George Santalucia came back to Jim’s in March 2025, rebuilt it from a small, purchased customer base, and quickly grew it to 80 to 100 regulars. Within about three months, he says he was already doubling what he had been earning working for someone else.
In short: George Santalucia first joined Jim’s from 2012 to 2015, struggled, and left burnt out. When he returned in March 2025, he followed the system properly, focused on core services, and grew his Jim’s Mowing franchise to 80 to 100 regulars. Within about three months, he says he was already doubling what he had been earning before.
BLUF: George’s story shows that a Jim’s Mowing franchise can grow quickly when the operator stops trying to do everything, uses the support around them, and builds a strong, regular base. His first attempt failed because he lacked focus and did not use the system well. His second attempt worked because he narrowed the work, improved service, stayed accountable, and built the business around repeat customers.
George Santalucia came back to Jim’s in March 2025 and rebuilt the business the right way. He grew to 80 to 100 regulars, hired staff earlier than expected, and improved both his income and family time. This article covers what changed, how fast the business grew, and why he believes the franchise is worth it.
George’s First Jim’s Mowing Experience (2012–2015) and Why It Failed
George had already lived through one failed attempt before this turnaround.
His first stint with Jim’s ran from 2012 to 2015. Looking back, he says he probably lacked maturity, thought the business would be easier than it was, and did not use the Jim’s support network properly. By the time the business was in trouble, he was burnt out and not really in a position to pull it back.
That first run matters because it gives this story real weight. This is not a first-time success story. It is a comeback story from someone who made mistakes, stepped away, and came back with a much better understanding of what it takes to own a franchise properly.
George also learnt an expensive lesson about trying to do too much. In his first stint, he took on landscaping work, underquoted it, and ended up spending far longer on jobs than expected. That then flowed through to regular customers, because he was stuck on one site for days longer than planned.
Why George Returned to Jim’s Mowing in 2025
George returned in March 2025, but this time with a very different mindset.
Instead of trying to figure everything out by himself, he actively sought advice from people who knew more than he did. He says he now tries to do everything right, turns up when he says he will, and calls if he is running late. His view is simple: pretty much everything you learn in franchisee training works if you actually follow it.
George does not describe the system as magic. He describes it as useful. The second time around, he stopped resisting the structure and started using it properly.
He also already knew he enjoyed the work itself. He says it has always been his favourite job. He likes being in multiple locations in one day, likes the freedom of not being stuck in one place, and enjoys the fact that he can manage his own day.
The Difficult Early Months After Restarting the Franchise
George is very clear that the start is hard.
He says you do a lot of quotes, your area is bigger, and you need to be prepared to move quickly if you want to grow. There were times he would get home at four or five o’clock, have a shower, see a lead come through that was only 10 minutes away, and head straight back out in uniform.
That is the part people often miss when they think about the lifestyle side of a Jim’s Mowing franchise. The freedom comes later, but the early stage can be intense. George has two young kids, so those extra trips back out were a real trade-off, not just a passing inconvenience.
He did not restart from zero. When he came back, he bought 22 regulars from one franchisee and another 10 or 12 customers from another seller. From there, he added more work through leads, neighbour recommendations, and people approaching him on the street.
How George Increased His Earnings Within Just 3 Months
George expected he would probably make only a little more than he had been earning working for someone else, and thought that would be the case for a year or even 18 months. Instead, within about three months, he says he was probably doubling that.
He then adds that, honestly, most days he probably makes more in a day than he used to make in a week.
That is exactly the sort of real-world result people are looking for when they search how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise. George’s story does not prove everyone will get the same outcome, but it does show what can happen when a franchisee grows quickly, builds regular work, and stays highly responsive.
How George Scaled to 80–100 Regular Customers
George says his business is now probably between 80 and 100 regulars.
That is the number he was trying to build towards. His goal was to create a large, regular base so that in quieter months and cooler months, he would still stay busy. That is a smart way to build a Jim’s Mowing franchise because regular work creates stability, makes the schedule easier to manage, and reduces the pressure to chase every one-off job.
He also says the business got bigger quicker than he expected. His initial plan was to work solo, but that changed at the start of spring. He hired a full-timer, and another person now helps a couple of days a week when uni allows.
That is a major shift in a short period. He moved from owner-operator mode to building capacity because demand forced the issue.
The Simple Systems That Drove George’s Second-Attempt Success
One of the clearest reasons George’s second attempt worked is that he became more focused.
This time, he mainly does mowing, gardening, and gutters. He has not touched landscaping, and he is starting to move away from big clean-ups now that he has a healthy, regular base. That decision matters because those regular services are easier to quote, easier to schedule, and less likely to blow up the week.
He also has a very clear customer service approach. When he goes to a lead, he tries to find common ground straight away. It might be a car, a surname, a nationality, or a family connection. He says that helps create rapport before the conversation even gets to the garden.
Then he backs it up with reliability. He turns up on time. He calls if he is running late. His view is that there is nothing especially proprietary about mowing itself, so the difference has to be in the service.
