After 25 years as a painter, Dave McColl joined Jim’s Mowing, built about 90 clients in New Plymouth, then restarted on Auckland’s North Shore. His story shows how brand trust, local demand, franchisor support, and the Jim’s Jobs app helped him rebuild after relocating.

In short: Dave McColl moved from 25 years of painting into a Jim’s Mowing franchise because his back, knees, and shoulders needed a change. He built about 90 clients in New Plymouth, then restarted in Browns Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, and now handles 35 to nearly 40 lawns a week. His biggest advantage was the Jim’s brand. Dave said that instead of spending hundreds of dollars on advertising and still not getting much work, he paid the Jim’s fees and work “floated in from day one”.

In this More Than Just Mowing Podcast episode, Dave McColl, a Jim’s Mowing franchisee in Browns Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, explained how he moved from 25 years as a painter into mowing, built about 90 clients in New Plymouth, then restarted in Auckland and now manages 35 to nearly 40 lawns a week using the Jim’s brand, Jim’s Jobs app, and franchisor support.

Can a Jim’s Mowing franchise help someone restart a local service business after relocating? In Dave’s case, he had about 90 clients in New Plymouth before moving to Auckland, then rebuilt by opening up more of the North Shore and taking the work that came in. This article covers why he chose Jim’s, what changed when he restarted, what numbers he shared, and why systems matter in a mowing business.

What Did Dave Do Before Joining Jim’s Mowing?

Before joining Jim’s Mowing, Dave McColl spent 25 years as a painter.

He had worked in the trade for decades, including time running his own business. But the work was wearing him down.

Dave said painting was “killing” his body. His knees, back, shoulders, and other joints were sore from years of physical work.

He wanted a change that still kept him active, but did not involve the same strain of painting walls and ceilings every day.

That led him to start looking at franchises.

He did not rush into it. Dave said he had looked at franchises about six years earlier, then eventually decided to “bite the bullet” and go with Jim’s.

The core reason was simple. He wanted a better lifestyle and a business that gave him structure, support, and work from a known brand.

For anyone comparing self-employment options, that is the key difference. A Jim’s Mowing franchise is not a promise of easy work. It is a structured way to enter a local service business with brand demand already behind you.

Why Did Dave Choose A Jim’s Mowing Franchise Instead Of Going Independent?

Dave did consider going independent.

He weighed it up and looked at the cost of advertising, the time it would take to build trust, and the risk of spending money without getting enough work.

His conclusion was direct.

He believed he could spend “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars” on advertising and still get very little work. With Jim’s, he could pay the fees and start with a recognised brand behind him.

That matters in mowing because trust is a major buying factor.

Customers are not just paying for grass to be cut. They are paying for someone insured, police-checked, uniformed, consistent, and accountable.

Dave said that when customers compare Jim’s with some independent operators, they do not always realise the difference at first. Some look only at price. But Dave sees the value in the extra protection and professionalism.

That is why people researching owning a franchise with Jim’s Group often need to compare more than the initial cost. The bigger question is whether the system helps you win work, keep customers, and operate with confidence.

Dave’s answer was clear.

He said he would never have gotten the work he has without Jim’s support behind him.

What Happened When Dave Restarted His Jim’s Mowing Franchise In Auckland?

Dave first started with Jim’s in New Plymouth, Taranaki.

He spent about two and a half years there and built an established Jim’s Mowing business with about 90 clients.

Then life changed. He moved back to Auckland and closed down the New Plymouth business.

That meant starting again.

He restarted in Auckland in November last year, taking on the Browns Bay franchise on the North Shore.

The move was not easy. Dave said it had been hard, especially because of Auckland’s wet weather. He did not expect the amount of rain he had to deal with.

But the brand still helped.

Dave said that even when he transferred to Auckland, work flowed in. He “couldn’t believe it”.

At first, he and his franchisor were focusing on a smaller part of the North Shore. But not enough work was coming in.

So Dave rang Gary, his Auckland franchisor, and asked to open up the whole North Shore.

That was a key business decision.

Instead of waiting for one small area to produce enough jobs, Dave expanded the service area and took everything that came in.

He later said that was probably the best thing he did.

What Do Dave’s Real Numbers Show About Jim’s Mowing Franchise Earnings?

Dave built about 90 clients in New Plymouth before relocating. In Auckland, during a difficult wet season, he was still doing 35 to nearly 40 lawns a week.

Those numbers are useful because they show recurring work.

In mowing, recurring lawns matter because they create repeat revenue, regular scheduling, and a base of customers who may refer other work.

Dave also compared pricing with an independent operator he met in West Auckland. That operator was aiming for about $60 an hour.

Dave questioned how someone could live on that rate once costs, insurance, equipment, fuel, and business overheads are considered.

That is an important point for anyone searching “how much do Jim’s Mowing franchisees earn”.

The better question is not only the hourly rate. It is whether the business has enough regular customers, proper pricing, professional systems, and lead flow to stay consistent.

If you want a broader breakdown of earning potential across the group, Jim’s has more information on how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise.

But Dave’s story gives the field-level version.

He had 90 clients before moving. He restarted in a new city. He was still handling close to 40 lawns a week during bad weather.

That is the real proof from this episode.

How Did Dave Grow From 90 Clients In New Plymouth To A North Shore Restart?

Dave’s growth came from three practical moves.

First, he used the Jim’s brand instead of trying to build trust from scratch.

Second, he opened up more of the North Shore when his first Auckland area was too narrow.

