Operating a Jim's Mowing franchise as a partnership with Toby Pilgrim from Jim's Mowing

Toby Pilgrim  0:00  

It's really rewarding to know that we're treating their job seriously. And we really want to help them. So that's where it kicks off these just from the star response picture litigation, communication. And yeah, things like texting the night before or the day before. Hey, just a reminder, we're going to be your base mowing tomorrow. Is there anything else you'd like us to do? You know, asking the question to make sure that they read maybe there is something they've been thinking of that they want it done. They just haven't asked you yet. And just a quick reminder,

Joel Kleber  0:25  

welcome to the more than just mowing podcast. I'm your host Joe clair. And this is the official podcast James Bond. If you didn't know, it's the world's largest gardening franchise with more than 2000 franchisees in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. And on the podcast show, we interview franchisees, our franchise owners who run the rigs and manage the franchisees and also Jimmy himself says a lot of broad range of content and we do encourage you if you are researching more about Keep smiling about what we do go through those episodes, it will give you a great sense of who we are. So without further delay, here's today's episode. Thanks for joining us today, Toby. You're from is a hope island your Jim is buying hope island up in Queensland.

Toby Pilgrim  0:58  

Yeah, correct on the coast. Yeah,

Joel Kleber  1:00  

ya know. So thanks for joining us today for our a series of record reviews where we reward staff franchisees we're going to call silver membership. So we'll get you to this to on the way up to the interview, which is a silver membership where you can spend two nights at any book or hotel plus has a bunch of other great discounts as well. I'm sure there's some great restaurants you can use it up to where you are. So we'll get that to you after this now, sort of first start with tell us a little bit about yourself. So what were you doing prior to June spying?

Toby Pilgrim  1:23  

Yeah. Cool. Thanks, Joe. So, prior to Jim's mowing, I was a national manager for an auction house here on the Gold Coast and we're gonna have a national Auction House Lloyd's auctions in a mass I was looking after automotive or in in prestige, and kind of had been there for seven or eight years, kind of building that building that business that side of it really exciting job really exciting, made a lot of lifelong friends grew myself as in business and as the person, my time being there, kind of got to the point where myself and my business partner, Jacob, who's listening in the gym side by our great choice with me, we decided we're inside for something else, we were kind of keen to learn some more skills and just obtained ads on Facebook and Instagram and seem to kind of keep following us and until we made the decision yesterday to join up and we actually we have a mate also who does it runs it up to the logon bit north of us who was happy enough to give us a few days in the field and just get us there help us see what it's like out there and which we're really thankful for. And then kind of from there, it just made a hard decision I guess it was being at the auction house for so long and kind of being out of the family that's essentially what it was a big family but a hard decision to leave but I've got two young kids and a wife and the decision to I guess be able to be a little bit more flexible with my time was a big word that wade into it and getting out into the field of good doing something with my hands that I can be proud of and learning new skills as well. I mean, running your own franchise essentially owning your own business and something that's it's not easy but really rewarding and that was something we've been chasing a row

Joel Kleber  3:02  

yeah so that's you made some really good points there Why don't want to touch on his Yeah, you you dedicate a lot to your former employer and you've built that up it's very hard to let go. So what was what was it for you that just made that decision that are a bit of joy because a lot of people might be like you thinking I build this stuff up I've got all this time invested in it. It's hard to pull from that because you feel as though you've run out business as your own and you put a lot of time into it. So how did you was it a moment or was it just somebody that you knew long term for your family that you just had to do it and just pulled the trigger or what was it

