May 30, 2025 • 23 mins
What does it really take to turn a handyman service into a thriving family business? Jane Lombard and her husband Troy Wilkinson have spent six years building Hire a Hubby Western Creek into more than just a property maintenance company—they've created a trusted community resource that older residents and busy homeowners across Canberra rely on daily.
The journey hasn't been without its challenges. Jane shares candidly how they balance working together as a married couple, manage the constantly shifting workload of a service business, and deal with the crushing reality that nearly half their time goes to compliance and administrative tasks rather than actual customer work.
Their business model reveals surprising insights about our changing relationship with DIY and home maintenance. While Australia might be "the nation of The Block," Jane notices many homeowners simply lack the tools, skills, or time to handle even basic household fixes. This shift creates opportunities for trustworthy service providers—especially for vulnerable community members who need someone reliable to change a lightbulb or check their property when family lives interstate.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hello and welcome to the Canberra Business Podcast.
I'm Greg Harford, your hostfrom the Canberra Business
Chamber, and today I'm talkingto Jane Lombard who, along with
husband Troy Wilkinson, owns andoperates Hire a Hubby Western
Creek.
Jane, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thanks, greg.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Hubby, western Creek.
Jane, welcome to the podcast.
Thanks, greg.
Look, let's start with thebasics.
Hire a Hubby is a brand thatwill be well known to many of
our listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
but what's the scope of the services that you provide
?
Yep, we're a national brand,international in fact, we're a
franchise.
So here in Canberra there arefive franchisees and we're in
Western Creek and MolongloValley.
We do a very broad range ofwork, from residential property
maintenance, real estate work,strata work, commercial work,
(00:56):
anything to do with maintenanceof a property, anything except
sort of structural.
We're not builders, we're notdoing structural work.
We're looking after the ongoingmaintenance of people's homes
and businesses.
And yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So are you just operating in Western Creek and
Longlow Valley or do you havecustomers across the city?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, we do have customers across the whole of
ACT and it does sort of go overinto New South Wales sometimes
as well, of course.
But we all the franchisees havea territory as such that we can
work in, but we can.
We're sort of all spread out,so we do work across boundaries
and borders yes, so how longhave you had the business for?
(01:39):
Since 2019, so we're coming.
We're just past our sixth yearin business under the higher
hubby.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah yeah, congratulations.
Have you been in businessbefore or do you yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'm actually a bit of a serial franchisee, so I've uh
owned other franchisebusinesses in the past and have
had a real estate backgroundwhich has been very helpful in
uh in this business yeah, so howdid you get started with Hire a
Hubby?
So my husband, troy, was workingas a gardener and that business
was getting sold.
(02:11):
So we were looking forsomething else and I was talking
to him about the hand skillsinvolved in this type of
business and we looked into theHire a Hubby brand and went
through the process ofinterviews and skill checks and
training and all that sort ofstuff and just thought it would
be a really good brand and agood product and good business.
(02:32):
And yeah, it has been.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Fantastic.
So I mean on the franchisequestion, which I guess is a
pathway into business for manypeople, how does it work with
Hire a Hubby?
What support do you get fromyour franchise, or and how much
are you left to run the businessby yourself?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I think it's a really good balance for people
who do want to get into business.
I mean, I always say don't buy,whether it's a business or a
franchise, expecting to be anemployee in that work, because
you're just not.
You'll always have to be abusiness owner.
The big advantage of having afranchise is having the brand
name.
They do a lot of marketing andpromotion under the brand.
(03:09):
There's support within the headoffice and the network, other
franchisees, field staff, lotsof different businesses at
different levels.
So, yeah, we've had a verypositive experience with the
support that's been offered.
But yeah, at the end of the dayit's still your business.
You've still got to look afterthe customers and do the right
(03:30):
thing and, yeah, run it like abusiness.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Absolutely.
What advice would you offer topeople who are thinking about
taking on a franchise?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Do your due diligence .
Speak to other franchiseesunder the brand.
Do your due diligence, speak toother franchisees under the
brand.
Be realistic about yourexpectations of what the brand
provides or what a franchiseprovides.
I mean even things like if youset up you know if it was Jane
Lombard's property maintenancehandyman business you've got to
do.
You know business cards andwebsites and marketing and
(04:02):
social media and you know a lotof that is done for you the
recognition of the brand in themarketplace.
Making sure that you set upcorrectly with your business
structure.
You still need an accountant,bookkeeper and things like that,
but they're very good atgetting you.
You hit the ground running alot faster under a franchise
than if you were trying toreinvent the wheel yourself from
(04:25):
day one.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And did you need to have?
Did you and Troy need to havequalifications and experience as
handy people in the buildingindustry to come into the
franchise?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You do have to do a skills test.
So for hand skills and there'sa bit of a questionnaire that
you fill out initially to saywhat you've had experience doing
or not Part of the training ishand skills and they do fill
some of the gaps in that regard.
You don't have to be licensedin the trades.
There are trades people who arelicensed in the network because
(04:57):
it is obviously advantageous,but it's certainly not a
requirement.
