Betsy and Dustin Tino, area natives and owners of the Minuteman Press franchise in Fairmont, Minnesota, are proud to celebrate five years in business. Betsy has also won the “4 Under 40” Award from Twin Valley Action Council BSA, which recognizes emerging leaders in the community.
Five years ago, Betsy and Dustin decided to move back to their hometown of Fairmont. Betsy says, “I was in printing and involved in magazine publication as well as a larger print shop that did everything from mailings and booklets to business cards. Dustin was in orthopedics at a clinic and was looking for a change.
“We wanted to work together and move closer to family. When we were looking for business ideas, we saw that there was a Minuteman Press franchise up for sale. We didn’t end up buying the shop that was listed, but that is how we started talking about moving back to our hometown and starting a new Minuteman Press in Fairmont.”
As Minuteman Press keeps the momentum going in Fairmont, Betsy was thrilled to be recognized by the Twin Valley Action Council BSA with the “4 Under 40” Award for her hard work. “This award is to recognize emerging leaders in our local community,” she says. “I am honored to receive this award and be one of the four recipients because being involved in our small community is a great way to help our business, other businesses, and our community all grow together.”
Along those lines, Betsy shares her biggest key to growth. “The best way we have grown our business is being involved in our community through clubs and organizations,” she says. “The more you can do for others, the more likely they will want to support you. It’s a team effort.”
Betsy also credits the effectiveness and versatility of printing as a marketing tool, her shop’s capabilities, and focus on customer service for her success.
“We love doing mailings, and we can do it all in-house from design to delivery,” she says. “We design, print, and then take mailings to the post office for our clients, and they don’t even have to touch it! We have also brought new services into our building that we purchased so we can have quality control over them and manage the timeline that fits our clients’ needs.
“Making our clients happy is our passion and our goal.”
When asked about the rewards of owning a business, Betsy answers, “We love creating the wide range of projects for our clients, from booklets to simple business cards, from camera ready art to complete designs. Each day is completely different and that is so much fun. People might say ‘you’re just a printer’ and I smile because we are so much more than printers, we are dream creators!”
As for what advice she would give to other business owners, Betsy shares, “Put the hard work in and go lean in the beginning. Make sure to schedule lunch and family time and make it fun! One day we had a large rush job, so we turned it into a movie night so the kids could be at the office with us and we could keep feeding the press!
“The hours might be business hours but the business will be your life, so fall in love with it so it makes you happy.”
Minuteman Press in Fairmont is located at 414 North State St., Suite 2 in Fairmont, Minnesota. The “4 Under 40” Award is handed out anually.
—Press Release
