Q&A with Diggermate founder, Mick Watkins

Get to know Diggermate founder, Mick Watkins, as he discusses how Diggermate came to be, expansion plans & franchise opportunities across Australia.

Q&A with Diggermate founder, Mick Watkins

 Mick, can you tell us a little more about how Diggermate came to be?

I had a business that was very seasonal so I had my mind set to finding something that would give me extra income. I came upon the opportunity which Diggermate represented, and so I took it on as a side project. Turns out it returned a good amount of income for the small amount of time I spent working, it stayed that way for a year and a half and then I decided to take it on more seriously and it then replaced my full time income.

What led to the expansion of this franchise across Australia?

A lot of my friends asked me about what I was doing knowing that I have totally no background in the earth-moving industry. They got curious about how I made Diggermate so successful; in fact, one friend from Sunshine Coast asked me to allow her to open her own franchise on the Sunshine Coast. It wasn’t yet structured properly so I just leant her my name and my systems and we had a crack at it. As it turns out she loved it, what I provided without even really knowing was a turnkey business. Then two more friends asked me to help them open their own franchises. That’s basically how we started.

Where can potential Diggermate franchises be found?

Areas where we recognised potential include Sutherland Shire, Echuca, Geelong, and Tweed Heads but basically, places where there are a lot of residential developments, small blocks, on the outskirts of a city as well.

What are the perks of sourcing Diggermate equipment and services as opposed to other services?

Our approach is simple. We aim to help you get your landscaping jobs or earth-moving jobs done at a cost-effective price and we only use the industry’s leading equipment so you know you’re getting the best equipment to use to perform your task. On top of that, our location and structure allow us a very convenient time to pick up and drop off equipment.

The Diggermate franchise seems to be growing at a fantastic pace, what are your goals for the year ahead?

Our business system and our marketing strategy are really the backbone of Diggermate. With these two combined, Diggermate is enabled to become a technologically-advanced business. We want to further develop our system and marketing to provide franchisees with a more profitable business with less effort.

What’s the long-term plan for Diggermate?

We would like to have several franchises in each state and be recognised as a national company. If these will be achieved, we will be have more opportunities to create amazing marketing activities for the brand, which is something we are really passionate about.

How does the recruitment process work and how do potential franchisees get involved?

We are working with our franchising partner, DC Strategy to secure new franchisees. We have been working with James Young, who heads up the recruitment department, who has been actively identifying relevant candidates and qualifying potential leads.

Find out more about Diggermate's franchising opportunities at -

https://dcstrategy.com/franchisor/diggermate