Article contained within:  Case Studies, Richard Harrison and Jim’s Mowing UK

Richard Harrison and Jim’s Mowing UK

Richard Harrison has been the UK director of Jim’s Mowing since it expanded into the country three years ago, and is tasked with making the UK operation even bigger than it is in Australia, where it was founded.

Richard Harrison (left), 44, was born in Melbourne, Australia and attended Melbourne Grammar School. While he was studying design at university, an opportunity to work in advertising presented itself and he decided to change career path and move into the advertising industry.

Richard, a keen cricket player/umpire and aspiring novelist, has a colourful resume. He worked in Australia for 20 years as a copywriter and advertising executive with various agencies, including his own firm, Harrison Young, where his clients included Coca-Cola, Tooheys Brewing and Racing Victoria. From there he moved to Melbourne’s leading radio station, 3AW, where he was producer for The Coodabeen Champions.

During his time in Australia, Richard, a budding entrepreneur, invented and marketed several products, including The Untipabowl, which he sold 50,000 of to Nestlé Europe, and two card games, which he sold 20,000 of to toy manufacturer Mattel, called Australia: The Great Test Match Card Game and The Great Football Card Game.

After moving to London, England in 2002, Richard worked in a number of temporary and part-time jobs to support himself as he wrote his first novel. These included selling organic tomatoes and barbecuing lamb burgers at farmers markets, supervising functions at the Museum of Garden History in Lambeth, and temping through an agency.

Everything changed when a friend working in the franchising department of a legal firm put him in touch with one their clients about a business opportunity. Jim’s Group was trying to establish itself in the UK at the time and presented Richard with “an amazing business opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime” – to become the first Jim’s Mowing franchisee in the UK. Getting this opportunity, says Richard, was simply a matter of “being in the right place at the right time”.

Within a matter of weeks Richard flew back to Australia to meet the company’s founder, Jim Penman, and began training. On his return to the UK he set up residence in one of the most affluent parts of the country where he launched his Jim’s Mowing franchise and secured the regional rights to Kent. During his first year in operation Richard was approached by Jim to act as the Jim’s Mowing UK Director and given a 30% stake in the UK rights and a brief to build the business in the UK to the same levels as in Australia (in excess of 1,400 franchisees).

Richard soon formed an association with a new franchisee, Paul Carr, an accountant with 25 years’ experience. With Paul’s business background and Richard’s entrepreneurial flair and advertising experience the pair quickly acquired the rights to the whole of the UK and began recruiting franchisees.

Richard has now successfully recruited 23 franchisees, most of whom had little or no gardening experience and some with little business experience. He prides himself on providing clear and honest information throughout the recruitment process and practical advice and support based on his own business expertise and personal experience working as a ‘Jim’. Recalling his own initial struggle to fund his franchise Richard has set up affiliations with major high-street banks to simplify the process and guarantee funding for other franchisees.

To date, Richard has been a mentor for several franchisees, helping them develop their business to such an extent that they feel able to expand and become regional franchisors, and hold the rights to Jim’s Mowing for entire UK postcodes. His research suggests that with continued growth, such regional franchises could have sales revenue in excess of £1m within five years.

Significant reward indeed. Attaining such success isn’t easy of course, but Richard thinks that if you have certain attributes, you’ll prosper. ‘This business is all about dealing with people,” he says. “If you can prove to be reliable, friendly, hard-working, cheerful and above all, honest, you can’t go wrong.”

The top three questions Richard is asked by his franchisees are as follows.

What do I do in the winter?

Jim’s Mowing is about more than just mowing. In fact, there is as much work to do in the winter as at any other time of year: hedge trimming, garden clean-ups, pruning, turfing and landscaping to name just a few.

How much can I earn?

Franchisees can build their business to be as big and diverse as they wish. They are free to employ as many people as they want and put any number of vehicles on the road. A franchisee working alone could comfortably earn £30k a year. One with a second vehicle and a couple of employees could earn at least twice that.

What other opportunities are there?

Successful franchisees have the opportunity to purchase regional rights to an entire UK postcode sector. This gives them the opportunity to recruit and support their own network of franchisees and generate a substantial income. £1m over five years is not unrealistic.

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