After starting in mid-May, Naldo Strydom built 50 regular clients in less than four months, earned a perfect five-star rating, and says he has already matched and slightly exceeded his old income. His next target is 100 regular clients by the end of the year.
In short: Naldo Strydom joined Jim’s Mowing in Morrinsville after deciding the long commute from his new lifestyle block no longer worked for his family. In under four months, he built 50 regular clients, replaced his previous income, and did it by following training, doing free lawns, asking for regular quotes, and saying yes to almost every job. His story matters because it shows what a new Jim’s Mowing franchise can look like when the owner treats the first few months like a serious push, even through winter.
Naldo did not build his Jim’s Mowing franchise by waiting for easy leads. He built it by following the Jim’s system, knocking on doors, doing mailbox drops, offering free lawns, following up hard, and turning one-off work into regular clients. The result is a business that already matches and slightly beats his old income, with 50 regular clients on the books before spring has fully done its work.
Yes, a new Jim’s Mowing franchise can build quickly when the owner follows the system and works hard. Naldo started in mid-May and reached 50 regular clients in under four months while already matching and slightly exceeding his previous income. This article shows what he was doing before Jim’s, why he joined, how he built early momentum, what he learned about pricing, and why he believes the franchise is worth it.
Why Naldo Left His Job and Long Commute to Start His Own Business
Naldo had wanted to do his own thing for a couple of years. He had already looked at buying a business before, but the timing did not feel right, so he stayed in what he described as a “decent earning job”.
The real trigger came after he and his family bought a lifestyle block outside Morrinsville. The commute became too long, too draining, and too hard to justify. He got home one afternoon and told his wife, “Okay, this is it. I want to start my own business now.”
That line matters because it shows this was not a casual idea. It was a decision tied to time, lifestyle, and family. He wanted more control over his work and did not want to keep losing hours to travel.
Why Naldo Chose a Jim’s Mowing Franchise
Naldo did not overcomplicate the decision. He saw Jim’s Mowing online, liked what he saw, liked the plans, and liked how the system worked. For someone exploring whether to own a franchise, that clarity matters.
He also knew he was stepping into business without previous business ownership experience. That made the structure more valuable than trying to figure everything out alone. He went to training in Auckland, got started, and then did what many people say they will do but never fully commit to: he followed the system.
If you are considering a Jim’s Mowing franchise, this part of the story is important. Naldo did not join because he thought the work would be easy. He joined because he wanted a proven model, real support, and a better fit for the life he wanted to build.
What Naldo’s First Months in Business Really Looked Like
The first few months were overwhelming. Naldo says he had never run a business before and did not really know what to do, so he kept it simple and leaned hard on what he was taught in franchisee training.
That meant pamphlet drops, mailbox drops, knocking on doors, pushing the pay-for-work guarantee, and doing free lawns to win trust. He says the first month should be treated like a full push, not a slow warm-up. In his words, “your first month, you shouldn’t be home before dark”.
He physically started in mid-May. By the time of the interview, he had been in business for not even four months and was already sitting on 50 regular clients. That is a strong result at any time, but doing it through winter makes it more credible because the run was built on action, not just easy seasonal growth.
He also made a point of not saying no to work. If someone asked for mowing, hedges, gutters, window cleaning, paving, weeding, rubbish removal, doors, or even a concrete slab, he found a way to help. That mindset turned simple jobs into bigger relationships.
How Naldo Replaced His Income in Under 4 Months
Naldo says he has “managed to pretty much equal and a little bit more” than what he used to earn.
In under four months, he had replaced his old wage and moved slightly ahead of it. He did that while still learning the trade, still learning pricing, and still building his regular base.
For people searching for how much Jim’s Mowing franchisees earn, this is the useful takeaway: a new operator with no previous business ownership experience can quickly build income replacement by following the system and pushing hard in the first few months. If you want a broader context around earning potential, Jim’s also covers that in how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise.
He also points to one practical reason the model made sense to him. He says the monthly fee does not change with income, which helped him see how growth could translate into better returns over time. That is exactly why many people compare the model against how franchising fees work before deciding.
How Naldo Built 50 Regular Clients in Under 4 Months
Naldo says most of his regular clients came from mailbox drops, pamphlet drops, and literally going around town doing free lawns. He did not wait for the phone to do all the work.
His conversion approach was simple and effective. Even when a customer asked for a once-off job, he would still ask, “Would it be okay if I quote you for regular service?” That one sentence gave him a natural way to open the regular-service conversation without sounding pushy.
Early on, he says he was converting about 80% of once-off jobs into regulars this way. Later, as pricing changed and the season shifted, that figure sat closer to 50%, which is still a strong result.
He also created growth by staying useful. One job led to another. A door-hanging job turned into a concrete slab. A gutter clean turned into window cleaning. A green waste removal job turned into weeding and weed spraying. A neighbour saw him working and asked for a quote on the spot.
Naldo was not just building a mowing round. He was building trust, visibility, and repeat business from every contact.
The Systems Naldo Used to Turn Leads Into Regular Clients
Naldo’s story is full of repeatable systems, even if he would not describe them that way himself.
The first was speed. If a lead came in, he contacted the customer immediately. He did not let jobs sit. He arranged a time, turned up when he said he would, and kept the momentum moving.
The second was reliability. He says a lot of contractors say they will be there at seven, then do not show up until much later or do not arrive at all. He built trust by doing the opposite. “Be on time when you say you’re going to be there,” he says, “be there and do what you said you’re going to do and a little bit more.”
