San Diego, CA (Vocus) November 12, 2009
Today, in honor of the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces, Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), franchisor of The UPS Store ®, announced an increased financial incentive for veterans to join the nation’s largest franchise network of retail shipping, postal, document and business services centers.
Through the IFA’s VetFran program, veterans interested in an opportunity with The UPS Store will receive a $10,000 savings off the $29,950 franchise fee for opening a new franchise location. Additionally, with the new VetFran incentives, veterans will only pay $3,750 of the original $15,000 initial application fee, which is applied to the franchise fee.
The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, known as “VetFran,” helps veterans transition to civilian life. VetFran, a voluntary effort of IFA member-companies, is designed to encourage franchise ownership by offering financial incentives to honorably discharged veterans. At present, nearly 400 franchise companies participate in the program.
“Since VetFran’s inception, The UPS Store network has welcomed nearly 150 veterans into our family through the program,” said Kevin Pignone, vice president of domestic sales for Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), franchisor of The UPS Store. “We are consistently among the top three participants in the program.”
For the millions of veterans who are pursuing the American dream of owning their own business, many turn to franchising.
“It’s a natural fit when you think about it,” added Pignone. “Military service instills a mindset and useful skills that are critical to running a small business. Commitment, dedication, discipline, organization, these are all characteristics of the most accomplished business people.”
Individuals interested in joining The UPS Store will find more details at http://www.theupsstore.com/franchise. For more information on the IFA’s VetFran Program, visit http://www.franchise.org.
About The UPS Store
With approximately 4,800 locations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc.® network comprises the world’s largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, document and business service centers. In the United States, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., a UPS subsidiary. In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P. For additional information, please visit http://www.theupsstore.com or http://www.mbe.com.
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