Franchising has changed.
For a long time, a strong franchise model was built around the brand, the territory, the training and the operations manual. Those things still matter, but they are no longer enough on their own.
For local business owners, one of the biggest questions is simple:
Where will the leads come from?
That question became even more important during COVID.
When the pandemic hit, many service-based businesses were forced to change quickly. Customers shifted online. Teams had to work remotely. Training, communication and support needed to happen differently. Businesses that were already investing in digital systems, marketing and automation had a better chance of adapting.
For Diggermate, that period became a turning point.
The business had already been thinking differently about franchising. Instead of seeing Diggermate as only a machinery hire business, founder Mick Watkins saw the opportunity to build a franchise model around marketing, systems, customer data and lead generation.
As Mick explained at the time:
“I feel we’re doing things well as a group, and our COVID-19 experience has only accelerated our momentum.”
That line still matters today, because COVID did not create Diggermate’s marketing-led approach. It simply accelerated it.
What may have once felt like a future project suddenly became urgent. Online learning, remote support, digital marketing, automated follow-up and better customer systems were no longer “nice to have”. They became essential parts of helping franchisees stay visible, supported and ready for customer demand.
Today, that same thinking continues to shape Diggermate.
Diggermate is a marketing-led equipment hire franchise, combining tight-access machinery, local owner effort, national brand support, digital systems, customer data, automation and ongoing marketing activity.
For prospective franchisees, this matters because equipment alone does not build a business. The machine needs to be found, booked, reviewed, re-hired and remembered.
That is where Diggermate’s marketing-led model plays an important role.
The COVID Lesson: Digital Systems Were No Longer Optional
During COVID, many businesses discovered how vulnerable they were when old ways of working were interrupted.
Face-to-face training became harder. Local networking slowed down. Customer behaviour changed. More people searched online, compared options quickly and expected businesses to respond through digital channels.
For some businesses, that shift was difficult.
For Diggermate, it confirmed something the team already believed: a modern franchise needs more than an operational platform.
It also needs a marketing platform.
Mick put it simply:
Sure, every franchise model needs to offer an operational platform. That’s what franchisees are buying, right? Well, sort of. Once the business is up and running, it’s not the operational platform that will keep the phone ringing with fresh leads — it’s the marketing platform.
That lesson is still relevant now.
COVID may no longer be the main story, but the customer behaviour it accelerated has not disappeared. People still search online. They still compare local businesses. They still check reviews. They still expect fast replies. They still want an easy booking experience.
That is why Diggermate has continued to invest in marketing, automation and digital systems across the franchise network.
From Traditional Franchising to Marketing-Led Franchising
Traditional franchising often focused on the brand name, territory, training and operating procedures.
Those things are important, but a modern equipment hire franchise also needs to think about:
- how customers find the local business online
- how phone calls, enquiries and bookings are handled
- how Google Ads and SEO support local visibility
- how reviews are requested and used
- how customer data is managed
- how repeat customers are brought back
- how franchisees can see what is working
- how systems reduce admin and missed opportunities
This is why Diggermate has continued to build its model around marketing, technology and local business support.
The goal is not to replace the local owner.
The goal is to help the local owner show up better, respond faster, build trust and create stronger customer relationships in their territory.
Why Marketing Matters in Equipment Hire
In equipment hire, many customers are searching because they have a job to do now.
They might need a mini excavator for trenching, a mini loader for landscaping, a tipper for cleanup, or attachments for a backyard project. In many cases, they are comparing local hire options quickly and choosing the business that looks reliable, easy to contact and ready to help.
That means the local business needs to be visible at the right time.
Diggermate supports franchisees through a mix of digital marketing and customer systems, including SEO, Google Ads, Google Business Profile visibility, review-request processes, email, SMS, local area marketing, customer retention activity and reporting.
The franchisee still plays a major role. They answer enquiries, deliver service, maintain equipment, ask for reviews, build local relationships and create the customer experience.
