We’re receiving hundreds of new enquiries each month at the moment from people interested in joining our network.
And whilst we get lots of different questions, we always get the same kind of things that people think are true of a franchise network… that for us, just aren’t.
So, here’s 7 things that aren’t true about James Home Services.
Myth 1
We take your money, put you through training then you barely hear from us again
This one is false on so many counts. Firstly, we don’t charge you upfront for the full cost of your franchise business; instead, we offer a subscription model. You can read more about the cost of a franchise in 2024, HERE.
Secondly, we do put you through training. That bit is true. We have a dedicated 3 day intensive training program to teach you how to run your business – from marketing to admin, from lead generation to winning work, quoting, customer liaison and so much more. We also have a 4 day intensive practical training component where we teach you, in real time, on the job in a real business in our network, how to do the job.
But the real false to this statement is that you’ll barely hear from us again. Your initial training is only the beginning. You can expect to chat to your dedicated Business Coach daily for the first week at least, then every few days, as well as at least one formal ongoing training session each week, and their help on an on-call basis whenever you need. Just did a quote visit and need help drafting the quote and pricing the job – call your Business Coach. Need help with how your introducing yourself to potential customers – call your Business Coach. Need some assistance in our software platform – call your Business Coach. We’ll focus on the basics for the first 12 weeks – marketing to generate leads, and conversion to generate income! Then, when you’re ready, we switch gears. We look at your broader goals – business and personal and we help you design a pathway to get you there! Your business coach will never be a stranger!
Myth 2
The subscription model has ‘catches’
Nope, it doesn’t. And it’s not a scam either. It actually couldn’t be simpler. Instead of paying $26K plus upfront, you pay $1,000 + GST initially, and then $125 + GST per week. We even provide your equipment all inclusive! The Subscription Fee is payable for 5 years, then we cease it. No catches, no gotchas, no games. Just a more affordable way to make your dream of business ownership a reality.
Myth 3
We’re too big to remember your name or care who you are
100% false. This may be true in other networks, but not James. One of our owners is the person you’ll meet and who will step you through the information process if you enquire to join our network. He’ll stay in touch, even after you’ve joined and your running your business. Our Business Coaches look after only a small number of business owners. Our Head Office team all have involvement in setting up your business, and helping you as you grow. You don’t have a number at James that identifies you. We don’t need a number to know who you are. We take a genuine interest in who you are, and in your business. Our network is growing, but something that’s really important to us is that even as we grow, we ensure we never get too big that we can’t have that human connection with our teams. I know every company says ‘you’re not a number’, but we really mean it. And our franchisees will attest to the individualised care and support they receive from the Head Office team.
We are a people business. We’re a family. We know all our franchisees, we know their goals, we know their strengths and weaknesses and we know what drives and motivates them. Our Head Office team is also small, so you’ll get to know us all. And no one if off limits to you. And we’re all here to help. We really are proud of the culture we have built over the past few years – and our franchisees never feeling like they’re just a number to us is at the heart of that.
Myth 4
We don’t care about your personal goals, we just want to sell you a franchise.
We will only offer you the opportunity to purchase a business in our network if we genuinely believe that you’re a fit for us, we’re a fit for you, and that a business with James will help you to achieve the personal goals you have for yourself.
I mentioned before that we’re receiving hundreds of enquiries each month from people wanting to join our network, well, you’ll probably be surprised to know that less than 2% of the people who enquire actually end up as business owners. That’s because we only offer a business to someone if we genuinely believe we’re a good fit for what they’re looking for.
We’ve all endured information sessions that are just a sales pitch by the company to you, to buy their product or service. They’re painful! In our initial conversation, we spend most of the time asking you the questions. We like to dive into your motivation for wanting to start your own business, what your personal and business goals are, your support network, your skill sets and just try to gain a picture of who you are and what you’re aiming for with a business. We also ask questions about your family situation, or why you’re looking to leave full time work, or change your career path – because understanding all of this, helps us to know whether a business in our network can help you achieve what you want. And if we don’t think it will give you what you’re looking for, then we’ll be really honest with you about that.
And if you really want to put this point to the test, then go ahead and book a few initial meetings with different networks – and just take note of the approach of the person you meet with. Is it all about them, the company, the offering and the sale… or are they asking questions about you, and about what you want to achieve in a business. When you look for this difference, it will be obvious.
Finally, we don’t chase. And we don’t pressure. We will follow-up, but only to a point. We know, that if you really are ready for this, then you’ll be engaged in the process without us having to drag you through it; you’ll want to walk through it with us, you’ll want to naturally progress to the next step. If you don’t, then we figure this just isn’t for you right now. And that’s completely ok!
Myth 5
You don’t have any control over your own business in a franchise network.