The third was going beyond the basic mow. He did not just cut the grass and leave. He blew off decks, footpaths, porches and cleaned up leaves, debris, and even spiderwebs. He says it only takes about five extra minutes, but it makes the result look better and helps turn one-off jobs into regular work.
The fourth was follow-up. If a person did not reply to a quote, he would call, text, email, and sometimes even stop by the house. One rural property became a regular client because he physically went back and spoke to the owner in person.
The fifth was starting with the gear he could afford. He began with a basic push mower, a weed whacker, and a leaf blower, then upgraded as work increased. His combo set cost $350, his leaf blower cost $300, and he only moved into better equipment as his cash flow improved. That matters because it shows he did not wait for perfect equipment before getting moving.
The Biggest Lessons Naldo Learned in His First 4 Months
The biggest early challenge was quoting. Naldo is very clear on that. He did not know what to charge; he underquoted some jobs, and he leaned on support from his franchisor to help price bigger work properly.
That underquoting was not random. He had just bought a property, quit his job, and bought a franchise, so his first mission was to rebuild income quickly. In his words, it was “pretty much a race” to get back to the weekly income he was used to.
That worked in one sense because it helped him fill the run and get stable fast. But later, he could see the downside. Some jobs were simply too cheap. As he got more experience, he started raising prices and saw his conversion rate come down a bit. That is the trade-off he describes as a juggling act: fill the run quickly, or build more slowly with stronger margins.
He also had to get used to business admin, GST, bad weather, and technology. He says he still asks his wife for help with the tech side. On rainy days, the work could take three times longer. None of that made him back away. He just adjusted and kept moving.
Is a Jim’s Mowing Franchise Worth It? Naldo’s Verdict
Yes. Very clearly.
Naldo says he is enjoying being his own boss, even with the pressure and the learning curve. He likes meeting new people, being out in the field, and having control over his own work. He also values the support, saying he can call his franchisor anytime and get help with pricing, equipment questions, and job advice.
His family has become part of the journey as well. He says his wife helps, his oldest boy comes along during the week, and they enjoy working together to make it all work.
Naldo says, “I don’t think I’ll go back to working for someone ever again.” That is not marketing language. That is the verdict of someone who took the risk, made it work, and prefers the new life.
Business Growth Snapshot: Key Insights & Impact
| Business Area | Key Insight | Why This Matters |
| Time To Build | Started in mid-May and reached 50 regular clients in under four months | He built quickly through winter, not peak season |
| Income Result | Says he has matched and slightly exceeded his old income | The business became financially viable fast |
| Conversion Strength | Early, one-off to regular conversion was about 80%; later, about 50% | He was not relying on one-off work to survive |
| End-Of-Year Goal | Target is 100 regular clients by the end of the year | He already had a clear growth plan and was halfway there |
‘Don’t say no to anything, and if you get a lead, you contact that customer back immediately. Be on time when you say you’re going to be there, be there, and do what you said you’re going to do and a little bit more.’
Naldo Strydom, Jim’s Mowing franchisee in Morrinsville
Frequently Asked Questions
He reached 50 regular clients in under four months. He started in mid-May, so he built that base quickly and did it through winter.
No. He says you cannot rely only on leads if you want to grow quickly. He used mailbox drops, pamphlet drops, free lawns, door knocking, and strong follow-up to build most of his early momentum.
He asked a simple question after quoting or completing the work: “Would it be okay if I quote you for regular service?” He then followed up properly and made sure the finished job looked better than expected.
Yes. He says he has already matched and slightly exceeded what he used to earn.
Pricing. He says quoting was the hardest part at the start and admits he underquoted some jobs because he was new and wanted to rebuild his income quickly.
No. He started with basic gear he could afford, including a push mower, a weed whacker, and a leaf blower. He upgraded gradually as the business grew and equipment wore out or broke.
Not right now. His goal is 100 regular clients by the end of the year, but he says he would rather stay a sole trader for now and do the work himself.
Key Takeaways
- Naldo started in mid-May and built 50 regular clients in under four months.
- He says the business already matches and slightly exceeds his previous income.
- He built momentum through winter, which makes the result more credible.
- Mailbox drops, free lawns, and door knocking were major early growth drivers.
- His regular-service question helped turn once-off work into recurring income.
- Going the extra step on every job improved conversion and customer satisfaction.
- Quoting was his biggest early struggle, and he underquoted some work at the start.
- He stayed open to odd jobs, which created extra revenue and stronger customer relationships.
- He is aiming for 100 regular clients by the end of the year.
- He says he does not think he will ever go back to working for someone else again.
Start Your Own Jim’s Mowing Business Today
Naldo’s story shows what can happen when a new operator commits properly to the system, follows training, and treats every lead like an opportunity to build a long-term client. He did not wait for perfect conditions, perfect pricing, or perfect confidence. He got moving, improved as he went, and built a solid Jim’s Mowing franchise faster than many people expected.
If you are weighing up whether to own a franchise, trying to understand how franchising fees work, comparing how much you can earn with a Jim’s franchise, or looking at what happens in franchisee training, Naldo’s story gives you a practical example of how the model can work in real life. It is also worth looking at the Jim’s Mowing franchise opportunity if you want to see where this path could lead.
Learn more about joining Jim’s Mowing at jims.co.nz or call 0800 454 654 today.