The marketing platform helps create more opportunities, but the local owner’s effort helps turn those opportunities into a stronger business.
You can read more about this in our guide to Diggermate franchise marketing support.
85% of Diggermate’s franchising platform consists of projects and tasks that are marketing and lead generation focused. To satisfy this requirement, they built a digital marketing team of 11 people (and growing) to help build campaigns and help franchise owners generate leads. As part of the franchise offering, Diggermate franchisees get expert advice and assistance in Google Ads, Google My Business, SEO, Content Creation, and Social Media Marketing. These are all in-house and at the disposal of every franchisee for the ongoing growth of their Diggermate franchise business.
Diggermate’s Marketing-Led Franchise Model
Diggermate has always looked at franchising differently.
On the surface, Diggermate is an equipment hire business that helps DIY customers, trades, landscapers, builders and small contractors access compact machinery for tight-access earthworks.
Behind the scenes, the business is also built around marketing, technology, systems and customer data.
As Mick explained:
How we act and the projects we focus on are vastly different from putting on work boots and squeezing grease into our machines.
That does not mean the machinery side is unimportant. It means the franchise model needs to support more than the machine itself.
The work is not only about putting machines on hire. It is also about building a local customer base, improving online visibility, making enquiries easier to manage, helping customers book with confidence and supporting franchisees with tools that would be harder to build alone.
For many independent machinery hire businesses, setting up the back end can be one of the hardest parts.
A new owner may need to organise a website, Google Ads, SEO, Google Business Profile, booking systems, waivers, payments, customer follow-up, review requests, reporting and local marketing.
Diggermate’s model is designed to help franchisees start with more of that structure already in place.
What Started During COVID Still Matters Now
During COVID, the urgency was survival, adaptation and momentum.
Now, the opportunity is different.
The focus today is on building stronger local businesses with better systems, smarter marketing and more consistent customer follow-up.
That includes improving how customers find Diggermate locations, how enquiries are handled, how past customers are re-engaged and how franchisees can better understand what is happening in their business.
The world has moved on from the emergency stage of COVID, but the business lesson remains the same:
The franchisees who are supported by strong systems, marketing, data and communication are better placed to compete in a fast-moving local market.
That is why Diggermate’s modern franchise model continues to evolve.
More Than Just Lead Generation
Lead generation is important, but it is only one part of the model.
A modern franchise also needs to think about what happens after the first enquiry.
Does the customer receive a fast response?
Is the booking easy to manage?
Is the handover smooth?
Are reviews requested?
Are past customers followed up?
Can the franchisee see what is working?
Can the business keep improving?
Diggermate’s systems are designed to support the full customer journey, from initial search through to booking, repeat hire and long-term customer retention.
This is especially important in equipment hire because many customers may need machinery more than once. A homeowner may start with one backyard project. A tradie may come back for different jobs. A landscaper, builder or contractor may become a repeat customer if the service is reliable.
Marketing helps people find the business. Systems and service help bring them back.
Mick described the approach this way:
It’s not simply setting up advertising campaigns or plugging in some SEO, it’s about a holistic approach to the long-term development of a customer base, recognising customer touchpoints, transparency, and a system that trains and educates all levels of intellect in a franchise group.
That quote is still relevant now because it explains the difference between short-term advertising and a real marketing-led franchise model.
Diggermate is not just trying to generate one-off enquiries. The bigger goal is to help franchisees build stronger local businesses with systems, visibility, repeat customers and better customer relationships over time.
A Strong Local Business Still Needs a Strong Local Owner
Marketing support is important, but Diggermate is not a set-and-forget business.
The strongest results come when the national systems and the local owner’s effort work together.
Franchisees are still responsible for the day-to-day business. That includes looking after customers, keeping equipment maintained, responding to enquiries, handling bookings, building local relationships and delivering a good hire experience.
