Brothers Celebrate 35 Years of Success with Minuteman Press in California

Minuteman Press International, a leading printing franchise with nearly 1,000 locations, is all about providing a reliable and scalable path to successful business ownership. Brothers Ron and Steve Palsa in Lafayette, CA, for example, have spent the past 35 years establishing a locally-beloved business that they can be proud of.

Diving into Business Ownership

Ron and Steve first embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in June 1988, at the young ages of 24 and 25. Before joining the Minuteman Press franchise, Steve was involved in swimming pool construction, while Ron was a print buyer. Their decision to venture into the printing business was influenced by Ron's insights into the profitability of printing. 

“We always wanted to do something on our own but really didn’t know what,” said Steve. “Since Ron was buying printing from a number of different sources, he started poking around and realized the profitability in printing. We looked at Minuteman Press and were quite impressed by their sheer market size and presence. The support mechanism they had in place for your success was jaw-dropping. All of the tools were there for you to make money.”

The duo took the leap, signed on the dotted line and haven’t looked back since. “It feels like only yesterday that we were signing our franchise agreement with founder Roy Titus back in 1988,” said Steve. “Being a young business owner at that time gave us some nice bragging rights, so we worked our tails off to make sure that we could continue our bragging about young business entrepreneurship.”

The Secrets to Success in Printing

So, after three and a half decades, what is the Palsas’ secret to business longevity?

“A good positive attitude and making sure that you and your equipment keep pace with the ever-evolving world we live in — that is how we have acquired our business stamina,” said Steve. “But the most important key to our longevity is listening to our customer’s needs. They tell you what they want. It’s up to you to give them what they want and with 5-star service.”

Their growth strategy involves a blend of superior sales and support service, leveraging the Minuteman Press Internet Marketing Program and effective direct mail campaigns. 

“People still love opening mail, and we like giving them something to open up and look at,” said Ron. “Nothing grabs their attention like discounts — 10% or 20% off printing, 2 for 1 deals, etc. Direct mail gets them coming in, with their coupon that came in the mail.”

Similarly, despite the digital age, Ron and Steve continue to focus on traditional print on paper. They understand the enduring value of tangible printed materials in a world increasingly leaning towards digital mediums.

“Believe it or not, we still focus a lot on print on paper,” said Steve. “Our core products still involve printing on press by means of digital or ink and either in-house or farmed out. Lots and lots of paper. I know there are shops really highlighting promotional products and advertising specialties and I would love to be able to say that we did more of it, but we’ll have to try and get more of that in our mix in the future because I know there is a huge opportunity there.”

The Palsas firmly believe in the lasting importance of printed materials and have seen the longevity of the printing industry first-hand. 

“As much as the digital or online presence seems to be the future, I think that people still love to have something tangible in their hands,” said Ron. “We’ve had monthly newsletters go away because they went online, only to come back a year later because of the negative feedback. I have seen iPads try to replace blueprints in construction fields; those workers want large format paper blueprints, not some electronic toy that will probably break after a few good knocks. No matter what might be trending right now, paper is here to stay.”

The Palsa brothers have also found their niche with non-profits in their community, creating a strong network of loyal customers. Their dedication to providing excellent products and services at fair prices has made them the go-to source for many local nonprofit organizations.

“Our community is filled with nonprofits, and this is where we’ve excelled,” said Ron. “All of the nonprofit folks talk to each other, even if they are not affiliated. We did well with the first couple of nonprofit organizations by providing an excellent product, with superior service at a fair price. Once other nonprofits caught on to what we were doing, then they all started flocking to us with the understanding that we were the go-to source for great printing and related services. It just started to steamroll after that.”

No Signs of Slowing Down

Since day one, the Palsa brothers say the support from the Minuteman Press International team has been another cornerstone of their success. 

“At any time when needed, Minuteman Press is there for us,” said Steve. “We knew going into this that it was a home run. How could we lose? We couldn’t. Whenever we’ve had an issue over the years and to this day, we can put in a call to our local RVP or anyone else at the home office and they have been responsive. Anything that pops up, the whole local and home office support teams have been and are still there to help resolve any issues.”

As a result, the brothers say that their franchise ownership experience has been 100% positive and has been a perfect pathway to achieving their dream of owning a successful business.

“Thirty-five years later, I can honestly say the exact same things that I would say then,” said Steve. “I’m happy to be a Minuteman Press franchise owner and pleased with their product — a successful, profitable printing franchise.”

Learn more about Minuteman Press franchise opportunities here: https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.