Toby Pilgrim  3:31  

Yeah, a couple of different things I guess my situation being having having a young family and the early days being able to watch my kids grow up and even Jim touched on a story that I think I saw on Facebook prior to coming on to trading was you know a franchise franchisee wanted to be able to have breakfast with his son every morning and and stuff like that that bargain chicken like you know big having that flexibility is something early days and in my kid's life was something that you can't you can't take back even if I'm not there for my kids in a full time role it's asking a lot of you I can't get that time back so it's always like why not try it now? Why not? You know we we know that the flexibility is there we know that rom working for yourself, you dedicate a lot of your time where your time goes, how you spend it, why would I not give it a go I know that the business model works I noticed that people are making money out of it so I wasn't really worried about that because I had a mate who was a franchisee he was kind enough to share I guess finance side of it a little bit but you know that it's busy you know that you're gonna make money Why would I not put myself out there and then have a go? Because I can't get that time with my kids back. So yeah, that was a huge motivator also my my Jacob is my business partner in it. i He was also he was in a position where he didn't get the same job eight years as well but wasn't really rising up a ladder and would really get to do something different. And that's exactly what he said it was something different. It was something that both of us had ever tried before something repeat that 1000. And, look, I guess he needs an investment as well. So something else that we could kind of, yeah, see that eats into, but his motivation was that trying something different than putting himself out there and something that he wouldn't probably do, but wasn't with me, which was something was really cool. We as we've been best mates, kind of since high school. So him having that trust in Me and Me and him was something that was really, it was really special to do with with a really good mate. Yeah, but I guess mainly back to the point, my mind was, I just couldn't get that time back with my kids, I couldn't get that time back with my wife or watch him grow up. So that was a big part in the being able to go, I would say, This is cheating, I'll be able to run my own time, I guess I'll be able to spend the weekends with, you know, we just come around now I get to spend a little bit more time with when we're not as these things. So yeah, that's something that when I look back on, I'm like, if I get 1015 20 years down the track in my old job, and I go, I wish I had done that. Well, there's no going back. So I'm glad that I made that decision. And you see now we're where are we six months in? I have a lot more time with my community than my family, which I'm super thankful for.

Joel Kleber  6:10  

That's a great point. So maybe you're right, is that regret 20 years later, it's sort of like, will you not regret staying in the same job for let's say, 25 years? Or will you always kick yourself for not having a going? Well, you know, what's the worst thing that could really happen? You had a goal and you fail, and I'm sure two skills you would have been able to do something else no problem. And that's, that's an A very rare chance that ever happens with those people. But it's sort of one of those things where you just as you said, you've got the four sides of looking for your family and all that sort of stuff. And that's the time you can't get back unless you're planning on having 20 kids or something or Thank you. But that's the that's the time you got to get back. And it's great to have that foresight at your age to do that. And so how was it training then coming from completely unrelated field and you've made this this step into this? Did you come down and nobody did the training? We'll just do it online?

Toby Pilgrim  6:54  

Yeah, no, we came down. But Jacob and I came down for the training and Yeah, huge experience and everyone that we had in the dark for himself to Jim Jones, all the guys who inspired all added little bit, little pieces of the puzzle, I guess that kind of had everything in our mind put in so you know, myself and Jacob having you know, we know how to mow a lawn? I guess. So just most people in Australia who live in a property didn't have any experience, you know, hedging landscaping, anything like that. done probably our biggest concern, I guess I had a lot of sales experience being in my previous role. And both of us are pretty hard workers. So we knew we had what it took to kind of build the business, it was literally just the side of the of knowing how to serve our customers. Yeah, we both pride ourselves on elite customer service, which aligns with an agenda that obviously gyms group, at the end of the day, as long as you make the customer happy exceed their expectations, we knew that was going to be fine. It was literally just, you know, someone asks us to relate to well, how do you do that? I don't know. And a lot of the things coming from training is, it's okay. If you don't know how to do it, there's always ways to learn in our day and age, you know, Google is your best friend. But what it does set you up with especially as a franchisee in such a wide network is the people around your franchisor. And the other franchisee have been a huge help to us for the last six months. And just being able to, you know, we don't know how to do something or we don't know the best way to go about or we don't know the right tool to use. Just ask a lot of people in our franchise, again, our franchisor has been 1520 years or something like that. A lot of people have the franchisees have been n plus years. So chances are the question we have they've done it 10 times over. So yeah, coming down to the training and meeting everyone was a really good insight into the support network and the fact that their questions we had was how to lay turf or what do you do if you've got a four meter tall head? How do you trim it like those questions kind of? I guess were answered in the sense that you know, don't worry about someone who can help you or if you've got any questions everybody at training was so forward we use my mobile number Here's my email contact me any time which was Yeah, unbelievable. I grew as big as jeans to have that many people in there just willing to help anyone you know we're on the coast solo the guys we spoke to a base Albin you don't see them a lot but for them to give us their number, their personal number and say how you're going to questions give us a call let's use that so you're gonna get a lot of competence from that knowing that there's a huge support network there and then you're not never really going to be in trouble because you can just get anyone's a phone call away whether it be a franchise all these local or or Jim or John or yourself down in Melbourne got a huge support network which is really really comforting to know what we were going into was resolved was fully supported.

