Jim’s Group started as a part-time gardening business while Jim Penman completed his PhD in history. It went full time in 1982 and was franchised in 1989. Currently, there are over 2900 Franchisees in four countries, and growing at the rate of around 200 per year. Jim’s Group also boasts one of Melbourne’s best conference centres which is used for meetings, functions and training…
Jim’s Group started as a part-time gardening business while Jim Penman completed his PhD in history. It went full time in 1982 and was franchised in 1989. Currently, there are over 2900 Franchisees in four countries, and growing at the rate of around 200 per year. Jim’s Group also boasts one of Melbourne’s best conference centres which is used for meetings, functions and training for Jim’s franchisees and staff.
There are no company owned businesses and all work is done by Franchisees. Franchisor rights are also privately held and all Divisions, except Mowing, are partnerships with individuals experienced in those industries.
Jim is the owner and full-time CEO of Jim’s Group. He is happily married with ten children, loves his work and has no plans to retire – ever!
For all the business success he has enjoyed over the years, Jim Penman remains remarkably unassuming. At the start of the interview, when Wealth Creator asks to confirm his correct business title, he has no idea. He has to pull out his business card, which says he is a director.
“It’s funny though, when you own a business,” he said. “You don’t ever introduce yourself as a director, or CEO or founder or anything like that. I just say “I’m Jim” and that is usually enough.”
Jim says the key to success in franchising is an overriding concern for the welfare of franchisees, and constant improvement in customer service. He is still actively involved in the running of the business, is directly accessible to all his Franchisees and to any client with a serious complaint.
Jim is funding a research program at RMIT on the biological basis of social behaviour, aided by a $1 million matching grant from the ARC. So far he has co-authored a number of papers and is working on two books, due out later this year.
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