$1,170 Day in the Dandenong Ranges | Real Jobs with Jim’s Mowing

What does a real day on the road look like for a Jim’s Mowing franchisee working in the hills of Melbourne? In this episode, Joel heads out with Mitch for a mini day on the road through Emerald, Upwey and The Basin, where steep blocks, heavy brush cutting, hedge work, green waste, and tricky terrain are all part of a normal day. Mitch shares how he services the foothills around the Dandenong Ranges, the kind of equipment he relies on, how he prices difficult jobs, and why having the right gear can completely change the speed and profitability of a job. You’ll also hear a real customer lead call, practical pricing insights, and a full recap of the day’s revenue. This is a raw, unscripted look at the reality of running a mowing and gardening business — especially when your territory is anything but flat. 00:00 Tough conditions and summer heat 00:32 Intro: out on the road with Mitch 00:38 Where Mitch works: Emerald, the foothills and Mount Dandenong 01:09 How long he’s been with Jim’s Mowing 01:14 First-year reflections so far 01:27 Why today’s property is different from a typical suburban job 01:40 Mitch explains the 32-inch Scag stand-on mower 02:05 The heavy-duty Steel brush cutter setup 03:09 Why domestic equipment wouldn’t handle this kind of work 03:37 How much time the Scag saves on steep properties 04:01 Why customers hire pros instead of doing it themselves 04:09 The value of having serious equipment on hand 04:39 Recap of the first job: mowing, brush cutting and green waste 05:08 How long the first job takes 05:16 Working in steep terrain around Belgrave and the ranges 05:52 Learning to tow and adapting on the job 06:19 Monthly meetings with franchisors and learning from others 06:33 Pricing lessons: what to charge for green waste 07:08 Talking hourly rates and local pricing realities 07:44 Raising prices and managing clients 07:57 Why cheap Facebook operators don’t last 08:41 First job done — heading to the next property 09:01 Second job: block of units in Upwey 09:28 Time estimate for the work 09:48 Real lead call: quoting a new customer 12:23 Why this was a “dream lead” 12:40 Quoting over the phone: risks and Mitch’s approach 13:37 Adding GST and protecting margin 14:10 Why Mitch uses Milwaukee battery gear for pruning 14:36 Battery performance and future upgrades 14:54 Scope of pruning work at the units 15:27 How Mitch approaches shaping trees and hedges 16:42 More cleanup, mowing and weeding on site 17:08 Light weeding and what’s included in a quote 18:27 Slashing jobs and the equipment needed for bigger overgrowth 19:03 Mitch’s ideal mowing day vs mixed job days 19:44 Choosing what types of work to take on 20:33 Route density and working close to home 21:40 Third job: hedge reduction and lawn work in The Basin 22:05 Mitch’s process for pruning a large hedge properly 23:34 Working through hedge thickness and slope challenges 24:02 Why regular maintenance saves the client money 24:47 End-of-day recap: 3 larger jobs in challenging environments 25:00 Total revenue for the day: $1,170 25:10 Job-by-job summary 25:55 Final thoughts on the hedge work and difficult terrain 26:15 Wrap-up and call to action SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/user/JimsGrou... 👉 Subscribe for real business advice, franchisee stories, and how-to tips. 👉 Call 131 546 or visit jims.net to start your own franchise. Jim’s Group is Australia and New Zealand’s largest home services brand with over 580 divisions. Our franchisees complete 5 million+ jobs every year. Here’s what you’ll find here: Straight advice from Jim Penman on business and franchising Franchisee success stories and behind-the-scenes insight Practical how-to guides for home and business services We’re also recruiting. In 2024 alone, 245,000+ leads went un-serviced. If you want guaranteed work, full training, and the backing of Jim’s, we’d love to hear from you. Start here 📌 Get a quote: https://jims.net/services 📌 Own a franchise: https://jims.net/own-a-franchise 📞 AUS: 131 546 | NZ: 0800 454 654 Follow Jim’s Group on socials @jimsgroupofficial. Listen to Jim’s Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or YouTube. #jimsgroup #franchise