Who would have thought having a quiet beer with a friend could lead to starting your own successful business - certainly not new Jim’s Mowing franchisee Mark Beresford.
Mark had never really considered starting his own business until Jim’s Mowing was mentioned to him over a quiet drink just over a year ago. But since that moment he has never looked back and is now a fully fledged Jim looking after the York area and loving every minute of it.
“It all started over a beer when a friend asked me ‘have you ever heard of Jim’s Mowing?’ Who would have thought that six months later I would have my own franchise,” explains Mark.
“After I made the decision to go with Jim’s Mowing the toughest part was the mental commitment, as the thought of going it alone and working for myself was a scary prospect. You go over the figures, do your research, talk to the other franchisees, and then do it all over again. It’s a big step to go against the security of a full time job with fixed hours and a guaranteed wage. But getting laid off two winters in a row had backed me into a corner with regards to my future employment, so I really wanted to give this a go.
“So I was in…That’s it. I needed to start making preparations for my start date and there was so much to organise. I had never been self-employed before so every day was a learning curve. Then the day arrived for me to sign my life away. It was official…just call me Jim.
“My start date worked out really well as I could attend the Jim’s Annual meeting before I got started. It was nice to engage with the other Jim’s in a relaxed setting and ask lots of nitty gritty questions. I found this really helpful as it filled me with confidence, I just couldn’t wait to get started.
“I went through the practical training in Edinburgh with George Marshall, an experienced hard and soft landscaper. He was very good at answering all my questions, I knew I had so much to learn and that I had to make the most of this opportunity.
“After the training all that was left was for me to receive my tools and machinery and then I was on my own. It finally started to sink in, I was a Jims Mower and I need to master these tools to be able to provide an excellent service.”
Mark adds: “So far it has gone really well, I guess I have been quite lucky with the weather as the summers have been good. I really couldn’t recommend Jim’s enough to anyone considering it, you are your own boss, get to work outdoors… life is good.”
Jim's Mowing are also exhibiting The Franchise Show on the 20th/21st February!
