Jim's Podcast

Jim's Group
  • 5.0 (19)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

The Jim’s Podcast is hosted by Joel Kleber, Chief Marketing Officer of the Jim’s Group. Each week, I sit down with the people who make Jim’s what it is. Franchisees, franchisors, and Jim himself. We talk honestly about what it’s really like to build a business inside the Jim’s system. The wins, the surprises, the lessons learned the hard way, and the advice Jim has been sharing with business owners for decades. If you’re researching a Jim’s franchise, these conversations are essential listening. You will also find them valuable if you're looking to start a business or franchise.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Jim's Cleaning NZ - The Unserviced Leads Strategy That Built a Top Jim's Cleaning Franchise

    What's the real strategy a top Jim's Cleaning franchisee used to build their business? Not ads. Not leaflets. The unserviced leads report. In this episode Janille, head trainer for Jim's Cleaning New Zealand, sits down with Joel Kleber to break down how she and her husband went from bookkeeper and construction project manager to one of the top Jim's Cleaning franchises in NZ. Within the first few weeks they reduced their incoming leads and started cherrypicking from the unserviced leads report instead. Her husband refreshed it 50 times a day. Every lead got a callback within 30 seconds, before the customer had time to call anyone else. Janille now trains every new Jim's Cleaning franchisee in New Zealand on the same playbook. She covers why "no callbacks" is the service standard top franchisees build around, how one of her clients has sent her 8 referrals, the role real estate agents and property managers play in commercial work, and why "Facebook cleaners" can't compete on quality, insurance or accountability. If you're weighing up a Jim's Cleaning franchise in Australia or New Zealand, start here. 0:00 Janille's first 6 months 1:20 From bookkeeper to Jim's Cleaning 1:50 Reducing leads in month one 2:25 The unserviced leads report explained 3:40 How customers react to the callback 4:25 Building a top franchise in NZ 4:45 The no callbacks service standard 5:45 One client, 8 referrals 6:15 Moving into the head trainer role 7:15 What on-road training covers 9:14 Jim's Cleaning vs Facebook cleaners 11:15 The Jim's enzyme-based products 12:50 Oven cleaning transformations 14:35 What the best franchisees do differently 15:45 Working with real estate agents 16:00 Bimonthly franchisee meetings 16:25 Master one before adding more

    18 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Jim's Mowing - 10 years a franchisee. One check-up changed everything.

    Damian Bush felt fit, coached footy, hit the gym, and weighed 80kg. Then a routine check found his resting heart rate sitting at 137 and he was in emergency heart surgery the next day. Damian has been a Jim's Mowing franchisee in Tasmania for nearly 10 years and supports the Tassie network alongside running his own crew. He joins Joel on the Jim's Mowing podcast to share the health scare that nearly took him out, and the business systems that kept his income running while he recovered. The conversation covers why franchisees service their machines but neglect themselves, the income protection gap most operators have no idea about, and how Damian turned every Tasmanian customer into a fortnightly retainer across all four seasons. Damian also breaks down the personal brand standards he runs his business by, how one local franchisee got 18 five-star Google reviews in two weeks, and why sponsoring local sport teams and raffle prizes still outperforms digital ads for long-term franchisees. If you run a service business or you are looking at a Jim's franchise, this one is worth your time. 0:00 Diversifying services and winter upsells 0:45 Meet Damian Bush, Tasmania franchisee 1:10 The health scare that changed everything 3:14 A resting heart rate of 137 with no symptoms 6:23 Why franchisees skip their own check-ups 9:25 Income protection and personal cover 12:11 Diversifying into a full-garden retainer model 14:24 How to get off Jim's leads and build referrals 19:07 Personal brand standards every franchisee needs 22:30 Setting your own non-negotiable standards 24:34 Upselling, networking, and Google My Business 33:00 Why one franchisee gets requested by name 38:16 The 30 doors a day local marketing tactic 40:21 Sponsoring sport teams and raffle prizes 46:31 Building referrals through community trust