And I think, at the end of theday, hand skills are important
but customer service isimportant and following up
people and working your businessas a business is equally
important.
So all of those thingscontribute to how you run it.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
So how big is your team?
Have you got a bunch of peopleworking for you?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, we started off with just Troy and myself and
then then we have over time puton staff at different times and
then sort of come back.
We work with quite a lot ofsubcontractors in different
areas.
So, due to the end of thebusiness, at the moment it's
just effectively Troy and I withsubcontractors.
So we'll often get called in ona very small job for a customer
(05:42):
who might want a door handlechanged.
But then they might say do youknow anyone who can do painting
for us, or an electrician or aplumber or a tiler?
So we work with other trades inthat small job space because I
think for a lot of tradesthey're not necessarily
interested in doing the smallerjobs which we're happy to do and
we can help them work with usto make it more efficient for
(06:07):
them and more efficient for thecustomer.
So I think that really pays off.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
So does that translate into better pricing
for the customer?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, I believe so I think it's also purely from
trying to get trades.
As you probably know, inCanberra that's quite difficult.
So we find, you know, if it's aplastering job, we work with a
couple of plasterers, we cantake the photos of what's
required, we can give them theinformation.
It saves them having to comeout, we can get the quote to the
(06:34):
customer promptly and then wecan manage those trades who need
to come and go with thecustomer so they're not just
getting Joe blogs that they'venever heard of.
So yeah, I think there's a realwin-win for everybody involved
in those sort of situations.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So obviously in your business, you're working very
closely with your husband, whichis something that either is a
source of joy or a source offrustration for many people who
might be thinking about it.
How's that going, and have yougot any advice for couples who
might be thinking about startinga business together?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, look, I think you're right.
And within the Hire a Hubbynetwork there is a number of
businesses that do have, youknow, husbands and wife teams,
if you like.
I mean there's brother andsister teams and there's partner
teams and things.
But, look, I think my advicewould be for us we have very
different roles in the businessand would be for us.
(07:27):
We have very different roles inthe business and I think that's
helpful.
If you were trying to do thesame job, it'd be really
challenging, you know, for Troybeing on the job doing the hand
skills and not having to do theadmin work on top of that.
We can quite be distinctive inour roles and we work quite
independently, but obviouslyit's really nice knowing we're
both in it for the best of thebusiness and making the business
(07:49):
successful for us.
It does make it hard to go onholidays.
It does make it hard to takebreaks, but I guess that's the
same in any small business.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, so how do you manage that stuff?
Personally, I mean, do you getaway on holiday?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yeah, sometimes take long weekends and things like
that.
The other useful one was whatwas that law that was brought in
about talking to employees?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
outside of business hours.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So Troy pulls that one on me when we're lying in
bed at night or something, andI'm trying to talk about the
next day he'll be like no, no,that's illegal you can't talk to
me about that now.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
There's still a small business exemption, though, for
the moment Okay, I better nottell him that you can't talk to
me about that now.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, there's still a small business exemption,
though, for the moment.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Oh, okay, I better not tell him that you know a lot
of the services you provide.
It's everything from, as Iunderstand it, sort of gardening
through to basic maintenanceand sort of home handyman
services.
A lot of those services are thesort of things that perhaps 50
years ago people would have donethemselves.
Who are your customers now?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, it's interesting.
We certainly do have an olderdemographic for often older
people it might be widows orolder couples where you know he
just shouldn't be climbingladders anymore and Troy says he
finds that often quite notchallenging but has to kind of
(09:05):
help an older man who might befeeling a little bit put out by
this younger fella coming in andtaking his job away from him.
So you know, there's certainlycustomer service skills involved
in that.
Having said that, you know wedo a lot of real estate work, so
we're dealing with tenants andmaintenance in that area.
You know, younger people arejust time poor and, like you say
(09:28):
, don't necessarily have theit's also tools, like people who
Often we'll get people callingto say I could probably do this
job myself, but I just don'twant to go out and buy all the
tools involved.
And so with our setup we've gotthe van, we've got all the
tools, we've got all thematerials we can do it much more
efficiently than a customerwho's trying to do it themselves
from scratch.
(09:49):
I do sometimes get calls fromthe wives who use it as a threat
on the husbands that they'llbring us in if he doesn't do it
within the next two weeks orsomething I'm like yep, that's
fine, you can use that.
Excellent, so you have a stickat ready marriages.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Do you think, though, that, as a nation I mean, you
know we're the nation of theblock, right, but are we perhaps
losing our DIY mojo, do youthink?
Do you think there's morepeople just wanting to contract
out and get experts in to dostuff?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, quite possibly.
I mean, I don't know sort ofhow you'd compare it.
You know there's always thatjoke within Hire a Hubby that we
charge extra to fix the bad DIYjob, because it's like
sometimes people think theirability is way beyond what their
actual skill is and you aregoing in and doing rectification
work so but look, I think it'slike anything, you can learn it,
(10:43):
like anybody can learn it.
