When Minuteman Press opened their doors fifty years ago, they had great belief in their mission, but knew it would be daunting: to shake up the stagnant printing industry and make it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Determined to provide the same printing options and marketing tools that were only available to corporate America, Minuteman Press kept their finger on the pulse of vertical growth to ensure they kept pace with consumer demand for products and services in the digital marketing era. As they celebrate fifty years in business, this mission has manifested into a franchise success story that serves and supports business owners in five countries — USA, Canada, the UK, South Africa and Australia — and provides their franchisees with the versatility to expand and profit from a wide variety of revenue streams thanks to their extensive variety of products and services.

Today, Minuteman Press full-service centers provide an array of marketing and promotional items, including signs and posters, floor and window decals, banners and booth displays, custom branded apparel, promotional items and more. Along with the modern tools of the digital marketing era, Minuteman Press also continues to offer traditional marketing and printing services like direct mail campaigns that many clients continue to rely on to market their products and services, organizational updates and special offers.

5 Key Products & Services Provided By Minuteman Press Franchise Locations

Digital Printing 

Digital printing has become the printing industry standard because it allows for full-color printing with a fast turnaround. Whether a client needs 10 items printed or 100,000, digital printing technology gets the job done efficiently and expertly. A full complement of collateral products can be created at Minuteman Press franchise locations, including booklets, brochures, business cards, labels, catalogs, door hangers, rack cards, restaurant menus and much more. 

Digital printing is a major focus at Diana Renollet’s Minuteman Press located in East Indianapolis, Indiana. Diane has owned her Minuteman Press franchise since June 2020. In the past six months, Diana has added another 1,600 sq. ft. to her existing franchise location. Under Diana’s leadership, her Minuteman Press has been focused on proactive community outreach and providing personalized services for area customers.  

“At Minuteman Press, we print everything and we are committed to giving outstanding local customer service,” says Renollet. “I love getting engaged in client projects and bringing them to life with a vibrant digital print treatment. Our mindset is to provide a positive customer experience from beginning to end.”

Diana’s passion for the printing industry and her business is readily apparent. 

“Everywhere I look I see print opportunities, and I know I can help my clients promote their businesses in new and inventive ways thanks to the technology available with Minuteman Press,” shares Renollet. “I cannot help but get excited when I talk about this industry and the many ways we are able to promote your business through print.”

Large/Wide Format Printing 

Large format printing (also known as wide format printing) allows businesses to “go big” when marketing their businesses. The most popular items in this category? Banners — including vinyl banners, popup banners and retractable banners. All of these options arel a part of modern marketing and are all possible for customers of Minuteman Press. 

Peter Castorena has 17 years of experience in the printing industry as the owner of the Minuteman Press in Lancaster, California. 

“A business with no sign is a sign of no business. This adage held true way back in the day and it stays true to this day,” offers Castorena. “Wide format printing encompasses so much of what every business (large or small) needs to stay in business today. Here in the Antelope Valley, our clients utilize wide format printing, ranging from banners and posters to vehicle graphics and everything in between. It’s a major component of competitive advertising.”

Peter shares how large format printing has added to what he can offer customers at his franchise: “It’s always a fun drive through town to see what progressed from our computer screens, through our printers and into the world at large. Whether I am going down a public street with lots of businesses or attending a major event, the products of wide format printing are there to be seen and so effectively gets our clients' messaging out.”

Direct Mail 

Even with the advent of digital marketing, there is still a demand today for modernized and personalized printing services. Direct mail continues to be a powerful tool for local businesses and organizations to reach out to their target audiences. At Minuteman Press, direct mail services have grown to encompass a lot more than just postcards; direct mail campaigns can now include mail brochures, catalogs, newsletters, and even promotional items. Direct mail is also a great way to implement an effective cross media marketing strategy where print and digital work together to drive results. For example, you can include a QR code that links back to your website to increase traffic and convert sales. 

David Ogden has owned the Minuteman Press franchise in Naples, FL since January of 2021. David and his family previously owned a printing business in Cairo, Egypt before moving to Naples in 2013. Since buying the established business, Minuteman Press in Naples has grown across several product categories, including direct mail.

David shares, “We have a large direct mail customer that does 6,000-10,000 pieces of first-class mail per day with us. Mailing is about 20% of our business and a fast growth area, and so we are investing in direct mail even further with new equipment, something we can do thanks to being part of the Minuteman Press franchise family.”

He continues with this simple yet effective tip about how to generate new business: “I make time to meet and talk to our customers. I always ask new customers, ‘What other kind of printing do you use?’ About 70% of the time, I discover new potential business. For example, our very large direct mail customer came from asking that one simple question, which added $30,000 per month in new revenue to our franchise.”

Apparel 

Apparel is a widely popular category of promotional items that connects business brands with both customers and employees. According to Christine McGroder, co-owner of the Minuteman Press franchise in Concord, North Carolina, custom branded apparel has become a major source of growth for their location. She finds that customers are often pleasantly surprised to find out that their Minuteman Press location can accommodate just about any custom branded apparel request. “We can create branded apparel for virtually any type of garment, including polos, wovens, t-shirts, sweatshirts, outerwear, hats, scarves, medical scrubs and lab coats.” 

Chris and her husband Pat have owned Minuteman Press in Concord since May of 2014, and they are members of the Minuteman Press International President’s Million-Dollar Circle. She says, “Our key growth area continues to be logowear. Almost every business has a need to outfit their employees with some type of branded apparel. We have plenty of opportunity to grow this part of the business just with our existing customer base. Our most popular items are polos, t-shirts, wovens and hats.  During the colder months, we see an increase in orders for fleece and outerwear.”

Promotional Products 

Logoed promotional products are an extremely effective way to help businesses connect with their customers. There are thousands of promo items for product promotion to choose from, including pens, notepads, mouse pads, drinkware, bottle openers, corporate gifts, candy/chocolate, keychains, mobile phone chargers, usb drives, t-shirts/apparel and much more. 

Wes Froebel, an owner of Minuteman Press locations in Buffalo and Williamsville, NY, first joined Minuteman Press as a franchisee in November of 2017. When asked about the benefits of promotional products for his clients, Wes said, “Promo products are the best way for my customers to build brand awareness. Whether you send out a classic coffee mug with a brand logo or something more substantial like a branded phone charging kit, you send out something customers want to keep, and this creates top of mind brand awareness.”

Wes also points out that several of his customers create new promo products on a regular basis. “Many of my clients want to up their promo game every year, and are continually on the lookout for new ways to delight their customers,” he said. “They find that regular promo products really boost customer loyalty, and it’s great repeat business for us. We also get new business from customers who receive the promo products, think they’re cool and want to do something similar for their own business.”

Diversification is the Key to Keeping the Franchise Fresh

It’s clear to see why franchisees are so satisfied with being part of the Minuteman Press franchise family. As times change and how businesses market themselves continues to evolve, Minuteman Press franchisees are able to quickly adapt and continually add new products and services while always providing the same traditional commitment to affordable printing and promotional excellence that has been the heart of the brand since 1973.

The total initial investment necessary to start a Minuteman Press franchise ranges from $78,241 to $219,526. Financing options are available. For more information on franchising with Minuteman Press, visit minutemanpressfranchise.com.