Starting with an empty territory and no clients, Cameron Baylis built his Jim’s Mowing franchise in Hastings into a business turning over about $480,000 a year. In less than three years, he grew from working alone to running four staff plus a subcontractor by moving fast on leads, keeping standards high, and expanding into larger property work.
In short: Cameron Baylis bought an empty Jim’s Mowing franchise, found out his wife was pregnant during training, and came home knowing he had to make the business work fast. Within a few months, he had a regular client base, and by the last financial year, the business had turned over about $480,000 with four staff, one subcontractor, and a strong reputation for quality. His story shows how a Jim’s Mowing franchise can grow well beyond small residential lawns when it is run like a real business.
Cameron started with no clients, took every lead he could get, and built the business from scratch under real pressure. That matters because his result was not built on theory. It came from immediate lead follow-up, strong communication, tight quality control, careful staff training, and a deliberate move into bigger, higher-value jobs.
Cameron Baylis turned an empty Jim’s Mowing franchise into a business doing about $480,000 a year. He did it in less than three years, growing from a one-man operation into a team with four staff and a subcontractor. Here is how he built it, what the numbers look like, what made the biggest difference, and whether he believes the franchise is worth it.
What Was Cameron Doing Before Starting His Jim’s Mowing Franchise?
Cameron did not buy a ready-made run with income already coming in. He bought an empty Jim’s Mowing franchise with no clients and had to build everything from scratch.
That pressure became more serious during training in Melbourne, when he and his wife found out they were expecting a baby. He came home knowing there was no room to drift into the business slowly. In his words, they had to “really grind to get the business up and running”.
From day one, he said yes to everything. He took every lead that came through, never said no to work, and did whatever clients needed to keep cash coming in. That meant push mowing, gutter cleaning, waterblasting, building work, and other odd jobs.
For people considering owning a Jim’s franchise, that early stage is important to understand. The brand and system help, but the first push still comes from speed, effort, and getting runs on the board.
Why Did Cameron Choose a Jim’s Mowing Franchise Over Other Business Options?
Part of Cameron’s confidence came from seeing the model up close. His father-in-law was already a franchisor and also had his own mowing run, so Cameron had direct proof that the business could make real money.
One of the biggest reasons the model made sense to him was the fee structure. Cameron says his monthly franchise fee is around $890 to $900 and stays fixed. It does not rise as turnover rises. For anyone comparing franchise models, that is a major point and worth understanding in more detail through how Jim’s franchising fees work.
He also liked the room to grow. Before joining, he thought a Jim’s Mowing franchise might just mean basic lawn jobs. After getting into the business, he realised that if you are competent and can deliver a good service, you can expand far beyond that.
What Happened in Cameron’s First Few Months in Business?
The early days were simple. Cameron took every lead and every job he could handle because he needed income fast and knew he had to build a client base quickly.
Within a few months, he says he had a regular client base. That was much faster than he expected. He thought it might take one or two years before he would even start thinking about hiring staff, but the business started building momentum early.
At that stage, he was doing everything himself. He was mowing, quoting, cleaning gutters, waterblasting, doing building work, and learning what clients would pay for. That first phase taught him where the money was and what kind of work he wanted more of later.
It also reinforced one of the most important lessons from Jim’s franchisee training: contact leads immediately, organise the quote quickly, and turn up when you say you will. Cameron says that alone helps win a huge amount of work.
What Does a $480K Jim’s Mowing Business Actually Look Like?
Last financial year, Cameron says the business turned over about $480,000. He also says the business is on track to do more than that this year.
That makes his story especially useful for people searching for how much Jim’s Mowing franchisees earn. It is a real example of what can happen when the business grows beyond solo work and into a team-based operation. For a broader context, Jim’s also outlines earning potential in its guide to how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise.
Cameron is careful to make one thing clear. Turnover is not the same as take-home income. As the business grows, costs rise as well. Staff wages, equipment, maintenance, fuel, and vehicles all increase.
Even so, he gives a useful benchmark for a smaller version of the business. He says that if he went back to being a one-man band, he could make around $2,500 to $3,000 a week. That tells you the business worked before the bigger scaling stage as well.
What Are the Real Costs of Running a Growing Jim’s Mowing Franchise?
Cameron gives a very practical view of Jim’s Mowing cost.
He says he usually takes around 12 to 20 leads a month, and the lead fee is about $12.50 per lead. On top of that, he pays a fixed franchise fee of around $890 to $900 a month.
The other major costs are the normal operating costs of a growing service business. He points to:
- Wages
- Equipment
- Maintenance
- Insurance
- Fuel
- Trucks on the road
He says they now run two to three trucks, which naturally pushes costs higher. But he is clear on the trade-off: higher costs come from doing more work, servicing more clients, and making more money. In other words, the overheads grew because the business grew.
How Did Cameron Expand Beyond Small Residential Lawn Jobs?
This is one of the most important parts of Cameron’s story.
A lot of people assume a Jim’s Mowing franchise is just a push mower and a trailer doing small suburban jobs. Cameron says that is a major misconception. His business now handles larger lifestyle blocks, acreage mowing, garden maintenance, waterblasting, gutter cleaning, landscaping-style work, and more.
He says they now look after about 10 larger properties where the team effectively maintains everything outside the front door. That package-style offer works well because it keeps staff on one property for longer and cuts down travel time between jobs.
The equipment changed as the work changed. Cameron says the business now runs Walker mowers and Wright 72-inch commercial machines because they are doing bigger-scale work. That shift in capability is a big part of why the business now looks very different from what many people imagine when they think of a Jim’s Mowing service.