Yeah, it's whether you'reinterested, you know you get
people who are they're lawyersor tech people or they're just
not interested in you know theirjobs.
We can't do so.
It's efficient.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Absolutely, and they're jobs we can't do so it's
efficient Absolutely.
Now you mentioned that you workboth right around the ACT but
also sometimes across the borderinto New South Wales.
Are there differences that yousort of find operating there
from a business point of view?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, well, certainly the rules and regulations are
different.
We've got a higher hubbyCranbian who obviously more work
would go across the border tothem because they're on top of
that sort of stuff and they'relicensed.
I mean, we're licensed in NewSouth Wales as well, but there's
different licensing levels andthere's different criteria to
the ACT.
So you know, this is anotherbenefit, I think, of being part
(11:35):
of a franchise network thatbecause we've got people right
across the state, they're on topof all of that sort of
information so that you're notgoing to do anything stupid or
put yourself at risk.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
so, yeah, what do you find is most challenging about
running your own business?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I guess the biggest challenges are the ups and downs
and inconsistencies and tryingto manage that.
For us, you know, the work hasalways been there and come
through fairly regularly.
But as soon as it sort of dropsoff a little bit, I think you
tend to panic because you worrythat particularly with both of
(12:16):
us working in the business, yousometimes go what if we never
get another job, if you know wecan't earn a living?
I'm sure it's not that bad no,and you know troy will laugh at
me even saying this, because itdoesn't take much for that for
me to go through that mindset.
But then we'll have other timeswhere sometimes you feel like
you're riding a wave and you'rejust trying to keep your head
above water and manage people'sexpectation on the time it's
(12:39):
going to take to get to them andyou know things like that.
So we find that that customercontact and communication is
just essential in those timeswhen it's really really busy and
you're trying to manage that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
So yeah, now, obviously we've been um well,
we're going through still, Ithink, some fairly challenging
economic times.
Money's a little bit tighterbecause of interest rates.
We've had a federal electionwhich, by all accounts, has kind
of slowed down much of theeconomic activity that we see
here in the capital.
What are you seeing in terms ofdemand from customers?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Well, it's really interesting because I think
we're fairly lucky in the sensethat there's always a need for
our services and whether it'sreal estate work, which is
pretty consistent because youknow rental properties, things
break, you need to fix them.
So there's always for us, froma business point of view we try
(13:35):
to keep a finger in all piesthat it helps.
So if the residential work goesdown, you know the real estate
work might come up and we'll tryand keep it well balanced.
I think the residential workyou know we certainly found in
times like COVID people weresitting at home and wanted work
done and I think we're verylucky that they might decide to
(14:02):
maintain their property ifmoney's tight, rather than
extend or renovate it.
So because we're in that smalljob space, I don't feel it
affects us too badly.
I think for builders, you knowthat could be challenging, but
for us doing these littleconsistent ongoing jobs and
people will defer work ifthey're worried about costs.
So they might say we'll justpaint, you know, the walls and
(14:25):
not worry about the ceiling oryou know that type of decision
they can make.
But because we're at that sortof entry level of work, then I
think, yeah, it hasn't tended toaffect us.
Thank goodness Touch wood.
Yeah, oh, a long way, thankgoodness Touch wood.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, oh, a long way back, that's right.
Yeah, do you find that thereare particular challenges in
running a business generally, Iguess, and specifically here in
the ACT.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Oh, absolutely.
I think people reallyunderestimate how challenging,
you know, being a business owneris.
I think a lot of people go intobusiness because they're good
at whatever their trade is orwhatever their product is or
whatever, and really have noconcept of how difficult things
like cash flow are and you knowpaying taxes and super and
(15:12):
compliance issues and a wholedifferent ball game.
Once you're employing staff itbecomes quite scary.
I think about you know makingsure even workers' comp and all
that sort of stuff.
Act particularly, I think youknow knowing as part of the
Higher Hubby Network we kind ofget a bit of oversight into what
(15:32):
happens in other states.
There are some pros, and thatis things like the licensing for
work levels is better in theACT than other states, but
things like workers comp is,yeah, we really struggle with
that here.
As a handy person, you knowproperty maintenance business.
We're put in the same categoryas construction, even though we
(15:56):
can't actually constructanything, which kind of drives
me a bit crazy.
And the percentage rates theycharge us are based on that,
even though our risk is so muchlower.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's really interesting.
So, essentially, you'rechanging a customer's door
handle and your workers' comppremiums are being based on the
same sort of basis as if youwere five storeys up on some
scaffolding.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And even the fact that and I've heard this in
other businesses that if it'sjust Troy and I, he's on the
tools.
My risk of falling off my chairat my computer is pretty low.
But we're both put in the samecategory.
So you always encourage, drawwages, pat yourself all that
sort of stuff, but then the costof that from a compliance point
(16:42):
of view is a bit, yeah,ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
So yeah, that's.
