Angie Avers has owned her Minuteman Press franchise in Phoenix, Arizona since July of 2021. Angie shares how she no longer felt valued as a employee in the corporate world working for others and how she has successfully opened and grown her print business.
“I left the corporate world and its environment after nearly thirty years because I was tired of working for someone else and not feeling valued as an employee,” says Angie. “I also struggled with finding a new job for over two years as well. One day on LinkedIn, the Minuteman Press opportunity presented itself and I inquired about it. I thought to myself, I have nothing to lose at this point so why not?”
Angie describes her business as a “full-service print and marketing design company exclusively ran by women.” “We have a plethora of resources at our fingertips, and if we can’t do it in-house, we always have resources to help,” she says. “I believe what sets us apart is our strong work ethic, our honesty with our customers, and our customer service.”
In addition to her core products and services, one key growth area for Angie has been graphic design services. “New business owners come into our shop all the time. We discuss what their initial needs are and we start with their logo and colors,” she explains. “From there, we build upon what their other needs are and help them brand other products they may need for their business.
“One customer comes to mind, where we started from scratch with their logo, then brochures and flyers and labels, and now tradeshow equipment and promotional products. It’s been super fun helping them build their brand and grow their business.”
Angie continues by sharing other ways she has grown the business. “One of the biggest ways was through an acquisition and it doubled my business last year,” she remarks. “I also network with BNI and other organizations when I have a chance. I have started doing more email marketing now that my learning curve has minimized some.
“Our foot traffic into the shop has also grown. When I took over the business, we put up all new window graphics and added two fourteen-foot flags in front of the shop which is located on a main road. We have customers tell us all the time they saw our flags outside.”
Since leaving the corporate world behind and becoming her own boss, Angie shares what she likes about being a business owner. “Personally, I like answering to myself and making myself accountable for what is happening in my business,” she says. “ I thrive on giving my all to our customers and having a team that gets the job done without me chasing after them all the time.
“My goal is to be a million-dollar shop before I retire, and professionally speaking, I just love helping businesses in my community come alive and building those relationships to sell other products.”
When asked what advice she would give to other business owners, Angie answers, “Do your research, put together your pros and cons on being a business owner, and while it’s scary to take the plunge, you’ll never know unless you try. Change is hard for a lot of people, but you don’t grow staying in the same place where you are unhappy. Challenge yourself to be the best you.”
—Press Release