What Systems and Habits Helped Cameron Scale to a Team?
Cameron’s biggest answer is communication.
He says you can often tell within the first five minutes whether you are going to convert a lead. His process is to call back straight away, organise the quote quickly, turn up when he says he will, and relate well to the client.
That sounds basic, but it is one of the strongest commercial advantages in the whole story. Many tradies lose work before they even quote because they are late, vague, or hard to reach. Cameron believes that simply showing up when promised often means you have already got the job.
He also built systems around staff and service quality. When he hired his first employee, he spent six weeks in the truck with him. That let him train properly, introduce him to clients, and make sure the standard was clear.
Today, the team sends job photos through WhatsApp, especially on new jobs, and Cameron checks in with clients regularly to make sure they are happy. He also says he is strict about the finish on every job. Edges must be done, the site must be blown down, and the place must be left tidier than when they arrived.
On the marketing side, he says he did more structured networking later rather than earlier. In the last eight months to a year, he joined a BNI group, helped grow it from 8 members to 20, and built relationships with three property management companies. That helped bring in more referral work and more of the larger jobs he wanted.
What Were the Biggest Challenges in Scaling the Business?
Cameron says the biggest challenge has been staffing.
That is not surprising. He says as a business owner, you know you will grind, work hard, protect the equipment, and care about the customer. Once you start relying on staff, you are trusting other people to uphold those same standards.
That creates stress. He says no one is ever going to work as hard as the owner or naturally treat the equipment and customers exactly the same way. But he is also clear that the business would not be where it is now without good staff.
The lesson is not to avoid hiring. The lesson is to hire carefully, train properly, and stay close to the standard. Cameron’s quality control is strict, and it shows in the results. He says they have had no formal complaints about jobs not being done correctly, and he is proud of that.
Is a Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It for Long-Term Growth?
Yes.
But Cameron’s answer is grounded, not sentimental. He is not saying the franchise is easy money. He is saying it works when you work it properly.
He believes one of the biggest misconceptions is that franchisees are stuck doing only basic mowing. His experience says the opposite. If you are competent, keep learning, and are willing to build the business, there is room to expand into more services and higher-value work.
He also clearly values the fixed-fee structure. In his view, that gives franchisees more incentive to grow because they are not being punished with bigger percentage-based fees as turnover rises.
Business Evolution: From Startup to Scaling Operation
| Business Area | Early Stage | Current Stage |
| Client Base | Empty franchise with no clients | Regular client base plus about 10 larger properties |
| Team | Cameron working alone | Four staff, one subcontractor, plus Cameron |
| Equipment | Small setup handling whatever work came in | Walker mowers and Wright 72-inch commercial machines |
| Revenue | Built lead by lead from zero | About $480,000 turnover last financial year |
“Cameron Baylis, Jim’s Mowing franchisee in Hastings: ‘As soon as you’re there when you say you’re going to be there, you’ve pretty much already got the job.’“
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did it take Cameron to build a regular client base?
Cameron says that within a few months, he had built a regular client base. That was much faster than he expected and gave him confidence that the business could scale sooner than planned.
How much did Cameron’s Jim’s Mowing franchise turn over?
He says the business turned over about $480,000 last financial year. He also says it is on track to do more than that this year.
What are the main ongoing costs in a Jim’s Mowing franchise?
Cameron mentions lead fees of about $12.50 per lead and a fixed monthly franchise fee of around $890 to $900. He also points to wages, trucks, fuel, maintenance, insurance, and equipment as the main operating costs.
How many leads does Cameron usually take each month?
He says he usually takes around 12 to 20 leads a month. He keeps taking on leads because the business continues to grow, and new hires create more room for work.
Can a Jim’s Mowing franchise grow beyond small residential lawns?
Yes. Cameron’s business now handles larger lifestyle blocks, acreage mowing, garden maintenance, waterblasting, gutter cleaning, and other broader property services. His story shows the business can expand well beyond basic suburban mowing.
What helped Cameron convert more leads into paying clients?
Fast communication and reliability made a huge difference. He calls leads straight away, organises quotes quickly, and turns up when he says he will, which he believes already puts him ahead of many competitors.
What was the hardest part of growing the business?
Cameron says staffing has been the hardest part. Relying on other people to maintain standards, care for equipment, and represent the business properly creates real pressure as the operation grows.
Key Takeaways
- Cameron started with an empty franchise and no clients.
- Within a few months, he had built a regular client base.
- Last financial year, the business turned over about $480,000.
- He grew the operation to four staff plus one subcontractor.
- He usually takes around 12 to 20 leads a month.
- Lead fees are about $12.50 each.
- His monthly franchise fee is around $890 to $900.
- He spent six weeks training his first employee in the truck.
- The business now looks after about 10 larger properties.
- He helped grow his BNI group from 8 members to 20.
- He built relationships with three property management companies.
- He says speed, communication, quality control, and bigger jobs drove growth.
Start Your Jim’s Mowing Journey Today
Cameron’s story shows what a Jim’s Mowing franchise can become when someone starts fast, keeps standards high, and keeps building. He began with no clients, no guaranteed income, and real pressure at home, then turned that into a growing business with staff, systems, and strong turnover.
If you are looking at the opportunity seriously, his experience gives you a practical example of what is possible when the model is used well.
Learn more about joining Jim’s Mowing at jims.co.nz or call 0800 454 654 today.
