Don't just start a business. Learn to build one.
We teach everyday Aussies how to build and run a home services business: winning customers, pricing for profit, managing the numbers. You learn it while you’re doing it, like an apprenticeship in business ownership, with a coach who’s built one beside you.
We work with people who:
- want to build something of their own, not just be their own boss
- want to learn skills they’ll keep for whatever comes next
- are ready to work hard and follow a proven system
- are (rightly) wary of old-school franchising
Building a business takes real effort. We’ll be honest about that from the first conversation.
Where building a business can take you, and what it looks like with us.
No email needed · or book a chat with our team
Over 30 years · Every coach has run a James business · Talk to any of our owners, no topic off limits
Everyone’s at a different stage when they start exploring. Choose the path that suits you.
It's like an apprenticeship in business ownership.
You own and run your business. We teach you how to run it, while you’re building it.
1. Get set up properly
Your onboarding starts the day you sign. We guide you through the first steps (business name, ABN, insurance, bank accounts), and you get all the equipment you need, with your vehicle wrapped in James branding.
2. Learn to run it
A 2-day online business management workshop, then 4 days of practical, in-field training with an accredited James trainer, who's a current business owner. Then our 12-week Accelerated Start-Up Program builds momentum with structure, coaching and accountability.
3. Grow it, with a coach beside you
Your Business Coach has built a James business themselves. You'll see them weekly in your early months, then ongoing, alongside regional team meetings and learning that grows as your business does.
What you'll actually learn
Most new business owners start with the logo and colours, then wait for customers to find them. We start with the things that actually build a business:
Generating consistent leads, and turning them into loyal customers
Quoting and pricing for profit
Scheduling and managing your time
Understanding your numbers
Building a local reputation
The mindset to keep going when it's hard
Work for yourself, but not by yourself. It’s your business and your effort, backed by people who’ve done it and want you to succeed.
Safety nets, not shortcuts.
Leaving a regular wage is a big step. These are here to support you while you build your skills, not to replace them.
An income guarantee while you find your feet
$1,500 a week while you get established. Most new owners stop needing it within the first few weeks, because the training works. We'll take you through the conditions.
Work coming in while you learn to win your own
Our brand, call centre and network advertising send customer enquiries your way from day one, and you never pay per lead. But leads alone aren't security. Knowing how to generate your own is, which is why we teach it.
Pay as you grow
Our subscription model means you don't need to put all your money in upfront.
A way out, if you ever want one
You can sell your business at any time, with no minimum stay. A profitable business can become cash in your pocket when you move on.
We only do well if you do
Our ongoing franchise fee is a small percentage of your turnover, so our success depends on yours.
Everything you need to do your research.
No sugar-coating, no hype.
START HERE
The series
Short videos on where building a business can take you, and what it looks like with us.
Talking this through with your partner? Send them the series. It’s the best place to start together.
WATCH
Real Stories
Real conversations with everyday people who’ve built new beginnings and thriving businesses with James Home Services.
WATCH
The Real Franchise Videos
Watch Justin & Rhiannon talk about all the big questions & debunk common myths in our unfiltered & totally honest podcast series.
READ
In-Depth Articles & Guides
Read about everything from fees, to territories to how we get you started, as well as our training & coaching in our blog.
You're comparing us. Good.
You should compare us with other franchises, and with going it alone. Here’s the honest picture.
01
You're not buying a job. You're building a business.
Many franchise systems teach you the service, then send you work. We train you in business ownership: sales, pricing, quoting, finance, customer management, reputation and mindset. You don’t just learn to clean or mow. You learn to run and grow a business.
02
Coaching and training that don't stop after the start.
Your Business Coach has built a James business themselves. They help you understand your numbers, set realistic goals, troubleshoot and stay accountable. Your learning keeps going as your business moves from first customers to growing and refining.
03
We prepare you for reality, not the highlight reel.
Throughout our Information Process, we talk openly about the effort, the early hustle, the financial realities and the frustrating bits. You’ll also talk to current owners, with no topic off limits.
04
We measure success by how our owners do, not how many franchises we sell.
No hidden conditions, no gotcha clauses, no inflated income claims, no pressure. You get the same information we’d give a family member.
What about going it alone?
You can absolutely start a business yourself, and plenty of people do. Here’s the honest trade-off:
We’re not perfect, and we’re not for everyone. But if you want to learn how to build a business, not just be sent work, we’d love to show you how we do it.
Let’s just have a chat!
No sales pitch. No pressure. Just a real conversation about whether James feels like the right fit for you.
We can answer any questions you have, and start to explore together whether what we do could genuinely help you reach your business ownership goals.
You’re welcome to bring your partner. It’s a decision you’ll make together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answer – pretty much everything you need to get started in your business except for insurance, your ABN and your vehicle!
When you buy a James’ business, this is what’s included for your purchase price:
- All your equipment – we provide top quality equipment, not cheap equipment
- We will wrap your vehicle with our signature James’ branding
- Products (e.g. cleaning products)
- Business systems and software – your own portal specifically for your business in our business management software; used for managing enquiries, quoting, scheduling, invoicing and more!
- Manuals, policies and procedures
- Training: a 2-day online business management workshop and 4 days of practical, in-field training
- Assistance to set up your accounting software and training on how to use it
- Uniforms
- Marketing collateral – brochures, signs, business cards and stationery
- Local area advertising package
- WHS compliance and training
We have a proven training system for our new business owners:
- A 2-day online business management workshop, covering marketing, getting your first job, quoting for profitability, using our business management software, customer retention and more. Your trainer is your regional manager, who is also your Business Coach and your go-to person for anything you need as a James business owner.
