Minuteman Press is the world's largest & #1 rated printing, marketing and design franchise that was established over 50 years ago. We offer our franchisees a business that provides high demand products and services, a proven business model, and regional support offices.
At Minuteman Press, We Are The Modern Printing Industry™
Own the #1 Printing and Marketing Franchise
We are the #1 rated printing franchise. Opportunity features capped royalties, multiple revenue streams, local support and much more. There has never been a better time to own a Minuteman Press, and you too can take advantage of our unique franchise system.
Started in 1973 by Roy Titus and his son Bob, Minuteman Press began franchising in 1975 and has grown to nearly 1,000 business service franchise locations worldwide including the U.S., Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
A Complete Marketing Service Provider
At Minuteman Press, We Are The Modern Printing Industry™ providing high quality products and services that meet the needs of today's business professionals and go way beyond ink on paper.Today, our centers offer innovative branding solutions and produce custom designs, promotional products, branded apparel, direct mail marketing, large format printing (banners and posters), signs and graphics, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.
Top Reasons to Choose Minuteman Press
With our line of products and services and our method of working with and helping business people, it has never been easier to stand out. We do this through a variety of ways depending on what our customers are looking for.#1 RATED
Continually rated #1 in Printing & Marketing Service Franchises By Entrepreneur!LOCAL SUPPORT
Regional Support offices staffed with representatives that provide local, face-to-face assistance.MULTI-REVENUE STREAMS
Provide high demand products & services that every business needs & reordered regularly: Digital Printing, large format & signs, promotional items, apparel & mailing services.ROYALTY CAP
A unique royalty incentive program that has a limited royalty structure to help maximize your income. You’d be hard pressed to find another franchise that caps their royalty at reasonable level.PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE
We reinvest into our franchise owners & developed proprietary business management & pricing software that is unmatched in the industry.UNMATCHED SUPPORT
We have support that is unmatched in the world of franchising with over 25 regional support teams that offer onsite assistance from management to marketing support. As well as a large support staff at Head office providing IT, R&D, new product development and business analysis.OVER 50 YEARS OF FRANCHISING
With almost 1,000 locations we have tremendous mass purchasing power enabling our owners to receive outstanding prices from vendors and suppliers.EVERY BUSINESS IS A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER
We can provide any printed media that a business uses for their daily operations; we will also consult with our clients assisting them in their advertising and marketing efforts. Minuteman Press centers have the programs in place to deliver results and ensure repeat business from clients.Our Unique Support System
A franchise will provide a system for success that is continually refined.Minuteman Press also provides high brand recognition, user-friendly business management, pricing & marketing software, and continuing development and research along with a supportive network of industry experts with a wealth of knowledge to share.
We've reinvested back into our franchise owners by establishing regional support offices to assist our franchise owners on site.
TRAINING
The majority of our owners didn't have prior industry experience, and many have not owned a business before. Our owners will focus their efforts on managing & marketing their business, not doing the production work.We've developed a detailed two week training program conducted by our professional training staff, many of whom were with Minuteman Press since its beginning. In training we assume two items, you don't have any previous background in printing and you've never run your own business before.
ONGOING SUPPORT
The primary responsibility of every franchisor should be to support their owners in developing a successful franchise. Minuteman Press has been doing just that for over 50 years.We are consistently using our power in numbers to obtain more mass purchasing power, assist in lowering costs for our owners, and continually develop and improve our programs.
What are we looking for in a franchisee?
You do not need any prior experience to own and operate a Minuteman Press franchise.We are looking for individuals who enjoy working with like-minded business owners and we are alert to the needs of their business community.
Ready to learn more about joining the Minuteman Press Franchise Family?
Be part of the Modern Printing Industry
Request more information below now to take the next steps with minuteman press!
Minuteman Press Franchise in Lafayette, CA Celebrates 35 Years, Hits New Sales Milestone
Ron and Steve reflect on 35 years in business, share their keys to success and longevity, explain how they found their niche in their community with non-profits, and offer key reflections and advice for their fellow Minuteman Press franchisees:
Congrats 35 years in business! What are the keys to your success and longevity?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“We’re proud to say that we are 35-year franchise owners. As long as you follow the Minuteman Press system and keep your foot on the gas pedal, then 35 years will feel like 35 months. At least that’s what it seems like!
It feels like only yesterday that we were signing our franchise agreement with Roy Titus (Nick’s grandfather) back in 1988. A good positive attitude and making sure that you and your equipment keep pace with the ever-evolving world we live in, is how we acquired our business stamina. 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.”
What are the key ways you’ve grown your business?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“Our sales have grown because of a few things:
First and foremost, I would say our superior sales and support service. Every client is a VIP, no matter how ‘unique’ their order may be, and we’ve seen a few of those doozies over 35 years.
The Minuteman Press Internet Marketing Program has had a big impact on keeping us in the game and supplements our marketing. This system works, no doubt about it.
Lastly, we still do quite a bit of direct mail, people still love opening mail, and I like giving them something to open up and look at. 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.”
What are your high-demand products and services?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“Believe it or not we still focus a lot on print on paper. 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.”
How would you best describe your community?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“Our community is filled with non-profits, and this is where we’ve excelled. All of the non-profit folks talk to each other, even if they are not affiliated. We did well with the first couple of non-profit organizations by providing an excellent product, with superior service at a fair price. Once other non-profits 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.”
Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“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. 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. High tech has its place in our industry but it will never ever replace it.”
What was your background before franchising and why did you choose Minuteman Press?
