When Mark, a seasoned tradesman with over 20 years of experience in the industry, decided to make a drastic career change, it raised a few eyebrows.
After running his own successful tiling business for 16 years, he took the leap and joined the Jim’s Mowing franchise.
In this in-depth interview with Joel Kleber, explore Mark’s journey, the challenges he faced, and the reasons behind his decision to transition from a thriving independent business to a franchised lawn care operation.
The Tiling Business: A Successful Run, but Staffing Woes
Mark’s tiling business had been his bread and butter for nearly two decades.
He had built it up from the ground, weathering the ups and downs of the industry and establishing a solid reputation in his local community.
However, as the business grew, Mark found himself facing a common challenge that many small business owners encounter – the struggle to find and retain reliable staff.
“Trying to find staff just got a bit near impossible to be honest,” Mark explained.
“The jobs were getting bigger and bigger, and without the manpower, you just can’t really… what’s the word? Can’t grow the business.”
Despite his best efforts, the staffing challenges became increasingly difficult to manage, and Mark realized that he needed to explore alternative options to sustain and grow his business.
This realization would ultimately lead him down an unexpected path.
The Neighbor’s Influence on Jim’s Mowing: A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything
As fate would have it, Mark’s neighbor happened to be a Jim’s Mowing franchisee.
During a casual conversation, the neighbor shared his experiences with the franchise and the benefits it offered.
This chance encounter sparked Mark’s interest, and he decided to explore the opportunity further.
“He started telling me a bit about it, and we did basically a bit of a trial, a bit of work experience, and took it from there,” Mark recounted.
The prospect of joining a well-established franchise like Jim’s Mowing presented an intriguing alternative to the challenges he was facing in his tiling business.
With the support of a proven system and a network of fellow franchisees, Mark saw the potential to regain control over his work-life balance and find new avenues for growth.
The Transition: From Tiling to Jim’s Mowing
Making the switch from running his own tiling business to joining a franchised lawn care operation was a significant change for Mark.
However, he found that many of the skills and experiences he had developed over the years in the construction industry were directly applicable to his new venture.
“Everything I’ve implemented with my personal business and Jim’s has coincided really well,” Mark explained.
“For example, you know, it’s all about customer service. When you work for yourself, every time I’m quoting a job, that’s when I lose. That’s my bread and butter. So without that, I don’t have any money. With Jim’s, obviously, there’s the profit margin, I suppose, per job is less, but there’s a lot more opportunities.”
The transition also allowed Mark to rediscover his passion for outdoor work and physical labor.
“Like anything as a tradie, being outside, it’s all about being physical work, I suppose. And same thing when you work by yourself, although I’m with customers sometimes, they’re out sometimes, you know, you don’t see them all day. Definitely don’t see too many trades on site, especially the private stuff. So, always seeing someone on site, you’re always talking to someone, which is a good environment to be in.”
Inheriting a Thriving Jim’s Mowing Business: 65 Clients on Day One
One of the significant advantages that Mark experienced when joining the Jim’s Mowing franchise was the opportunity to take over an existing business.
His franchisee, who was transitioning out of the industry, had a well-established client base of 65 customers.
“I end up buying this whole business franchise and making up my own,” Mark said.
“I’m very blessed. I mean, Robert really supports me even now, you know, it’s off the tools, and we’re still in contact. You know, very supportive with his old client base.”
Having a solid foundation of 65 guaranteed clients provided Mark with a significant head start, allowing him to focus on building relationships and expanding his customer base rather than starting from scratch.
The Power of the Jim’s Mowing Brand and Lead Generation
One of the key advantages that drew Mark to the Jim’s Mowing franchise was the strength of the brand and the company’s lead generation capabilities.
The Jim’s Mowing name carries significant weight in the industry, and the franchise’s robust call center and marketing efforts ensure a steady flow of new leads for its franchisees.
“The name is out, and that’s, I guess, the biggest selling point of becoming a franchisee,” Mark said.
“When we did our training day, the call center alone, that’s enough to blow anyone away. I think we were there at 8:30 in the morning, and there were something like 300 phone calls at 8:30 in the morning. Come lunchtime, it was up to about 1,200, and by the end of the day, it was like 3,000 phone calls.”
This influx of leads, combined with Mark’s commitment to providing exceptional customer service, has been a game-changer for his business.
“As soon as I get that message, I don’t care where I am, I always answer that and call directly. And then the reaction is always the same: ‘That was quick.’ I go, ‘Well, that’s part of the service.’”
