Print is a trade that can thrive through many business models- big or small, family owned, independent or franchise, and the Minuteman Press Abbotsford franchise personifies the fruition of hard work and a tight business strategy.
First opening its doors in 2000, Minuteman Press Abbotsford began as a franchisee riding on the coat-tails of an enormously successful international chain. Being one of 950 centres spanning six countries, owners Keenan and Kylie Archer knew the formula for an accomplished business was born out of Minuteman’s powerful franchise strategy.
“I followed the Minuteman Press system that had been evolving since 1974. I have seen franchisees come and go over the past 16 years for many different reasons, however I think it would be fair to say that some franchisees believe they can do it their own way and try to re-invent the wheel, instead of taking the advice of the franchisor,” says Keenan Archer.
“While l may not agree with 100 per cent of the way they do things, I am one of 950 centres in six different countries – so I figure they have a fair idea of what makes success.”
A standalone business often has to face the consequences of trial and error, but the Archers were able to produce generous turnover right from the word go thanks to an established brand and market presence. Despite the head start, Archer says himself and his wife and co-owner worked hard to uphold the Minuteman legacy.
“I did the hard yards, hit the pavement and met local business owners. I spent the early years doing a lot of networking, and it goes without saying there was a lot of hard work and many long hours,” he says.
Operating a business is no easy feat, and any print owner worth their salt knows high turnover comes from taking on all clients both big and small.
“In the early days I was known to have been wearing the same clothes when my team return to work the following day – I did what it took and if it meant working through the night and across the weekend – that is what I did,” says Archer.
“ I remember one client I helped out on a weekend back in 2008 on a small $200 postcard order – he never forgot we got him out of trouble that day and ending up spending over $250,000 with us over the next four years – you just never know where that next A-grade client is going to come from.”
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Today 15 years on and Keenan and Kylie have seen a dramatic shift in the way printing companies operate. Minuteman’s service portfolio has expanded into growing markets, specifically large format and digital printing. However while many printers remove themselves from the declining offset sector and prefer to focus on the digital wave, Archer still sees a lot of value in offset turnover, and has no plans to retire from the sector.
“The greatest change l have seen is the decline in offset printing – while many printers have closed the offset side of their business and now concentrate solely on digital and outsourcing, we still run both here,” says Archer.
“However it has become a never ending juggling act throughout the day; finding the right solution, looking at the best way to produce the order to meet the client’s time lines, taking into consideration the pros and cons of running the job as digital versus offset, or outsourced.”
The franchise has, like many other printers, noticed the weight of digital printing on business success. Investing in digital equipment has been Minuteman’s winning strategy in maintaining relevance in an industry dominated by powerful players, and according to Archer, Konica Minolta presses are his loyal digital printing comrades.
“Konica has proven to be a fantastic partner to our digital side of the business. Since moving our fleet over to them some five years ago, their presses have been a key to our growth. We have just recently upgrades our Konica 8000 to a Konica 1100 digital colour press, and have been pleased with the colour consistency and increased speed over the past few months, as we transfer more work from our offset presses over to our digital presses.
“Our franchisor is always looking at new technology and products to test in different centres across the world – if I was told 15 years ago I would be putting 10,000 colour sheets through a digital device l would not have believed you – the products will change over time, however this industry will be around for a long time to come.”
Archer says Minuteman’s competitive pricing catapulted his franchise to success in the print world. Commenting on the industry, he says several big companies dictate the marketplace price– which would have a significant effect on Minuteman if they did not offer an umbrella service.
“Companies like CMYKhub, LEP and Whirlwind have made our life easier, but they now dictate market price – which has hurt a lot of the smaller to medium size commercial printers that used to receive a fair amount of trade printing for the local quick printer. We regularly have printers calling us wanting to quote on our larger work – more so than ever,” he says.
Operating an internationally recognised franchise has its perks, and Archer says a strong Minuteman support network helps his franchise to keep booming with business as the industry struggles through treacherous waters. He attributes a venerable Minuteman model to his franchise’s survival.
“Minuteman Press was the first business l looked at in any detail; we had a handful of meetings with them. They toured with us to meet with the pioneer owners and from what I heard, the numbers seemed to stack up, they appear to have systems in place and a solid history in other countries,” he says.
“In my area alone I have seen a dozen print shops close their doors. You have to keep a tight grip on expenses, charge for your time and not just give the print away. Time and time again I am amazed at what some print shops sell print for to get a job on the press – it is us, the industry, that should dictate the price, not the end user, they have no idea that a pack of business cards should be worth, it is us that tells them they are $20 or $200 a pack, we have created this – not the end user.
“While I am a strong believer that a lot of the mum and dad corner print shops are nearing an end, I believe there will be two plays moving forward, that being the larger companies and the franchises,” he adds.
Weathering the print storm for over a decade has given the Archers a thorough insight into what makes a good print business work, and which strategies fall short. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune have hit them at times, yet persistence and focus on market demands such as digital has been the drive behind both the Abbotsford chain and Minuteman press as a whole.
“We have made mistakes and learnt a lot in the past 15 years. I understand the lifetime value of a client, and regret the loss of some good accounts over minor errors at the time. Our margins are fairly good and while it may have hurt us as a start up at the time we did regret not wearing the odd reprint because of a miss-communication – instead of just fixing it and moving on, knowing they will come back in time,” says Archer.
“Holding onto digital presses too long and not upgrading quick enough in the earlier days slowed our growth in digital, as we were mainly an offset printer back then. We have selected the wrong personnel from time to time and learnt the hard way that holding onto staff that do not fit the business culture is toxic to the company, the clients and more importantly the team.”
Moving forward, Minuteman Abbotsford’s plans for the future echo that of many printing counterparts: growth, growth, growth. Archer says his eye is on the large format industry, and hopes to invest in this following further market growth.
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