That's really interesting andobviously there's an inquiry
going on into insurance at themoment in the legislative
assembly and I know this iscertainly something the chamber
has, uh, provided some input onto um to politicians, so
hopefully we might see somechange there over time.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
But yeah, it's a challenging Well on that and you
know it might be another topic,but certainly in different
parts of the country asdirectors, working directors in
a company, you don't even haveto have workers' comp in other
states.
So and because when it is justus, we're hardly going to sue
ourselves for workplace injuries.
(17:23):
So again, it's a cost thatseems a bit unfair and you don't
have a choice not to do it.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Absolutely and quite a limited range of choice in
terms of providers.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Very limited, yeah, and they're all very simply
priced Indeed.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So you've been running the business now for six
years or so.
What are you most proud of?
What's the biggest achievementin that time?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Oh goodness, I think, the growth and the way we've
expanded across differentindustries or different customer
bases.
I guess we get a lot ofsatisfaction from happy clients.
We get a lot of love of life,five-star Google reviews and
things like that.
And you know people who.
(18:11):
We get a lot of repeatcustomers.
We've got a lot of local,particularly older people who
will happily just go and changea light bulb for them if they
need it or they can call us inan emergency because we're
around the corner and they knowthat.
You know, and we've had familycall from interstate saying oh
can you just go around to mymum's and see if she's okay, and
stuff like that.
And I think that's really niceto be part of a community where
(18:35):
you know people know you and cancall on you for that kind of
stuff.
And you know, they know sureit's under the brand, but they
know us as well, and then peoplefeel safe and comfortable.
I think that's a really bigthing in the trade industry.
When you're going intosomebody's house, it's quite
confronting or intimate.
You're going into their space.
So the fact that we're inuniforms and working with people
(18:59):
vulnerable people, cards andwe're police checked and all
that kind of stuff I think makespeople feel more secure and
safe to be letting you intotheir home.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So yeah, and is that that that level of oversight,
the police checks and workingwith vulnerable people cards?
Is that something you've driven, or is that a requirement of
the franchise?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
the franchise or requires the police checks,
which I think is really good forall employees under the Hire a
Hubby brand and they promote itas part of their brand and the
licensing that you've got to be.
You know, your white card, andwe've got the Working With
Heights and the asbestos, thenew asbestos one and oh sorry,
the silica Yep.
So you know keeping all yourtickets up to date and things
(19:41):
like that.
But yeah, absolutely, I thinkit's really important.
The working with vulnerablepeople.
One is one we do because of thenature of the work we do.
You know, we do childcarecentre works, we do work for ACT
government.
Sometimes there's vulnerablepeople involved in that.
So, yeah, that's why we keepthose up to date.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah, excellent.
And in terms of marketing yourbusiness, obviously there's some
corporate promotions workthat's done, but how do you go
about sort of promotingyourselves in the community?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, well, certainly when we set out.
There's so much online stuff ofcourse, available and we use
the Facebook and the Instagramand all that sort of stuff.
But it's amazing, yourletterbox drop flyers are still
very much a source across theHire a Hubby network.
Yeah, and we still drop them inpeople's letterboxes.
The other biggest marketingthing for us and we again prove
(20:36):
this nationally over and overagain is a marked-up vehicle.
You know, driving around in theHire a Hubby vehicle in the van
.
You know we carry businesscards and flyers and the
uniforms.
You know people will often comeup to you, even in Bunnings and
places like that, asking forcards.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, excellent, that's good.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
If you could change one thing in your business, what
would it be?
Probably the compliance stuff,probably the red tape that goes
with running business.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So how much of your time do you spend on compliance
and red tape, do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Well, I've just gone through the secure local jobs
process.
That was pretty hectic.
Yeah, how much time you know,even doing you know bass and
play roll and all that sort ofstuff takes time.
Yeah, I mean, it'spredominantly what I do.
It's probably 50% of my time.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
That's a big cost, right yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Well, you know, in small business you're all about
billable hours, effectively, andso you know we've only got Troy
and the tools You've got tocover not only your costs of
doing business, like yourinsurances and things like that,
but the administrative coststhat go with all of that as well
.
So, yeah, it's a lot to carry.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
And how do you keep on top of that?
I mean because the requirementsare changing often, right?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You know, I guess using compliance software helps
being connected to people likethe Chamber and other places
that you can go for information.
Hire a Hubby provides.
You know they have softwareprograms that we can use.
They help with things likeswims and um.
They ensure it's a compliancething for them that we've all
(22:28):
got our insurance in places andthings like that.
So, yeah, there is a lot ofsupport from head office around
that kind of stuff.
Um, yeah, and it's just youmake it part of your schedule,
your day, that you've got tokeep on top of it.
Yeah, excellent.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Well, the chamber the Chamber, of course is busy
pushing for reduced compliancearrangements across the board.
It's certainly a big challengefor many businesses so something
we hear often from businesspeople about the impacts of that
.
Jane Lombard from Hire a Hubby,western Creek, it's been great
having you on the podcast.
Thank you so much for joiningus and telling us a little bit
(23:04):
about your business.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
My pleasure.
Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Thanks for being here and just a reminder that this
episode of the Canberra BusinessPodcast has been brought to you
by the Canberra BusinessChamber with the support of Care
Super, an industry super fundwith competitive fees and
returns, exceptional service anda focus on real care.
You can learn more atcaresupercomau and don't forget
to follow us on your favoritepodcast platform for future
episodes of the CanberraBusiness Podcast.
I'm Greg Harford.
(23:29):
We'll catch you next time.
Hello and welcome to the Canberra Business Podcast.
I'm Greg Harford, your hostfrom the Canberra Business
Chamber, and today I'm talkingto Jane Lombard who, along with
husband Troy Wilkinson, owns andoperates Hire a Hubby Western
Creek.
Jane, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thanks, greg.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Hubby, western Creek.
Jane, welcome to the podcast.
Thanks, greg.
Look, let's start with thebasics.
Hire a Hubby is a brand thatwill be well known to many of
our listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
but what's the scope of the services that you provide
?
Yep, we're a national brand,international in fact, we're a
franchise.
So here in Canberra there arefive franchisees and we're in
Western Creek and MolongloValley.
We do a very broad range ofwork, from residential property
maintenance, real estate work,strata work, commercial work,
(00:56):
anything to do with maintenanceof a property, anything except
sort of structural.
We're not builders, we're notdoing structural work.
We're looking after the ongoingmaintenance of people's homes
and businesses.
And yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
So are you just operating in Western Creek and
Longlow Valley or do you havecustomers across the city?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah, we do have customers across the whole of
ACT and it does sort of go overinto New South Wales sometimes
as well, of course.
But we all the franchisees havea territory as such that we can
work in, but we can.
We're sort of all spread out,so we do work across boundaries
and borders yes, so how longhave you had the business for?
(01:39):
Since 2019, so we're coming.
We're just past our sixth yearin business under the higher
hubby.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah yeah, congratulations.
Have you been in businessbefore or do you yeah?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
I'm actually a bit of a serial franchisee, so I've uh
owned other franchisebusinesses in the past and have
had a real estate backgroundwhich has been very helpful in
uh in this business yeah, so howdid you get started with Hire a
Hubby?
So my husband, troy, was workingas a gardener and that business
was getting sold.
(02:11):
So we were looking forsomething else and I was talking
to him about the hand skillsinvolved in this type of
business and we looked into theHire a Hubby brand and went
through the process ofinterviews and skill checks and
training and all that sort ofstuff and just thought it would
be a really good brand and agood product and good business.
(02:32):
And yeah, it has been.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Fantastic.
So I mean on the franchisequestion, which I guess is a
pathway into business for manypeople, how does it work with
Hire a Hubby?
What support do you get fromyour franchise, or and how much
are you left to run the businessby yourself?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, I think it's a really good balance for people
who do want to get into business.
I mean, I always say don't buy,whether it's a business or a
franchise, expecting to be anemployee in that work, because
you're just not.
You'll always have to be abusiness owner.
The big advantage of having afranchise is having the brand
name.
They do a lot of marketing andpromotion under the brand.
(03:09):
There's support within the headoffice and the network, other
franchisees, field staff, lotsof different businesses at
different levels.
So, yeah, we've had a verypositive experience with the
support that's been offered.
But yeah, at the end of the dayit's still your business.
You've still got to look afterthe customers and do the right
(03:30):
thing and, yeah, run it like abusiness.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Absolutely.
What advice would you offer topeople who are thinking about
taking on a franchise?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Do your due diligence .
Speak to other franchiseesunder the brand.
Do your due diligence, speak toother franchisees under the
brand.
Be realistic about yourexpectations of what the brand
provides or what a franchiseprovides.
I mean even things like if youset up you know if it was Jane
Lombard's property maintenancehandyman business you've got to
do.
You know business cards andwebsites and marketing and
(04:02):
social media and you know a lotof that is done for you the
recognition of the brand in themarketplace.
Making sure that you set upcorrectly with your business
structure.
You still need an accountant,bookkeeper and things like that,
but they're very good atgetting you.
You hit the ground running alot faster under a franchise
than if you were trying toreinvent the wheel yourself from
(04:25):
day one.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
And did you need to have?
Did you and Troy need to havequalifications and experience as
handy people in the buildingindustry to come into the
franchise?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You do have to do a skills test.
So for hand skills and there'sa bit of a questionnaire that
you fill out initially to saywhat you've had experience doing
or not Part of the training ishand skills and they do fill
some of the gaps in that regard.
You don't have to be licensedin the trades.
There are trades people who arelicensed in the network because
(04:57):
it is obviously advantageous,but it's certainly not a
requirement.
And I think, at the end of theday, hand skills are important
but customer service isimportant and following up
people and working your businessas a business is equally
important.
So all of those thingscontribute to how you run it.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
So how big is your team?
Have you got a bunch of peopleworking for you?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, we started off with just Troy and myself and
then then we have over time puton staff at different times and
then sort of come back.
We work with quite a lot ofsubcontractors in different
areas.
