YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → $500k a year with one staff member. 27 years in Jim's Mowing

$500k a year with one staff member. 27 years in Jim's Mowing — Transcript

by Jim's Group · 12,961 words · 1,772 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00Obviously see it online people say like
0:01why pay gyms and go do it yourself and
0:04it's easy and away you go. What would
0:05you sort of say to those people who just
0:07think it's easier as a solo compared to
0:08the franchise route? I've seen in the
0:10number one Joel was an extremely good
0:12friend of mine say I'm going on my own
0:15good friend a good operator and he went
0:17out on his own and now he actually does
0:19what we do but he works for a large
0:22nursing home and he's there and he
0:23turned around and he just said yeah well
0:25um it ain't so easy in the other side
0:26after all. now to get that emission from
0:28him to turn around and do the walk. And
0:30the thing is I assume one of them on the
0:32page where I was in Jim I know one chef
0:34who's moved and went to a whole new area
0:36and started again maybe that was
0:37different but so many different people
0:39that I got or gone indirectly got to
0:41know that have gone out on their own and
0:43say they're doing great or they're not
0:45they're not doing that good and the
0:46number one question still is how much
0:47money do they spend on marketing?
0:50>> Yes. Yes.
0:50>> Yeah. I know independents around here
0:51who give me and I get on well with them.
0:53They'll give me flack about staying in
0:55gyms all these years. They're not come
0:57up to me, why don't I get any of your
0:58work from Bizer anymore? Oh, I need that
1:01Bizer work. Basically, if you join Gyms,
1:03mate, you'd have to Oh, yeah. Yeah. A
1:04lot of them in the past have relied on
1:07Bizar to build their numbers up. You
1:09know, obviously when we're fairly busy.
1:11>> So, welcome back to Jim's Ming Gyms
1:12Group podcast. And I'm joined today by
1:13Grant Osborne, who's been with us since
1:151999. So, you've been with the Gyms
1:17Group for a very long time. 27 years
1:20now. So, um it's great to have you back
1:21on. We had you on a couple of years ago,
1:22I reckon, Grant. So, you're still here,
1:24which is fantastic. So we'll just have a
1:25chat about your business and any advice
1:28you can share with the wider gyms
1:29family.
1:30>> Certainly. Certainly.
1:31>> So I know you're big on commercial
1:33grants. So do you want to talk about the
1:34commercial operation you've got? Maybe
1:35run through some of the equipment and
1:37what you do for clients up in your area.
1:39>> Well um over the years we've gone and
1:41used various equipment there with all
1:43the different niches there that we have
1:45up in the the hunter there. So we got
1:47the inner urban suburban, the acorage,
1:50the retirement villages and then the
1:51industrial cuz we're the mining capital
1:54of Australia. So we have a lot of heavy
1:56industry around it. That's where we
1:58decided to go with it for the last
2:00number of years and it's working out
2:02very very well. Part of the reason being
2:04on today there is that um with a lot of
2:06this work gyms has been left out of the
2:09picture. Uh big companies such as
2:11programmed spotless maxim deskcapes
2:15because of their size have been able to
2:16go in with large amount of staff and
2:19vehicles and whatever and capture a lot
2:20of that work. And slowly but surely
2:22we're able to penetrate that market and
2:24it's a massive market to get into and to
2:26uh really make some inroads.
2:28>> Now how have you gone about doing that
2:29with yourself? Like was it just you just
2:31you just physically go into places or
2:32how have you gone about doing these? We
2:34have been using some marketing
2:35strategies lately there with a woman
2:37doing a direct call but it basically
2:40mean I changed with Paul King a little
2:42while ago my franchise or where
2:44basically my territory is only
2:45industrial areas and out certain places
2:48and what happens with it when you seen
2:51that's when people start to take notice
2:53they see you doing the work and it
2:55really is a lot of it is seen believing
2:56with a lot of these businesses what's
2:58happened in recent times there our
3:00industry there is starting to really
3:02catch up with I think probably a lot of
3:03other industries there where it's the
3:05case that there's a lot more regulatory
3:07requirement.
3:08>> Yeah,
3:09>> we engaged a company there who uses some
3:11of the gym swims as well across a number
3:13of thousands of dollars to put a
3:15complete policy together environmental
3:17policies anti-slavery policy. So in
3:20other words, we say that we're using
3:21organizations or or companies that don't
3:24use slavery to make their stuff. It's
3:26just so deep now. But this is what's
3:28required when you're dealing with the
3:29larger companies.
3:30>> So what do you think? Just repeat that
3:31for me. like say you don't use slavery
3:33and stuff like all these extra
3:34requirements. You want to just talk
3:36about that? I didn't know that.
3:37>> Yeah. What what's happened there is and
3:39it's becoming a requirement. We've we've
3:40had people there that we've done work
3:41for. All it used to be was um workers
3:45comp public liability. Show us your ABN
3:48and off you go.
3:49>> Yeah.
3:49>> But what's happened there now there
3:51where people that we've been doing work
3:52for 10 12 years go grant grant grant. Um
3:55it's all changed. Uh we need all this
3:57stuff now. It's coming from a
3:59[clears throat] higher part of their
4:00company. And um luckily we've got it on
4:02hand. All our new quotes now we all put
4:04it in which is what we need to do to
4:06compete with these other people. And the
4:08the tricky stuff with it is like a lot
4:09of our stuff is done out of ours and
4:11what what's happened with it there too
4:13which is always [snorts] I was resistant
4:16to it for a long time earlier on but the
4:18a lot of policies like working and
4:20isoliz isolization being isolated when
4:23you're working after hours with no one
4:25around. work safe and the other
4:27government oversight people are watching
4:29it closely. Now give a couple of
4:31examples. One of them a lady from a not
4:33Jimmy of course not a commercial
4:35cleaning company went in by herself
4:37after hours to an office area cleaning
4:39slipped head ahead cracked the head open
4:41and she wasn't found for a couple of
4:43hours because she knocked herself out
4:45the stitches and then people the family
4:47went looking for her to find her and
4:49that created hell. close to the home.
4:51Another I got this client because of
4:52this a chap there supposed to come in on
4:54a weekend and do work with crew didn't
4:57came in in the early hours of Monday
4:59morning was still not good light on his
5:01own wearing shorts walked up behind
5:03something sharp like a wire thing cut
5:05his leg the calf wide open went into
5:08shock and the staff came in an hour and
5:09a half later and found him bleeding he
5:11was in shock and um again gets taken to
5:14hospital there's investigations so yeah
5:17in this day and age there when we're
5:19doing that there. Um it's a buddy system
5:21or you you're not by yourself with all
5:23these type of things. And that's where
5:25Joel, the big companies have been able
5:27to keep us out as they say, look, we've
5:30got dedicated work vehicles, multiple
5:32staff, we won't let you down. The little
5:34guys, they might get sick. The car might
5:37break down, they'll let you down. But
5:39for argument sake, we hear a lot of them
5:40lately say the big schools now that
5:43would be out of our be working
5:45isolation. Y
5:46>> we can get it where two or three
5:48independent gyms can come together and
5:50work a school within the law do a great
5:53job and present to them and say look if
5:56one of us is on holiday whatever we've
5:58always got a backup there to make sure
5:59the job gets done and that is the way of
6:01the world now where where we're moving.
6:03>> Hope you're enjoying the podcast and
6:04sorry for the interruption. This is the
6:05host Joel Clever. I've got a real quick
6:07favor to ask you. We've had more than
6:0950,000 downloads across our podcast over
6:11the years but not many reviews. So, we
6:13just need people to take the time to do
6:14us a favor and if you enjoyed the
6:16podcast, leave us a review on iTunes or
6:18Spotify. Really helps the show. Now,
6:20back to the podcast.
6:21>> Right. Is that And how is that something
6:22that And how is that something that we
6:24can do? Is it just something where
6:25franchises have to get together or is it
6:27something like you just be a leader in
6:28the region to do it or how's that going
6:29to how would that work?
