What’s it really like to start a Jim’s Mowing business in your first year?
In this impromptu “day on the road” episode, Joel sits down with Mitch during lunch to talk through his first 10–11 months in business — from why he joined, to the reality of running jobs in Melbourne’s hills, to turning a $16 lead into a $13,000 landscaping job.
Mitch shares what helped him get started, what surprised him most, how he built his client base, and why the support network inside Jim’s made such a difference. He also opens up about the physical side of the work, scaling with staff, equipment choices, customer misconceptions about franchising, and the importance of mental health in blue-collar work.
This is a raw, unscripted conversation filmed out in the field — exactly the kind of real-world insight people want before making a business decision.
00:00 From March to Christmas: $150K turnover
00:04 The $16 lead that became a $12K–$13K landscaping job
00:17 Filming a live “day on the road” with Mitch
00:25 How long Mitch has been with Jim’s Mowing
00:40 Why he made the change into business ownership
00:54 The Jim’s YouTube content that helped sell the opportunity
01:20 What made the content feel genuine
02:12 First-year numbers: turnover, time off, and expectations
02:54 Starting with bought clients and growing the run
03:17 Biggest challenges: weather, difficult customers, physical work
04:44 Initial misconceptions about franchising
05:31 Clearing up the myth around “Jim taking 20%”
06:01 Why the weekly fees are worth it
06:06 The $16 lead that turned into a major landscaping job
06:34 First spring rush: huge demand and needing casual help
06:57 Winter slowdown and when things really picked up
07:22 Enjoying the responsibility of running his own business
07:51 Using Xero and staying on top of admin
08:14 The strength of the Jim’s brand in the market
08:44 Local business vs franchise perception
09:03 Quoting competitively and winning work
09:59 Supporting local while having big-brand backing
10:41 The colourful shirt and what it represents
11:05 Trademark/TIACS and mental health conversations
12:00 Free mental health support and why it matters
13:21 What a franchisor does and how Aaron helps
14:33 Access to wider support across the Jim’s network
15:29 The John Wild story that sums up Jim’s culture
16:15 When Mitch’s baby arrived during a major job
17:27 What Mitch enjoys about the gardening and mowing industry
18:39 Plans to scale and bring on more staff
19:38 Equipment choices: petrol vs battery
21:26 Training experience and starting in a moon boot
22:06 First week in business and early lessons
22:46 Where Mitch learned landscaping skills
23:33 Growing the business and keeping leads on
23:51 His next-door neighbour also joining Jim’s
24:54 Why they don’t see each other as competition
26:09 Business advice for new franchisees
26:31 Upselling services and not leaving money on the table
29:00 Advice to younger people considering small business
29:31 Don’t judge Jim’s by outside opinions
30:26 Why observation days and real content matter
31:01 Wrapping up and what’s next for Mitch
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/user/JimsGroupPtyLtd?sub_confirmation=1
👉 Subscribe for real business advice, franchisee stories, and how-to tips.
👉 Call 131 546 or visit jims.net to start your own franchise.
Jim’s Group is Australia and New Zealand’s largest home services brand with over 580 divisions. Our franchisees complete 5 million+ jobs every year.
Here’s what you’ll find here:
Straight advice from Jim Penman on business and franchising
Franchisee success stories and behind-the-scenes insight
Practical how-to guides for home and business services
We’re also recruiting. In 2024 alone, 245,000+ leads went un-serviced. If you want guaranteed work, full training, and the backing of Jim’s, we’d love to hear from you.
Start here
📌 Get a quote: https://jims.net/services
📌 Own a franchise: https://jims.net/own-a-franchise
📞 AUS: 131 546 | NZ: 0800 454 654
Follow Jim’s Group on socials @jimsgroupofficial.
Listen to Jim’s Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or YouTube.
#jimsgroup #franchise