So, due to the end of thebusiness, at the moment it's
just effectively Troy and I withsubcontractors.
So we'll often get called in ona very small job for a customer
(05:42):
who might want a door handlechanged.
But then they might say do youknow anyone who can do painting
for us, or an electrician or aplumber or a tiler?
So we work with other trades inthat small job space because I
think for a lot of tradesthey're not necessarily
interested in doing the smallerjobs which we're happy to do and
we can help them work with usto make it more efficient for
(06:07):
them and more efficient for thecustomer.
So I think that really pays off.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
So does that translate into better pricing
for the customer?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Yeah, I believe so I think it's also purely from
trying to get trades.
As you probably know, inCanberra that's quite difficult.
So we find, you know, if it's aplastering job, we work with a
couple of plasterers, we cantake the photos of what's
required, we can give them theinformation.
It saves them having to comeout, we can get the quote to the
(06:34):
customer promptly and then wecan manage those trades who need
to come and go with thecustomer so they're not just
getting Joe blogs that they'venever heard of.
So yeah, I think there's a realwin-win for everybody involved
in those sort of situations.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So obviously in your business, you're working very
closely with your husband, whichis something that either is a
source of joy or a source offrustration for many people who
might be thinking about it.
How's that going, and have yougot any advice for couples who
might be thinking about startinga business together?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, look, I think you're right.
And within the Hire a Hubbynetwork there is a number of
businesses that do have, youknow, husbands and wife teams,
if you like.
I mean there's brother andsister teams and there's partner
teams and things.
But, look, I think my advicewould be for us we have very
different roles in the businessand would be for us.
(07:27):
We have very different roles inthe business and I think that's
helpful.
If you were trying to do thesame job, it'd be really
challenging, you know, for Troybeing on the job doing the hand
skills and not having to do theadmin work on top of that.
We can quite be distinctive inour roles and we work quite
independently, but obviouslyit's really nice knowing we're
both in it for the best of thebusiness and making the business
(07:49):
successful for us.
It does make it hard to go onholidays.
It does make it hard to takebreaks, but I guess that's the
same in any small business.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, so how do you manage that stuff?
Personally, I mean, do you getaway on holiday?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yeah, sometimes take long weekends and things like
that.
The other useful one was whatwas that law that was brought in
about talking to employees?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
outside of business hours.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
So Troy pulls that one on me when we're lying in
bed at night or something, andI'm trying to talk about the
next day he'll be like no, no,that's illegal you can't talk to
me about that now.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
There's still a small business exemption, though, for
the moment Okay, I better nottell him that you can't talk to
me about that now.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, there's still a small business exemption,
though, for the moment.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Oh, okay, I better not tell him that you know a lot
of the services you provide.
It's everything from, as Iunderstand it, sort of gardening
through to basic maintenanceand sort of home handyman
services.
A lot of those services are thesort of things that perhaps 50
years ago people would have donethemselves.
Who are your customers now?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, it's interesting.
We certainly do have an olderdemographic for often older
people it might be widows orolder couples where you know he
just shouldn't be climbingladders anymore and Troy says he
finds that often quite notchallenging but has to kind of
(09:05):
help an older man who might befeeling a little bit put out by
this younger fella coming in andtaking his job away from him.
So you know, there's certainlycustomer service skills involved
in that.
Having said that, you know wedo a lot of real estate work, so
we're dealing with tenants andmaintenance in that area.
You know, younger people arejust time poor and, like you say
(09:28):
, don't necessarily have theit's also tools, like people who
Often we'll get people callingto say I could probably do this
job myself, but I just don'twant to go out and buy all the
tools involved.
And so with our setup we've gotthe van, we've got all the
tools, we've got all thematerials we can do it much more
efficiently than a customerwho's trying to do it themselves
from scratch.
(09:49):
I do sometimes get calls fromthe wives who use it as a threat
on the husbands that they'llbring us in if he doesn't do it
within the next two weeks orsomething I'm like yep, that's
fine, you can use that.
Excellent, so you have a stickat ready marriages.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Do you think, though, that, as a nation I mean, you
know we're the nation of theblock, right, but are we perhaps
losing our DIY mojo, do youthink?
Do you think there's morepeople just wanting to contract
out and get experts in to dostuff?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, quite possibly.
I mean, I don't know sort ofhow you'd compare it.
You know there's always thatjoke within Hire a Hubby that we
charge extra to fix the bad DIYjob, because it's like
sometimes people think theirability is way beyond what their
actual skill is and you aregoing in and doing rectification
work so but look, I think it'slike anything, you can learn it,
(10:43):
like anybody can learn it.
Yeah, it's whether you'reinterested, you know you get
people who are they're lawyersor tech people or they're just
not interested in you know theirjobs.
We can't do so.
It's efficient.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Absolutely, and they're jobs we can't do so it's
efficient Absolutely.
Now you mentioned that you workboth right around the ACT but
also sometimes across the borderinto New South Wales.
Are there differences that yousort of find operating there
from a business point of view?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, well, certainly the rules and regulations are
different.
