What does a real day on the road look like for a Jim’s Mowing franchisee working in the hills of Melbourne?

In this episode, Joel heads out with Mitch for a mini day on the road through Emerald, Upwey and The Basin, where steep blocks, heavy brush cutting, hedge work, green waste, and tricky terrain are all part of a normal day.

Mitch shares how he services the foothills around the Dandenong Ranges, the kind of equipment he relies on, how he prices difficult jobs, and why having the right gear can completely change the speed and profitability of a job. You’ll also hear a real customer lead call, practical pricing insights, and a full recap of the day’s revenue.

This is a raw, unscripted look at the reality of running a mowing and gardening business — especially when your territory is anything but flat.

00:00 Tough conditions and summer heat
00:32 Intro: out on the road with Mitch
00:38 Where Mitch works: Emerald, the foothills and Mount Dandenong
01:09 How long he’s been with Jim’s Mowing
01:14 First-year reflections so far
01:27 Why today’s property is different from a typical suburban job
01:40 Mitch explains the 32-inch Scag stand-on mower
02:05 The heavy-duty Steel brush cutter setup
03:09 Why domestic equipment wouldn’t handle this kind of work
03:37 How much time the Scag saves on steep properties
04:01 Why customers hire pros instead of doing it themselves
04:09 The value of having serious equipment on hand
04:39 Recap of the first job: mowing, brush cutting and green waste
05:08 How long the first job takes
05:16 Working in steep terrain around Belgrave and the ranges
05:52 Learning to tow and adapting on the job
06:19 Monthly meetings with franchisors and learning from others
06:33 Pricing lessons: what to charge for green waste
07:08 Talking hourly rates and local pricing realities
07:44 Raising prices and managing clients
07:57 Why cheap Facebook operators don’t last
08:41 First job done — heading to the next property
09:01 Second job: block of units in Upwey
09:28 Time estimate for the work
09:48 Real lead call: quoting a new customer
12:23 Why this was a “dream lead”
12:40 Quoting over the phone: risks and Mitch’s approach
13:37 Adding GST and protecting margin
14:10 Why Mitch uses Milwaukee battery gear for pruning
14:36 Battery performance and future upgrades
14:54 Scope of pruning work at the units
15:27 How Mitch approaches shaping trees and hedges
16:42 More cleanup, mowing and weeding on site
17:08 Light weeding and what’s included in a quote
18:27 Slashing jobs and the equipment needed for bigger overgrowth
19:03 Mitch’s ideal mowing day vs mixed job days
19:44 Choosing what types of work to take on
20:33 Route density and working close to home
21:40 Third job: hedge reduction and lawn work in The Basin
22:05 Mitch’s process for pruning a large hedge properly
23:34 Working through hedge thickness and slope challenges
24:02 Why regular maintenance saves the client money
24:47 End-of-day recap: 3 larger jobs in challenging environments
25:00 Total revenue for the day: $1,170
25:10 Job-by-job summary
25:55 Final thoughts on the hedge work and difficult terrain
26:15 Wrap-up and call to action

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