This is a very common misconception, and whilst there are definitely parameters in which you must operate if you’re in a franchise network, it’s not true that you have no control. And, its also about perspective…
For example… you must operate your business full time. But how you do that it up to you… you can organise your own schedule. You can choose to complete the physical work during school hours so you can pick your kids up from school. You can choose to have staff so you don’t have to be available all the time. You can even choose to have someone else run the business for you, or run elements of the business for you. There are lots of ways to achieve the goal of your business operating at a full-time capacity, you’re not stuck to it being just you.
Another example of where perspective is important… we teach you to market in ways that are effective in generating leads for your business. We don’t permit you to have your own Facebook Business page however. The reason is, that there are other ways to leverage Facebook to generate leads that aren’t the time sink that your own page is. We teach you what’s effective and efficient; and we focus you on the things that will get outcomes, not just waste your time. So whilst there are ‘rules’, they are in place because we’ve learnt what works and what doesn’t, and we’re trying to save you time by focusing you only on the things that work.
There are other fundamental ‘rules’ of a franchise network that are also good examples… you must declare all your work, and you must pay franchise fees. We’ve made declaring your work to us easy; you just use the software we’ve custom built to manage your business, and your reporting is automatically done for you each week and your fees are automatically calculated. So, you don’t have to do anything additional to normal management of your business.
The bonus of using our software to manage your business is that it provides you and us with the key information about your businesses performance that we can use to help you identified areas for growth and improvement. You don’t have to figure this out on your own – you have our help!
Myth 6
We feed you all the leads you’ll need
You probably want us to tell you that this is true – that all you have to do is sit back, and wait for us to send you work. But, that’s not the case, and we’re honest about that!
We do send you leads. Don’t get us wrong. But, the volume we send you, will not be enough on its own to grow the business as fast as you’ll want.
What we do, as well as generate leads for your business, is teach you how to generate your own leads! That puts YOU in control! Want more work? You have the skills to go and generate the leads you want, when you want.
We do the stuff that costs money and is tricky; the brand building, the paid online advertising… and we teach you strategies to generate leads for free.
Sure, there are other models out there that just feed you work. But you pay for it. There are charges every time a lead is sent to you, or you end up paying a large percentage of the value of the job to the company because they generated the work for you.
We don’t charge you for the leads we send you. And we only charge you a small percentage of the work you actually do.
AND more importantly, we teach you how to generate leads in your business so that you’re in control. You’re never reliant on us, and you’re the one in the driver’s seat of your business. After all, that’s what most people are wanting when they start their own business – control.
If you’re looking for a company that will just feed you work, then we’re not for you.
But if you’re looking for a company that will build your skills, put you in control and that will work in partnership with you on generating leads and building your business… then that’s us!
Myth 7
Franchise Fees are a rip off, and you get no value for your money
We take you through an accelerated business start-up process… so you can be up and running faster.
We’ve built a nationally recognised brand and business… so you don’t have to.
We’ve built, constantly update and maintain a conversion focused website… so you don’t have to.
We operate a call centre… to generate leads for your business.
We train you in everything you need to get your business started… so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
We advertise your business… so you don’t have to.
We know what equipment you’ll need and we provide it to you… so you don’t have to figure it out.
We create social media content and text for you… so you don’t have to.
We teach you how to generate leads in your business for free… so you’re not forever paying for to attract more customers.
We organise your uniform, sign your car and provide you with professional marketing collateral… so you stand out!
We provide custom built business management software… so you don’t have to wade thru the platforms out there and pick one for yourself.
We assign you a dedicated business coach who works intensively with you to grow your business… so your business has the best chance at growth and success possible. Independent businesses can pay anywhere up to $20,000 annually for a business coach – you have one as standard.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the value we provide you.
Or, another way to think about it is, that we significantly reduce the headaches, stress and uncertainty that go along with starting a business on your own.
We recently calculated, that in your first year with our network, you receive the equivalent of $123,400 worth of value. That means, that to set up a new business from scratch, in the same way we set up the businesses in our network, it would cost you this $123,000 plus. You pay an exceptionally small portion in comparison. Your franchise fees aren’t a rip off or unfair, or valueless – they’re an investment in your businesses success.
If you want to read more about the value you get in your first year with our network, then check back here soon. We’re currently drafting a post that dives into the detail for you!
So there you have it. 7 things that aren’t true about James Home Services. If you’d like to find out more, or take the first step to business ownership, why not reach out for a chat with one of our Owners, Justin.
More Information on subscribing to your own business
Want to speak to a real person about joining our network? Get in touch directly with our National Director of Sales; Justin Kelly on 0438 780 363
Want us to contact you? Submit an enquiry
