A typical day for Jim’s Mowing franchisee George Santalucia starts around 7:00 am, covers about seven or eight jobs, and is usually wrapped up in the field by around 2:00 pm. This was not a special showcase day; George called it “a pretty standard day” for how he runs his Jim’s Mowing and General Services franchise on the Mornington Peninsula. Here is what the day looks like step by step, from the first job in Mornington to the final mow near home in Tootgarook.
Watch the video above, or keep reading to see what a full working day actually looks like.
What Time Does A Jim’s Mowing Franchisee Start Work?
George starts as soon as he can at 7:00 am.
By the time the Jim’s Group crew joined him around 8:00 am, he had already finished one job. That first job was a large empty block in Mornington. On his own, George says that kind of job could take 45 minutes to an hour because of the edging and nature strip. With Clint, his employee, it moves faster.
Monday is generally George’s Mornington day. He plans his route around the area, then makes his way back towards Tootgarook, which is his territory.
He also opens up the Jim’s lead area for Mornington on Mondays. That way, if a lead comes in while he is already working there, he does not have to travel back across town.
That matters because travel can eat into the day.
George says when you first start, you may be going backwards and forwards because your area is big and your jobs are not grouped yet. As the client base grows, he says the day gets easier to organise.
“As you get busier, I group suburbs into days.”
The next job was also in Mornington, only about five or six minutes away. This was a regular garden maintenance job that started as a Jim’s lead.
It was not just a mow. It was mowing, hedging, edging, weeding, and keeping the whole property neat.
The customer originally wanted weekly service. George was there for three hours a week in the beginning, but once the property came under control, he suggested moving it to three hours every fortnight.
That is a big part of how the day works. Some jobs are simple mows. Others are longer, mixed maintenance jobs where George and Clint can stay in one place and get through a range of tasks.
For this Mornington property, Clint handled the lawn while George worked on the hedging along the driveway and back fence. If there was time left, they would also do a hand weeding.
The brief from the customer was simple: keep the place neat.
George says these are some of his favourite jobs because they are varied, peaceful, and not rushed.
How Many Jobs Does A Jim’s Mowing Franchisee Do In A Day?
By around 11.20 am, George was on the fourth job of the day.
He said the filming may have slowed the pace slightly, but not too much. Normally, he may have been there around 10.30 am or 10:00 am.
The work was still moving steadily.
The Mornington Peninsula area changes the way George’s day looks compared with his earlier work in Kew. In Kew, the lawns were smaller and closer together. He says he might have done 15 $45 lawns in a day.
On the Peninsula, the properties are larger.
“I’d say my average cut value on the Peninsula is well over $100 just because they are larger, not because I’m ripping people off.”
That means he may do fewer jobs some days, but the value of each job can be higher.
“There are days when I might work a full day and only do four jobs because they’re large. And then you go through your invoices at the end of the day, and you’re like, pretty good day.”
A major part of George’s day is regular holiday home maintenance. He says 60–70% of his jobs are holiday homes.
For these customers, the goal is simple. Keep the grass short and the property neat so when the owners arrive, there is nothing for them to do.
That can make the work more flexible. George often does not need to meet the customer onsite. He can arrive, do the job, send the invoice, and move on.
At one holiday home, the work started as a large cleanup. The property was so overgrown that George brought in another franchisee to help. They completed the job in one day, then George suggested ongoing monthly maintenance so it would never get that bad again.
At this time of year, he services that property every fortnight because the grass grows quickly. In winter, it may drop back to every three or four weeks.
This is where George sees opportunity. He does not treat every once-off job as only a once-off job. He gives the customer an option.
For example, a big cleanup may be $1,000, then regular maintenance might be $150 a month.
He says it can feel awkward because he does not naturally like upselling. But he reframes it as offering an alternative.
“They can only say no.”
By 12.30 pm, the weather was hot, around 30 degrees plus. The next job was a small standard mow with a nature strip and a small yard. George estimated it would take about 10 minutes.
After that, he was heading back towards his own territory in Tootgarook to finish the day close to home.
What Happens After The Last Mowing Job?
George says this was not a light day set up for the camera.
“No, this is a pretty standard day.”
He usually starts around 7:00 am and is done in the field by about 2:00 pm. Some days are earlier. Some days run longer.
There are exceptions where he may start at 7:00 am and finish at 5:00 pm. That might happen if he has packed in too much work, misjudged how long jobs will take, or if Clint is not working that day.
But the day shown in the video was more typical: seven or eight jobs, a mix of larger and medium-sized properties, and a finish that still leaves time in the afternoon.
The last job was a large block in Tootgarook. It was another holiday home. The owners employ George to keep the grass neat, so they have nothing to do when they come down.
This job is not as frequent as the others. George says the owners want it done every five or six weeks, especially when it has been hot, and there has not been much rain.
