Minuteman Press

In January of 2024, Rachel and Cort Payne purchased their Minuteman Press franchise in Fort Worth, Texas. For Rachel and Cort, joining the President’s Club is especially meaningful because it was one of the goals they set when they first purchased the business. By combining Rachel’s background in healthcare marketing with Cort’s experience as a successful gym business owner, they have grown the business through strong community relationships, customer service, networking, and a commitment to always finding a way to say “yes” to new opportunities.

Rachel says, “It means a great deal to join the President’s Club! This was one of our primary goals we set early on, so it is nice to see something we worked for come to fruition. Now, we are onto our next goals.”

Changing Careers & Industries

Prior to Minuteman Press, Rachel shares, “I did marketing for hospitals. I led and worked on business development teams to build relationships with other hospitals and physicians to increase patient census and revenue. My husband, Cort, owns and operates a gym which is coming up on its ten years in business. We were looking for a business to purchase together for about two years, and we had a checklist of items that we were looking for in a business. Minuteman Press checked all those boxes.”

Rachel continues, “We wanted something that we could use both of our backgrounds to capitalize on and grow. I came from a marketing side, and Cort has been able to bring his business experience. Our center in Fort Worth was in a great position when we bought it, but we knew that we would be able to have a positive impact on it and use our background and skills to take it further. The support that MPIHQ offered and how the franchise is structured was also a big selling point for us.”

Since the printing industry was new to Rachel and Cort, the training and support has been vital to their success. Rachel says, “The owner training that is required before you get started was very valuable. I think it put me in a better position coming in so I knew terminology and had an idea of what steps to take in different scenarios. We owe a lot to our Area Manager Erika St. Cere! She has been great over the years, being someone we could always contact for help or advice. If I am stuck in a bind and can’t figure something out, she is always one of the first people I reach out to. We are very excited about all the ways MPIHQ has planned to continue to grow over the next few years. It feels they are always trying to better what we offer as a business so we can stay in front of our competitors and offer the best services to our clients.”

Community Connections Spur Growth

Rachel reveals the three primary ways that she and Cort have grown the business to achieve President’s Club status:

1. “Maximizing personal network: When deciding on a business to buy, one of our main areas we looked at is who could we automatically market to within our own network. We have focused a lot on the relationships that we already have within our communities and personal networks. There are many avenues within our personal and professional lives that we have been fortunate to meet other business owners within our community. Luckily, a lot of them have been receptive to working with us, and they all need printing!

2. Focusing on current customer relations: This Minuteman has been around for about twenty years, so there was a great book of business to start with. To take that further, we have concentrated on strengthening those relationships and making sure they know everything we can do for them.

3. Saying Yes: Coming from sales, I have it engrained in me to always find a way to say, ‘Yes’. Doing this for projects and jobs that we thought we couldn’t do or pushed us a little more than we originally wanted is how we have made some of our biggest repeat clients.”

Marketing & Community Involvement

For Rachel and Cort, networking is one of their top ways of marketing the business. Rachel says, “We are involved with Chambers of Commerce in our area, which has been great for meeting other business owners in the community. We are also a part of other clubs and organizations that we have been a part of prior to Minuteman Press, so we have been able to use that to our advantage. We are in our time of life where we have young children, so we are always trying to be involved with their activities. When you become more involved with the community, clubs and organizations it becomes easier to start promoting your business because they know who you are and trust you.”

Rachel continues, “The Internet Marketing Program is another area that we have pursued more since purchasing our center. It has been a great resource to get more people to us, but we still must put in the work to close the deal. We have put in place a process for answering quotes in a timely manner and following up to close as many of those requests. We actively look at the reasons why quotes aren’t being ordered and come up with solutions on how to address similar situations in the future.”

She adds, “Community involvement has been another great way for us to market ourselves. If there is a non-profit organization that currently does business with us or something that is close to our hearts, we offer our services to be a ‘print sponsor’. In return, we get to put our logo on all the printed items and get admission to their event. It is great brand visibility for us and the opportunity for people to see what we can do. All in all, the best way that I have found to market the business is to consistently meet new people and businesses wherever you are. Try to put yourself out there as much as possible.”

Not looking to rest on their laurels, Rachel and Cort have plans to expand their in-demand products and services. Rachel says, “Booklets are always one of the biggest products that we produce. We have an inline booklet maker, and it has been one of the best additions to the shop. One of our key growth areas is promotional products. We want to try to bring every aspect of a company’s printing needs to us, so we can become their one-stop shop. We also would like to grow our apparel business and bring some of that in-house as apparel is a frequently requested item from clients.”

Rewards & Advice for Others

When asked about the rewards of owing their business, Rachel says, “The biggest personal reward is being able to provide for our family and give them a better life. We have two beautiful children, 4.5 and 2. I gave birth four months after we took over our Minuteman Press location. The biggest professional reward is being able to see other businesses win because of something we assisted them with. Also, we love seeing our employees grow and enjoy being able to give back to them because of our successes. They have helped me grow, and I want to do the same for them.”

Her advice to other owners is to “reach out to your network—there are probably a lot more people that are willing to help you than you think. Then, actively ask them if there is anyone else they can think of that can use your services.”

Rachel concludes, “We have a wonderful team at our shop, and we would not have been able to do this without them. Having a good team is so crucial to having a business run smoothly. They have been so helpful through every phase of business ownership.”