Rene Pritchard left a corporate HR recruiting role in New Zealand and built a Jim’s Mowing franchise with 96 active clients on a two-weekly cycle. He has not really needed to take leads for around six or seven years because repeat work, referrals, and consistent service now drive the business.

In short: Rene Pritchard went from managing an HR recruiting company to running a long-term Jim’s Mowing franchise in Waikato, New Zealand. He bought an existing franchise, built it around consistency, and now has 96 active clients on a two-weekly cycle. He lost around 20 kg in his first six weeks, built strong property management relationships, and has not really needed to take new leads for around six or seven years.

In this More Than Just Mowing Podcast episode, Rene Pritchard shares how he left his role as manager of an HR recruiting company to run a Jim’s Mowing franchise in Waikato, New Zealand. Today, his business has 96 active clients on a two-weekly cycle, supported by Jim’s brand, lead network, customer systems, and the repeat-service model that keeps local mowing work consistent.

A Jim’s Mowing franchise can work well for someone who wants a physical, local, repeat-service business instead of a desk-based career. Rene’s story shows how one operator built a stable mowing round in Waikato through quality, communication, reliability, referrals, and a strong brand behind him. This article covers what Rene did before Jim’s, why he made the switch, how the first few months felt, how the business grew, and why he still values the Jim’s system after more than a decade.

What Did Rene Do Before Joining Jim’s Mowing?

Before joining Jim’s Mowing, Rene Pritchard was the manager of an HR recruiting company.

It was a decent corporate role, but he had reached the point where the work no longer felt right. As Rene put it, he was “sick of making money for other people.”

He had joked for years that he might be happier mowing lawns and running his own business. One day after work, he saw a Jim’s franchise online and decided to make the call.

That call started a roughly five-week process. He handed in his notice, completed the handover, reviewed the business paperwork, checked the books, and prepared to move from office work into the field.

The big appeal was simple: he was buying an existing Jim’s Mowing franchise. That meant he was not starting from zero.

He could see the numbers, understand the existing income, and make a practical decision before leaving his salaried role.

Why Did Rene Choose A Jim’s Mowing Franchise In Waikato?

Rene chose a Jim’s Mowing franchise because it gave him a business with structure, brand recognition, and income potential from day one.

He was not looking for theory. He wanted a working business.

Buying an existing franchise meant he could review the books before committing. For someone coming from a corporate management role, that mattered because the decision had to make financial sense.

He also saw the lifestyle upside.

After years in an office, Rene wanted work that kept him active. He did not want to swap one stressful role for another desk-based job.

The Jim’s model gave him a local service business with established systems, brand support, and the option to build his own client base. 

For anyone comparing a franchise to going independent, Jim’s Group explains the broader franchise pathway through its guide to owning a Jim’s franchise. The official Jim’s Group franchise page also highlights its flat-fee model, training, app-based systems, and national franchise network.

What Happened In Rene’s First Few Months After Starting?

Rene’s first few weeks were a shock to the system.

He went from a sedentary office role to full-time physical work. In his words, the first couple of weeks were “mind-blowing.”

The biggest early change was physical. Rene says he lost around 20 kg in his first six weeks.

That was not from a gym plan. It came from mowing, walking, lifting, pushing equipment, and working outdoors every day.

He later wore a pedometer for a doctor and recorded more than 100,000 steps on one big Wednesday.

That physical change also affected his stress levels. Rene says the decision felt right straight away because he felt fitter, healthier, and less mentally drained than he had been in corporate work.

There was still the normal early concern every business owner feels.

Would clients stay?

Would he get enough work?

Could he replace customers if they left?

Rene says he quickly found that within the Jim’s network and franchise system, there was as much work as he wanted.

How Much Can You Earn With A Jim’s Mowing Franchise?

Rene says that he has been “absolutely” happy with what the business has brought in compared with his previous role.

He also makes an important point about income for people moving from wages or salary into self-employment.

Your bottom-line net profit is not the same as your old gross salary. A mowing business has expenses, deductions, equipment, vehicle costs, accounting, ACC, GST, tax, fuel, repairs, and other operating costs.

Rene says the lifestyle and what can be charged off as a self-employed operator more than makes up for the difference.

The real numbers from his story are still strong:

• 96 active clients on a two-weekly cycle
• Around 120 clients on a fortnightly cycle in his first year, before reviewing his workload
• Around six or seven years without really needing to take leads
• Existing customers from his first week are still using him years later
• Property management clients who could each represent 10, 12, 14, or 20 properties

For readers comparing possible income, Jim’s has a separate guide on how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise. Exact results still depend on the operator, location, service mix, expenses, and how well the business is run.

How Did Rene’s Jim’s Mowing Business Grow Over Time?

Rene’s business grew through a mix of existing clients, old professional networks, repeat service, and word of mouth.

