Most of my clients are ex Jim's lately, some tell of 3 weeks to get even a quote, others of appointments made but no one turns up and calls not answered for days. It seems around here they have simply too much work to keep up with.
Most of my clients are ex Jim's lately, some tell of 3 weeks to get even a quote, others of appointments made but no one turns up and calls not answered for days. It seems around here they have simply too much work to keep up with.
Got to protect the brand name Lockie .
Great to hear from you anyway .
Good on ya lockie , great to hear a perspective from the dark side lol
G'day all, just thought i'd bring the other side of the thread to the table......I'm a Jims mowing franchise owner.....i know boo hiss boo. Have been reading this forum and others for awhile (always looking for new ideas, tips or to see how the industry is going from all angles) Really enjoy this site, heaps of good ideas from a group of really switched operators. I'm not here to start a slanging match or trying to sell the franchise system, just got tired of some of the porkies being spread about jims, yes there are dud jimbos and unhappy ones out there, but thats same in any group franchise, company or indy. 8 plus years ago i bought my franchise, for me it was the best thing i ever did, i went from working 7 days a week 10 to16 hrs a day (ran 3 bakeries) and no social life to 6 to 8hrs 5 days a week. I face all the same day to day dramas as any contracter,whens it going to rain consistently(here in Melb), economic down turn (recession) to equipment up keep and all the other little and big things that go with running a bizz.
Why did i go with Jims over indy?
Brand recognition was clincher for me it was just that simple.
I hav'nt called for work since Sept 06 and have sold over 150 clients back to jims.
Any way probably bored you all enough by now, just wanted to put my 2 cents worth out there.
Cheers
Lockie
theres two sides to every story.
Well done Lockie it seemed to go well for you.
Mind you a good worker like yourself would have done just as well in business as an independant i believe and have more control over your business.
But as long as your making the dosh and you are happy thats the main thing .
i looked at jims inside out,my best friend is a jims man,he helped me set up as a indy,working by my side for weeks during his break,AAA man.only one problem with jims,and thats jim himself,the man.my friend hes had many occasions of throwing in the towel with jim the man,but hung in there,which is good for him,he is a jims man.he did try and convince me,even bought me jims book,but iam a indy man through and through,my own man,master of how i see my universe.and we're matties(mates) stillOriginally Posted by Lockie
geejay
IMHO a lawnmowing franchise (or any of our businesses) is worth 1 mows worth of money ( eg you have 50 clients x $50 a mow, your business is worth $2500)
so, $30,000 worth of clients - thats a damn sight more than 65.
i can guarantee you wont be able to sell your franchise to someone else - else why dont you sell it each year at the end of summer, put feet up with 30 k over winter, then do it all again .
I know a bit about franchises - I went into selling franchises for something a long time ago ( and they WERE 30 k a pop) - it is fraught with the danger of getting your ass sued off by those you sell it to.
you have to have deep pockets (for lawyers) just to sell the franchise, then ya gotta make it work for the person you sold it to.
and imho anyone who "buys" customers or even leads just cant work out how to put an ad in the local paper.
franchise "income guarantees" are a rip off, they are just using the 30 k you paid them to pay a bit back to you. "if you do the right things, and QUALIFY"
Put your 30 k in the bank, and you can relax for 2 years while you build your business yourself. pay yourself the income guarantee and the advertising out of your 30 k.
and 130 a week, or whatever you gotta pay to a franchise, spend it on YOURSELF advertising.
$ 50 a week for a local ad, and i got all the work me and the 2 offsiders i dont have can handle. ( i work alone, but get 3 times the leads i can handle in summer) - i use $20 a week petrol, service only 3 suburbs - usually all of my customers on any day are within 10 minutes of my home, and 2 to 3 minutes from each other - its not hard, just dont accept work outside of your required area.
whatcha want to buy a lawnmowing franchise for i got no clue.
(some comments copied from another thread - didnt make sense to link the whole deal)
I got mixed feeling on this.
Truth is, there are many people "living the dream" within a franchise, but these are the exception.
My experience is neither all good, nor all bad.
Would I encourage you to join a franchise? NO
Would I discourage you from joining a franchise?
Not necessarily - but I would probably lean toward this side.
But by all means have a look and decide for yourself.
If you feel buying a franchise is buying a job, then you will likely fail.
If you lack the confidence to get out there and market yourself then you are not suited to be a business owner either.
Neither model guarantees success, but one model does not require a big outlay, ongoing overheads and contractual obligations.
David
Mr Sparkle Car Spa