About JIM    
  

"Dictators always look good until the last minutes"

Thomas G Masaryk

The Public view:

Jim Penman started Jim’s Mowing as a part-time gardening business while earning his PhD in History.

In 1982 $30,000 in debt and with a marketing budget of $24 he started mowing lawns as a full-time business. He soon had more work than he could handle and began taking on subcontractors, but because customer turnover made it difficult to build a major business on this basis, he gradually shifted his focus to building up and selling lawn-mowing rounds.
Business continued to grow, and to more effectively build and sell mowing rounds Jim began offering support and training to mowing operators. With a desire to offer better customer service and with increasing competition, in 1982 Jim franchised his business. Since then Jim’s Mowing has become the largest and best-known lawn mowing business in the world.

The move to Franchising proved very successful, Jim’s Cleaning was launched in 1994, followed by dog wash, handyman, fencing and about 25 other divisions, which now operate in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. With 2900 Franchisees and a turnover of approximately $250 million, it is the second largest franchise network in Australia (after Australia Post).

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.

Jim is married, has nine children (hopefully ten by August 2009), drives a 26-year-old car and is funding a University research program into the biological underpinnings of social behaviour.

Jim’s achievements are an example of a great Australian success story ( alledgedly).

 The real Jim:

·         aged 57

·         4 wives ( most of them oriental)

·         Born in Stourbridge, England. Yes, he is a Pommie Bastard! 

·         Failed as an encyclopedia salesman

·         Used to refer to himself as Dr. Penman

·         Was a Mormon, but he couldn't live with the "humility" requirement and Jims is now his religion with himself as God.

·         He promotes and participates in sperm donation (dear god, how many little Penmans are actually out there?)

·         He admits to being  introvert with no friends and few personal skills

·         Hobbies: squash ( plays a 70 year old) and war based board games

·         Sacked so many Chief Executives that he has had to appoint himself

·         surrounds himself with "Yes Men " and family members

·         his number 2 hates him and stays in Adelaide as much as possible

·         failed in the USA and is now failing in the UK and Canada.

·         he admits to being a lazy maverick

·         he can't remember names or faces

·         control freak who panics under pressure

·         huge temper if he doesn't get his way 

·         funding a research program to find a happy pill- he certainly needs one urgently. No one has matched his donation unsurprisingly.

·         sits in an open plan office on a large purple ball

·         Owns 100% of Jim's Group - no accounts ever filed.

·         Apparently owes the Australian Tax Office $2.9 million after his accountant allegedly took him to the cleaners.

How does he communicate? An example of an email recently sent to a franchisor is shown below:

You are a pathetic, sniveling, miserable idiot. You stuffed up the business so badly that everyone hates you, yet what you seem to believe is that you've done everything right and some vast conspiracy is on foot to do you down. Let me tell you something, you obnoxious cretin. I was willing once to give you the benefit of the doubt and try and get you to succeed or, failing that, at least to get your money out. But now I hate your guts and I'm going to do everything possible to destroy you. I'll bankrupt you, wipe you from the map. Not only will you never have any involvement with Jim's Group, but I'll do my best to make sure that no reputable business will look at you without holding their nose. 
 ( courtesy of BlueMauMau)
 Ths is how he reacts to anyone who stands up to him.

TOP 10 REASONS WHY JIM SHOULD GO:


 

1. For some interesting, illuminating facts please review this website and also visit 
   :http://www.bluemaumau.org/jim%E2%80%99s_%E2%80%98almost_everything_service_franchising%E2%80%99 
2. Jim has poor business and communication skills
3. Jim’s maverick tendencies have left the Group open to significant litigation claims and damaging publicity.
4. He ignores contractual terms when it suits- ie Power of attorney removal, fee increases, manual changes etc.
5. No proper management structure has ever been implemented with no senior staff surviving for long.
6. The Group has no clear strategy and its vast potential will never be realised under Jim’s control.
7. Jim’s rude, crude, disrespectful management style is completely unsuitable for someone at the head of a Group like Jims.
8. He has brought the Group into disrepute by going public with embarrassing confidential statistics and uncontrollable rants, via his constant posts on various website forums.
9. Jim has now lost the plot- terminating 3 Divisions in the last 2 months.
10. Jim looks tired, jaded, confused, and is not acting rationally ( if he ever did). He looks ripe for retirement.