6:30>> Will you either have it where you have
6:31your staff or if it's solo guys, they
6:34get together and a number of them get
6:36together and go let's let's quoting this
6:38this together and go from there. But
6:40more and more we even have it sometimes
6:42where I'll get a phone call and they go
6:44we're looking on the camera one of your
6:45staff because I have a staff member that
6:47drives in a van and we have a lot of
6:49gear in that I've got truck and trailer
6:51my wife's got another vehicle and um
6:53he'll walk into the property 5 minutes
6:56before me and start and I'll get a call
6:57on a Monday mate no one starts on the
6:59road until you're all there
7:01>> right okay
7:02>> and that and that's just the way the
7:04world our quality of work Joel our
7:06franchises can easily do the quality of
7:08work that these these big guys do that
7:10just employed people that go along and
7:12do it. It's just a matter that we can
7:14show there that we have the strength in
7:16numbers and the independent budget that
7:18we can go along and do this work and go
7:20after the big jobs.
7:21>> Yeah. And I also think that the um you
7:24guys own the own your own business,
7:25right? And I think there's a different
7:26level of pride of work compared to just
7:28employees even though they work for a
7:29big company coming out there whereas
7:31your standard of work would be different
7:32I would say.
7:33>> Well, I'll give you I'll give you a
7:34prime example. This is a backhanded
7:36compliment to me. Chuck came up there.
7:38were doing work at another place and he
7:40came over and grabbed me. He's got a gym
7:43guy doing his own house. He owns his own
7:45business and um this me dad died late
7:48last year and he's garden up in
7:50Brisbane. Pride and joy and I didn't
7:53think twice. I got Jims in to do it cuz
7:55I knew he'd do a great job and whatever.
7:57And he said and mom is so happy Jim's
8:00guy comes in and does the yard the way
8:02his dad used to. He got quite emotional
8:04tell him. He said it's just good to know
8:06that the yard's been looked after
8:07properly. He said, "But this," he said,
8:09"I just didn't know the gyms did this as
8:11well, like you guys are the king of
8:14suburbia, like you guys reign." He said,
8:16"But it just never entered my mind
8:19>> that, you know, that Jim does all this,
8:21you know, in in the world of industrial
8:23and all that as well there." And he
8:24said, "I've seen you here more than once
8:25now." And um and we picked him up just
8:27that way. And it's the general public
8:30love us, but it's a matter of us getting
8:32that scope out there that we are in all
8:35those different fields as well.
8:36>> Yeah. Yeah, well the industrial stuff
8:37for sure. I actually went up to the
8:38Hunter region a couple of weeks ago for
8:40for Jib's building inspections
8:41conference. So I had a look around and
8:43yeah, it's quite massive the the some of
8:45the the places there and all the
8:46industrial estates and commercial joints
8:48that I saw and I've seen I put your
8:50images up a couple of times online with
8:52your trailer and it always gets quite a
8:53bit of interest as well your um big
8:55setup. So do you want to run through the
8:57big setup that we put up online? Well,
8:59the the truck and trail like it's huge
9:01and elsewhere there and people come up.
9:03But yeah, but that's the main thing. But
9:05that truck has got a tidy tighter
9:07turning circle than say cuz I'm looking
9:09for a second trailer at the moment. Um
9:11and my wife will drive the um the Land
9:14Cruiser with that trailer and um that
9:17that truck will turn sharper. We got
9:19Hilux. We got Land Cruiser. It'll turn a
9:21sharper turn. It's longer. But part of
9:23the the issue is with these clients when
9:25you come along, it's not just a case.
9:27We're not a mowing lot. And the
9:29commercial work I see like you know on
9:31the big page, oh you know the commercial
9:33work, all that. All they care about is
9:34dollars. They don't care about the
9:36money. They care about not being let
9:38down. They care about a result. And you
9:40come along and they say we need this,
9:41this, this, this. Sometimes I'll throw
9:43some extras in on you and you've got the
9:45capacity to do it.
9:46>> Yeah. And
9:47>> now they've got the van now and we use
9:49that as well. We got the 32 in standard.
9:52We've actually designed because we went
9:54looking for it and we've designed there
9:55where we got racks now where we lift a
9:57button and we pull out the side instead
9:59of crawling all in it.
10:01>> Yeah.
10:01>> It slides out, take the gear off or the
10:03batteries, whatever, slide back in, pop
10:05it back in again.
10:06>> Can you talk that out? Got to do it.
10:08>> Well, I was going to say it's a good Can
10:10you talk about custom stuff that you've
10:11done? So you mentioned a bit of that
10:13stuff there like how do you come up with
10:14these ideas and then how do you actually
10:15go and build it because I know a lot of
10:16franchises probably listen to this have
10:18these ideas what you would have but they
10:19don't implement it into what they do. Do
10:22you want to talk about some of the
10:23unique things you've done like that one?
10:25>> Yeah. Well with that there cuz we went
10:27to the big guys for caddy um van setup
10:30Australia.
10:31>> Yeah. did have a clue and someone
10:33mentioned to me super cheap order have
10:35got like a camping caddy where it's got
10:37like all the like like a shelf or
10:40multiple shelves on a sliding rack that
10:42you lock in and out. We got that welded
10:45on um metal uh skeletal board on the
10:48back of it.
10:48>> Locked it all up there. saw batteries,
10:50chem, we all saw that go into the front.
10:52And then on that there we um the one at
10:54the front is a um hedra and the um
10:57blower. And on the one at the back
10:59slides out there for backpack sprayer
11:01and for a um snipper for in. And that
11:03way because the m the big mower's in
11:05there, if he's not using that, we're not
11:06crawling in and out there trying to get
11:08to everything. And uh yeah, just works
11:10out a lot easier.
11:11>> And with um with your run currently,
11:13Grant, like what's your customer base
11:14look like? Is it mainly commercial
11:16industrial? What's your sort of split?
11:17It's it it is primarily a lot of what we
11:20do. Sometimes uh people will turn around
11:22and say that um oh look you know is
11:25there any chance there um I've got a
11:27property such and such can you do it
11:29there if it's within near our area and
11:31they want it then invoice to the
11:33business and we always say yes to them.
11:34It's a matter there of of being all
11:37things to these people there with a lot
11:39of it there and I can I look at a lot of
11:40the the the content out there. A lot of
11:43stuff on on the big page. A lot of it is
11:45where people just focus 9 months a year
11:47and mowing and then when I haven't got
11:49much mowing I'm going to start asking
11:51people for the other work. Well, there's
11:52a news flash. The hedging all that other
11:55work, gutter cleans, whatever gets done
11:57more than once a year. You're constantly
11:59doing it so you get more out of a
12:00customer.
12:01>> Yeah. um and do more for them. And uh
12:05like I spoke with a couple of younger
12:06franchises that are just so focused on
12:08mowing. I said, "If you went to a
12:10service station and you got the kids and
12:11everything in the car and you get some
12:13fuel and the kids go, "Oh, dad, can we
12:15get a drink?" And mom says, "Can I get
12:16an ice cream? I'll get a packet of
12:18chips." And you go in there and they
12:19say, "No, I only sell fuel. I don't do
12:21any of that other stuff." Well, then all
12:23that happens and really all these people
12:25do is go and find the cheapest petrol
12:27station.
12:27>> Yeah. and then just drive off there and
12:29the real profit base is gone and the
12:32other things that you can do for people,
12:34they've got to then drive down the road
12:35and find another servo or a shop there
12:37to go and get the things that they
12:38wanted all along.
12:40>> It's no different.
12:41>> Yeah. I think um I think when you get a
12:42good good person like yourself, right,
12:44you just expect them to do everything
12:46right or they can arrange everything for
12:47you, right? If you become that person,
12:48you become very valuable. So, you're
12:50right with new franchises, you probably
12:51speak to a few of them, Grant, over the
12:53years. What's your sort of is your best
12:54advice just what you just said then
12:55basically just making sure you do the
12:57full package or you just look outside of
12:59mowing and whipping like what are you
13:00sort of telling you guys the number one
13:02thing is this thing here yep is a
13:06mustave now it's a there are some other
13:09different brands this one there is the
13:113M Peltor
13:13XPI
13:14>> y
13:14>> you put these on we have the microphone
13:18you do not need to turn your machine off
13:19you can be there listening to Joel
13:21Clever's latest podcast Learning
13:23The phone rings. Um Joel's Joel Clever
13:26calling. You simply press a button. You
13:29keep working. You make the phone call.
13:31They cannot hear an ounce of noise at
13:33all. You're there working. Your
13:35customers there don't see you stop
13:36working on site. No need to power down
13:38mowers or do anything like that. And um
13:41this thing's just a godsend from the get
13:43go. The amount of time that it saves
13:46around about the $500 mark when you're
13:48on special total tools or Sydney Tools.
