We get asked these questions every week. Here are honest answers from Dave, a Jim’s Test & Tag franchisee with Jim’s Group in Mildura. This article covers 12 of the most common questions about how much work is available in a Jim’s Test & Tag franchise.
Watch the video above, or keep reading for the full Q&A.
What were you doing prior to Jim’s Test & Tag?
Before Jim’s Test & Tag, Dave did a mix of policing and business ownership. He spent about 17 years with Victoria Police early on.
After that, he owned his own businesses in hotels, restaurants, and motels, and worked in agricultural farm management. Personal circumstances later moved him to Mildura, and he started this on his own in northwest Victoria.
If you are comparing different backgrounds and wondering what transfers well, the short answer is this: you do not need one perfect “trade” history. You need to be comfortable working with customers, staying organised, and taking pride in the job.
Why did you start Test & Tag?
Dave started it because he saw a need for it through his previous job. He thought there was “a bit of a hole in the market,” and working for himself was a big bonus.
That choice matters. You are weighing the market need against whether you want to control your own time and income. If you want a broader overview of the model, see this.
How is the training?
The training is really good, and Dave did it during COVID, so it was mostly online. He also had to travel for some hands-on components coming out of COVID.
The bigger point is that it does not stop at training. Dave calls out the ongoing support from the franchisor and other franchisees as part of the package. If you are still at the “where do I even start?” stage, this is a useful primer.
What is the earning potential?
The earning potential depends on how much work you want to put in. Dave’s view is simple: “The more you put in, the more you can make.”
He also says he is making more money now than he has in his whole working life. The trade-off is hours. He puts in “quite a few hours” because there is a lot of work there, but he describes the work as mentally easy and “pretty stress-free.”
How much work is there?
There’s enough for Dave, and he says there’s “more than what I can do.” In his area, he is 400 kilometres from the nearest other Jim’s franchisee, and he believes the work is “unlimited” if another franchisee started up nearby and actively went out and looked for it.
Dave has been with the company for nearly three years, still sees more work than he can personally handle, and says the only limiting factor is capacity. He also points out that even if another franchisee came into his area, there is still room, provided they actively go out and look for the work.
If you want a practical look at how people build demand, start here.
Are you selling a split?
Yes, Dave is open to negotiation on selling a split. He says he has a large customer base and could “easily sell off a split.”
His point is aimed at people who want to start but worry they do not have any customers. He is saying you can sit down, work it out, and “give them a good number of customers to start off with.”
How is the support?
The support is really good, and Dave says it has been “absolutely fantastic” from day one. He describes it as a phone call away for any issue or problem.
That support network is a big part of the Jim’s Group model, built by Jim Penman, founder of Jim’s Group, around systems and regular check-ins. Dave also mentions regular meetings and annual conferences, plus the value of being surrounded by people running the same business in the same business model.
If you want to understand the wider franchise pathway, read this.
What type of person suits Jim’s Test & Tag?
Someone who wants to have a lot of pride in their work suits Jim’s Test & Tag. Dave also points to people who want to work for themselves and take away that “nine-to-five sort of job.”
He links that to reward, both in income and in the feeling you get from doing solid, repeatable work well.
How is the lifestyle with it?
The lifestyle is flexible because you can choose how much work you do and how much you take on. Dave repeats that there is “a lot of work on at the moment”, but working for yourself means you can decide your capacity.
The flip side is simple: when the work is there, it is easy to keep saying yes. If you want more time back, you need to set your own limits.
Can people join an observation day with you?
Yes, people can join an observation day with Dave. He says they recommend that right from the start.
If someone is in the local area, he will tee it up, come out for a day, and show how they do things. That makes it easier to judge the work, the pace, and the customer interactions before you commit.
What is the best thing about the business?
The best thing, for Dave, is the lack of stress. He says the work’s there, “there’s no issues”, and the early fear about whether work existed has gone away.
Nearly three years down the track, the work is “definitely there”. He says he knows now that he has got guaranteed work, and it is going to continue on. He also describes the day as repetitive in a good way: get up, plan, and go to work.
Are you happy with the income?
Yes, Dave is happy with the income. He says he is 53 now, has had a lot of good jobs and owned businesses, but in this one, he is earning “more than what I had from the lot.”
He also adds a line you will hear often at a conference: “I should have done this 10 years ago.”
If you want to talk to someone about territory, workload, training, and what a week can look like, start with the right questions and organise an observation day.
Visit jims.net or call 131 546.