Jon Wittenberg has owned the Minuteman Press franchise in Sandy Springs, Georgia since July of 2012. In late August of 2023, Jon held a grand reopening event celebrating the move to his brand new location at 7840 Roswell Road, Suite 315. The event was sponsored by the Sandy Springs Chamber of Commerce.
“Our brand-new facility is located inside Morgan Falls Office Park in north Sandy Springs, which is providing us with more floor space at a lower cost per square foot,” shares Wittenberg.
Wanting to “show off” a bit, Wittenberg admits that he spent more on food and gifts than one typically would during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “That’s because I subscribe to ‘perception is reality,’” he adds. “I’ve been doing this for eleven years, and I concluded that it was important to make a good impression on folks that had not experienced us. No one left empty-handed, and the food was excellent. People who looked around saw our capabilities on display in the lobby, and we gave tours to those that wanted to see up close how we make the magic happen.
“I’m grateful to the Sandy Springs Chamber of Commerce for their willingness to perform a ribbon-cutting for an established business. I also appreciate that our RVP Dave Walton attended along with our field rep Clay Trussell.”
When asked about the benefits of the move, Wittenberg shares, “The relocation provides the opportunity to expand offerings produced on-site, leading to faster turnaround and better-quality assurance. Flexibility was built in for adding more equipment in the future when conditions warrant. Employees are pleased to work in a more spacious environment.
“We are better able to display our capabilities in a larger lobby area and customers/clients have space to sit and work with us when necessary.”
With over eleven years in business under his belt, Wittenberg is excited to add new products in-house thanks to the relocation.
“We now offer on-site production of posters and small signs such as yard signs, rigid posters, etc., a segment we could not serve when we acquired the business in 2012,” he says. “We felt that offering promotional products would complement the conventional printing business and support our mission to be a ‘one stop print marketing shop for busy business people.’”
Prior to franchising with Minuteman Press, Wittenberg worked for many years in accounting and finance for large corporations. He also worked independently in this field. He decided it was time for a change, so he started exploring opportunities and found Minuteman Press at a franchise expo he attended.
“I had not seriously considered a primarily business-to-business opportunity,” says Wittenberg, “but the more I looked into it, the more I believed in the Minuteman Press business model.”
As for what advice Jon would give to other aspiring entrepreneurs or business owners, he says, “Unless you are looking to serve a market that isn’t already served, look seriously at a franchise. Do your homework: Compare franchises that serve the same or similar markets and decide what’s best for your situation.
And before making a final decision, visit at least two franchisees and ask questions about how they operate—especially how they market their business and what obstacles they faced that had not been anticipated.”