13:51But again, they take two AA batteries.
13:54Some go flat and put it up. But the
13:56amount of time it saves and you get a
13:58call, you get a lead. Bang. And you ring
14:01back immediately with that lead while
14:02he's still working.
14:03>> Yeah.
14:04>> Instantaneously, not a problem.
14:06>> Yeah. Awesome. And without
14:08>> the other issue is with um I'm going
14:09through I'm now going to the third stage
14:11of the um Jim's life coaching with
14:14James.
14:14>> Yeah.
14:15>> And um it's a godsend.
14:17>> Yeah. Tell me tell me about this cuz um
14:19James mentioned it to me and um yeah I
14:21I've had a few people mention it on the
14:24podcast like Mitch and a few other
14:25people and they really raved about it.
14:27So maybe do you want to talk about that?
14:29>> It it gets you realigned. So we service
14:32our equipment, our vehicle, our trailer.
14:35We need to have a service on ourselves.
14:37I'm an extremely driven person. um very
14:40been very hard on myself and I don't
14:42tolerate kind of things going wrong
14:44around me and it's just been the case
14:46there to um really get back in touch way
14:49to put it there is you hear these
14:51slogans there of oh um I work to live I
14:54don't live to work and whatever well
14:57think for the people there the day they
14:59came out of training with you guys the
15:00excitement they felt how great they felt
15:03okay why can't that be maintained and
15:05the reason is us all little things
15:07happen along the way there and whatever
15:09and the the energy they got out of those
15:12number of days down at head office
15:14starts to dissipate and we start to lose
15:15our way and um I want to one of the
15:18things that I want to go down this point
15:20and you never mention it but we need to
15:21go down this point there and um I have
15:24people cuz I've been around forever come
15:25up to me and they go oh mate you're
15:27still going oh I know a bloke whose
15:29brother was in Jim's m and
15:32um right and I've got to know a lot of
15:36the people over the years and I can cate
15:38categorically say Joel that gyms has
15:41never ever been the problem for any of
15:44us. My ways when I have dramas, it is
15:47never the problem. It is the greatest
15:49homec court advantage ever because the
15:52number one thing that 95% of people
15:54worry about is how do I get quality
15:56leads? You don't need to. And um I watch
16:01all your stuff with great zeal and
16:04watching it and with me still at the
16:06moment there. The number one thing is
16:08you guys have done your job that wall
16:09and our brand is how many hundred,000
16:12leads do we have unserviced every year
16:13that we're not getting to already?
16:15>> Probably now there will be around
16:16200,000 plus. Yeah.
16:18>> Yeah. And this is the thing there's
16:20there's so much there for us already.
16:22Our franchise all ping um pushes the
16:25guys hard about look you're driving here
16:28he's driving there to swap the clients
16:30over. No gym franchise in the history of
16:33mankind has ever made money out of
16:34windscreen time driving around between
16:36jobs. You make the money when you're
16:37working and the more you compact the
16:39better you up there.
16:41>> So, so glad you mentioned the life
16:43coaching stuff cuz I think people
16:44sometimes think of it, you know, a bit
16:45cliched like, you know, I don't need a
16:47life coach, this sort of thing. But I
16:49think um I hear a lot of the results
16:50from people and they're really really
16:52happy with it and it's a great reset
16:53with where you are. So for more for you
16:56was it more just talking more about you
16:57know your business or or just life in
16:59general or frustrations? I know you work
17:01I think I think it was James James a
17:02good fellow like what was it what did
17:04you get out of it the most what what
17:05helped you the most with it? looking at
17:07yourself. You you've got to get yourself
17:09in line and once you've got yourself in
17:11line again because all the all the rest
17:13of it's outside noise and everything at
17:15the end. We were there going along with
17:17the um I was trying to speak speak
17:19Thomas we were going along and I think
17:22Shamus said think I'm hitting a wall
17:24here and he said stop. He said, "I want
17:25you to listen to a particular audio
17:27book." And with these, I listen to audio
17:29books all day every day podcast. And um
17:32it was Jo Willings extreme um ownership
17:36where basically whatever happens, it's
17:37it's on you and it and it is and um with
17:41all of it there. Jim gives us
17:43everything. Gives us the the the the
17:45groundwork there to build this business,
17:48but it's on us. It's about us working
17:50smarter there. And I've seen the guys
17:52over the years after a number of years
17:54and the the fascia in the feet or the
17:55knees and this and that. But again, um
17:57there's so much equipment now, so much
17:59that um you can use as a labor saving
18:02that is so good dollar-wise.
18:05>> You tell me this last time. Can you tell
18:06me this?
18:08Like I had a coronary calcium score
18:10recently. It was near perfect and I'm a
18:12chubby little thing and I thought I'll
18:14go get checked there. And they just
18:15turned around and they went, "Well, no
18:17mate, from your coronary arteries, mate.
18:19They're near perfect." And I was very
18:21surprised and they said it must be what
18:23you do.
18:23>> That's great. But I remember you told me
18:25you said that last time about longevity
18:26and making sure your equipment helps you
18:28with longevity. And I think that's
18:29something a lot of people do not
18:30consider at all. So do you want to talk
18:33about your mindset around that and just
18:35sort of the the shift in your business
18:37in thinking that because I think a lot
18:38of guys just go hard for 15 years or go
18:40hard for 10 years and then they pay for
18:41it down the track without thinking about
18:43longevity. So do you want to talk about
18:44that a little bit? The key to this there
18:46is and I again I I read it I hear it
18:49often there is I did 25,000 steps today
18:52I did 30,000 steps. You can't keep that
18:54up forever. And as I said we've got that
18:57many different ways there to work
18:58smarter not harder. And that's the key
19:00to it all there. It's basically myself
19:03and one staff member. I don't go out
19:047:00 in the morning. I don't do anything
19:06like that ever. But I've got one staff
19:08member there and we turn over five more
19:10than 500k a year. And um
19:13>> it's great. We we do it right. Yeah.
19:16With one staff involved
19:17>> and my wife's now coming. My wife's now
19:19coming on board.
19:20>> That's amazing.
19:21>> Well, yeah. But again, the things that
19:23gyms have done that I love there. You
19:25guys have offered it's a C two. I'm 4
19:27there, which down the track.
19:29Certiculture. It is a godsend. When you
19:32have that knowledge, um even things
19:34there planting new plants into the
19:37ground, it's a science. It's there's an
19:39art to it. There's a right way to wrong
19:41way. what plant, what location, what
19:43soil, how the how many plants, how close
19:46together, there's so many things that go
19:48into it there and when we have the
19:50knowledge and that expertise and we get
19:52a lot of time guys get it over a lot a
19:55lot of experience over the years of of
19:56trial and error and whatever. But that
19:58that's what gives Jim because we do in
20:01the eyes of a lot of people the word
20:02expert comes up quite often. I noticed
20:04you put it in there with expert pruning
20:06and and whatever and um it's important
20:08there for us there that that we're
20:10leading the way. Yeah, I think the you
20:11most of the franchises I meet like
20:13yourself who have the total gardening
20:14mindset and just that total business
20:16mindset just do far better than the ones
20:18who just do one service or want to just
20:20a lot of lawns and that's it. So I think
20:22getting any knowledge in that we've got
20:23a really good opportunity where you know
20:24you got people in training who introduce
20:26you to that but we've got some really
20:27good franchises like yourself and other
20:28people in regions who really swear by
20:30the horiculture stuff and I encourage
20:31everyone to do it if they're listening
20:33to it. But I me that book you mentioned
20:34before Jo willing I've read it as well
20:36the extreme the extreme ownership book.
20:38It's a great book and I think it's a
20:40it's a really good one sometimes where
20:42cuz in franchising right you're in
20:43franchising you got a relationship with
20:44the franchiseor it's sort of easy to
20:46fall into sort of you know sometimes the
20:48head office is the enemy sort of thing
20:50right you know so I think um what you've
20:52done is m is great you know look that
20:54book's a fantastic book and also you
20:56know speaking to Jim's life coach and
20:57just chat about some things and sort of
20:59realign yourself is is is a really
21:01mature and really um brave thing to do
21:04>> the audio books that are out there and
21:06that's the thing because a lot of us
21:07don't have time in the read, but we can
21:09listen to the audio books. And I'm going
21:10through one every day and a half these
21:12days.