Steve Palsa:
“I was originally in swimming pool construction and Ron was a print buyer for an education company so he was the one that got us into this. We always wanted to do something on our own but really didn’t know what. Since he was buying printing from a number of different sources, he started poking around and realized the profitability in printing.
Once we decided that maybe this was something of interest, we started looking at franchising. At that time (1988) we looked at Minuteman Press and others and at the end of the day we finally decided on MMP. We were quite impressed by their shear 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… just follow the system is what the great Roy Titus used to say.
Minuteman Press proved that this system worked and we were all in. In June of 1988, we made our franchise purchase and never looked back. 35 years later, I can honestly say the exact same things that I would say then. I’m happy to be a Minuteman Press franchise owner and pleased with their product… successful, profitable printing franchises.”
What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“At any time when needed, Minuteman Press is there for us. This is the part I spoke of earlier about the support mechanism. 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, a call to our local RVP Bob Ylinen 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.”
What are the biggest rewards of owning your business?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“Owning our own business had always been a lifelong dream for us. Fortunately, we were able to get at it fairly early, and somewhat easily thanks to Mom and Dad. Getting that check from them wasn’t as easy, but we made them proud since we were only 24 and 25 years-old. 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. But now 35 years later and somewhat out to pasture, we’re just pleased to say we made a nice comfortable living in the printing/copying world.”
What advice would you give to other business owners / Minuteman Press owners?
Ron & Steve Palsa:
“If we were to give any advice to any up and coming business owners including my fellow Minuteman Press franchisees, it would have to be these few tidbits of info:
Believe in yourself and that you can do this. Positive mental approach goes a long way in achieving your goals.
Stay the course, and try not to vary from the system. The system has been proven to work, you just need to make it work for you to make money.
And last but not least, ask a lot of questions. Ask how other shops do things, ask how new equipment can improve your production, ask how to keep employees motivated, ask where the best price on paper is, ask what vendor is the best fit for you farm out job, ask, ask, ask.
Do these things, and you’ll thank yourself later!”
Anytime you need support or anytime you want help, there is a whole network behind you… When you need them they are right there.
I had enough of working for other people, so I decided to look at franchise opportunities because I really always wanted my own business, from the moment I graduated and throughout my career. I evaluated four franchise systems and it was clear to me that Minuteman Press International was the best one for me based on two primary reasons: 1. Some of the active franchise owners I talked to told me, ‘You’d better like computers;’ and 2. ‘You’d better like marketing.’ So for me, if those are the biggest ‘negatives’ it makes a lot of sense to buy into the Minuteman Press International product
It makes my job easy from a marketing standpoint and from a pricing standpoint. It is really lovely and easy to use.
We were looking to work in our own business, but did not know where to start. We ended up going to a franchise show where we met the folks at Minuteman Press International. They had the most impressive presentation, the best training program, and the most comprehensive support we saw for an affordable franchise. So, we went in that direction and boom—32 years later, here we are!
Becoming a Minuteman Press Franchise owner 10 years ago is definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. I had researched many other companies and different industries for a while, but none of them gave me the level of confidence that I needed to motivate me and move forward that Minuteman Press did. Once my decision was made, and we moved forward with training and opening up my center, they gave me a great solid foundation, and second to none ongoing support to this day. I love my local field representatives; we have a great relationship with Dan Byers and Steve Szymanski. They have my back any day and any time. Our success as owners is their success as well. I came to this beautiful country 33 years ago without a dollar in my pocket, no skills, no academic degrees, no English, not even a high school diploma. Just a young teenager at that time, running away from a very conflicted civil war in El Salvador, looking for a better life. All I can say now is God is great! Thank God for the vision of the founding fathers of this great franchise Minuteman Press International, and the legacy that has been passed on and is reflected through our CEO Bob Titus and the entire team all across the globe.
My favorite part about this industry is the variety and the people. We get to work across so many different industries it's never a dull moment. We work with manufacturers, bakers, churches and even a company that does custom cranes to repair railroads. I love the relationships that we build with our clients as they grow and evolve their businesses.
I bought my Minuteman Press franchise when I was in my 20s. I absolutely love the business model and the expansion into promotional products. Networking comes naturally to me and Minuteman Press is a huge help when it comes to training and support. I also love the camaraderie that I have with other Minuteman Press owners, who are always willing to listen. From corporate to colleagues, we are all in this together, and I couldn’t ask for a better support system.
From the day I started over ten years ago, everything began to move towards digital printing. I knew that Minuteman Press International was following the industry very closely and did their homework on printing trends and innovations. I followed their direction they gave us, and we have extended our business not only into digital printing but also promotional items as well. I am in charge, but I also have all of the resources at the national and local levels thanks to Minuteman Press. We all share ideas and you get the pulse of how other centers do business, and that is very helpful. We are all part of the same franchise family and the owners who I contact are very open and supportive. My advice: Stay within the franchise system, but be who you are. I find satisfaction with Minuteman Press.
I felt that after 27 years of service at my previous job, it was time for me to change careers. After praying and seeking advice, I took a leap of faith and left my job. Once I completed graduate school in 2016 with a degree in management, I felt ready to hone in on what I had learned from school and the skills I had obtained over the years. I wanted to be my own boss and I knew Minuteman Press was the right franchise for what I wanted to do. I was comforted in knowing that Minuteman Press had been around for over 40 years and the company was well-established with a great business model and structure.
I left the retail industry behind for Minuteman Press, which enabled me to work regular Monday through Friday business hours. I also love the short reorder cycle that print provides. When I was working in retail, I would sit in the store and wait for customers to come in. With Minuteman Press, customers will reorder all of their materials faster and I am able to spend my time getting out there and growing my business.
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