The marketing system can help bring attention to the business. The local owner helps turn that attention into trust, repeat customers and reviews.
That balance is important.
Diggermate is not just trying to create more enquiries. It is trying to help franchisees build stronger local businesses over time.
Investing in AI, Automation and Customer Retention
Marketing is not standing still.
Customer expectations are changing, and franchise systems need to keep improving with them.
Diggermate’s attendance at K 2026 reflects this ongoing focus on the future of marketing, including AI, automation, customer retention and smarter communication systems.
For franchisees, this matters because repeat customers, better follow-up and more organised customer data can all help strengthen a local equipment hire business over time.
The same mindset that helped Diggermate adapt during COVID is now being used to improve the franchise model for the future.
Read more about this in Diggermate at K 2026: Investing in the Future of Marketing.
From Base Camp to the Next Stage
In the original Modern Franchisor story, Mick used a mountain-climbing analogy to describe Diggermate’s growth.
At the time, he said the business had reached “base camp” and could take a moment to reassess before looking toward the next summit.
That image still works, but the meaning has changed.
Back then, base camp was about surviving uncertainty, adapting quickly and proving that the model could keep moving forward during a difficult period.
Now, the next stage is about refinement.
Diggermate is continuing to invest in better systems, smarter marketing, customer retention, automation, reporting and franchisee support. The summit is no longer just about growth. It is about building a stronger, more mature franchise network that helps local owners compete in a digital-first market.
The COVID period showed how important adaptability is.
The current focus is about using that same adaptability to keep improving.
Why This Matters for Prospective Franchisees
If you are looking at an equipment hire franchise, it is worth asking more than, “What machines do I get?”
You should also ask:
- How will customers find my local business?
- What marketing systems are already in place?
- How are enquiries tracked?
- How are reviews requested?
- How are past customers re-engaged?
- What support is available after launch?
- How does the franchisor keep improving the model?
- What role does the local owner still need to play?
Diggermate’s focus is to help franchisees build a real local business, not just own equipment.
The machinery is important, but so are the systems, marketing, customer experience and local execution behind it.
Diggermate Compared With Starting Alone
Some people considering Diggermate may also be thinking about buying a machine and starting their own hire business from scratch.
That pathway can work for the right person, but it also means building everything yourself.
You may need to set up your own website, advertising, booking process, customer database, waivers, payment systems, local SEO, Google Business Profile, customer follow-up and review process.
You also need to work out what equipment to buy, how to price it, how to maintain it, how to respond to enquiries and how to compete locally.
Diggermate is designed for people who want to own and operate a local equipment hire business, but with the benefit of established systems, brand support, marketing activity and practical franchisee guidance.
You can learn more in our guide to starting your own mini excavator hire business compared with Diggermate .
What This Means for the Future of Diggermate
Diggermate continues to invest in the systems that help franchisees operate, market and grow their local businesses.
That includes digital marketing, booking systems, automation, customer retention, reporting, training, support and ongoing improvements to the franchise model.
The goal is simple: help local franchisees build stronger, more recognisable equipment hire businesses in their territories.
A modern franchisor needs to do more than hand over a brand name. It needs to help franchisees compete in the real world, where customers search online, compare quickly, expect fast responses and rely heavily on trust signals like reviews.
That is the type of franchise model Diggermate is continuing to build.
Important Information: This article is general information only. Marketing activity, lead volumes, bookings, revenue and business performance can vary depending on territory, local demand, competition, owner involvement, equipment mix, customer service, pricing, seasonality and how the business is run.
Prospective franchisees should review the current disclosure document and seek independent legal, accounting and financial advice before making a franchise decision.
Want to Learn How the Diggermate Franchise Model Works?
Diggermate combines equipment hire, local ownership, marketing support, digital systems and practical franchisee training.
If you are exploring whether an equipment hire franchise could be right for you, start with the free Wealth Creation Roadmap.