Joel Kleber  9:41  

It's great to hear and agile factors was a Brendan Brendan rugged up and Volker stores a Brian Valerie Walker walk I should so bear this thread and I've got the big picture glass. The Bay walk has been with us for a while but there's some us remember good points and now being in the business for six months. How's the volume training component, especially digital Find yourself drawn back onto the bat or back to your time if being in the game for six months now, how's the mowing training? equip you to to do what you're doing? Yeah, yeah.

Toby Pilgrim  10:09  

Huge, a lot of really good points, specifically to do with being in the field really helped us. So kind of the foundations that were set there. Yeah, we're really good at stuff, we didn't know that we were into training. And now we, we do know, relate it back. The biggest point that I guess this relates back is the customer service. So like, that's, that's, I'm gonna say 90% of it is making sure the customer feels the communication is on point making sure that what they're asking is understood, and then just going to exceed their expectations. But we should communicate with the customer on what they actually want, what their vision is, being able to help them get there and then exceed that. I think that that's half the battle if they want, if all they want is a regular lot of projects in over a couple of weeks, I want their lawn mowed. Happy days. Yeah, they've been you've been trained to do upselling and being able to find points of that property that we might be able to help with. Yep, that's all cool. As long as you're exceeding what they're asking. That's half the battle, basically in the field reading or the you know, what we're doing every day back to training No, all of the speakers had kind of different points to two points on sorry all the speakers at different points to let us know that you know, there are ways to learn as you go. Like I said, I mentioned before Google was a big it's a it's still a big part of of us learning as we go on what customers want might want the services, a lot of the services we offer, we've actually on the goalpost been labeled as the cleanup guys we've just taken on a water cleanup John's essentially began with growing lots of big overgrown yards or, and we take a day or two just to clean them up and ended up being you know, three or four trailer loads. But now the franchisees and the coasts kind of got our number saved some jobs to be performed by generally and out out and I'd like to be able to help the customer out if it's, you know, more than just a few weeds or more than just some engineering. There are a lot of the times we've been we've been at it and that's, that's not I guess I've been we've been able to learn in training, it's, again, back to the customer service side of it, we've been able to ask the customer what they like and hopefully try and exceed their expectations. And that's good stuff. It's really important.

Joel Kleber  12:11  

I love that you said that about garden cleanup because obviously one of the questions I was going to ask you about misconceptions you hear from customers about obviously the name is Jim is known but as you just said, then a two day garden cleanup where you're doing multiple rubbish removals and you're doing everything else in between so moving on to talk about all the other services that you're currently doing in your business and maybe some just some of those misconceptions that customers may think about local gyms buying franchise.

Toby Pilgrim  12:34  

Yeah, of course yeah, definitely more than mowing, I would argue without any kind of numbers or facts behind it. More days spent doing more than mowing essentially we've been doing like I said, garden cleanups, weeding, hedge trimming, hard rubbish removal, just coming into trailer someone or something activity, we come down pick it up, take it away for you gotta clean it. Yeah, kind of a lot as we're in winter at the moment, but as we get into spring we've kind of got some clients set up that weren't either remember all of detached or aerated as we want to get the growing side of things. Huge amount of customers wanting a new plants and plants either dug up and removed because they're wanting a little bit of change or something fresh. So edges and screening options of bamboo is a good options. And in customers always have more questions like when the lead comes in, or the referral comes in just for mowing, a lot of the time thinking about other things or thinking about stuff, and maybe they just don't know how to do it. So being able to come in and ask the questions. Hey, is there anything else you want data you can put in your plants and you know, this would be a good spot to maybe put some hedges or you want some shade over here is it's a really good option to when you're coming in, just to see what customers like and then they know that you are more than knowing so yeah, I would definitely say that we've done more, more not mowing than mowing.

Joel Kleber  13:55  

And they're Radek, good buddy, I was sitting on the garden playing to the rubbish Moodle and athletes probably don't notice I think that they always think like the higher skipping or something. Whereas the whereas Do you guys have a massive trailer where you can say boy fairly significant size, but a lot less headache and a lot quicker and probably shape and Sue than let's say escaping provider

Toby Pilgrim  14:10  

or Yeah, a good good example, a regular customer of ours who just do their loans and we're in the hedge trimming they were moving house so they let us know they're moving house, we come and do their final loans at final hedges and they get you know, scritti all tidy the next summer. And they've got a pile of hard weights in there on the on the driveway. You gotta join us to take that as well like, Oh, do you do that? Absolutely. And I were just going to call a screen or someone else to come in and bake in the signal. Let us take care of it for you and then they have moved into the new house now and you know they've got all these box since they don't need and stuff as they move they don't need as well. So the last probably two or three times we've been there. They've just had a pile sitting there in the driveway for us to take when we do the mountain it's it's made it a little easier for them. They don't have to call anyone else or leave anyone else. They just leave it to us and we do with the fall.