Third, he focused on getting the work done, even when the weather made normal mowing difficult.

That last point is important.

Since January, Dave said Auckland had seen constant rain. Lawns were too wet and too soft to mow normally.

At first, he would visit lawns, check them, and walk away if they were too wet.

Then he realised he could not keep doing that.

After speaking with Gary, his franchisor, Dave started weed-eating lawns instead of mowing them where needed.

He said that of the 35 to nearly 40 lawns he was doing each week, more than three-quarters were being weed-eaten.

That is not glamorous. But it is real business ownership.

A customer wants the property tidy. The lawn still needs to be cut. The operator has to adapt.

Dave said he had no complaints so far. Most customers, in his view, just cared that the grass was cut and the property looked tidy.

That is how local trust is built in Browns Bay and across Auckland’s North Shore. Not through theory. Through showing up and solving the problem in front of you.

What Systems And Tools Helped Dave Run 40 Lawns A Week?

The most important system Dave mentioned was the Jim’s Jobs app.

He uses it for quotes, invoicing, scheduling, and his day-to-day diary.

How Jim’s Jobs Helps With Quoting And Invoicing

Dave does not use a desktop computer.

He uses an iPad and a smartphone.

If he sends a quote, he does it on his iPad through Jim’s Jobs. His invoicing also runs through Jim’s Jobs.

That means he does not need to go home, open separate software, and catch up on admin after a full day of mowing.

He can finish a lawn, sit in the car, and send the invoice straight away.

That improves cash flow because the invoice goes out while the job is fresh. It also reduces admin backlog because the work is recorded as it happens.

For a mowing business, that matters.

If you are doing 35 to nearly 40 lawns a week, small admin delays can stack up fast. Missed invoices, forgotten quotes, or messy scheduling can create cash flow pressure.

Dave’s system keeps the work moving.

How Phone-Based Scheduling Reduces Daily Stress

Dave said his whole schedule is on his phone.

He goes into Jim’s Jobs, opens his diary, and has tomorrow’s list ready to go.

That is the technical advantage.

A mowing business is not just labour. It is route planning, job timing, customer communication, quoting, invoicing, and follow-up.

When all of that sits in one mobile system, the franchisee can spend more time doing paid work and less time rebuilding the schedule from memory.

That is why franchisee training and business systems matter. The work is physical, but the profit often comes from how well the operator manages time, jobs, customers, and cash flow.

Why Equipment Choice Also Changed Dave’s Efficiency

Dave also adapted his equipment after moving to Auckland.

In Taranaki, he used mowers suited to catching grass. That worked well there because the grass and job conditions were different.

In Auckland, the grass was harder to catch and took too long.

By the end of the day, Dave said he was shattered.

So he bought a Victor 560 mulch mower.

He called it “probably the best thing” he had done.

That is a good lesson for anyone looking at a Jim’s Mowing franchise guide. The system matters, but local conditions still matter too.

Auckland grass, rain, slopes, and job types can change the best setup.

What Challenges Did Dave Face With Auckland Rain And Injury?

Dave faced two major challenges after restarting in Auckland.

The first was the weather.

He said it had done “nothing but rain” since January. It was so wet that many lawns could not be mowed normally.

That forced him to change how he worked.

Instead of falling behind, he used the weed eater across full lawns when needed.

The second challenge was injury.

Dave mentioned a dodgy knee after following a mower up a hillside. He suspected a ligament issue and was getting it looked at.

That is the honest side of a mowing franchise.

It can be better for Dave’s body than painting walls and ceilings all day, but it is still physical work.

His advice to future operators was practical.

Be ready for hard work at the start. Do not leave leads on forever if you are already full. Buy the best gear. Be polite to customers.

That advice is simple, but it comes from someone who has had to manage real lawns, real weather, real customers, and real physical strain.

Is A Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It For Operators Like Dave?

For Dave, the answer is yes.

He said he does not think he would go with anybody else.

The reason was not only the brand. It was the combination of brand, support, workflow, systems, and the ability to talk to a franchisor when things got stressful.

Dave said Gary, his Auckland franchisor, is the kind of person who will do anything for you. Sometimes Dave does not need technical help. He just needs to vent about the rain, the stress, and the frustration of the week.

That kind of support can matter more than people expect.

Running a local service business can be lonely if you are completely independent. With Jim’s, Dave had someone to call, a brand behind him, a system to run jobs, and a pathway to rebuild in a new location.

For someone comparing the Jim’s Mowing cost with starting alone, Dave’s story gives a clear frame.

The cost is not only a fee. It is a trade-off.

You can spend money trying to build everything yourself, or you can join a system where the brand already creates trust.

Dave chose the second option.

Standard Operator Vs Jim’s Professional

Feature	Standard Operator	Jim’s Professional
Training	Learns by trial and error	Gets training, guidance, and franchisor support
Leads	Must generate all enquiries independently	Benefits from Jim’s brand demand and lead systems
Systems	May rely on manual diaries, separate apps, or memory	Can use Jim’s Jobs for quotes, invoices, scheduling, and diary management
Branding	Must build trust from scratch	Works under a recognised Jim’s Mowing brand
Income Consistency	Depends heavily on self-funded marketing	Supported by recurring work, brand trust, and repeat customers

“Before I entered Jim’s, I did look at going out independently. I weighed it all up and I thought, I could do all the advertising and spend hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars and still get not a lot of work where I could come into Jim’s, pay the fees, and work just floated in from day one.”

— Dave McColl, Jim’s Mowing franchisee, Browns Bay