By June Ramli
Sydney, April 17: Jim’s Group, the iconic Australian franchise known for its green and gold lawn mowing vans, is seeing a shift in momentum—this time, towards cleaning.
According to founder and CEO Jim Penman, the cleaning division is rapidly outpacing others in the group and may soon become the most profitable arm of the entire business.
“Cleaning’s got more than 1,000 franchisees and it’s growing much faster,” Penman told DailyStraits.com in an exclusive interview.
“It’s a very female-friendly division, and we’re seeing tremendous interest from women who value the flexibility and earning potential it offers.”
Started in 1982 with a mere $24 worth of letterbox flyers and a beat-up Holden Kingswood, Jim’s Group has since expanded to include over 40 service divisions, ranging from dog washing to fencing, pest control, energy, and most recently, health services.
What began as a lawn mowing side hustle during Penman’s PhD studies has grown into one of Australia’s largest franchise operations.
But despite its massive growth, Penman says the group’s biggest challenge today isn’t finding customers—it’s finding franchisees.
“We had more than 200,000 unserviced leads last year alone,” he said.
“There’s no shortage of demand. The real difficulty is attracting the right kind of people to join us.”
The average franchisee at Jim’s earns around $150,000 per year, with many divisions—including car detailing and cleaning—bringing in even more.
“We’ve got one cleaner whose profit is close to $2 million a year,” Penman revealed.
“He used to clean banks before he joined us.”
Penman attributes the franchise’s success to a strict quality assurance system.
Clients are surveyed after every job, and complaints are logged, investigated, and followed up with coaching or disciplinary action if necessary.
Franchisees who repeatedly underperform are removed from the system—though they can continue operating independently.
When asked why the company still struggles to recruit despite its success, Penman points to a social stigma.
“There’s a ridiculous prejudice that sitting at a desk makes you important. But some of our franchisees make more than corporate executives. The difference is they’re out there getting their hands dirty,” he said.
The group is also exploring international expansion, with eyes on the U.S. market.
One of their top-performing franchisors, Dan Cole, is preparing to launch in Florida in late 2025 or early 2026.
Cole’s story is particularly inspiring—once a high school dropout working at McDonald’s, he scraped together enough money to buy a lawn mowing franchise and is now a leading figure in the company.
Jim’s Group has also trialled operations in the UK, though Penman admits the venture didn’t quite take off due to a lack of the right leadership on the ground.
“It’s not about the location, it’s about the person. A new division needs someone great to drive it,” he explained.
On the topic of inclusivity, Penman is proud of the growing number of female franchisees, especially in divisions like dog wash, cleaning, and health services.
“Women tend to seek flexibility, especially those with children. Our system works well for them,” he said.
A new division, Jim’s Health Services, has recently been launched, offering in-home support and nursing services.
Penman sees huge potential here, particularly for underpaid professionals like nurses.
“If you’re earning $30 an hour in a hospital, why not come to us and earn double or more with better conditions?” he said.
Looking ahead, Penman is optimistic about the future—but stresses the importance of finding people with the right mindset.
“If someone’s unemployed because they’ve never held a job, this may not be for them,” he said.
“But if they’ve been laid off or are looking for a career change, this could be the best move they ever make. We’re not just a business—we’re a millionaire factory.”
With over 4,000 franchisees and counting, Jim’s Group continues to evolve while staying true to its grassroots values of hard work, independence, and community service.
And with the cleaning division leading the charge, the future looks cleaner—and brighter—than ever.
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