Joel Kleber  14:57  

Yeah, exactly. And I know who you wag the relationship. And you saved me a lot of hassle with that sort of stuff. And you're right. I don't think a lot of people know the breadth of the services, particularly Jim's mowing and the skills that you guys come up with different backgrounds as well. Like we have guys who might be a former fencer or former handyman or somebody that might not be able to take their work, but there are certain jobs that they can do. And you just described as saying more of your jobs are actually non mowing than mine, which I think most people would find it pretty interesting.

Toby Pilgrim  15:24  

Yeah, exactly. And I guess, prior to being in Jim's mowing, again, I think I would be of the same opinion that you need someone to vote or Jim's mowing, but everyone even think of myself stuff that you need done around the house. 90% of the time, a gym is my window, I can do it. So it doesn't hurt to ask. Eager franchisee doesn't really have to ask if there are any other jobs and someone hasn't. There might be a quick just in passing, they joke Oh, well, you know, honey, the goddess lean on you again, we can do that. They don't actually realize that you can do it.

Joel Kleber  15:53  

Yeah, it's a great, it's a great point and are encouraged practices to do to do exactly what you said. Now regards to running your business with your partner, how do you as a business partner, how does it all work? And have you found that experience?

Toby Pilgrim  16:04  

Yeah, really good, really good. And it's really good in the sense that it's, you know, boy bucket, really trusted last night. And we were able to be open, honest with each other and allow that poor communication, especially when it comes to quality of work. This has been sometimes where we go, you know, we might leave a hole we're about to finish up at a job. And he says to me, when are you gonna leave the hedge like that I am. And I can just be honest with me and say, maybe he would have done a little bit different. Being able to complete jobs quicker as well. We've essentially been able to have our time we get to a mowing job once nips one mowers, and we're out of there pretty quick smile makes it quite efficient. And yeah, I guess along the line, we're also looking long term as our business grows as as to whether we, you know, we're currently running a one trailer, one car set up at the moment, but this the opportunity to as we grow and as our skills sharpen up a little bit, and we're, you know, finding, we've got more clients and more leads coming through us to split and have two cars, two trailers, and that's kind of where it grows. But having that trust of working together and sharpening our best skill sets, we're gonna be looking at six months, so don't get too ahead of ourselves. But learning as much as we can get a full year under about all the seasons under our belts and knowing what to expect, we're gonna have that opportunity and be fully confident in each other, and each other's work and our quality of work and which is Yeah, I guess you can't kind of you can't buy that kind of comfort level, I guess. A lot of guys, especially franchisee we're talking to them the hardest, the hardest part of that growth is finding either employee or contractor that you can trust them does the quality of work that you're used to, or the quality would be comfortable with. So in this situation, and kind of future proof ourselves that we're both comfortable with each other's kind of work. And then yeah, like I said, that communication line is quite clear and quite honest, wide open. So that's always handy to have that and plus works fine, works fine. When you work with the best now it's so you love coming to work every day, and every day is different. And when we finish a two or three day cleanup job was super proud of each other, give each other a pat on the back. And yeah, you know, veer off to work.

Joel Kleber  18:07  

That's great, great to hear. Yeah, because as you said, you know, most franchisees might have a worker or an off site, or that person still just an employee, whereas if you're both in it, you're both both invested, that's both your business you're gonna, your standards are going to be a lot higher than someone maybe just getting paid. Just just to do the job.

Toby Pilgrim  18:23  

Exactly right. Yeah, we both got both got skin in the game. So making sure that the quality is there, and the customers are happy. And it's really important to both of us. And also understanding rather well that customer service or customer experience is just not our top priority. And both having that having the knowledge that we both feel that way isn't super comforting as well, just knowing that each time we leave, whether it be together or separate, in production gonna be satisfied. And so people work like a job, huge love of Bumble.