We've got a higher hubbyCranbian who obviously more work
would go across the border tothem because they're on top of
that sort of stuff and they'relicensed.
I mean, we're licensed in NewSouth Wales as well, but there's
different licensing levels andthere's different criteria to
the ACT.
So you know, this is anotherbenefit, I think, of being part
(11:35):
of a franchise network thatbecause we've got people right
across the state, they're on topof all of that sort of
information so that you're notgoing to do anything stupid or
put yourself at risk.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
so, yeah, what do you find is most challenging about
running your own business?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
I guess the biggest challenges are the ups and downs
and inconsistencies and tryingto manage that.
For us, you know, the work hasalways been there and come
through fairly regularly.
But as soon as it sort of dropsoff a little bit, I think you
tend to panic because you worrythat particularly with both of
(12:16):
us working in the business, yousometimes go what if we never
get another job, if you know wecan't earn a living?
I'm sure it's not that bad no,and you know troy will laugh at
me even saying this, because itdoesn't take much for that for
me to go through that mindset.
But then we'll have other timeswhere sometimes you feel like
you're riding a wave and you'rejust trying to keep your head
above water and manage people'sexpectation on the time it's
(12:39):
going to take to get to them andyou know things like that.
So we find that that customercontact and communication is
just essential in those timeswhen it's really really busy and
you're trying to manage that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
So yeah, now, obviously we've been um well,
we're going through still, Ithink, some fairly challenging
economic times.
Money's a little bit tighterbecause of interest rates.
We've had a federal electionwhich, by all accounts, has kind
of slowed down much of theeconomic activity that we see
here in the capital.
What are you seeing in terms ofdemand from customers?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Well, it's really interesting because I think
we're fairly lucky in the sensethat there's always a need for
our services and whether it'sreal estate work, which is
pretty consistent because youknow rental properties, things
break, you need to fix them.
So there's always for us, froma business point of view we try
(13:35):
to keep a finger in all piesthat it helps.
So if the residential work goesdown, you know the real estate
work might come up and we'll tryand keep it well balanced.
I think the residential workyou know we certainly found in
times like COVID people weresitting at home and wanted work
done and I think we're verylucky that they might decide to
(14:02):
maintain their property ifmoney's tight, rather than
extend or renovate it.
So because we're in that smalljob space, I don't feel it
affects us too badly.
I think for builders, you knowthat could be challenging, but
for us doing these littleconsistent ongoing jobs and
people will defer work ifthey're worried about costs.
So they might say we'll justpaint, you know, the walls and
(14:25):
not worry about the ceiling oryou know that type of decision
they can make.
But because we're at that sortof entry level of work, then I
think, yeah, it hasn't tended toaffect us.
Thank goodness Touch wood.
Yeah, oh, a long way, thankgoodness Touch wood.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, oh, a long way back, that's right.
Yeah, do you find that thereare particular challenges in
running a business generally, Iguess, and specifically here in
the ACT.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Oh, absolutely.
I think people reallyunderestimate how challenging,
you know, being a business owneris.
I think a lot of people go intobusiness because they're good
at whatever their trade is orwhatever their product is or
whatever, and really have noconcept of how difficult things
like cash flow are and you knowpaying taxes and super and
(15:12):
compliance issues and a wholedifferent ball game.
Once you're employing staff itbecomes quite scary.
I think about you know makingsure even workers' comp and all
that sort of stuff.
Act particularly, I think youknow knowing as part of the
Higher Hubby Network we kind ofget a bit of oversight into what
(15:32):
happens in other states.
There are some pros, and thatis things like the licensing for
work levels is better in theACT than other states, but
things like workers comp is,yeah, we really struggle with
that here.
As a handy person, you knowproperty maintenance business.
We're put in the same categoryas construction, even though we
(15:56):
can't actually constructanything, which kind of drives
me a bit crazy.
And the percentage rates theycharge us are based on that,
even though our risk is so muchlower.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's really interesting.
So, essentially, you'rechanging a customer's door
handle and your workers' comppremiums are being based on the
same sort of basis as if youwere five storeys up on some
scaffolding.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And even the fact that and I've heard this in
other businesses that if it'sjust Troy and I, he's on the
tools.
My risk of falling off my chairat my computer is pretty low.
But we're both put in the samecategory.
So you always encourage, drawwages, pat yourself all that
sort of stuff, but then the costof that from a compliance point
(16:42):
of view is a bit, yeah,ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
So yeah, that's.
That's really interesting andobviously there's an inquiry
going on into insurance at themoment in the legislative
assembly and I know this iscertainly something the chamber
has, uh, provided some input onto um to politicians, so
hopefully we might see somechange there over time.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
But yeah, it's a challenging Well on that and you
know it might be another topic,but certainly in different
parts of the country asdirectors, working directors in
a company, you don't even haveto have workers' comp in other
states.
So and because when it is justus, we're hardly going to sue
ourselves for workplace injuries.
