Michael spent 32 years in the corporate world, then jumped into a Jim’s Mowing franchise. In his first 12 months he built a standout business. 126 reviews, 4.9 stars, multiple staff. Then he doubled down and bought a second franchise with Jim’s Window and Pressure Cleaning.
In this episode, Michael shares how he scaled so fast. Turning one lead into a major aged care account, training staff for consistent five-star work, quoting faster using customer videos, and building a bundled services plan (mowing, gardening, windows, gutters, solar, pressure cleaning) to grow revenue per customer.
If you’re considering a Jim’s franchise or want to scale a mowing and gardening business with a team, this one’s for you.
00:00 Hardest part was resigning. Why it built confidence
00:59 Intro. Michael is a dual franchisee (Jim’s Mowing + Jim’s Window and Pressure Cleaning)
01:10 What he did before Jim’s. 32 years in corporate
01:50 Corporate exit benefits. Less pressure, lost 15kg, sleeping better
02:14 Decision process. Salary security, four kids, finally making the leap
02:48 Why Jim’s Mowing. Podcasts, seeing other franchisees succeed
03:22 Was resigning the hardest part? Line in the sand moment
04:08 12-month results. 126 reviews, 4.9 stars
04:38 Starting overwhelmed. Fitness, injuries, learning the tools
05:21 Quality standards. Never leaving a job until he’s happy
05:57 One lead became his biggest account
06:16 Aged care account growth. About 90 clients, 20 more coming
06:46 Building diversity. DVA work and bundled service packages
07:48 Scaling with staff. Three employees, still getting five-star feedback
08:23 When he hired his first employee. The moment he had to stop leads
08:48 Quality control system. Photos after every job, feedback loop
09:28 Moving to a four-day week. Using Fridays for quoting, admin, family
10:03 Hiring timeline. First worker started about two months in
11:02 Switching to ServiceM8. Photos and timestamps for proof and QA
11:44 Recruiting staff. Seek didn’t work, network and referrals did
12:39 Facebook recruiting. Posting to his network
13:03 Revenue chat. Averaging $1,600 to $2,000 per day in sales
13:33 Wild job. Deceased cleanup and hoarder job, $10,000 dump fees
14:30 Core services. Positioning as gardening, not just mowing
15:31 Quoting tips. Mistakes early, then quoting from photos and videos
16:24 How he requests videos. SMS workflow, staying focused on current jobs
18:05 Why he added window and pressure cleaning. Package and upsell strategy
19:26 Pure water window cleaning system. Streak-free results
20:15 Is he still on the tools? Yes, but shifting toward management
21:37 Long-term goal. Off the tools, ops manager, maybe franchising later
23:02 Training approach. Two to three months, tool-by-tool progression
25:00 Four-day work week benefits. Motivation, recovery, retention
26:10 Buying better equipment to lift productivity. Team-driven improvements
28:09 Maintenance. Teaching staff basics, shop for major repairs
28:38 How he manages the team. Daily calls, occasional site meetups
29:26 Support from franchisor and network. Bruce and SK mentioned
31:01 Fees and value of the Jim’s brand. Leads, marketing, trust
32:36 Handling complaints. Turning negative feedback into opportunity
34:31 Advice for new franchisees. Ask for help, use the network
36:15 Wrap up and final encouragement
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
