132: Build Your Character, Put Service First, and Make Every Client A Fan with Jim Penman, CEO of Jims Group with Kevin Bees, Profit Maximisation Expert
In today's episode Kevin Bees, Profit Maximisation Expert interviews Jim Penman, CEO of Jim’s group. Jim Penman started a part-time gardening business while earning his PhD in history at Latrobe University. He launched a full-time mowing business in 1982 with a $24 investment. In 1989 he franchised his business, and since then Jim’s Group has become the largest franchise chain in Australian and the largest and best-known lawn mowing business in the world. Jim’s Cleaning was launched in 1994, followed by more than 40 other divisions which now operate in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Jim’s Group now has over 4,700 Franchisees. 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. Every Franchisee is given his direct phone number and Email address and is invited to contact him at any time. He also responds to any client with a serious complaint. He is funding a research program into the epigenetics of social behavior, a continuation of his PhD work, which he believes could help in the treatment of mental illness and addictive disorders. His books 'Biohistory’, ‘Epigenetics and Character’, and ‘Every Customer a Fan’ are available on Amazon and from www.jims.net. An authorised biography ‘Jim’s Book’ by Catherine Moolenschot, was released by Wiley in March 2019 In today's episode Jim Penman, CEO Jim’s group passionately shares: > Why making ‘every customer a fan’ is critical to succeeding in business - focusing on service and helping others succeed. How the group has so much work, that 38% of the leads are unable to be serviced right now. The importance of keeping surveys on franchisees and customers, so that you can make changes that turn them into fans - “Service should be first”. How his Phd on the ‘theory of society and history’ was not approved, add how that became a driving purpose for him to grow Jim’s group, to be able to fund his research thesis himself (and now he invests $2m per annum into this)… and now he is looking for a CRISPR expert to help turn on/off relevant genes. How the state of a civilisation is really about the character of the people. Environmental factors can shape or change the character Why character is far more important than intelligence for success in business and life (intelligence is estimated to only influence success 4% in life, and character is more important). Great business owners look at what they do and ask “How can I do it better?”, poor business owners look to blame everyone else (eg clients, franchise system, etc). Developing character is key to success and doing this is possible through: - Daily exercise (Jim is 70 and super fit) Focus on the long term benefits not the short term gain. Making your bed and tidying your room Doing a fast for 30 days - giving up things that don’t serve you. Asking his life-changing questions: “How can I do better?” - and making the tiny changes on everything you do builds character and destiny. Self-discipline is a muscle in your mind, if you use it on the little things, the big things will take care of their minds. How he lives a frugal life, and drives a low-cost car, because he wants to put every cent back into serving the world, through his franchisees and his research - which has the potential to change the world. The things that have cost him such as being impulsive, trusting the wrong people and not checking with them, and not investing in technology early enough. Why community is important, and building relationships, and most importantly serving your community. Why the principle of service should be before money; and how the book he is reading about Jack Welch “The Man Who Broke Capitalism” demonstrates that putting money first backfires. Why your employees are not a cost, they are an asset and listening to them often brings the best solutions to improve the business and results. Jims bucket list item: - Having no unhappy clients… ever…. for any reason. - Making sure all Franchisees in Jim’s group are achieving great financial results - Making his research program successful so he can help 10’s of millions of people worldwide. Jim shares his rigorous standard which is ‘absolute perfection’… zero unhappy customers and zero unfulfilled franchisees… and he knows with this standard there will always be work to do, and he won’t retire until he is in a box on the floor at his funeral. How you can partner with Jim and start a new division, or open a franchises How getting regular reviews from your clients will drive the right results and improvement in your business. Even though Jim’s charges higher than industry competitors, there is more than 38% of the leads that cannot be serviced - which Jim identifies is because there is a demand for quality… and Jim intensely trains all members on the ethos of high service standards. In this episode we also hear Jim’s empowering belief: “There are so many opportunities, it's amazing” “There is gold lying around on the ground, you just have to go and pick it up” “Success is not about education, or brains, or money, it is about character” Resources mentioned in this show: www.Jims.net https://jims.net/media/2021/05/Every-Customer-a-Fan-2021.pdf ‘Jim’s Book’ by Catherine Moolenschot Atomic Habits - James Clear Full show notes and bonus resources can be found at: www.ProfitHive.com.au
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