(17:23):
So again, it's a cost thatseems a bit unfair and you don't
have a choice not to do it.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Absolutely and quite a limited range of choice in
terms of providers.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Very limited, yeah, and they're all very simply
priced Indeed.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
So you've been running the business now for six
years or so.
What are you most proud of?
What's the biggest achievementin that time?
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Oh goodness, I think, the growth and the way we've
expanded across differentindustries or different customer
bases.
I guess we get a lot ofsatisfaction from happy clients.
We get a lot of love of life,five-star Google reviews and
things like that.
And you know people who.
(18:11):
We get a lot of repeatcustomers.
We've got a lot of local,particularly older people who
will happily just go and changea light bulb for them if they
need it or they can call us inan emergency because we're
around the corner and they knowthat.
You know, and we've had familycall from interstate saying oh
can you just go around to mymum's and see if she's okay, and
stuff like that.
And I think that's really niceto be part of a community where
(18:35):
you know people know you and cancall on you for that kind of
stuff.
And you know, they know sureit's under the brand, but they
know us as well, and then peoplefeel safe and comfortable.
I think that's a really bigthing in the trade industry.
When you're going intosomebody's house, it's quite
confronting or intimate.
You're going into their space.
So the fact that we're inuniforms and working with people
(18:59):
vulnerable people, cards andwe're police checked and all
that kind of stuff I think makespeople feel more secure and
safe to be letting you intotheir home.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
So yeah, and is that that that level of oversight,
the police checks and workingwith vulnerable people cards?
Is that something you've driven, or is that a requirement of
the franchise?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
the franchise or requires the police checks,
which I think is really good forall employees under the Hire a
Hubby brand and they promote itas part of their brand and the
licensing that you've got to be.
You know, your white card, andwe've got the Working With
Heights and the asbestos, thenew asbestos one and oh sorry,
the silica Yep.
So you know keeping all yourtickets up to date and things
(19:41):
like that.
But yeah, absolutely, I thinkit's really important.
The working with vulnerablepeople.
One is one we do because of thenature of the work we do.
You know, we do childcarecentre works, we do work for ACT
government.
Sometimes there's vulnerablepeople involved in that.
So, yeah, that's why we keepthose up to date.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah, excellent.
And in terms of marketing yourbusiness, obviously there's some
corporate promotions workthat's done, but how do you go
about sort of promotingyourselves in the community?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, well, certainly when we set out.
There's so much online stuff ofcourse, available and we use
the Facebook and the Instagramand all that sort of stuff.
But it's amazing, yourletterbox drop flyers are still
very much a source across theHire a Hubby network.
Yeah, and we still drop them inpeople's letterboxes.
The other biggest marketingthing for us and we again prove
(20:36):
this nationally over and overagain is a marked-up vehicle.
You know, driving around in theHire a Hubby vehicle in the van
.
You know we carry businesscards and flyers and the
uniforms.
You know people will often comeup to you, even in Bunnings and
places like that, asking forcards.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Yeah, excellent, that's good.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
If you could change one thing in your business, what
would it be?
Probably the compliance stuff,probably the red tape that goes
with running business.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So how much of your time do you spend on compliance
and red tape, do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Well, I've just gone through the secure local jobs
process.
That was pretty hectic.
Yeah, how much time you know,even doing you know bass and
play roll and all that sort ofstuff takes time.
Yeah, I mean, it'spredominantly what I do.
It's probably 50% of my time.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
That's a big cost, right yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Well, you know, in small business you're all about
billable hours, effectively, andso you know we've only got Troy
and the tools You've got tocover not only your costs of
doing business, like yourinsurances and things like that,
but the administrative coststhat go with all of that as well
.
So, yeah, it's a lot to carry.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
And how do you keep on top of that?
I mean because the requirementsare changing often, right?
Speaker 2 (22:07):
You know, I guess using compliance software helps
being connected to people likethe Chamber and other places
that you can go for information.
Hire a Hubby provides.
You know they have softwareprograms that we can use.
They help with things likeswims and um.
They ensure it's a compliancething for them that we've all
(22:28):
got our insurance in places andthings like that.
So, yeah, there is a lot ofsupport from head office around
that kind of stuff.
Um, yeah, and it's just youmake it part of your schedule,
your day, that you've got tokeep on top of it.
Yeah, excellent.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Well, the chamber the Chamber, of course is busy
pushing for reduced compliancearrangements across the board.
It's certainly a big challengefor many businesses so something
we hear often from businesspeople about the impacts of that
.
Jane Lombard from Hire a Hubby,western Creek, it's been great
having you on the podcast.
Thank you so much for joiningus and telling us a little bit
(23:04):
about your business.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
My pleasure.
Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Thanks for being here and just a reminder that this
episode of the Canberra BusinessPodcast has been brought to you
by the Canberra BusinessChamber with the support of Care
Super, an industry super fundwith competitive fees and
returns, exceptional service anda focus on real care.
You can learn more atcaresupercomau and don't forget
to follow us on your favoritepodcast platform for future
episodes of the CanberraBusiness Podcast.
I'm Greg Harford.
(23:29):
We'll catch you next time.
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