His previous HR recruiting role gave him business contacts. Because he had worked with businesses and management teams, he was able to pick up property management and rental real estate companies early.

That was a major advantage.

One property management client could lead to 10, 12, 14, or 20 properties on a recurring mowing schedule.

From there, the growth came from consistency.

Rene says some customers he picked up in his first week are still with him now. Those customers also led to family, friends, and neighbours.

The reason was not complicated.

He kept the same standard from the first job onwards.

As Rene explains, if you do a great job at the start, you have to keep doing the same job every time. You cannot go backwards. You cannot take the customer for granted.

That became his operating standard.

Quality, communication, and reliability became the three things that kept customers with him.

What Systems And Tools Made The Biggest Difference?

The biggest system in Rene’s business was not a single piece of software. It was a repeat-service operating rhythm.

Most of his work runs on a two-weekly cycle. That matters because mowing is not a one-off job when handled properly.

A recurring mowing round creates predictable work, predictable travel, and predictable customer expectations.

Why A Two-Weekly Mowing Cycle Improves Efficiency

When a customer knows Rene comes every Tuesday, they prepare for it.

If they have dogs, they pick up droppings.

If they have kids, they move toys off the lawn.

If the lawn needs access, they know when to expect him.

That saves time on site.

It also improves customer satisfaction because the service feels reliable. The customer does not need to chase. The operator does not need to constantly resell the job.

For a Jim’s Mowing franchise, this is one of the quiet advantages of building a local route-based business.

Recurring work gives the business a base. Referrals and extra services then sit on top of that base.

Rene also uses the Jim’s brand as a trust system. The uniform, logo, trailer, and brand recognition make customers feel more secure.

For new operators, the broader Jim’s model also includes training and business setup. You can read more about Jim’s franchisee training and how Jim’s franchising fees work before comparing the numbers.

What Challenges Did Rene Face And Overcome?

The first challenge was fitness.

Rene had spent around 20 years in office-style work. Moving into physical outdoor work was a major adjustment.

The second challenge was finding the right workload.

In his first year, Rene says he took every lead he could. He got to around 120 clients on a fortnightly cycle, but it became too much.

He reviewed the customer base and found his sustainable level.

That is one of the most useful lessons in the episode. Growth is not just about taking every job. It is about finding the level you can maintain while still delivering quality.

The third challenge was learning how to judge customers.

Rene’s advice to new operators is direct: if you get a bad feeling about a client, trust your gut.

He says everyone gets stung at some point, but you can minimise the risk. If something does not feel right, ask for money up front.

The fourth challenge was learning the business side.

People coming from wages and salaries may not be used to GST, ACC, tax, accounting, equipment expenses, fuel, vehicle costs, and trailer repairs.

Rene had an accounting background, so he could handle much of this himself. Even then, he still had his accounts checked independently.

That is a practical reminder for anyone researching Jim’s Mowing cost or running costs. The upfront franchise price is only one part of the decision. You also need to understand the ongoing costs of operating properly.

Is A Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It For Rene Pritchard?

For Rene Pritchard, the answer is yes.

He says he would not do anything differently.

That does not mean the work is easy. His first year was physically demanding, and he had to learn how to manage workload, customer quality, and business expenses.

But after more than a decade, Rene still values the Jim’s system.

The reason is the safety net.

Even though he has not really needed leads for around six or seven years, he stays with Jim’s because things can change. A real estate client with 20 properties could disappear. A business could close. A customer base can shift.

With Jim’s, Rene knows he can switch his leads back on and rebuild if needed.

He also values the network, the brand, and the support environment. Other franchisees wave, talk, and help each other. Customers recognise the Jim’s name. The uniform and branding create trust before he even starts the job.

That is the difference between simply mowing lawns and operating inside a known franchise system.

For readers comparing the model, the Jim’s Mowing service page gives the customer-facing view of what the brand promises in the market, including local franchisees and the Jim’s Work Guarantee.

What Changes When You Join Jim’s Mowing Instead Of Going Independent?

Feature	Standard Operator	Jim’s Professional
Training	Learns through trial and error	Starts with Jim’s training and support systems
Leads	Must generate every enquiry alone	Can access the Jim’s lead network when needed
Systems	Builds quoting, scheduling, and admin from scratch	Works within an established franchise framework
Branding	Must build trust from zero	Uses the recognised Jim’s name, uniform, logo, and trailer branding
Income Consistency	Can depend heavily on new customer chasing	Can build recurring mowing cycles and repeat clients

“If you do a great job to start with, you have to keep doing that same job every time. You do not go backwards. You do not take it for granted. That consistency in quality, communication, and reliability is what keeps customers with you.” 

— Rene Pritchard, Jim’s Mowing franchisee, Waikato