    52 min

  3. 13 MAY

    #ASKJIM May 2026 with Jim Penman and Joel Kleber

    #ASKJIM May 2026 with Jim Penman and Joel Kleber

    1 hr

  4. 11 MAY

    $19,800 Fine for Not Updating a Website Nobody Uses Formula - Interview with Jay Westbury CEO of the FCA

    A franchisor recently copped a $19,800 fine for failing to update an entry on a government website nobody uses. Jay Westbury is the CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia. He returns to the show to walk through the regulatory changes hitting Australian franchising right now. The episode covers what's already been passed, what's sitting in the lower house, and what franchisors and franchisees need to be paying attention to. Jay breaks down the Franchise Disclosure Register fine and why the FCA is pushing for the register to be moved out of the ACCC. He covers the Unfair Trading Practices legislation, why Unfair Contract Terms reform has hit 100 per cent compliance across franchising, and the Reserve Bank's October surcharge ban, including the awkward gap where Mastercard and Visa surcharges are banned but Amex is not. He also covers the FCA Awards in Brisbane on 17 June and the National Franchise Convention in Canberra in October. If you run a franchise network or own a franchise, this is the brief on what's about to land.

    18 min

  5. 10 MAY

    Jim's Cleaning - Yash hit 3x the income guarantee in his first month

    What does the first 30 days as a Jim's Cleaning franchisee actually look like? For Yash, it looked like three times the income guarantee, six staff hired, and not a single leaflet dropped. Yash came into Jim's Cleaning with six years of marketing experience and a plan to run his own lead generation. He never got around to it. The leads from the Jim's system came in faster than he could convert them.In this conversation with Joel Kleber, Yash breaks down exactly how the month played out. He explains why he calls every lead back within 30 seconds instead of two hours, how that single habit pushed his conversion rate to 60 to 80%, and why he hired six people in his first 30 days when his own franchisor told him to slow down. He covers the real cost of a Jim's franchise (which he calculates at around 7%), his quality control system for running multiple sites at once, and why "stupid questions" to his franchisor have been the most valuable training he has had. If you are weighing up a Jim's Cleaning franchise, start here. 0:00 Yash's first month numbers 1:00 From marketing to Jim's Cleaning 2:00 3x the income guarantee explained 3:30 Why he hired 6 staff in month one 4:00 Leads from the Jim's app vs leaflet drops 5:30 The 30-second callback rule 9:00 From desk job to physical work 10:00 Hiring from the student community 11:30 Quality control across multiple sites 13:50 Two weeks of training with Danny 15:00 Networking with other franchisees 17:00 Why stupid questions matter most 20:00 Jim's takes hardly 7% 20:30 Facing racism fears as a young migrant 22:10 Buying more franchises with friends 24:00 Never lie to a client 28:30 Working 7 days, 6am to 9pm 30:30 The Bali holiday after 3 months

    32 min

  6. 30 APR

    Payday Super starts 1 July: what every franchise needs to do now

    A franchisor now gets fined when one of their franchisees underpays staff, even when the franchisor had nothing to do with it. Payday Super kicks in 1 July and means super contributions must clear within 7 days of every pay run, not quarterly. The salary buffer rule that most employers rely on to stay compliant has changed, and one overtime-heavy week can now trigger an underpayment claim that costs hundreds of dollars per employee. In this interview, Damien Gooden from ER Strategies (an FCA Platinum Partner) walks through the industrial relations changes that will hit franchisors and franchisees over the next 12 months. You will hear exactly what the Vulnerable Workers Act requires every franchisor to have in place, broken into four specific elements. You will hear how the junior wages ruling phases in between December 2026 and July 2029, and what that does to business models built on lower-cost 18 to 20 year olds. You will hear the salary offset case study with real dollar figures, showing how a $55,000 salary that was compliant under the old rule can now leave an employer $404 short in a single pay cycle. Damien's number one takeaway for every franchise network: time sheets. For every employee, without exception, including salaried staff. That is the evidence that protects you when Fair Work comes knocking. If you run a franchise or employ staff under an Australian award, this is the compliance update you need before the next quarter starts. Need help? Contact https://erstrategies.com.au/ or https://hrcentral.com.au/

