Ricky was a music festival promoter, owned bars and nightclubs, and co-owned a national music TV station before COVID wiped out his industry. He's now one of the most successful Jim's Mowing operators in New Zealand and runs the regional franchisor role for Waikato, Wellington and the South Island.

In this episode of the Jim's Mowing podcast, Ricky sits down with Joel to break down what a Jim's Mowing franchise actually looks like in NZ.

He covers what he was earning, how he scaled to 300 regular customers, 2 territories and 6 staff, and why he eventually sold the business to move into franchisee support.

He also explains why he made more money in winter on gardening than he did on mowing in summer.

Ricky goes deep on the numbers. Pay-for-work guarantee covers $2,000 a week from week one.

A strong solo operator should be targeting $1,000 a day in turnover. He breaks down the flat-fee model, why franchisees stay 20+ years inside Jim's Mowing, and why the brand itself does so much heavy lifting on every quote and every doorknock.

He also shares the customer conversation that handed him 6 commercial properties in one chat, and the NZ regions where there are far more leads than franchisees right now.

If you're in New Zealand thinking about a Jim's Mowing franchise, this is the episode that gives you the honest version.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

What a Jim's Mowing franchisee actually earns in NZ from week one
How Ricky scaled to 300 regulars, 2 territories and 6 staff
Why winter was the most profitable season for his business
The NZ regions crying out for franchisees right now
Why fixed fees beat percentage-based franchise models for serious operators
How one customer conversation handed Ricky 6 commercial properties
Why the top Jim's Mowing operators never let their star rating drop below 4.9
The proactive habits that separate top franchisees from strugglers

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Why Ricky chose Jim's Mowing
1:01 From music festivals and nightclubs to lawn mowing
2:57 Why a 30-year-old NZ brand mattered more than the mowing itself
4:33 Scaling to 6 staff, 2 territories and 300 regulars
5:53 The shift into the regional franchisor role
8:01 Where Jim's Mowing needs more franchisees in NZ right now
10:03 What a franchisee actually earns from week one
11:11 Why Ricky made more money in winter than summer
13:03 Why the flat-fee model beats percentage-based franchises
14:18 Why some franchisees stay 20+ years and never leave
16:25 What the Jim's Mowing brand actually means to a new customer
18:02 What separates the franchisees who succeed from those who struggle
20:19 The level of support new franchisees get from Ricky
21:50 What's covered in the Jim's Mowing induction training
24:30 The proactive habits that built Ricky's business
25:53 The referral strategy that gave him seven customers in one street
27:25 The customer conversation that handed him 6 commercial properties
28:54 What Ricky loves most about supporting new franchisees
31:25 How to take the next step with Jim's Mowing NZ

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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
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