Minuteman Press Franchise Owners Join President’s Club in First Full Year

In December of 2023, Mike and Amy LeBaron purchased 35-year independent printing business One Stop Printing. In their first full year in business operating as Minuteman Press in Fort Worth, located at 2904 Cullen Street, Mike and Amy carried the legacy of the long-running business forward by building on existing client relationships and retaining a dedicated staff. As a result of a seamless transition and their hard work, Mike and Amy have joined the Minuteman Press International President’s Club for amassing over $1 million in gross sales for the year ending 2024.

Mike and Amy LeBaron

In the following interview, Mike and Amy share their journey to Minuteman Press as well as their insights on transitioning and operating the business, marketing strategies, and the importance of networking and referrals.

What does it mean to you to join the President’s Club?

“We’re standing on the broad shoulders of the previous owners, who built the business over 35 years. They bequeathed us a stellar roster of clients, then worked with us for months to ensure a smooth transition. We also inherited a great team, who basically kept the momentum going.”

What was your background before Minuteman Press?

“Amy had been at home raising our children, and Mike had worked in banking for 20 years. We had looked at various small business opportunities but were drawn to the print business because it would provide an outlet for Amy’s creative bent and it promised much more family-friendly hours than something like a roller skating rink or a restoration business – both of which we had considered! We decided on Minuteman Press because the previous owners of One Stop Printing had made a deal to transition the shop when they sold it.”

What has the training and support from Minuteman Press been like for you?

“Training during the first couple months was outstanding – our Regional Rep Erika St. Cere was in the shop every day. Taking over an existing business of this size, there was just so much to be trained in. Erika is a true subject matter expert and helped with nearly every aspect of coming up to speed in the new business. We couldn’t have made it without the participation of the sellers. They continued to participate in sales meetings, quoting jobs, training us, and doing large format installations for many months, and remain on-call to this day.”

How would you best describe your business community?

“The business community in Fort Worth is very local and tight knit. People are loyal to Fort Worth and the cowboy heritage here. Mike takes the lead in networking, participating in various organizations that bring together business and community leaders. He also does volunteer work like presenting at career day events throughout the school district. Amy focuses on our fantastic existing customers, growing and strengthening those relationships.”

What are your top 3 to 5 keys to your sales growth and success?

“We have recognized growth over the past 18 months since we bought the shop. We’ve benefited from great word-of-mouth marketing. Relationships with hospitality venues have been particularly great, as we receive referrals when they have out-of-town clients with print needs for an event. We’ve also had a lot of success expanding with existing clients.

We constantly talk with clients about other printable items they use in their business, so when a hotel client had problems with their existing vendors for logo cups or branded amenity kits, they reached out to us to solve the problem for them. We also comment on printed items in clients’ or potential clients’ spaces, like cut vinyl on the windows or embroidered shirts, to let them know we can provide those items in the future. Additionally, clients have told us that our ability and willingness to turn orders around next-day or even same-day have won us business and additional referrals.”

What are your marketing strategies for your business?

“Once you have 400+ active repeat clients, they account for a substantial volume of monthly business, and you can work through them to meet other clients and expand your business. Amy does a great job talking to existing clients about their additional print needs, offering apparel services to large format customers, print jobs to apparel customers, and so forth. We also do a lot of informal networking, asking about the print needs of anyone we talk to. For example, when Mike took our son to the go-kart track, he started a conversation with the owner about the fading banners on the fence, leading to a large banner purchase. Explaining our services to our dentist led to a huge vinyl and sign job during his expansion and remodel.”

What are your high-demand products/services and key growth areas?

“Our business is split well between digital print, some offset printing (we have a two-color press we use for some jobs), mailing, large format, promo, and apparel. Each of these areas is valuable for growth because a client of one product is often a great candidate for other products. We love to push the large format items because they’re big and visible, but we make inroads through all of our product lines. Having the breadth of product offerings is key to a strong sales pitch in all cases.”

What are the rewards of owning your business?

“It’s really fun running a business. Compared to working in banking, where he had partners who handled all aspects of HR, legal, sales, marketing, finance, accounting, and every other area outside his assigned square inch, Mike has really enjoyed being able to dive into all of those responsibilities. Amy loves being creative, learning all the machines in the shop, and delivering for clients in need.”

What advice would you give to other owners?

“Network, network, network. Talking to people about their print needs, you’ll find that nearly every business needs you in some way. And they probably know someone else who needs you, too. Also, build a strong team. Having the right people – people you can rely on – makes a world of difference.”

Source: Minuteman Press 

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Wide-format Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of Wide-format Impressions.