From firefighter to Jim's Building Inspections Franchise Owner at 58

At 58, Bernie Purcell swapped shift work for a Jim's Building Inspections franchise. He is a registered builder and a former Fire Rescue Victoria firefighter, and he started his business in Gisborne earlier this year.

Bernie spent 20 to 30 years as a shift worker while building and developing property on the side. He did not want to retire and do nothing. He wanted relevance, purpose, and income without the ridiculous hours of a full-time job.

A Jim's franchise gave him a way to use his building experience on his own terms.

In this episode he talks through the honest first month, the routine you have to build before it clicks, and why he loves it now.

He explains how he works the business around his family, starting midmorning, doing the school run, and getting his 12-year-old to netball. He also sees this as a long game.

Bernie plans to run it for at least 10 years and hopes to bring his sons in as they get older.

Watch if you are weighing a career change later in life and want the work-life balance a Jim's franchise can offer.

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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.

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