Jim Penman, founder of Jim’s Group, joins the Whatever It Takes podcast for a candid conversation on growing from a one-man lawn mowing operation to over 5,500 franchisees. Jim shares lessons on selling without selling, screening franchisees for success, and why ethics are non-negotiable in business. The discussion also dives into networking, AI’s role in franchising, and Jim’s unfiltered views on Australia’s housing crisis — and why he’s considering a run for Victorian State Parliament.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Jim considers running for Victorian upper house over housing crisis
0:18 – Introduction to Jim Penman and Jim’s Group
1:39 – From PhD student to full-time lawn mowing
3:52 – Facing competition from VIP and launching Jim’s Mowing franchise
5:26 – Growth from 1 to 5,500 franchisees
6:31 – Expanding into other service divisions
7:52 – Early fears about brand transfer and the birth of Jim’s Cleaning
8:59 – Selling by focusing on the other person’s needs
13:05 – Why saying “no” can grow your business
17:02 – Screening franchisees for suitability
20:19 – Red flags and deal-breakers when onboarding
21:43 – How screening actually fuels growth
23:40 – Granting vs selling a franchise
24:09 – Jim’s Group training program and onboarding process
25:50 – Measuring and improving training impact
27:50 – Networking’s role in franchise success
29:47 – New and emerging divisions within Jim’s Group
34:03 – Using humor and social media to humanize the brand
35:18 – Embracing AI with “Digital Jim”
36:40 – Potential for digital-focused divisions
37:05 – Jim’s candid take on government support for small business
39:53 – Why franchising regulations fail franchisees
42:38 – The real estate crisis: zoning, supply, and affordability
46:41 – How policy drives homelessness and inequality
48:09 – Town planning failures in Sydney and Melbourne
50:55 – Personal impacts of housing scarcity
52:25 – Final thoughts on entrepreneurship and legacy

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Jim's Group is your local expert in more than 580 plus services! Our channel is about showing our franchisee's expertise and providing you with great business advice from our founder, Jim Penman.

Not only that, but we also provide regular how-to and advice videos for a large range of topics. The Jim's Group completes around 5 million jobs a year, and there is a great reason for that, which is our longstanding commitment to delivering the best customer service possible.

We also have had 245,000 plus un-serviced leads in 2024 and need more franchisees, we have the work available and can train you in any division.
To obtain an information pack please call 131 546 or https://jims.net/own-a-franchise/

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TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@jimsgroup

JIM’S GROUP WEBSITE: https://www.jims.net/
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OWN A FRANCHISE: https://jims.net/own-a-franchise/
PHONE: 131 546 (AUS) 0800 454 654 (NZ)

Podcast
🎧 iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/jims-podcast/id1466721618
🎼 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/502PU0ZUKtzFjGmcDoHDi4
📽 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZLlOfY2ia2u5OyFx3RfmBN-zmZ9cvwGX
🖥 Webpage - https://www.jimspodcast.com/

JIM PENMAN'S SOCIAL ACCOUNTS
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thejimpenman/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thejimpenman/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thejimpenman

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