21:13>> Day and a half.
21:14>> Listen to more.
21:15>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And just and and
21:18and just consuming as much as you can.
21:20But again, the real the real lime it is
21:23and like with leadership starts with
21:25self-discipline. up with my own business
21:26and whatever it is there. One of the
21:28things I heard in one of the books there
21:30and this is what I hears from franchises
21:33been there in the past and they're ra
21:36and I turn around and go a bad day in
21:39your gym's mowing business is far better
21:42than a good day with whatever you were
21:43doing before and you decided to leave it
21:45behind. And we lose we lose track of it
21:47there and and whatever. um sometimes
21:50there and we just we get consumed and
21:52every time these days we have a hiccup
21:54or a hurdle.
21:55>> Yeah, it uh
21:57>> I agree with you Grant. Like I think I
21:58agree with you 100%. I think people need
22:00to sometimes be more grateful.
22:02Everyone's it's easy to go negative and
22:03negative and negative but being grateful
22:05for what you've got is always a really
22:07good thing to do. I think um some people
22:09like might write down three things
22:10they're grateful for in the morning and
22:11it just that's all they need to do. I
22:12think it's a really important point you
22:14make
22:14>> and we can't be all things and that's
22:17been one of my problems. I've I've got
22:19to know it all what you can't and like
22:21Paul King, God bless him, has tried hard
22:24and we had a meeting recently and it's
22:26all about, you know, our online presence
22:28with the the Google reviews and the rest
22:30of it there.
22:31>> And I've said to him, I said that this
22:33Claude fell, is he a bloke that plays
22:35saxophone down at the local pub? I
22:37thought Anthropic was one of those
22:39dinosaurs there in Jurassic Park there.
22:41and he's and something happened recently
22:44there where Google threw all our stuff
22:46out the window there and we got dropped
22:48down for whatever happened and Paul
22:50spent hours to get it kind of back up to
22:52the top again and whatever there and
22:54I've got to be honest a lot of that
22:56stuff beyond me and the part of the
22:57reason is listening to the people about
22:59it this entire social um AI thing and
23:03the way it's being done it seems to be
23:05just changing and evolving every month
23:08it's just I can't I'm trying to learn
23:10from it and can't keep up.
23:12>> Don't worry, Grant. People in AI who are
23:13AI educators say the same thing that
23:15they cannot keep up. So, you're not
23:17alone. No, people who are AI experts
23:19can't keep up. And you know, there's a
23:20new thing coming out every day. But
23:22yeah, Claude, which Paul mentions,
23:23fantastic chatbt, I know a lot of
23:25franchises use chatb in the field now.
23:27So, they'll basically use chatbt on
23:28voice mode. If they've got a question,
23:30just ask it like around whatever or they
23:32might take a photo and upload it to it
23:33and get an answer. So, it's a really
23:34good tool um to use. But, I was going to
23:36ask you about book recommendations
23:37actually. At least I know it's not ming
23:39related, but what a lot of guys listen
23:41to, you know, podcasts and audio books
23:43all day as well. So, what what what do
23:44you recommend that's really helped you
23:46or you think it'd be good?
23:47>> The the seven habits. Um Oh,
23:49>> Stephen is very very effective. Yeah.
23:51Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um there's a number of
23:54them there. I'll go through that many of
23:56them at the moment. A lot of from the
23:59business and our gym business point of
24:00view because um and looking there at
24:03ourselves, how can I improve whatever
24:06he's been to gyms? Mike Andy's because I
24:08know he went down there and met Jim and
24:10Yeah.
24:11>> And you what and another chap called
24:13John Paycheck. It's profits for
24:14paycheck,
24:15>> right?
24:15>> And both these guys are basically about
24:18your your revenue number vanity. Your
24:20bottom line is sanity. What's your real
24:22profit? How are you going about getting
24:24it? And how do you look at growing your
24:27business there? Um being sustainable,
24:29which is another one there. and you
24:31listen to these people there and it's
24:32very confronting because you're
24:34thinking, "Oh, I thought I had
24:35everything together, but there's
24:37something to learn."
24:38>> Yeah. And that's a great mindset. But I
24:40was going to say as well, um, yeah, it's
24:42always funny like people I think when we
24:44do a lot of videos online, Jim talks
24:46about revenue because we don't ask for
24:47anyone's, you know, exactly what they're
24:48making, money, right? And I think Jim
24:50always quotes the figure from back in
24:512019 for total revenue, but like just
24:53for people who don't know who are
24:55looking at it, like what's the actual
24:56costs with running your business? So
24:58you've obviously got fuel, there's
25:00equipment, like there's insuranceances.
25:02Like what are the actual costs with
25:03running this thing in terms of like um
25:05expenses
25:06>> as you growing? Then you got we can have
25:08a thing that's a crow mode where you
25:09keep reinvesting in then you once you
25:11have everything or in in place there
25:14then you have what's known as a profit
25:16mode. Again a terminology used in
25:18accounts use it which is EDA which is um
25:21earnings before interest taxation
25:23depreciation amotization. So it's the
25:26things that having money put aside
25:28>> for [snorts] um various things. So, one
25:31of the [clears throat] things that gets
25:32drummed in there and I saw a lot of gyms
25:35guys where we've gone through a dry and
25:37people say to me, "Oh, what happens when
25:38it's dry and then you have a flood and
25:40then this and that and you have drought
25:41for whatever." Um, and all the people
25:43like Mike Andy's, you have at least two
25:45months of revenue in reserve for
25:47whatever. You may have it there where
25:48you're sick for a few weeks, whatever it
25:50might be, whatever it might happen, and
25:52you've got that in reserve. Now, they
25:53say it's two months worth. I'm sure I'm
25:55at 70. I need to get up to 90 and then
25:58I'm at I'm at that level there. Another
26:01people can listen to Dave Ramsey.
26:03>> Yeah.
26:03>> And Dave Ramsey's very big and about
26:06getting into debt unnecessarily and
26:08that's another good one to listen to
26:10there.
26:10>> He has that call in show when people
26:12call in and tell them their problems and
26:14he I've seen some of the video clips
26:15online. It's quite it's quite a he's got
26:17massive amount of reach. Dave Ramsey.
26:19Yeah.
26:19>> Well well I've got I have a huge array
26:22of stuff as you know. We've gone fully
26:24battery in a lot of the stuff now by the
26:26the bigger mowers.
26:27>> Yeah. How's that holding up?
26:28>> And
26:29>> fantastic.
26:30>> Yeah.
26:30>> What brand are you using?
26:31>> Fantastic.
26:33>> Uh again, we have the the PC for the
26:35walk behind there. We're using with that
26:37there, but everything else is it's
26:38basically as far,
26:40>> right? Hvana battery. Okay.
26:41>> Big time.
26:42>> Yeah.
26:43>> Big time. And I've gone down the road
26:44about 30k into that. Um and whatever.
26:47And part of the thing with it there and
26:49I know for Paul's putting more ladies on
26:51there too. A lot of the battery stuff
26:53now is so much more user friendly for
26:55women. So lighter, easier to operate
26:58there, a little bit safer there um for
27:00everybody concerned. And um doing the
27:04eco side of it there with some people
27:06will get them off off kilt and they'll
27:08go or there's nothing you know econ uh
27:10you know environmentally friendly about
27:12a cobalt or lithium mine. But the good
27:14thing is it's the noise. It stops the
27:16noise pollution and that's what we
27:18consider for argument sake again we may
27:20be working in a place during the daytime
27:22people are in in in their factory and an
27:24office on the phone if we're primarily
27:25using battery gear it's just so much
27:27quieter
27:28>> yeah and I was going to say as well you
27:29surprised that people still just don't
27:31use it or they have a closed mindset
27:33towards it because there's some guys who
27:34I interview just completely closed to
27:36battery and some like yourself are
27:37completely converted so and some are in
27:40between where they might use a bit of
27:41this and a bit of that so what do you
27:43what would you sort of say to the guys
27:44who are just fully still skeptical. Oh,
27:46it's just again, it's the initial
27:48outlay. Um, and then you have that
27:50long-term saving with fuel and and the
27:53repair cost of fixing carbies and
27:54different things, especially with
27:56two-stroke stuff. I've I've got my
27:58industrial sheets absolutely chopped my
27:59floor with all the petrol stuff over the
28:01years just sitting there. But batteries
28:04is is just the way to go. I've got a
28:06great dealer there through the Hus far
28:08clinic that makes it so much easier
28:10there. Yes, you need to have a lot of
28:11batteries. you need to charge capacity
28:13and all the rest of it there. But um
28:15once you've invested in it, it's just a
28:17matter of just battery battery in press
28:19a button and off you go.
