Minuteman Press shop stays competitive via franchise

BOULDER – Minuteman Press owner Allan Christensen is proud that his business is “in the top 10 franchises in the nation.”

For nearly 20 years, Minuteman Press has provided a small business opportunity for its owners and served various clients in the city of Boulder as a not-so-small, quick press franchise.

Christensen and his wife, Sharon, bought the longtime Boulder franchise nine years ago. Part of its success, despite being designated a small press, is in its ability to offer “capabilities that go well above quick-printer (services),” Christensen says.

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With 1,000 Minuteman Press franchises worldwide, the power of numbers allows the parent company to offer consulting, training and technical assistance to new owners. Christensen was quick to point out that there are many advantages to being part of a large franchise. One of the most important for him is the autonomy owners have in running their print shops.

Minuteman Press is family owned and operated. Christensen, his wife and two daughters, Alison and Cara, developed the business together and have watched it grow. “Some people watch their kids grow up from corporate America. We watch them at work,” he says.

Christensen describes the growth of his family owned franchise as “phenomenal.” In 1991, the shop was in a 1,200-square-foot building at Valmont Road and 28th Street in Boulder, next to the Gondalier restaurant. Christensen says the shop had annual revenues of around $300,000. In 1998, Minuteman Press moved to a new building at 5751 Arapahoe Ave. The print shop’s space increased to 8,500 square feet and annual revenues jumped to $1.5 million within the first year, Christensen says. He would not disclose current revenue figures.

Christensen says the shop’s growth results from a combination of things, including “lots of hard work.” He also attributes growth to the shop’s constant effort to meet the needs of its customers, stay service-oriented and maintain a good, quality staff.

The pre-publishing industry is a career change for Christensen. “I really didn’t have an interest in printing,” he says. “I would rather run my own business.”

Christensen and his wife were registered for a business opportunity trade show in Minneapolis a decade ago when they first learned about franchise opportunities with Minuteman Press. “They were the only franchise that had something worthwhile for us,” he says. “Minuteman Press is a good franchise. I highly recommend them.”

Minuteman Press offers a three-week training course that “provides the opportunity for folks who want to break into the printing industry without the pitfalls of not having previous experience,” he says.

The Christensens became owners of the franchise with no previous experience. Allan was a former hospital administrator before giving the printing industry a try. Despite his drive to succeed, he knew the risks involved. “Other people have gone into the printing business with no experience and didn’t survive,” he says.

Many owners fail in part because of the competitive nature of the printing market. Christensen says he has never worked harder in his life. “It is a very demanding occupation,” he says. But “it also has its rewards.”

Part of the printing industry’s demanding nature comes from the number of well-recognized printers in town and the stress of an on-demand, detail-oriented business.

Part of the package of owning a Minuteman Press operation is having the option to purchase high-end equipment from the company’s in-house distribution companies. Access to high-end equipment allows Minuteman Press shops to have commercial capabilities for running two- and four-color printing jobs, large or small. Many larger commercial projects include using digital media, either disks or e-mailed materials, that can be run from a DocuColor printer.

Minuteman Press shops have an in-house bindery and film-processing component that streamlines much of their individual print jobs and higher-end commercial projects. Jobs range from small printing projects, single and multiple one-time printing and binding, to large printing jobs, including copies, printing and binding for up to 100,000 runs of a single material item. Desktop publishing and graphics services are included, as well.

“There are a thousand ways to print a job,” Christensen says. “Many things can go wrong.” Christensen said the variables for error particularly increase when a shop’s employees are not knowledgeable of the process. “You can’t make money when a project has to be re-run,” he says. “Business decreases when a customer leaves unsatisfied.”

Despite the risks, Christensen appears to thrive on the challenges of running his own franchise. Some of their biggest challenges lie in meeting the increasing volume of commercial and quick-print projects.

Christensen says Minuteman Press has roughly 15 to 20 customers a day with on-demand and commercial projects. His business philosophy is simple. “We won’t turn away a big customer, but we want to maintain a wide range of customers,” he says.

This philosophy has carried him a long way in the commercial and small press markets. The print shop’s staff of 15, including Christensen and his wife, serves an increasing volume of clients in the non-profit, corporate and government industries, as well as individuals. Non-profits are his most regular clients. A large volume of commercial printing projects are done for corporate clients. Most daily jobs are done for individuals.

Retaining a courtesy and knowledgeable staff is another part of Christensen’s recipe for success. “With the labor situation the way it is, it’s easier to staff when there is enough work for them.”