That mindset fits perfectly with the accountability customers already associate with Jim’s Mowing. George says customers choose Jim’s because franchisees are accountable to somebody, and that matters when a customer has already been let down by another operator who simply stopped showing up.
He also says he currently has a five-star rating and does not want to lose it. That says a lot about how he sees the business now. It is not just about getting work. It is about protecting trust.
Key Mistakes, Challenges, and Lessons From Both Attempts
George’s second run is going well, but he does not pretend it is easy.
The early challenge was volume. More quotes, a wider area, more pressure to chase leads, and more urgency if he wanted to grow fast. He says those extra after-hours call-outs were not ideal, but they were part of building a reputation as the reliable guy people did not feel the need to shop around for.
He also learnt from the mistakes of his first stint. Taking on work outside his strengths, especially landscaping, led to underquoting and poor scheduling. This time, he has stayed in his lane and built the business around work he knows he can price and deliver properly.
George also shares a practical lesson on hiring. He found his employee through community Facebook pages and says honesty in the ad matters. He made it clear that at the start, the role might only be two or three days a week. His view is that if you promise 40 hours and cannot deliver, you will only let people down.
He is equally direct about fees. One of the most common misconceptions he hears is that Jim’s takes a percentage. He says there is no percentage, and that it is roughly around $800 a month plus $18 a lead. At the start, he took a lot of leads. Now that he is busier, he says he does not take quite so many, so he is actually paying less. That lines up with how Jim’s explains how franchising fees work.
Is a Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It? George’s Honest View
George’s answer is yes, but with an important condition.
He says that if you follow the system, you are far more likely than unlikely to be really successful. Coming from someone whose first attempt failed, that means far more than a generic franchise success line.
He also talks about the lifestyle side in a way that feels grounded. Now that he has an employee, he gets to his first job at seven and is usually home by two or three, sometimes four if support is not available. His kids go to bed about eight, which gives him a fair few hours at home with them.
For George, that is the real payoff. Better income mattered, but so did the freedom, the control over his day, and the time back with his family.
Franchise Journey Comparison: First Attempt vs Restart
| Business Area | First Attempt | Restart |
| Timeframe | 2012 to 2015 | Restarted in March 2025 |
| Approach | Tried to do too much and did not use support well | Focused on core services and followed the system |
| Result | Business ended in burnout | Grew to 80 to 100 regulars and hired staff |
| Income Direction | Did not do very well | Probably doubled previous earnings within about three months |
‘Within about three months, I was probably doubling that, and now, honestly, most days I probably make more in a day than I did in a week.’
– George Santalucia, Jim’s Mowing franchisee in Mornington Peninsula
Frequently Asked Questions
George says that within about three months, he was probably doubling what he had been earning working for someone else, and most days he now makes more in a day than he used to make in a week.
He says he bought 22 regulars from one franchisee and another 10 or 12 customers from another seller. That gave him a starting base, then he added more work through leads, neighbour recommendations, and people approaching him on the street.
George says his business is probably between 80 and 100 regulars. That regular base is what helped create more consistency and made the business more stable in quieter months.
He mainly does mowing, gardening, and gutters. He stayed away from landscaping this time because he had already learnt that those jobs could take longer than expected and throw the rest of the business off track.
He says there is no percentage paid to Jim’s. His explanation is that it is roughly around $800 a month plus $18 a lead, and as the business got busier, he actually started paying less because he took fewer leads.
George believes accountability is a big reason. Customers know Jim’s franchisees are backed by a bigger system, which matters when they have already had an unreliable operator stop turning up.
No. George says the start is hard because there are a lot of quotes, the area is bigger, and you need to be ready to chase nearby leads even late in the day if you want to grow quickly.
Yes. He says that if you follow the system, you are far more likely than unlikely to be really successful, and he now has both a better income and more time at home with his family.
Key Takeaways
- George’s first Jim’s stint ran from 2012 to 2015 and ended badly.
- He returned in March 2025 with a better mindset and stronger use of support.
- He restarted with 22 regulars plus another 10 or 12 purchased customers.
- He built the business to 80 to 100 regulars.
- Within about three months, he says he was probably doubling his previous earnings.
- The business grew fast enough for him to hire a full-time employee.
- He focused on mowing, gardening, and gutters instead of trying to do everything.
- Reliability, accountability, and customer service became major growth drivers.
- He believes the Jim’s system works if you actually follow it.
Thinking About a Jim’s Mowing Franchise? Here’s What to Know
George’s story is not a story about easy money. It is a story about what can happen when someone learns from a failed first attempt, comes back sharper, and builds a real customer base through consistency, service, and repeat work.
If you are seriously considering a Jim’s Mowing franchise, spend some time understanding what is involved from the start, what support you get, how the fee structure works, and what strong operators actually do differently once they get going.
Learn more about joining Jim’s Mowing at jims.net or call 131 546 today.