“We have both left work and gone full-time because Diggermate expanded a lot quicker than what we thought it would.”
Jackson and Rachel, Diggermate Flagstaff Hill and Mile End
Reviewed by Tony France, General Manager
Published 26 June 2026 · Last reviewed 11 July 2026
For a lot of people, the attraction of Diggermate is not quitting their job on day one and hoping for the best.
The more realistic path is to start the business around existing work, prove the local demand, build a customer base, then decide when the numbers and workload justify stepping in full-time.
That is the important distinction. Diggermate can be started as a side hustle, but it is not a passive side income idea. It is a local machinery hire business that needs responsiveness, equipment care, customer service, reviews, trade relationships and consistent follow-up.
If the business grows, the goal is usually not to keep squeezing it around your job forever. The goal is to build it into something strong enough to deserve more of your time.
Can Diggermate start as a side hustle?
Yes, many Diggermate owners start while still working elsewhere. That can work because the business is asset-based, systemised and supported by Diggermate’s national brand, website, marketing, booking systems and franchise network.
But side hustle does not mean hands-off. The owner still needs to answer enquiries quickly, prepare machines, manage handovers, keep equipment in good condition, follow up customers, ask for reviews and build local relationships.
The best way to think about it is staged business ownership. You start with a manageable setup, build demand, then increase your involvement as the business starts needing more attention.
Why this is not passive income
A mini excavator does not make money just because it is sitting in your yard.
It has to be hired, maintained, delivered or handed over properly, returned safely, cleaned, serviced and made available for the next customer. The local owner has to care about the customer experience because repeat hire, referrals and Google reviews are a major part of the business.
That is why Diggermate is a better fit for people who want to build a real local business, not people who want to buy a machine and wait for bookings.
The 18-month conversation
Mick has used a blunt line in franchise marketing: if a franchisee is not moving toward full-time by around 18 months, it is time to have a conversation.
That is not a guarantee that every owner will be full-time within 18 months. It is an expectation that a serious owner should be reviewing the business honestly by that point. Are enquiries being answered quickly? Are machines getting used? Are reviews building? Are trade relationships being followed up? Is the owner doing the local work needed to turn the system into bookings?
For some owners, the business may stay smaller and flexible by choice. For others, 12 to 18 months is when the opportunity starts becoming too large to keep treating as a side project.
Jackson and Rach: from one machine to full-time
Jackson and Rach are one of the clearest examples of this pathway.
They started their Diggermate journey at Flagstaff Hill with a single 1.7t machine in October 2024. At first, they were trying to run the business around their existing jobs, with early starts, late nights and calls during work hours.
The business grew faster than expected. Rachel moved into Diggermate full-time first. Jackson followed around five or six months later. They have since grown from one machine to a much larger fleet and employed someone to support the business.
The booking-value proof supports the story. Their first recorded Diggermate booking was on 8 October 2024. By April 2026, their Flagstaff Hill and Mile End locations combined for more than $53,700 in booking value across 87 bookings, roughly 18 months after that first booking.
Read Jackson and Rach’s side-hustle to full-time story.
Townsville: a FIFO family goal that became real
Lisa and Steve’s Townsville story shows another version of the staged approach.
When they opened Diggermate Townsville in 2022, Steve was working FIFO and Lisa was managing the local operation while raising their family. The goal was clear: grow the business enough for Steve to come home.
Within three years, Steve was able to resign from FIFO and return home full-time. The business did not start with both of them instantly leaving income behind. It started with a practical family plan, clear roles and consistent work.
Townsville has since become a strong proof point inside the network, regularly producing around $50,000 months in booking value, with full-month results averaging around $49,400 and a standout month above $70,000.
Read Lisa and Steve’s Townsville story.
Corey and Georgia in Mandurah: building around a working-away roster
Mandurah is another useful example because it shows the practical side of running a business when one partner works away.
Corey and Georgia’s setup reflects the reality many families are trying to change. Georgia has been stepping up to manage the local Diggermate operation while Corey works away in the resources and oil-rig world, learning the business and handling the local responsibilities when he is not home.
That is exactly why the side-hustle pathway matters. It can give a family a way to start building a local asset before the working-away income is replaced. The work still needs to be done, but the transition does not need to be an all-or-nothing leap on day one.
Read more about Diggermate owners balancing business and family.
What makes equipment hire work as a side hustle?
Equipment hire can work well as a staged business because the owner is building an asset-backed operation. The machines can generate bookings, the customer base can grow over time, and the business can scale with more equipment when demand supports it.
Common customers include homeowners, landscapers, builders, plumbers, electricians, concreters, acreage owners and small contractors. Some are once-off DIY customers, but the stronger long-term opportunity usually comes from repeat trade, business-to-business relationships and local referrals.