28:20>> And that that's that's really really
28:22good to hear as well how much it holds
28:23up as well with how much you'd be using
28:25it too. And you is your stand up
28:26battery?
28:27>> No no no with that one that we went with
28:30there. We looked at green works and
28:31whatever they're a lot those type of
28:33things at this stage down spoken people
28:36there a fair bit heavier.
28:38>> Right. So when we were looking at it
28:39there, we thought we'd stay with the
28:41petrol on we went with the right 32
28:43standard plus the deal that was offered
28:45for it was that good you couldn't say
28:46no. So y okay we'll go down that road
28:49with that and obviously the walkers
28:50one's diesel on one's um petrol the
28:53razor backs petrol maybe in time those
28:55type of things will come to where
28:57they'll have a a battery alternative but
28:59it's the weight of the battery that adds
29:00onto the weight of the machine I think
29:02is part of the problem at the moment
29:03with some of that stuff.
29:05>> Yeah, it's interesting. I've seen one
29:06guy I think George down here had the
29:07stand on Greenworks so there is I don't
29:10know you know and he's very happy with
29:12that so yeah I think it is just a matter
29:14of time before before it keeps coming
29:16now with with your um business as well
29:18like obviously see it online people say
29:20like you know why pay gyms and and go do
29:22it yourself and it's easy and away you
29:25go sort of what would you sort of say to
29:27those those people who just think it's
29:28um easier as a solo compared to the
29:30franchise route yeah it's frustrating we
29:33try we try and do these interviews just
29:34to sort of explain it's Not as easy as
29:36what people might think to just do a
29:37business, let alone
29:39>> I've seen a number one Joel was an
29:41extremely good friend of mine. So, I'm
29:44going on my own. A good friend, a good
29:46operator, and he went out on his own.
29:48And now he actually does what we do, but
29:51he works for a large nursing home. He's
29:53there in and he turned around and he
29:55just said, "Yeah, well, um, it ain't so
29:57easy in the other side after all." now
29:59to get that admission from him um to
30:01turn around and and and um to do the
30:03walk. And the thing is I assume one of
30:05them on the page where I was in Jim is I
30:07know one chap who's moved and went to a
30:09whole new area and started again maybe
30:10that was different but so many different
30:12people that I got or gone indirectly got
30:15to know that have gone out on their own
30:17and say they're doing great or they're
30:19not they're not doing that good and the
30:21number one question still is how much
30:22money do they spend on marketing?
30:25>> Yes. Yes. Um, yeah, I know independents
30:27around here who give me and I get on
30:29well with them. They'll give me flack
30:31>> about staying in gyms all these years.
30:33They not come up to me and go, "Why
30:34don't I get any of your work from Bizer
30:36anymore? Oh, I need that Bizer work." I
30:39said, "If you join gyms, mate, you'd
30:40have to work." Oh, yeah. Yeah. A lot of
30:42them in the past have relied on Bizer to
30:45build their numbers up. You know,
30:46obviously when we're fairly busy
30:48summertime and um,
30:50>> hope you're enjoying the podcast and
30:52sorry for the interruption. This is the
30:53host Joel Clever. I've got a real quick
30:55favor to ask you. We've had more than
30:5650,000 downloads across our podcast over
30:58the years, but not many reviews. So, we
31:00just need people to take the time to do
31:02us a favor and if you enjoyed the
31:03podcast, leave us a review on iTunes or
31:05Spotify really helps the show. Now, back
31:07to the podcast.
31:08>> Yeah. Do you think it's just a pride
31:10thing? Cuz I cuz I think it's I think
31:12like objectively like what you said
31:13before like the marketing cost, right?
31:14So I know the marketing cost and to
31:16generate good leads online like with
31:18Google and all these other platforms
31:20like it's not cheap and um people who
31:22say it's cheap are absolutely lying
31:24especially when a high qual for a high
31:25quality lead it's a bit different. So
31:27the marketing cost alone I think
31:28outweighs far what people what you pay a
31:31monthly fee to do proper marketing. You
31:32need a proper website you need maintain
31:34it. There's SEO Google ads there ads.
31:37There's all these things which outweighs
31:39any cost of the franchise fee in total.
31:41Do you think it's a pride thing or what
31:42do you think it is? Is people just want
31:43to do it by themselves or they want to
31:45have this own name? What do you think it
31:48is? Uh it it the the
31:51a lot of it there to the degree is there
31:54is because um we generally are when
31:57people are serious and this is the point
32:00to a couple of people me that have even
32:02quite rang rang thinking maybe on my own
32:06and I say to them do you really want to
32:08compete with 50 other people on a
32:10community Facebook page when someone who
32:12calls themselves constipated casury 123
32:16I want some cheap water mommy you can't
32:18where you want to go chase for work like
32:20and honestly Joel that that's the
32:22cesspool that's out there with people
32:24there and I I will say the change I've
32:27seen in more recent years is a lot of
32:29the people getting into it um on
32:31independent stage I've got a better
32:32mower to start with a better trail
32:34they've spent a fair bit more money than
32:35what I've got to pay out but at the end
32:37of the day without the power of gyms to
32:39get that that brand recognition and get
32:41the work in for them all that fancy gear
32:44sits in the driveway out the front of
32:45the house day after day. Yeah, I think I
32:47think what you said there's key the
32:48brands like brand's important like I
32:50used to when I was younger I used to
32:51used to dis dismiss brand but I
32:53understand how important it is now as
32:54well and not all leads are created equal
32:56like when someone sees 131546 or calls
32:59up for Jim's mowing they're really
33:01they're going to use you and because
33:02they know you got reputation etc when if
33:04they're on Facebook group or some meta
33:06ad they see some random guy offering a
33:07cheap service like it's just such a
33:09lower quality lead and I think brand
33:11really matters and what people don't
33:12realize is we do around I think it's
33:13around a million new leads a year grant
33:15we do so around 1.1 million new leads
33:18and out of that every single most of the
33:19jobs are done to a great standard by
33:21franchises right and that's the thing
33:22right and then that builds the brand and
33:24the reputation and you just can't
33:26compete with that I think brand really
33:27matters now especially when it's so
33:29competitive online like what do people
33:31think of like if you said to the average
33:32person who do you think of when I say
33:34the word mowing or gardening like it's
33:36going to be gyms right they're not going
33:37to be anyone else like I can guarantee
33:39if I did a 20 random survey in the
33:41street it'd be gyms so I think you just
33:43you just can't do that now as an
33:45independent or as an owner, you just
33:46can't do it.
33:47>> And as we grow, um, and what happens
33:50there is, um, one of the most common
33:52things is, and it's a it sometimes it's
33:55it can be detrimental and some is
33:56someone will come up and go, I've tried
33:58to get a service um, and there's no one
34:00available. Oh, right. And they'll walk
34:02up to you, they go, but there's so many
34:04of you. I said, yeah, but I try my
34:07hardest where I can. If it's near where
34:08I work these days now, I'll find the way
34:10to find the time for them. Because if
34:12they're going to that effort to say,
34:13"I've run gyms. I'm now walking up to
34:15you. They want to use gyms. Well, let's
34:18see what we can do." Now, you know, I've
34:20always got some good gym stories for
34:21you. Okay. And um the the Penman name, a
34:26lot of commercial clients have found
34:28when we're doing the quote or whatever,
34:29you can divide them into two areas. So,
34:31one of them is where there's a manager
34:34of a business. He doesn't own it. and up
34:36above someone may have come across like
34:38an area manager, state manager and given
34:40them a blast about look at the state of
34:42you know the whole shop front and the
34:44property da da and I'll be talking
34:46they'll go oh mate you've got no idea I
34:49go oh okay mate you don't know what my
34:52state manager's like nothing's ever good
34:54enough I said you reckon I said let me
34:56tell you about Jim Penman oh the gym
34:59bloke are you I said he doesn't like
35:02good he doesn't like great I said he
35:04wants wow and he goes I know exactly
35:06what you mean. That's what my Oh, mate,
35:08he wants the best. I said, that's Jim
35:10Penman. Oh, mate, then you understand
35:12how I feel. Then on the other side of
35:14the ledger, often we'll get a a business
35:16owner. I'll meet them. You'll go, I
35:19built this from the ground up. I've got
35:2130 staff. This business is my baby. Now,
35:24this might just be a job to you, mate,
35:26but this is this is my wall. This is my
35:28business, okay? And I love it. And I go,
35:31let me tell you something about Jim
35:32Penman. Oh, the gym fell. I said I told
35:35him about Jim Pemman in his business. I
35:37said he'll be at a family function and
35:39he'll have a laptop on the side and if a
35:41customer sends a inquiry in an email,
35:44he's there looking out the corner
35:45looking at it. He's my sort of bloke. He
35:48understands the way I feel. So you find
35:50a way there to kind of use Jim's name
35:52every time there to get that kind of
35:55connection with people and um and it
35:58always kind of breaks the ice a little
36:00bit. And
36:00>> I've never heard anyone say before, Gr.