Joel Kleber  18:50  

Let's add a lot of people, Toby like we, we say the word customer experience. So what is that you mentioned a little bit at the start about what that is to you. You've talked about things like communication, but maybe just sort of walk through the of a flow. Like is this something where you're sending the customer the night before letting you know you're coming? Or you're sending a message when you're at a job or photo post job? What's the actual customer experience look like for you in full? Yeah,

Toby Pilgrim  19:09  

well, there's, there's probably no greater feeling then when a leader comes through. And you've told him within the first 10 seconds to a minute, you're not busy. And the first thing they say which Jesus week, and you've got to blow their expectations out of the water already late, they might get a message, some of the call center, you're gonna call back in two hours or something like that. But generally, I think I speak about the mark, most franchisees when we call that a lot earlier than that, and the surprise there I guess gratitude there that someone's taken their their lead seriously. That's that's really good. It's really, really rewarding to know that they're there. We're treating their job seriously. And we really want help. So what's funny, that's where it kicks off knees just from the star, quick response pitch litigation, open communication. And yeah, things like texting the night before the day before. Hey, just a reminder, we're going to be your base mailings tomorrow's already Unit she'd like us to do that asking the question to make sure that there is maybe there is something they've been thinking all that they've been wanting done. They just haven't asked you yet and just got a reminder. Yeah, and it eases customers minds in the fact that you are caring for the garden, you're hearing from the Lord. And you're not just there to do a job and, and get out, you actually care about what we think of a yard and you that help them get photos up for a job really important. Just like it's that confidence in our work, you know, right there. And then if they're not home, they can see that you've done the work, they can see that the quality is good, we also find they're more likely to pay quicker and send the photos straightaway. Because you know, they've seen the job you've seen, we've been there, we've done the work. And they're happy with it. That instant feedback is really good as well. So you send them a photo of the job. And straightaway they text back. Fantastic work. Super happy with that. Thank you. So that's really rewarding as well. And just yet, keeping communication open asking questions, like I said, customers all the time, may not either know what they want, or they may not know to us. So keeping communication lines open and just offering services that you think they might make a change, or you have a big look around the yard and you see something that maybe could use a little bit of potential to say, hey, we think in an ordinance and with this, and then all of a sudden you get a story on maybe what they are wanting to do. And you can let them know how you can help. So yeah, just keeping your communication lines open, being prompt reliable. I guess that's one of the things in Jim's name, but that's all stuff we take to heart and make sure we're very punctual on as well. So, and I think that's the key to longevity, these are probably why the GE recruitment going. So why don't we because that's at the forefront of every franchisee that just want to make sure customers are happy and lonely, you know, meet their expectations that exceed when that's something that's important in our business as well.

Joel Kleber  21:45  

Absolutely great explanation there. As I say now, with your businesses, yourself, you've been able to seek to ask what's the biggest lesson or what's something that you in your six month journey, which is only just beginning, really, but what that you that you've learned so that you've picked up in your business time?

Toby Pilgrim  22:00  

Great question. asking for feedback is important. A lot of the time, when we first started out, it was gonna send a message to the client. Hey, we're done here. Thanks so much. We'll see you in two weeks, sometimes goods on photos, sometimes we wouldn't. But we found the sending photos and asking please let us know if there's anything else we can do. Please let us open any feedback, the line feedback is important to us opens up and customers to actually let us know that whether something is good or bad, we will know about it. It's something that we can do to improve by all means, let us know. So having room for improvement is always our specialty. There are over six months and we're still learning we're not. Yeah, we are not going to pretend that we know everything. And just being honest with customers. If they asked us to the reader that Lauren, what's the point? Look, I'll just have to get back to you. I haven't done one of those before. Or I'm just going to ask someone who's probably done a little bit more of this than me, leaving open and honest. Get your get your long way in terms of customers, getting more trucks by gaining the confidence to have them back. One of the lessons that we learned Yeah, not not being afraid to ask when you don't know something that's pretty important is going to get in your way through it or if you're not 100% Sure on something and I would say something goes wrong lucky as for us yet, but it's something does. You're not sure it's something it's just asked we've got such a good support network of people here locally and Jim's group that I'm with you kind of just ask and we're pretty confident that we'll get a good answer or be pointing in the right direction to find more information. So yeah, and let's I guess that's pretty much it. We're still learning as we go all the time. So I'm sure there's gonna be more challenges come up as some kind of get into spring and we started to get a bit easier and schedule starts to get a bit more bit more packed and I don't

Joel Kleber  23:42  

know spring Yeah, how do you innovate human behavior was pretty heavy.

Toby Pilgrim  23:45  

Now I started in the middle of summer, which was busy, but yeah, haven't got a spring yet, which everyone's telling us is a good time to be a gardener.

Joel Kleber  23:54  

Lodi, rather great information there and common sense stuff you said which is fantastic. And I was gonna say now with your equipment and your business. Everyone likes you and about what equipment professionals use or what what gear Do you run in your in your round?

