Dog Wash has the most unserviced leads in Jim's Group right now. Demand has gone up dramatically.

This franchisee started with Jim's in 2017, moved into Dog Wash four years ago, and grew so fast she turned her leads off. She now takes referrals only. One family alone sends her 20 customers.

In this episode she breaks down exactly how she built it.
She covers:

Why customer service and referrals beat advertising every time
How she rewards referrers with no price increase for a year
Why following the Jim's model is non-negotiable for growth
How she hired an experienced groomer to run training and scale
How mobile grooming reduces stress for anxious dogs
How she found cancer lumps that saved customers' dogs' lives
Her move from franchisee to franchisor in five years

Her advice for anyone considering Dog Wash: bring gentleness, patience, and compassion. Even a bad day in Dog Wash beats a good day in retail.

Timestamps
0:00 Intro: why Dog Wash has the most unserviced leads in the group
0:59 Meet the franchisee: 5 years with Jim's, over 3 years in Dog Wash
1:16 Starting with Jim's Petrol before moving to Dog Wash
1:31 Running two franchises at once and starting with employees
2:03 What the Dog Wash training was like then vs now
2:43 Why demand for Dog Wash has gone up dramatically
2:52 Turning leads off and taking referrals only
3:32 How she grew the business
3:41 Customer service and referrals as the number one driver
3:55 The 20-customers-from-one-family story
4:04 Rewarding referrers with no price increase for a year
4:17 Why a good franchisor is key to growth
5:05 The help she got: business structure and the Jim's model
5:14 Why following the Jim's model is non-negotiable
5:43 Podcast review request
6:01 Breaking down the Jim's model: fast lead response, daily posting
7:02 Hiring employees and managing teams
7:18 Encouraging staff to start their own Jim's franchise
8:13 Getting a spotter fee and why it shortcuts training
9:09 Why Jim's franchisees support each other instead of competing
9:44 The most challenging part: managing winter
10:41 What she enjoys about grooming
11:01 Fancy haircuts, oodles, and how she learned the skills
12:04 Hiring an experienced head groomer through Sharon
12:52 Managing customer expectations: humanity before vanity
13:32 Handling matting without shame
14:14 Grooming advice for oodle breeds
14:36 Why mobile grooming is kinder for anxious dogs
15:52 The trust of the brand and being police checked
16:36 One-on-one attention vs a salon
17:36 Why the dog gets more value from mobile grooming
18:41 Common customer questions: how often to groom
19:31 Advice on washing, feeding, and coat health
20:10 Podcast review request
20:27 Spotting health issues: bumps, eyes, behaviour changes
20:41 Finding cancer lumps that saved dogs' lives
21:43 Noticing behaviour changes and calling customers
22:54 The little thoughtful things that keep customers for life (the funeral story)
23:52 What qualities you need for this business
24:18 Why a bad day in Dog Wash beats a good day in retail
25:08 Meet the 11kg Maine Coon cat
25:43 Future plans and a new franchisor appointment
26:34 From Petrol to Dog Wash to franchisor in 5 years
26:51 Why she wants to be a franchisor: supporting people
27:34 Wrap-up: five-star ratings and customer love
28:04 Outro and contact details

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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.

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

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