36:02I'm glad you told me that. I've never
36:03heard anyone using that that I'll tell
36:04Jim that when I see him next week. I'm
36:06going to mention in that to him.
36:07>> That's cool.
36:08>> And you and as I said with with all um
36:11people that you're dealing with there in
36:14in the where we are they'll ask for a
36:17quote. Yeah. What they're asking for is
36:20I want to do my business. I want you to
36:22come in and make my life easy so I can
36:25run my business. Okay. It's not about
36:27the um oh he might be more dollars
36:30cheaper than you and this and that and
36:32whatever there and some of them there
36:34that I've got there where um again um
36:37where our our battle is wrong with the
36:39vanguard of it there is where someone
36:41will get us in we're having a look at it
36:42there and um then someone else in the
36:45organization will go look we're not sure
36:47about the small guy um what if this and
36:50you know what if that examples um oh we
36:53had a bloke and um his wife's car broke
36:56and he said, "Well, he can't come and
36:57work there cuz he's got to give his wife
36:59his car to use, so he won't be able to
37:01come and do the work they needed before
37:03a big inspection." I said, "We've got
37:05dedicated work for it's not a problem."
37:07And as I said, in the world of gyms, if
37:09something happened with one gym, another
37:11one can come in as as as a group
37:13together, we're just as strong as
37:15program maintenance or any of the
37:16others.
37:17>> Yeah. I think um I think what you said
37:18before about the unservice thing, I get
37:20that a bit. I'll go to an event and they
37:21know where I work and they'll say, "Oh,
37:23I tried to get Jim's antennas or gym
37:25security or something. I couldn't get
37:26anyone. It's really It's really
37:28annoying. And people think because as
37:29you said, we've got 5,000 plus
37:31franchises. They just think that they
37:33think it's absurd that we can't service
37:34everyone, right? So, it's a big problem.
37:36So, yeah, I get that as well when I go
37:38to events and things like that. But, um,
37:39the great thing is though, if they have
37:40a good experience with gyms, they'll
37:42always say to me, I use you for
37:43everything. I use you for mowing, I use
37:45you for dog wash, use for cleaning,
37:46which is why our standards have to be so
37:47high is because one customer interaction
37:50with one gym affects everyone, right?
37:51So, um, you know, and that's a great
37:53thing to hear about the, um, the gym
37:55angle, using him as a marketing tool to
37:56help you with your with your customers.
37:58I've never heard anyone say it before,
37:59so I'm glad to hear that
38:00>> because he's so well known and he's out
38:03there and especially now that Jim's kind
38:06of you're with him more on the um,
38:08talking about the politics of the world.
38:11>> Watching Jim,
38:12>> everyone knows who Jim is now. He's not
38:14just the mowing guy there. It's Jim out
38:16there with um, you know, looking what he
38:18might might do with the Victorian
38:19Parliament and whatever there. So he
38:21he's so well known there and because
38:23he's such a um iconic figure.
38:26>> Yeah.
38:26>> Um when and again you know as you know
38:29when I'm telling those stories I'm I'm
38:30not kind of um I've played up a bit
38:33there but what says the truth that is
38:35Jim you know he's just a driven man and
38:37whatever and it puts people at ease to
38:39know there that you're in the same kind
38:41of world as what they are there and what
38:44they're experiencing there in their
38:46organization where which would want to
38:48anyway. Yeah. You've got to be the best
38:50and that's what's expected.
38:51>> Absolutely. And you you 27 years
38:54>> and 27 years as a franchise is a great
38:56achievement because um not many people
38:58you know not many businesses make it
38:59past 10 years. What's been the key for
39:01your longevity grant you reckon?
39:03>> An early another life that I had earlier
39:05on there through one thing and another.
39:07I was basically almost ended up being a
39:09sole parent for step kids and my own
39:12child and whatever. and to work and run
39:14the business and still do that um for a
39:17number of years was really really hard
39:19there. But you you get up, you do the
39:21grind. I love what I do and I repeat the
39:24thing again which is where James has
39:26helped. If you have an attitude of I'm
39:29just working to live. I'm working till I
39:31can make the money then I'm living at
39:33other times. Love what you're doing
39:35there. You got to love what you're doing
39:37there and enjoy it there. Um you're
39:39going out every day there. you're to a
39:41degree the master of your own destiny.
39:43You're outside. Remember where you were
39:45before there, the reason why you wanted
39:47to get away from that and what appealed
39:49to you with gyms. Like I um went through
39:52way before the national training
39:55started. But the one thing that I do
39:58agree with, I get a real kick out of
39:59your your um podcast, all the new guys
40:02is just the enthusiasm. Every single one
40:04of them there, they've been going 10
40:06weeks, 15 weeks, 3 months, whatever, and
40:09they feel they can conquer the world.
40:10Yeah, but the great thing about it is
40:12just
40:13>> they do, but they hear your stories as
40:15well, you know, and then that's the
40:16thing which gives them motivation too
40:17because I think um there's still a lot
40:19of skepticism regarding franchising of
40:21this this 7-Eleven story that's come out
40:23puts a lot of people off, right? And it
40:24tars us with it. But it's great to hear
40:27stories from somebody who's been for 27
40:28years, right? It can't be a bad system
40:30if you're staying for 27 years. So that
40:32that's a really big thing for us is just
40:34getting many stories as we can like
40:35yourself online to give people the
40:37confidence because a lot of them have
40:38been in them. And the great thing with
40:39my job is I've been here for so long. I
40:41interview a lot of the guys maybe one
40:42year then 3 years later or something. So
40:44I actually hear how they their
40:45progression is and it's quite amazing
40:47how far they come and where they've
40:49actually come from before and you see
40:51the confidence that they have and
40:52they've always had it in them but now
40:53they've got a half a million dollar
40:54business or you they're earning 400
40:56grand revenue in a business a lot
40:57happier than what they were doing before
40:59and it's always a great thing to hear.
41:01>> Yeah. and growing a business. A lot of
41:04people there the the adage comes across
41:08oh well you know you're making all right
41:10money you got all that oh but I'm ask
41:12headache how do you sleep and I sleep
41:14well you know all worried about all
41:15these people I said but one of my
41:18machines is the same as sometimes two
41:20staff the the days of and I know the
41:23term gets used but I don't like it but
41:26oh um so in gyms you got a lawn mower
41:28and run and then you get another guide
41:30another ute and another mower then you
41:32got a bigger lawn mower and And that
41:34that's not gyms. Gyms is more than just
41:36mowing. Um and that's the beauty of it.
41:38And and the the the what they talk about
41:41like Andy's sustainable profit where you
41:44can do it. You can't walk 30,000 steps a
41:46year a day every year or forever. Um
41:50lift and mow in and out of use. It's the
41:5270s. There's just so much that we've got
41:55available. and the technology updates
41:59that with chemicals and fertilizers and
42:01other things at the moment is just
42:03mind-blowing. I go to every seminar I
42:05can and I just it's it blows you away
42:08the advances that they're making there.
42:10Um and again we can be at the forefront
42:12of that using these new products and
42:14give ourselves that advantage.
42:16>> What's been what's been some
42:17>> really incredible stuff out there.
42:18>> What's been the best couple of products
42:20that's that's helped you? So you
42:21mentioned fertilizers and things like
42:22that. What have been some of the best
42:24new technologies that you can recommend
42:25or share?
