Minuteman Press International, a worldwide design, marketing, and printing franchise, has seen high interest from independent print shop owners who are looking to sell their printing business. This trend is supported by a recent BizBuySell insight report that reveals more people are buying businesses than ever before.
The report goes on to support the idea of an “equally beneficial market to both buyers and sellers” with buyer confidence increasing and seller confidence remaining steady. Minuteman Press has seen an influx of buyers who are seeking to purchase a franchise and at times an existing business for sale that suits their needs.
With over forty-five years of experience in the printing industry, Minuteman Press International has the unique ability to sell independent print shops to a wider pool of qualified buyers. The Minuteman Press team will market independent print centers, qualify potential prospects by educating them on both the industry and the business, assist in obtaining financing, and provide training. A tremendously beneficial add-on as well is continued onsite support to the new owner. All of this can be done at no cost for qualifying independent print centers; as such this can be a much more attractive route than going with a business broker who will typically charge some type of a commission on the sale price.
Win-Win Market for Business Buyers and Sellers
Domenic Tassielli was looking for help in selling his independent printing business Digital Print Services in Kent, Washington. Domenic took advantage of Minuteman Press International’s conversion program and was able to sell his business to Dawn and Jeff Brown, who now own their full-service Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise in Kent.
Tassielli says, “Last year, I met with Regional Vice President Chris Jutt after answering a letter Minuteman Press had sent me. Approximately twelve months later, they helped me successfully sell my store at a fair market price. I would recommend Minuteman Press to anyone who might be considering selling their printing business to meet with them to see what they might be able to do for you.”
For the buyers Dawn and Jeff Brown, buying their newly converted Minuteman Press franchise in Kent simply made sense. Dawn says, “We chose Minuteman Press International for a few reasons. The first was that their core values aligned with our own. Minuteman Press is still a family-owned franchise business and that appealed to us. It had that small-town feel, but with the resources of an international company. We also liked how as franchisees we had a full support system behind us as owners.”
Chris Jutt is Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President for the Pacific Northwest. Chris and the team at Minuteman Press were instrumental in finding a qualified buyer for Domenic and then helping Dawn and Jeff transition to business ownership. This created a win-win situation for both the seller and buyer.
Jutt says, “At Minuteman Press, our focus is to help put aspiring entrepreneurs like Dawn and Jeff Brown into business and provide them with full training and ongoing support. With our conversion program, we are able to assist independent printers like Domenic Tasielli who are looking to sell a printing business find qualified buyers like Dawn and Jeff.”
Minuteman Press is a Viable Option for People Who Want to Sell a Printing Business
For independent printing business owners who are looking to sell, Minuteman Press offers them a viable option. Minuteman Press’ conversion program offers several key advantages:
- Common reasons for selling a printing business are because of retirement, the owner wanting to move on to a new pursuit of other business ventures, or health reasons. No matter the reason is for selling, Minuteman Press can find buyers for qualified shops at no cost to them.
- Whether the timetable for selling a printing business is immediate or in the near future, it is crucial to prepare early for the sale. Preparation will help pave the way to life after the business is sold. In order to accomplish this and sell the business for the right price, the business should get a proper valuation. Minuteman Press has the experience and knowledge and is able to provide a valuation of the business for the independent print shop owner looking to sell.
Tim Thompson, who owned independent print shop Vision Print in Vancouver, Washington, says, “Minuteman Press contacted me, but at the time I had a broker. After my broker couldn’t sell the store, Minuteman Press came in after the agreement was up and brought me a qualified buyer. It was about a year from the time I first contacted Regional Vice President Chris Jutt until my business was sold. I recommend anyone looking to sell their shop to contact Minuteman Press.”
Positive Economic Outlook for the Printing Industry
According to a report from the Printing Industries of America (Planning for 2019: Economic and Print Market Outlook and Implications for Printers), the printing industry has “become increasingly healthy” since 2009 when the Great Recession ended. The report states several key reasons why the printing industry is healthy today and will continue to strengthen in the future, including:
- Print offers cost-effective marketing solutions in today’s economy
- Print has endured in the digital era and the best printing businesses have models that account for technological innovations and adapt with today’s trends
- Traditional printing services such as labels and packaging trend upwards in a strong economy
- Print and marketing promotions, most notably direct mail marketing, have been effective and is seen as a premium form of marketing that businesses want to use
Minuteman Press International remains at the forefront of the modern printing industry and the franchisor offers the proper business model that successfully addresses the above key points. “At Minuteman Press, our goal is to help our franchisees thrive as business owners by helping them leverage our knowledge (through comprehensive training and ongoing support) as well as our business model, branding, mass purchasing power, software, and research and development capabilities,” says Bob Titus, Minuteman Press International President and CEO.
Ron Rubin, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President in New England, has successfully connected many independent printers with buyers who became Minuteman Press franchisees. He explains, “I have ten Minuteman Press franchises in my region that are the result of independent owners who were looking to sell their printing businesses. That means I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to help ten independent printers move on to the next phase of their lives and create ten successful Minuteman Press franchises with qualified buyers. They are doing well, in part, because they follow our business model and they bought an existing business with cash flow and a built-in client base.”
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, Mike Schoen purchased an independent printing business through Minuteman Press’ conversion program. He reflects on his decision, saying, “The Minuteman Press International conversion program that was executed locally by Doug Harlan (Regional Vice President in Chicago) successfully converted an independent print shop into my Minuteman Press franchise. I liked the idea because I didn’t want to start from scratch. I was fifty-seven at the time and I decided to find a place that was already up and running was because I wanted to start with something strong.”
Schoen adds, “I picked Minuteman Press over others because of the royalty incentive program and my good working relationship with the Minuteman Press support staff. It was a pretty easy decision from there. I did look at other franchises so I could compare but I like the fact that when I get to a certain point of profit, there is a royalty cap and after that I collect all the money. Doug Harlan took me around town to talk to existing owners; we went through Milwaukee and I looked at half a dozen locations. They were all very happy with Minuteman Press and I thought that was a good thing and it helped me make a decision.”
Mutually Beneficial Transition
Jack Panzer, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President in Arizona, is pleased to be part of a mutually beneficial transition that allows the independent print shop owner and the new Minuteman Press franchisee to meet their respective goals. Panzer says, “It is personally satisfying to have helped numerous independent printers sell a printing business over the years and convert those businesses to Minuteman Press franchises after the sale. This can be tremendously beneficial to the outgoing owner because we have seen that most independent printers don’t have an exit strategy as they approach retirement age or are simply looking for the best way to sell and enter that next stage of their lives. They haven’t thought about how they will find a qualified buyer, what it will cost them to find the buyer, and how they will train the buyer.
“That is where we come in because Minuteman Press International can do all of this for the seller while also helping the buyer make a smooth transition to business ownership regardless of their level of experience.”
For more information on Minuteman Press International’s conversion program, visit http://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions.
—Press Release
