Turf Nutrition and Management Podcast, where he shares insights on lawn care practices, business tips, and industry trends. It’s a must-listen for anyone in the green industry looking to sharpen their technical and business knowledge.

Want to experience the same transformation? Schedule a demo and see how SPRAYE can help you grow your lawn care business with less stress and more efficiency.