Toby Pilgrim  24:05  

Yeah, well, we we started off with pretty much all steel equipment like the hedgerow blower. We've been flipped around, slipper, brush cutter, anything like that. We've now moved to outside with a Honda model. We've now moved to Gleek they were blink. Yeah, which is really, really impressive. We had a blink demonstration at training, which was which was helpful in town guessing, steering us which way we want to go. Once we started we knew we wanted to kind of go electric just the starting up and move. The upfront cost I guess was kind of somewhat limited just going straight away. But as we started in summer we get a little bit of a cash flow happening which side of the road blink so electric commercial, which is Hell's woodshed. We haven't gone full time yet. We're still running or we're running batteries. Now. We're to slip off, but we've still got some petrol to petrol gear that we're looking to phase out probably as we get into spring and summer and we're going to do more cash flow. I guess that's not the Pick out, but we're planning on going full, full blink. So before the rubbish tip of blow the whole of the will be Palenko think.

Joel Kleber  25:07  

Yeah. Are you wearing the backpack? Did the backpack mount?

Toby Pilgrim  25:10  

Yeah. So so at the moment, we're just we're just with the bowler. So we will once we get the we'll get the harness and the battery and everything like that once we go with a superpower and all that, but we we demoed them just with the local dealer here at staple German. Yeah, it was super impressed the amount of time you say not having to refuel, you know, the, I guess a little bit more pricey up front but you say that in fuel costs servicing costs, it's a lot lighter, like yours a little lighter and easier to use. So today we're pretty happy with the decision and we think we'll stick with it and recoil reports that Blinky lasts a long time as well so we're pretty happy not to be replacing your brain we're altering and kind of some point ballers we've been told last six 810 years if you look after him so getting a lot of in Germany although IQs is important as well.

Joel Kleber  25:57  

Yeah, it is a premium product but it is a fantastic product but it lasts for a full day on one battery so you know it I love the other battery providers but it's not a knock on them but the technology is still where you have to have multiple batteries if you don't have multiple batteries and chargers you know you can't do it where's the plank you can do a whole day ya know, as you would know at the moment, the gears as it's a lot lighter, we've actually got a few guys down here in Melbourne he used for Pelech gear for the full range in Melbourne that's how they run their business they don't have the full gamut where they need have anything else but they have they have what the setup you're gonna get they just love it and customers rather too because it's you know, there's no fumes it's all up it's quieter. It looks cool as well so they get a fair few questions out of it. And yeah, it's definitely way away the future and it's something where I don't know what the cost of fuel is per year but it definitely definitely works out to save a little bit of money in the long run.

Toby Pilgrim  26:45  

Absolutely and and that's you do you get stopped by good weather being from the client when you're mowing their lawn or someone who's walking past and next thing you got there what's a little blink bright orange doesn't look like 100 mile you know it's it's a little bit futuristic a little bit spaceship life but you get stopped and asked and being able to educate people and a little bit of questions I asked is all what's the battery life on every job you get to tell him we've never run out of battery we've never I don't think we've ever gone on 20 Popsy on the whole day that either went full daddy's eight to 10 clients and had never gone under 25% I guess the bigger the liquidity round of batteries the you know the big long graphs you can have to kind of go over it a few times using the sub roll up but now it's it's it's damaged job and lasts a long time and then at charging overnight and a time that here we've never never even added close to running out so let's get over the boys from blank or you can send this to him and you can get some free gear or something like that and

Joel Kleber  27:45  

if you weren't sure on and since he is a premium products, but um, you know, as a quality like originally, I think it was originally for more the agriculture in the wine region and stuff and brands, it's a French company. And this is sort of like a side thing they're just they slowly started getting into it it's very hard to get from a distributor design design unit to they have distributors as well you can't really buy it online or it's not at a Bunnings or anything like that it's really highly specialized you but it's fantastic stuff.

