Steve Weber Reflects on 30 Years in Business As Minuteman Press Franchise Owner in Norwich, CT

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.
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Minuteman Press Financial Data

The following financial information was provided by Minuteman Press to give you more information about the costs associated with a Minuteman Press opportunity

Minimum Cash Required

$75,000

Franchise Fee

$21,000 - $45,500 (Included in total investment).

Total Investment Range

$100,000 - $150,000

Minuteman Press News

Steve Weber Reflects on 30 Years in Business As Minuteman Press Franchise Owner in Norwich, CT

May 16, 2022

Building the Business

On building Minuteman Press in Norwich into a successful business, Steve says, “I guess looking at it from the outside 30 years is quite an accomplishment, especially when you realize I was 40 years old when we started. I think that this milestone means it is almost time to retire.”

He continues, “Our success can be attributed to a number of things. For the first 25 years, my wife and partner Gail helped grow the business and keep me on track. Since she has retired, I think our continued success can be attributed to surrounding myself with the best people as well as giving excellent customer service and evolving our business to meet the times.

Our equipment and services have definitely evolved. Several years ago, we became an all-digital shop. We have invested in the equipment needed to provide excellent quality with the quick turnaround time our customers expect. We also have great suppliers who can provide old school offset printing when the job calls for it.

We have expanded into the ad specialty market and learned the specifics of selling clothing. We have also invested in mailing equipment. This has been an excellent complement to our printing. We never sell a large printing job without asking, ‘What are you doing with this printing?’ Often, the answer has been we are mailing it. Providing mailing has earned us many new customers.”

Print is Essential

When asked why print remains so vital for local businesses today, Steve shares, “Our community is relatively rural. We do not have any trade binderies to help support our business. To that end we have invested in our own bindery. We have a collator / booklet maker, as well as a perfect binder and a small die cutting unit. To complement the mailing services, we also have a folder inserter.

We do over 100,000 business cards per month so we added a slitter cutter to automate that service. The machine is relatively slow but we have nicknamed it ‘set it and forget it.’ The person in bindery can set it up and do another job while it is running.

We are proof that ‘print is dead’ is not truthful. Our customers still want business cards to hand out and annual reports to distribute. We also work with many nonprofits who have learned that the best return on fundraising is by mailing the information. Email just does not work to this end.”

Support from Minuteman Press

With 30 years as part of the Minuteman Press franchise family, Steve reflects on his experiences with the franchisor.

He says, “Minuteman Press International has guided us every step of the way. From our first meeting with Roy Titus to now working with Nick Titus, we always feel comfortable. We have been fortunate to have Ron Rubin as our New England Regional Vice President. His wisdom and guidance have kept me focused on the goal of success. The proprietary software we used originally developed by Minuteman Press has also evolved. The current FLEX management software has been a great help especially when training employees in our company.”

Steve adds, “We have been fortunate over the years to introduce more than a few other people into the Minuteman Press system. Our son Michael and his wife Lindsey now have 3 Minuteman Press locations of their own in Enfield, CT, Springfield, MA, and Brattleboro, VT.”

Value of Acquisitions & Advice for Others

Steve shares the following insights on how acquisitions have helped him over the years and also shares some advice for other business owners.

On acquisitions, he says, “We did a mailing a number of years ago to the printers in our area. We have been able to acquire four different independent businesses who were competitors. It creates a win/win because the owners are typically retiring and they know their clients will be left in good hands.”

As far as his advice for others, Steve concludes, “Lastly, this is not a business for an absentee owner. You must work in your business to succeed. After 30 years, I no longer work 50 hours/week, but I am still involved. My staff now does the heavy lifting but when we are bidding a large project, I appreciate them reaching out to me to utilize my years of experience.”

Minuteman Press Testimonials

Anytime you need support or anytime you want help, there is a whole network behind you… When you need them they are right there.

Michael & Lindsey Weber, Owner Since 2004 (Enfield, CT & Springfield, MA)

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

Sedrick Tydus, Owner Since 2013 (Oakland, CA)

It makes my job easy from a marketing standpoint and from a pricing standpoint. It is really lovely and easy to use.

Renee Mansour, Owner Since 2015 (Bend, OR)

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!

Mark Calis, Owner Since 1986 (Washington, DC)

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.

Manny Castro, Owner Since 2007 (Downey, CA)

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.

Samantha & Brad Wagner, Owner Since 2014 (Crystal Lake, IL)

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.

Jared Ostendorf, Owner Since 2009 (Fayetteville, NC,)

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.

Mits Arayama, Owner Since 2005 (Dana Point, CA)

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.

Juanita Glenn, Owner Since 2016 (Upper Marlboro, MD)

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.