    28 min

  7. 26 APR

    Jim's Electrical - $620 a month, 50 leads. The maths every sparky needs to see

    Independent electricians in Australia are paying $4,000 to $5,000 a month to generate roughly half the leads Jim's Electrical delivers for $620. Cam Scott has run Jim's Electrical for 18 years and sits down with Joel to lay out the real numbers behind the division. He covers the fee structure, how lead fees work, why franchisees regularly get blown away by the volume of work in their first week, and what a 70 to 90 percent conversion rate looks like in practice. One franchisee in the group is turning over close to $700,000 a year with four staff, paying around $25,000 in total annual fees. Another had 15 five-star reviews inside his first two weeks. Cam also talks about current territory availability across Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle, Wollongong and regional Victoria, and how to get started for $25,000 with a $12,000 interest-free payment plan. If you are a sparky running your own business and you have never seriously looked at Jim's Electrical, this episode will change how you think about your marketing spend. www.jims.net TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction and Cam's background3:10 How Jim's Electrical started 18 years ago6:30 Who suits this franchise division9:45 Why independent sparkies resist the switch13:00 Lead quality and volume compared to independents17:20 Fee structure and the real cost comparison22:00 How lead fees work and why they exist26:30 Support and business coaching included31:00 Building a team with no extra monthly fees35:20 Services: domestic and light commercial38:45 Territory availability around Australia42:00 Entry cost and interest-free payment plan46:30 Observation days and how to inquire50:00 Why Cam has stayed with Jim's for 18 years

    29 min

  8. 23 APR

    Jim's Hazardous Material Removal - From Aldi to $250k: Sean's first year with Jim's Hazmat

    Sean went from 10 years managing an Aldi supermarket to $250,000 in his first year as a Jim's Hazmat franchisee, with no trade background and no prior business experience. Sean joins Joel on the Jim's Group Podcast to break down how he built one of the fastest-growing runs in the Jim's Hazmat division from scratch. He covers the full range of services his business does, including asbestos removal, biohazard cleans, crime scenes, hoarder cleans, mould treatment and meth testing. Sean talks through the real investment figure, the average job value, how he built his referral network through builders and real estate agents, and why his wife was able to leave full-time work before he hit his second year. By year three, Sean is projecting $700,000. He also talks about becoming the first Jim's Hazmat franchisor in New Zealand and what that opportunity looks like for the right person. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction and Sean's background 3:20 Why Sean chose Jim's Hazmat over other divisions 7:00 Training and certifications explained 11:30 $250k in year one: the real numbers 15:00 Investment costs and ROI 18:30 Scaling to $700k and hiring staff 22:00 Asbestos removal: the full process 29:00 Biohazard cleans and crime scenes 36:00 Hoarder cleans and what they involve 43:00 Mold, meth testing and syringe pickups 49:00 Building referrals through builders 54:00 Franchise fees and lead system explained 59:00 Mindset shift from employee to business owner 1:05:00 Becoming a franchiseor in New Zealand

    53 min
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5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

The Jim’s Podcast is hosted by Joel Kleber, Chief Marketing Officer of the Jim’s Group. Each week, I sit down with the people who make Jim’s what it is. Franchisees, franchisors, and Jim himself. We talk honestly about what it’s really like to build a business inside the Jim’s system. The wins, the surprises, the lessons learned the hard way, and the advice Jim has been sharing with business owners for decades. If you’re researching a Jim’s franchise, these conversations are essential listening. You will also find them valuable if you're looking to start a business or franchise.

Information

  • Creator
    Jim's Group
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    407
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jim's Group
  • Show Website
    Jim's Podcast

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