Toby Pilgrim  28:09  

And it was good dining as well as we started we were we were pretty big on starting August trying to start a good social media campaign just on our on our franchise. I mean, you spoke about it at training and some of the guys who have kind of gone on gangbusters with your Instagram and your jocks and everything like that and there was something that we thought we'd start from the get go and try to build a bit of a little bit of a profile on and that's actually how we got in touch with our local Blake dealer was they saw sharing some gear and and then they just reached out and said hey, we want to cool gear I'm not sure if you know where we are but we're here again next thing with webinar blank so social media 2023 Social media is the way to make those connections and network I guess

Joel Kleber  28:49  

while you're getting a good testimonials I feel they can give you something in return just just to try it looses give you some stuff. That's right. But um yeah, looking back at us six months in what sort of advice would you maybe give to others maybe thinking about because you're in a position where a lot of people find themselves in I've invested a lot into a company it's very hard to pull yourself away from it. But a family sometimes will change that that perspective so maybe what's some advice for them or what would you suggest that they do? Is it more research or if they decide on a gym is franchises the option for them?

Toby Pilgrim  29:19  

Yeah, yeah, it is a bit of research and it's gonna be right for you I guess at the end of the day being at the auction house that I was at for so while I built a really really good relationship I I mean, financially there was no no worries for us I built myself a way into the company where I was doing pretty well for myself pretty well from our family. The only thing I guess that was I needed to improve on was a my family John being able to be there for my kids as they grow up with once you grow up. And then you know, set the right time you know everything universal line is helping my mate as well get out at ease. He was his previous employer babies. He wanted to try something different. So help him out at the same time that's been helping me make this decision. Yeah, dude doing the research and making sure he's like, but at the end of the day, what's that said we you kind of look out and go, Why not it's a it's a built is there is a structure to it was always really good training that's provided as long as you kind of got that attitude that, you know to, I guess call it a successful energy bulletin, you know, kind of attitude as long as you're willing to build your business and I guess work document whatever your why out of it, you know, if the family's what's important to you, I can estimate and you get to spend a window with an extra day a week and higher with the kids invest like then then go for it. If you want to make a lot of money, like I know a lot of the franchisees out? Absolutely, then how world's your oyster and how big you want to make it, then go for it. There's no real without holding anything to me, I don't think there's a real risk and and you invest in gyms knowing franchise, build it up to what you want, and the ability to either sell your franchise or sell clients. And we've already said, So climate is going for it and having a crack. I guess that's my advice to anyone thinking about doing it is? Why not? If you know what's important to you, and you know, the dude, getting into JIM'S MIND franchise is going to put you in a step in the right direction to getting what makes you happy. Why not go for it? I mean, I like I said I didn't want to live 1015 20 years down the tracks in Baltimore, shouldn't have done that, you know, fine, I'm 28 at the moment, not getting any younger. So

Joel Kleber  31:25  

being a young makes your life easier than most than your dad some good common sense and wise utilize that in yourself to do that. Already, you know, young age, a lot of people don't realize that they're 40 or 45. And then they say the same thing. I wish I'd had it sooner. So you've got an unrelated time, I was gonna say we found doing this this way. Jerky was obviously we get a lot of social media, a lot of comments, you know, they page in, do it yourself. It's easy. Just drop a few letterbox drops around the block, and you're going to be easy, and that is franchise fees. Right? So how do you say the stated value of financial space in your head? Or going about doing it by yourself? How do you how do you sort of reconcile that? Or how would you describe that to someone?

Toby Pilgrim  32:01  

Oh, there, when you when you think about what you would pay for advertising that actually gets you work and good work. The franchise fees are nothing compared to what you would pay. I mean, you think of stuff like Google AdWords, or Facebook and Instagram posts and being able to get the kind of reach, you cannot buy the trusted franchise, the trusted name and you can buy. So having that in itself, the franchise fees pay for themselves as well as being able to get real leads of people who actually want work done. And you know, we talked about all the time in spring and summer, this, this customers and clients out there who can't get their work done by gyms because there's not enough of this. So the work is there, if you want, it's just, you cannot buy those kinds of customers, you can't buy the red hot leads. That actually what worked on being able to, I guess, set yourself up to meet and exceed their expectations the way that the system is. Yeah, so anyone who I guess says, do it yourself, or instead of a lot harder to try and do it yourself to build the type of database and the type of trusted brand recognition that we have at the moment by yourself who would take home, if you put a John binary monetary value would be 1000, then we would want to spend on advertising just to get to keep the work there. And then you got to build a trusted reputation. And then you got to build, you know, I guess good referrals and good reviews and stuff like that, where where is it a franchise, all that kind of stuff. It's already there. And then all you got to do is build your own database, you build your own client base of all, you know, local customers that you can share. Listen, I guess from there, that's when you're getting referrals. And it's only getting good reviews. And but yeah, it's really what I'm saying. Think about the origins feelings, like we don't think it's pays for itself in what we would spend on advertising and what we would want to spend getting a trusted brand,