- Then 4 days of practical, in-field training, putting everything from the workshop into practice and training you in how to do the job. Your trainer is a current James business owner who has become an accredited James trainer. To be accredited, they must consistently demonstrate exemplary service to their customers and astute management of their business, and complete our Train the Trainer course.
Everything you need to get started in your business!
For all service models, we will have your vehicle wrapped in the signature James’ branding instead.
You also receive all the equipment relative to the service model you are purchasing.
For example, our Lawn & Garden Care business includes a ride-on mower and a push mower, hedge trimmer, edger, blower, garden saws for pruning, all your personal protective equipment and workplace health and safety equipment, fuel cans, rake, shovels, clippings bags, toolbox, sprayer, hose and fittings, ladder… and so much more!
We provide quality equipment that is reliable and will give you the best results.
You will receive a full itemised equipment and kit list as part of the information we share after an enquiry is made.
The question everyone wants the answer to… and the one question we cannot answer. Not because we’re trying to be coy, but because our rulebook for how we act as a Franchisor (The Franchising Code of Conduct, legislated by Government) prohibits us from saying anything to you that might be taken as a ‘representation’ as to the earning capacity of the business. The whole idea of this rule is to protect potential business owners by ensuring we don’t hook you by promising you’ll make squillions!
In reality, what you make is up to you! It’s your business, so you’re in charge of quoting and collecting payment. We provide training to ensure that you are quoting and charging your work at a sustainable rate.
Throughout the process of buying a James’ business, you get the opportunity to talk to existing business owners… and no topic is off limits. You can ask how much they earn and what their profitability level is.
We keep our fees simple and fair. There are three fees that you pay:
- Franchise Fee – this is a percentage of your turnover, and the percentage decreases the more you earn.
- Advertising Levy – this is NOT revenue for the Master Franchisor, this is collected by us, to be spent on marketing and advertising the network and to drive service enquiries from customers.
- Communications & IT Fee – this is a flat fee per week that assists us to provide a call centre for customer enquiries as well as to maintain and continually improve the business management software you will use.
Nope! Our model doesn’t work like this. You pay a flat weekly Communications & IT Fee which helps us to run our call centre and to maintain our business management software that you use, but you don’t get charged per lead we send to you.
In short – yes you do… but we help… A LOT!
Every person in our business has a role to play in marketing the James’ brand. If we have all of our business owners actively marketing their businesses, as well as our Regional Franchisors, Regional Managers and Head Office, then the reach we can achieve is quite staggering – far more than any independent business owner.
The marketing our business owners are responsible for is called ‘local area marketing’ and it just means that your focus as a business owner is on the things you can do locally, to get your business known and to encourage people to use your services.
We spend a huge amount of time in your initial training supporting you to understand and be confident in implementing the marketing techniques that we know work! We also have an almost bottomless pit of resources when it comes to advertising material, including brochures, social media posts, logo and icon assets, as well as a go-to guide for how to market your business with lots of simple but effective things you can do every day, most without any cost!
Yes. We offer a $1,500 per week Income Guarantee.
We offer an Income Guarantee because we recognise a lot of our new James’ business owners are moving from the safety of being employed and having a wage deposited into the account each week, to the uncertainty of, ‘Where is my revenue coming from this week?’.
We trust in our systems, training and processes to help you get your business off to the best possible start, so we know that even while we offer the Income Guarantee, it’s rarely used by new business owners after the first few weeks in their business.
Your Business Coach (your regional manager) will spend as much time with you as you need, or at least one face-to-face session per week for your first 8-12 weeks in business, then once monthly after that.
Each region has regular team meetings, which is an opportunity to meet other business owners in your area, as well as participate in learning sessions that are often integrated into team meetings.
Head Office periodically produces and releases updated documents, new advertising materials, updated procedures or compliance documentation or online learning resources based on feedback from our network and the ever-changing business environment. These are accessible to all our business owners, anytime, anywhere, to work through at your own pace.
Yes. You can sell your business at any time during your term, with no minimum stay. A profitable business can become cash in your pocket when you decide to move on, whether that’s to a new venture, retirement or simply stepping back.
You can, and plenty of people do. Starting alone usually costs less upfront, but you pay for the learning curve in other ways: discounted jobs, underpriced quotes and costly mistakes. See the side-by-side comparison in How we’re different above for the honest trade-off.
If you’re interested in learning more about being a James business owner, book a chat with our team.
One of our team will be in touch personally to start walking you through our 5-step process.
Step 1: Learn about us and let us learn about you!
Step 2: Meet some current James’ business owners
Step 3: Sign a Franchise Agreement
Step 4: Get your business set up
Step 5: Final payment and training
We don’t apply pressure or sales tactics throughout the process, and there is no obligation to continue progressing. If you decide this isn’t for you, just let us know. We won’t try and persuade you otherwise, but we will leave the door open if you think you might want to pick the conversation up again in the future.
Wherever you are in your journey, you’re welcome here.
Whether you’re exploring, comparing, researching, or ready to chat, take the next step at your pace.
Don't just start a business. Learn to build one.
We teach everyday Aussies how to build and run a home services business: winning customers, pricing for profit, managing the numbers. You learn it while you’re doing it, like an apprenticeship in business ownership, with a coach who’s built one beside you.
Everyone’s at a different stage when they start exploring. Choose the path that suits you.