42:26>> What one of the ones there uh that uh
42:30has been used there where they've got a
42:32um a yard that's looking ordinary winter
42:34time lead photos whatever. There's a
42:36product called turf a which is more than
42:38just a color guard there. It's a
42:39bioenzyme so it goes into the grass
42:41health up the grass and you put this on
42:44and you swear once it's applied there
42:46you're looking at it. It looks like one
42:47of those grid iron fields that they have
42:49there like a synthetic turf almost in
42:51America. um it comes up that darker
42:53green there and that's been a really
42:54good fix for people to go look I'm
42:56moving out there the lawn's looking
42:57ordinary in winter you can try f your
43:00application it's a little bit slow and
43:01whatever and the other one there at the
43:03moment there's a company called future
43:04soil that have things for sandy soil
43:07clay soil um they have a biochar which
43:10is like a um charcoal derivative a
43:13carbon derivative and the just using
43:16those products the results you get out
43:17of it's like night and day
43:19>> right all all year round it's It's just
43:22unbelievable. So things like gypsum that
43:24everyone knows um gypsum is not needed
43:26anymore with these new products there.
43:28They work faster, better and last
43:30longer.
43:30>> So with your it's a learning process.
43:33>> Yeah, I was going to say with your
43:34learning process, you mentioned seminars
43:36before as well. Like what type of
43:37seminars do you go to? Like is it just
43:38something are you signed up to a few
43:40things or like how do you how do you get
43:42this knowledge all the time, Grant?
43:44>> When when they're available, I I put me
43:46hand up for them
43:48>> um and go for it with Work Safe New
43:50South Wales there. Um, I saw them there
43:53and they're at an event there. And I sat
43:54down, we did like a a thing where I get
43:56like a I can get a rebate off it there
43:58and I said, I want to get the
44:00information to because this is the
44:01number one problem I've got with a lot
44:02of businesses is to show them all the
44:05legislation
44:06that's required there for business
44:08regarding duty of care. It's part of
44:10what we have now. Um, bit like you get a
44:13customer there, a residential person,
44:16and we say, "Look, Jim's insured with
44:18this this and people go, I don't care.
44:20I'm the customer. I'm paying the other
44:22bloke. I'm the independent bloke. I
44:24don't know if he's insured. I don't care
44:26because I'm the customer paying. If
44:27something goes wrong, it's not my fault.
44:29I'm not my problem. Well, it is. If you
44:30allow them on your property and again
44:32with commercial businesses, you should
44:34know better. Um, a lot of them will get
44:36there and go, "Mate, if you've got your
44:37public liability, um, if anything goes
44:40wrong with me, you, or, whatever, not my
44:42problem. I'm paying you. You're public
44:43liability." And nothing could be further
44:45from the truth.
44:45>> Hope you're enjoying the podcast, and
44:47sorry for the interruption. This is the
44:48host, Joel Clever. I've got a real quick
44:50favor to ask you. We've had more than
44:5150,000 downloads across our podcast over
44:54the years, but not many reviews. So, we
44:56just need people to take the time to do
44:57us a favor and if you enjoyed the
44:58podcast, leave us a review on iTunes or
45:00Spotify. Really helps the show. Now,
45:02back to the podcast.
45:04>> Well, yeah, but I was going to say, so
45:05now now it's sort of like a thing if
45:06you've got that. Yeah, you're right. So,
45:08you you as the business owner, you've
45:10got to actually see, you know, that
45:12they're insured. You can't just go like
45:14this, right? You've got to actually
45:16know. You can't sort of just say what
45:17you just said before as an example and
45:19try and think you get away.
45:20>> What one like so for a second and this
45:23is a touchy one of the all the gyms
45:24there but the days of the world of
45:26shorts is gone. People still live in the
45:30past shorts is gone with work when I did
45:33one of my recent work once and and they
45:35were they're talking and what's
45:36happening is it's getting to a stage
45:38like in the construction industry where
45:40people were allowed to wear shorts next
45:42to nothing.
45:43>> Yeah. them got bad skin cancer. Five,
45:45six years later, guess what? They're
45:47suing their employer saying, "You let me
45:49wear shorts at work and legs especially
45:51are really, really bad for skin
45:53cancers." I um I only wore shorts for
45:55two years at the very beginning and then
45:57wore pants after that cuz even in the
45:59beginning, I had something burned off
46:00and I went um recently for me skin check
46:02and I had another couple burn off me
46:04legs again. And when I spoke to the
46:05doctor, he said the legs are the number
46:08one problem with skin cancers because of
46:10the skin where it is and around the
46:12shins and whatever. And um Australia's
46:15the skin cancer capital of the world. We
46:18are you know you know it's always very
46:19common you know brickies or something on
46:21the site you wear the really short
46:22shorts and you're out there all day and
46:24you know after 10 to 15 years it's a lot
46:26of damage. So for sure I can understand
46:27that's going to be a big issue. But I
46:29was going to say as well with um the new
46:30product sort of range how do you find
46:31out about these new products like what's
46:33the technology like? Is there any sort
46:34of sites or podcasts you listen to? Like
46:37how do you learn about that new
46:38technology coming out?
46:40>> The one of the the businesses we use
46:42there for products a guy that's been in
46:44the game for 40 years which is Hunter
46:46Lawn Care and he puts them on there and
46:48and the companies themselves like Senta
46:51um living turf a lot of the people like
46:53that send their main rep out there and
46:55will do a complete presentation there
46:57and go through the product. Um, future
46:59soul is another one. Bring their reps
47:00out, sit down, go through the products
47:03and literally they've got the the
47:05videos, slides, the whole thing. They
47:07answer the questions and I might only go
47:10for a couple of hours there, but you
47:11come out of there just a little bit
47:13smarter than what you were when you
47:14moved when you came in.
47:16>> And um, a bit like in your world with
47:18the entire IT world moving fast. A lot
47:21of these other things are moving
47:22extremely quickly as well. Really
47:24quickly. Yeah, that's why I was very
47:27curious to where is like is there a
47:28source you get the information from or
47:30something because there's obviously a
47:31lot of stuff coming out in your in your
47:33line of work as well. I think the
47:34probably the biggest development I've
47:35seen is just how far the battery powered
47:37stuff has come. I remember when we first
47:39I've been in gyms for 15 years now. When
47:40it first started coming out, you know,
47:42we had like ego and these sorts of
47:43things and the run time on them was
47:45rubbish, but then this the way that the
47:47the the battery powered stuff's just
47:48getting better and better and better in
47:50terms of run time and durability has
47:51been quite remarkable on the on the
47:53chainsaw side like I got the Husv and
47:56the two last ones. So a 535 is
47:59equivalent of a 35cc petrol engine. Then
48:03we got a 542
48:04bit bigger again and lost the first one
48:07through here and the the big one came in
48:09which is a 550 and I can tell you that
48:12550 battery chainsaw has got more grunt
48:14and kickback than my 70 C petrol is
48:18unbelievable.
48:19>> Right.
48:19>> The power that it's got. Does it chew
48:21through the battery? Yeah, it will. Um
48:24but just the sheer power of it. But it's
48:26just so much quieter. And again, when
48:29we're taught with our work, when we come
48:31there to where we we're cutting anything
48:33back, especially cutting back trees and
48:35branches and whatever it might be,
48:37especially in suburbia, you start up the
48:39old petrol gear get going and next thing
48:41you know, the whole neighborhood's
48:42coming over and looking and oh, what are
48:44you doing that for? I think birds and
48:46all the the things that happen. You got
48:48the battery gear, you get it, all there
48:49is is this loud worring noise, you do
48:51your job quietly, you finish, and no
48:52one's the wiser.