After the final field job, the day is not completely finished.
George still has light admin at home:
- Plug in the batteries
- Clean machinery if needed
- Return phone calls
- Check emails
- Review payments
- Reconcile invoices
He uses Xero and the app on his phone. Most invoices are sent straight after each job, while he is back in the van.
Because many jobs are regular, invoicing is simple. He copies the draft, sends the invoice, and only changes the quantity, price, or description if there was extra work.
At night, he checks his bank account and ticks off who has paid. He says that it usually takes five to 10 minutes.
That admin often happens while he is sitting in front of the TV.
What Are The Hours, Jobs And Earnings Like?
Jobs per day:
George says a typical day is around seven or eight jobs.
Start time:
He starts as soon as he can at 7:00 am.
Typical field finish:
He is usually done by around 2:00 pm. Some days are earlier.
Longer days:
Some days may run from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm if he has packed in too much work or if Clint is not working.
Admin time:
After field work, there is usually about an hour or sometimes a little more of charging batteries, cleaning gear, calls, and emails. Payment reconciliation can take five to 10 minutes.
Average job value:
In Kew, George says he might have done 15 $45 lawns. On the Peninsula, he says his average cut value is well over $100.
Example maintenance price:
George gives the example of a $1,000 cleanup and $150 a month for ongoing maintenance.
Winter earnings:
George says, “I did 50 grand in winter.”
Monthly winter earnings:
He says he was doing between 15 and 20 those months.
Client base:
George says he has around 100 clients. The number moves as customers drop off, come on, or come back.
Lead conversion:
George says he does not hit 100% of quotes, but estimates he gets around 90%.
Travel:
He estimates about 600 kilometres in two weeks, or around 300 kilometres a week, including some private use of the van.
Battery setup:
George has 11 batteries in total: nine 82-volt batteries and two 60-volt batteries.
Battery use during the day:
On the day filmed, he said he had gone through maybe three batteries by the final job.
Is Running A Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It?
George is clear that he likes the work.
“I always loved the work. There was no question about that.”
The part that surprised him most was the financial freedom in the first 12 months. He says that within 12 months, he bought a house and a new car.
He also likes the freedom during the day.
He can stop for coffee between jobs. If it gets too hot and he really wants to stop, he can. If he wants to keep working until dark, he can do that too.
“No one’s going to say you can’t go home.”
That does not mean the job is easy.
George is honest that the business comes with responsibility.
“The buck stops with me. It’s my business. So I wouldn’t say it’s all roses.”
There is physical work involved. Hedging can fatigue the forearms and shoulders. Early on, line trimming and edging can be intimidating. George says it took a few weeks to start feeling comfortable, and the improvement came gradually.
“There’s no aha moment. You just realise you’re getting through things quicker.”
He also had to learn not to underquote.
In his earlier attempt, he felt more desperate to get work. This time, he decided he would not take cheap jobs just to fill the diary.
“I was never going to be desperate.”
The work suits someone who is reliable, consistent, and comfortable taking responsibility. George says customers want someone who shows up, fixes mistakes, and does not disappear.
That is also where he sees the value of the Jim’s Group system.
George says Jim’s Mowing leads are of higher quality because people are calling for Jim’s Mowing for a reason. They already know the name. They expect accountability. And if something goes wrong, they know the franchisee cannot simply vanish.
Support also matters.
George says he does not lean heavily on his franchisor, but he knows the support is there. If he gets injured or goes on holiday, other franchisees can help cover the run. When he was learning how to handle NDIS work, TAC work, and insurance jobs, he had people around him who could help with quoting and billing.
For George, the lifestyle works because it gives him structure without taking away control.
If he finishes by 4:00 pm, he gets two or three hours with his kids before they go to bed. On some days, there is still enough daylight to play golf, go to the beach, or simply enjoy the afternoon.
That is the real day-to-day picture: early start, physical work, regular customers, light admin, strong lead flow, and more control over the day than a traditional job.
FAQs About Running A Jim’s Mowing Franchise
George starts as soon as he can at 7:00 am. On the day filmed, he had already completed one job before the crew joined him around 8:00 am.
George says a typical day is around seven or eight jobs. Some days have fewer jobs if the properties are larger or the work is more involved.
George is usually done in the field by around 2:00 pm. Some days finish earlier. Longer days can run from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm if the diary is packed or he is working without his employee.
Yes, but it still requires responsibility. George can stop early if needed, keep working if he wants, group suburbs into certain days, and build his schedule around regular clients. But he also says the buck stops with him because it is his business.
George says he did 50 grand in winter and was doing between 15 and 20 those months. He credits regular clients, Jim’s leads, referrals, extras like gutters and pruning, and reliable service.
Want to see if a Jim’s franchise fits your lifestyle? Enquire at jims.net or call 131 546 today