Joel Kleber  33:56  

I guess. Yeah, I think it's like always, I mean, if it wanted to do I think it is your buying share of intellectual property that's got like 96% or whatever it is brand recognition across Australia for a really small amount like you're trying to buy into a brand that you could use on your shirt for let's say, McDonald's or something else. It's got all that massive awareness around it like Jim is buying in Tennessee, think of Australian brands got Bunnings you got like Lady Dan Murphy sometimes or Jimmy smiling. He's got the culture that that iconic IP. And to buy, you can have a part of that iconic IP and the 1000s of people that come in for you in terms of all the goodwill and the jobs that they've done for a really, really Motley set fade, which is really, really competitive. And it's frustrating for me because I obviously said a lot on title post this video, for example, you'll get the independence to get right to the comment section which is fine and there's a lot of gluten and independents out there as well. But I sort of think in the market I just think it's funny how people say do it yourself and don't pay the franchise fees when they just don't understand the true value of what that is is when you're involved in the brand as you as you do.

Toby Pilgrim  34:57  

Know and also like you think of the support and you get as Well like which has been like it's crucial to us in that first six months in setting up from a couple of guys who know how to mow the lawn, they know how to you know edge the lawn and from that everything else only when common sense prevails and how to do your bit and he knew a lot of buttons and profiles, but having the the experience of the other franchisees will be a franchise all of the gyms national group and you know, all the info Jack and everyone who comes with it in terms of working out for each month. It's it's unrivaled like he would if I was running my own independent business right now. And I had to think about all of those things, as well as think about what being an advertising and whenever advertising effective, and whether my customers trust my brand, I mean, credit cheering independence against me, trusted insider out there have obviously done hard work and done a great job. And sometimes I guess, exhibit a lock, if you're, if you're real gets 100 Day news on tick tock or something like that. Yeah, it's, it's it's hard work. And he's changed a lot of that hardware. It's already been done in the last, you know, 3040 years by the Jim's group, you know, the franchise fees kind of pay for themselves. Like I said, advertising and public trust and brand recognition.

Joel Kleber  36:08  

Yeah, we don't often think about it. Yeah. So I think like, you know, if you if you made it as an independent, you've been innovating for 10 years, like you've done a fantastic job by Can you put that independent person into a Jim's mowing system, they don't have to worry about Google ads, they don't have to worry about website they have to worry about SEO, all that sort of stuff. Just this the size of their businesses would be huge. But I'm what I'll do Toby's Thank you very much for your time today and I can see why he why you do a fantastic job with your customers you speak fantastically well. And it's great to have someone out to six months, come on board and be doing really well with your business partner. So behalf of us that Jim's got one to present with that. I'll shoot this up to you probably takes about five days to get to your inbox you get create an account online and then get the silver membership and you can use it to complimentary nights anyway a bunch of restaurants, meals, all sort of stuff. It's like $600 worth of value. So I'm enjoy that and thank you for being a Star Franchisee and joining us today in the gyms, Molly and Jim's group podcast.

Toby Pilgrim  37:02  

No, thanks, I'd appreciate it. That's, that's awesome, Edward. Cool. Gracias. Nice to remember that being able to share a story. Hopefully it helps someone Facebook posts and Instagram help. Myself and my business partner make the decision. I'm happy to haze but yeah, that's my that's my recommendation when you want people about it. Inquire find out more, get it out in the field or something like that and enjoy it. And definitely, yeah, are your thing starting to shake up was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my working career and well was spot on. So I'm looking to see how I could I guess

Joel Kleber  37:33  

Yeah, well looking to see if I have bite and progress because you know, six months is only really early. So just to say I bet you can go you know, maybe in a couple of years. We'll check back in with you and see where you're at. But I'm here and I really, really thank you very much for your time and providing all the information. You provide some absolute quality information for anyone thinking about being a franchisee, or just the customer in general wants to learn more about us and about what you do. So thank you very much for your time today, Toby.

Toby Pilgrim  37:57  

Why I think sure, for sure. Thanks, Mike.

Joel Kleber  37:58  

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Thanks for listening to the episode of the more than just mind podcast by James Martin. If you do need help with your local gardening expert, please give us a call at 131546 for Australia, oh 800-454-6544 New Zealand or head to Jim's mind.com.au or James malinke dot CODA and Zed. If you liked what you heard, please make sure to leave us a review as well. Wherever you consume your podcasts. We appreciate your support. And until next episode, we hope you have a great week.