This is where Diggermate’s support matters. Franchisees are not starting from a blank brand, a blank website and a few generic ads. They are plugging into an existing machinery hire brand with website authority, customer history, proven campaign structure, systems and a network of other operators.
What the owner still has to do
Diggermate can provide the brand, systems, marketing support, training and network, but the local owner still has to operate the business properly.
That means:
- Answering calls and enquiries quickly
- Keeping machines clean, serviced and ready
- Following a consistent handover process
- Building relationships with local trades and businesses
- Asking happy customers for reviews
- Following up past customers and warm leads
- Being known locally as the no-worries machine hire option
The national system can warm the market. The local owner still has to close the gap.
When does a side hustle become full-time?
A Diggermate side hustle starts becoming a full-time business when demand, workload and opportunity start exceeding the time available around another job.
That can show up in a few ways. The phone rings during work hours. Customers need machines today. Machines need to be cleaned, serviced or delivered. Trade customers want faster answers. Reviews and repeat work start compounding. The owner realises they are losing bookings because they cannot respond quickly enough.
That is usually the moment to review the numbers properly. Can the business support more time? Would going full-time improve responsiveness and utilisation? Would another machine, staff member or location make sense? Is the owner ready to treat it as the main business?
Who is this type of franchise best suited to?
Diggermate can suit people who want to build a practical, local, asset-based business and are prepared to work through the transition period.
It can be a strong fit for people in mining, FIFO, trades, sales, operations, family businesses or couples where one person can handle more of the local day-to-day work while the other continues earning.
It is not a strong fit for someone who wants a completely passive investment, does not want to answer customers, does not want to learn machines, or is not willing to build relationships locally.
What proof should you look for?
When assessing any franchise opportunity, look for real examples rather than vague claims. Useful proof includes:
- Owners who started part-time and moved full-time
- Families who used the business to change a FIFO or working-away lifestyle
- Booking value patterns over time, not just one peak month
- Evidence of repeat customers and reviews
- Stories where the owner explains the work involved, not just the upside
Jackson and Rach, Lisa and Steve, and Corey and Georgia each show different versions of the same broader idea: start where you are, build demand, then make the next move when the business earns it.
These examples are historical stories from the Diggermate network. Booking value figures are not profit, owner income, forecasts or guaranteed results. Actual outcomes vary depending on territory, demand, equipment mix, utilisation, owner effort, finance structure, operating costs and market conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, some Diggermate owners start while still working elsewhere. It works best when the owner has a realistic plan for calls, machine handovers, maintenance, customer follow-up and local relationship building. If demand grows, the business may eventually need more time than a full-time job allows.
No. Diggermate is a local machinery hire business. The machines are assets, but the owner still needs to manage customers, equipment, handovers, reviews, local relationships and business growth.
It can happen, and Jackson and Rach are a strong example of a business moving from one machine to full-time involvement around that timeframe. But 18 months is not a promise or guarantee. It is a useful review point to assess demand, workload, machine utilisation, reviews, enquiry response and whether the owner is doing the local work needed to grow.
The point is that Diggermate is designed to become a serious business, not sit permanently as a half-hearted side project. If an owner is not moving toward full-time involvement by around 18 months, it is worth reviewing what is happening in the business, what support is needed and whether the owner is executing the local growth work properly.
Every couple is different. In some cases, one person keeps their job while the other handles more of the local operation. In others, both start part-time before one person steps in full-time. The key is having clear responsibility for calls, handovers, equipment checks, admin, follow-up and local relationships.
People from trades, FIFO, mining, sales, operations, family businesses and practical customer-service backgrounds can suit the model if they are willing to learn. Machinery experience can help, but responsiveness, reliability and local relationship building are just as important.
No. The examples are historical stories from individual Diggermate businesses. They are not profit, owner income, forecasts or guaranteed results. Actual performance depends on local demand, equipment mix, machine utilisation, owner involvement, finance structure, operating costs and market conditions.
See the Transition in Practice
Pierre explains how the Diggermate booking and fleet system can be managed remotely in How Easy Is It to Run the Operations Side of a Diggermate Franchise?
Lochlan’s Cockburn story shows how a franchise can be built around a FIFO roster before the move into full-time ownership: From FIFO to Full-Time Franchise Owner at 25.
Thinking about starting your own Diggermate?
If you are looking for a way to build a local business without walking away from your income on day one, Diggermate may be worth exploring.
The right path is not to pretend it is easy. The right path is to start with a clear plan, understand the work involved, build demand, and then step further into the business when the opportunity supports it.