48:54>> I I give I give you an example. I I
48:56noticed this now, right? because of what
48:57we do and um I noticed the difference so
48:59much like I get I get really annoyed now
49:01when someone uses a petrol powered thing
49:03seriously like near me when I know that
49:05the technology out there that that um
49:07franchises can use and it's just
49:09actually really annoys me annoys me now
49:11now now that I noticed it cuz I've got
49:12all this technology around but I think
49:14it's um quite amazing how it's developed
49:16and some of the guys down here using the
49:17standups and even the riders which is
49:19starting to come out there's been quite
49:20amazing and hopefully I can get that
49:22battery technology just a bit better cuz
49:24that seems to be the thing that's
49:25holding it a little bit back is just
49:27making is you have to buy these
49:28batteries and it cost a bit of money,
49:29right? So, if we can get that technology
49:31better, I know the plank's obviously the
49:33most expensive one for the battery, but
49:35um that would definitely hopefully get
49:36more people using it. The gear there um
49:39and the beauty like if someone was speak
49:42to me there and go, "Oh, you know, I
49:44don't know. Um oh, look in the gym
49:46singer, but I wouldn't even know where
49:48to start." And I so I tell you what
49:50there um if you want to look at coming
49:52on board there I'd know a franchisee
49:55that would use just about every brand of
49:57standard every brand of ride on um every
50:00brand of walkbehind mower a franchisees
50:03used it and that's the beauty of of the
50:05group there where you could get there
50:06and go oh I'll go talk to salesman he's
50:08going to tell me whatever but you could
50:10go and talk to a dozen franchises or a
50:12dozen brands and then you come back and
50:14think okay I've got you know I've got
50:16that um the power of the group that are
50:18using these machines day in day out
50:20there to turn around and say, "Hey, um,
50:22yeah, okay, I think I've got an idea
50:24which might I want now."
50:25>> Yeah, that that's a great point, Grant.
50:27I think that's the beauty of gyms is
50:28that everyone's used everything almost
50:30in a way. And I think I love it when we
50:31do the interviews. No one's got there's
50:33no real common theme. Everyone uses
50:34something a bit different. Like you've
50:36mentioned Husana, a lot of guys might
50:37use Greenworks now, Ego. Like there's a
50:39whole bunch of different tools and
50:41brands that people are using. And you
50:42know, Bush Range is one that I hear
50:43sometimes. Like there's a whole bunch of
50:44different stuff. And I think it's the
50:45beauty of gyms is you got access to all
50:47these different testers who have been
50:49using all this sort of stuff in the
50:50region. Like I can imagine in your
50:51region there pretty much be every kid
50:53under the sun, every brand.
50:54>> Well, like one of the local places here,
50:56which is my down my Walker dealer, he um
50:59it's taken on Crest and I had a look at
51:01it.
51:01>> Okay.
51:03>> Yeah.
51:04>> Very dear. Some of the some of their
51:06battery gears a little bit heavier than
51:07a lot of the other ones which Yeah.
51:09Okay. But they've got three to five year
51:11warranty where a lot of the other ones
51:12have only got one year warranty.
51:14>> Yeah. Is Crest German is American?
51:17>> I'm not I'm not sure where it is
51:19actually. I know Crest basically I think
51:21he's doing the the assemble in America
51:24there to get around the Trumpy, you
51:25know, kind of um tariff thing that I
51:27think it's all being done there. But um
51:30like a lot of Americans, you you look at
51:32all their content, they think batter is
51:34crap. It just it just amazes me and and
51:36I know petrol [ __ ] but that this just
51:39like I sometimes get on there and after
51:40I get beaten up for a while I give up
51:42and go no I'm gonna leave it alone there
51:45spot on you mentioned that because I
51:46watch a bit of American content for
51:47obviously what we do and you're right
51:49there's not money they use it is it
51:51>> no and they truly believe and what's
51:54happening like California mission a
51:56number of places there now
51:58>> do not want two stroke stuff there um
52:00and they're blowing up the likes about
52:02it um and they're and they're not um
52:04they're not too happy. And again um like
52:06>> why they so against it is because it's
52:08is because just the size of their
52:10properties because obviously got massive
52:11properties or why are they against it?
52:13>> A lot of when they talk about like I use
52:15a Husky backpack blower. It's about 80%
52:18of the power of say a big still or or
52:20one of the other or the the Husky petrol
52:23ones and for them it's all just about
52:25sheer blood force power and whatever
52:28there and um yeah, as you say I'm I'm
52:32amazed. I think a lot of it too there is
52:33all the influencers over there, all the
52:35people doing it, they're all stitched
52:37up. Someone there, they're a brand
52:39ambassador for somebody.
52:40>> Yeah.
52:41>> Whether it's Echo or or it's um X mark
52:44or whatever it might be and they'll push
52:45that particular product to the end of
52:47time. Um and then if someone comes like
52:50I think there's one of them I think
52:51maybe um Paul Jameson now is starting to
52:53push Crest because he's been sponsored
52:55to do so. So yeah, and that's the the
52:58reason with it. The number one with all
53:00of this, the number one thing is um with
53:02AP or outdoor power equipment, always
53:06always buy something from a dealer.
53:09Never go and buy anything even if it's
53:12the same thing from a big box store
53:14because like I've had it there with um
53:17some 240 volt stuff. No good out of the
53:19box. Take it in. They will not give you
53:21your money back. Leave it there. And
53:24twice I've had things fail and I've
53:26waited three and a half weeks to get it.
53:28>> Yep. It's always got a deal.
53:29>> Get it back. You You buy it from a
53:31dealer. You don't get your $200
53:32redemption, but guess what? That dealer
53:34gets there. You bought it from them. You
53:36go in, he'll bend over backwards for
53:37you.
53:38>> Yeah.
53:38>> They'll always bend over backwards. And
53:40$200. How much is $200 downtime? Going
53:44back and forth to big box stores and
53:45waiting with your gear off the road.
53:46What? Two hours labor? Less. Yeah. I see
53:50a lot of them there where people I'm
53:52going to go off to Total Tools and get
53:53this and get a $200 redemption. No. No.
53:58Well, Grant, we're nearly gone for an
53:59hour, so um I appreciate your time and I
54:02have I'll let you go because I've got to
54:03jump off myself and get back get on some
54:05stuff. But I was going to say you get
54:07you're going to get to 30 years. So 27
54:09now. You reckon you'll get to 30 years?
54:11>> I know you got 30 patch. [laughter]
54:14>> Yeah, you'll get the call.
54:16>> I got me patches there.
54:19>> Yeah, you got a great shirt. Looks
54:20really really good. But um GR, anything
54:22you want to say before we we log off
54:24today? what we touched on before because
54:26this has become because I've been around
54:28a bit where people come up to me and
54:30they'll go, "Oh, yeah, but you're still
54:33in gyms." "Oh, yeah, I know a bloke. I
54:35know a bloke." I pay my fees like anyone
54:38else. They're not getting sponsored
54:40anyway. And people still, man, why are
54:43you so over the top on this stuff?
54:45Because like it it the gym family, you
54:48become part of something and you and you
54:51just love it. You absolutely love it
54:53there. And um your gym's business there
54:57isn't just your business. You're part of
54:59something bigger than yourself. I just
55:01get a real kick there all the time. Then
55:03I say to people there, you got an
55:04independent here, independent there.
55:06Half the time they've got no sign
55:07writing. But you know, I'm driving
55:09around see Jim's guy here, see Jim's guy
55:11there. I see all the different
55:11divisions. And it's really good there to
55:14feel there that you you're part of
55:15something like that. That's just so
55:17enormous.
55:19>> Absolutely. And I I really would kick
55:20out of hearing today about how you use
55:22Jim's story to help you with clients.
55:24That's a great one. I've never heard
55:25anyone do that before. So, I'm going to
55:27tell them about that next week when I go
55:28in there. So, I appreciate you telling
55:30me that as well. And Grant, thank you
55:31much for your time. You given an hour of
55:32your time very generously. Lots of great
55:34advice as well. And um we appreciate you
55:36sharing your wisdom and hopefully we'll
55:37have you back on maybe next year. Um
55:39check in how you've been doing and maybe
55:41some more advice again.
55:43>> We'll look at the 30 year mark, mate.
55:44Let's see how
55:45>> 30 30 year mark. [laughter]
55:47I'm on hopefully I'm still there. If I'm
55:48still there, I'll definitely remember
55:49that. But maybe hopefully next year
55:51maybe. I reckon. Thanks, Grant.
55:52Appreciate it.
55:53>> Thanks.
55:54>> Thank you for listening to the episode
55:55of the More Than Just Mowing podcast by
55:56Jim Mowing. If you do need help with
55:58your local gardening expert, please give
55:59us a call at 131546 for Australia,
56:020800454-654
56:04for New Zealand or head to
56:05jimsmowing.com.au
56:07or jimsmowing.co.nz.
56:09If you liked what you heard, please make
56:10sure you leave us a review as well
56:12wherever you consume your podcast. We
56:13appreciate your support and until next
56:15episode, we hope you have a great

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of $500k a year with one staff member. 27 years in Jim's Mowing by Jim's Group, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 12,961 words across 1,772 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.