Winning Quotes and Upselling Strategies
In the competitive world of lawn care, speed and responsiveness are key to winning new customers.
Mark has honed his quoting process to ensure he’s the first to reach out to potential clients, giving him a distinct advantage.
- Speed of reply: “If you’re the first one there and you’re the first one making contact, it’s still gives you better odds.”
- Persistent communication: “I probably hound them to be honest. And then all of a sudden, yeah, said when we do our, you know, our quoting, I would always send the quote and then send a text message. If you haven’t received it, please check your junk mail because, as I said, if you don’t know, you don’t know. Not many people check their junk mails.“
In addition to winning new clients, Mark has also found success in upselling his existing customers.
His approach is straightforward and honest, focusing on building trust and rapport with his clients.
“I’m just blunt, I’m just honest. I’m on a job, having a chat with a client, and I just turn around and say, ‘Oh, this shrub, you know, or hedge looks like it could be done.’ Just put it out there. I mean, in the day, what’s the worst going to say no? And most of the customers take it up most of the time.”
By offering additional services like hedge trimming, gutter cleaning, and even small landscaping projects, Mark has been able to increase the average revenue per customer, further boosting the profitability of his business.
Diversifying Services and Maximizing Profitability
While mowing lawns is the bread and butter of Mark’s business, he has also found success in diversifying his service offerings.
By tapping into the needs of his existing client base and identifying new revenue streams, he has been able to increase his overall profitability.
- Gutter cleaning: “They seem to be at the moment, sort of coming through. Am I winning a lot of them? Probably not, I’m probably around 50/50 in my gutters.”
- Garden maintenance: “Some of the existing clients we got, some bigger organizations, it’s just been full garden maintenance as far as, you know, mulch, ripping out dead plants, blowing the site.“
- Landscaping projects: “I know we laid, I know, six pavers. Wasn’t an amazing job, but, you know, she was happy.“
By offering a diverse range of services, Mark has been able to tap into higher-margin work, such as mulching, palm tree removal, and green waste disposal.
These labor-intensive tasks not only provide a better return on his time but also allow him to showcase his expertise and deliver exceptional value to his clients.
“When you hit some of those jobs that can be the labor-intensive ones, you know, mulching and stuff like that, then, yeah, we definitely hit some massive figures for a week,” Mark shared.
Embracing Technology and Equipment Upgrades
As a seasoned tradesman, Mark understood the importance of having the right tools for the job.
When he took over the existing business, he inherited a fleet of petrol-powered equipment.
However, he quickly recognized the benefits of transitioning to battery-operated tools, which offered several advantages.
“I got all his tools, which are all petrol, but they’re all old. They lasted about a month and a half, some of them, and then I just started slowly upgrading. Now, I’m using all the battery, except for the whipper snipper and the mowers.”
- Reduced maintenance: “Every two weeks, once a month, you know, all got to change the oil, clean the filters. It’s all part of it, but, you know, time is money.”
- Improved performance: “The whipper snipper, battery-operated, compared to petrol, it’s just a lot quicker. It’s just on-off, see later, get into it. Cold morning, doesn’t want to start, too hot, doesn’t want to start, pump, pump, pump, pump, you know, to check the lines.“
- Seamless operation: “I think moving forward, once everything sort of dies, I’ve, you know, have everything ready to go, just to put a battery on charge and keep moving.“
By embracing the latest technology and equipment, Mark has been able to streamline his operations, reduce downtime, and provide a more efficient service to his clients.
Advice for Aspiring Franchisees
Drawing from his own experiences, Mark offers valuable advice for anyone considering the leap into franchising:
“Do your research, talk, engage with people, give it a go.”
“Unfortunately, we all stereotypically think, ‘I would just mow the lawn.’ There’s a lot more to it than that. There are techniques.”
“The flexibility to go work for yourself is priceless. You can dictate how much money you want. You want to work half a day, you want to work 5 days a week, 7 days a week, go for it. The more you work, the more you can make.”
Mark’s journey from a successful tiling business to a thriving Jim’s Mowing franchise is a testament to the power of adaptability and the rewards that can come from embracing new opportunities.
By leveraging the strengths of the Jim’s Mowing brand, his own expertise, and a willingness to embrace change, Mark has found a path to success that aligns with his personal and professional goals.
To learn more about Jim’s Mowing and the franchise opportunities available, be sure to visit the Jim’s Group website or call 131 546 in Australia or 0800 454 654 in New Zealand.
Don’t forget to check out the Jim’s Group YouTube channel for more inspiring stories and valuable business advice.