Minuteman Press Franchise Review: Lyn and Charlie Church Find Work-Life Balance, Open Brand New Minuteman Press Design, Marketing, and Printing Business in Glenside, PA
GLENSIDE, Pa. (PRWEB) May 18, 2017 -- Lyn and Charlie Church first met each other while doing sales calls at the same store, and the rest was history. When Charlie was ready to leave his long-term sales job that put him on the road traveling across 17 states, together they decided to open up a brand new Minuteman Press design, print, and marketing franchise located at 359 N. Easton Road in Glenside, PA. Their franchise is now open for business and welcoming new customers.
Why own a Minuteman Press Franchise?
Today, Lyn and Charlie get to spend more time together by running a B2B business that has Monday-Friday hours and provides the kind of work/life balance they were both looking for. They are also excited about joining their local business community and serving their customers in Glenside. Charlie explains, "Minuteman Press in Glenside, PA, offers complete design and printing services. We can design and print pretty much anything you can put words or images on. This includes traditional paper products like stationery and business cards, as well as brochures, signs and promotional products. We also promote local businesses through the Minuteman Press Xpress Ads program and direct mail campaigns."
As for why they chose Minuteman Press of all the franchise opportunities available to them, Lyn explains, "We wanted to spend more time together, so Charlie looked for jobs closer to home. When he didn’t find anything interesting, he suggested attending a franchise show in Philadelphia. That’s where we saw Minuteman Press. We were familiar with the brand and we were impressed by the professionalism of the personnel we met." Lyn admits the Monday through Friday store hours appealed to her. She adds, "We were ready to take on a new challenge, but we wanted a comfortable work/life balance. After visiting a few local centers and talking to their owners, we were impressed with the solid system Minuteman Press has in place to guide owners. We like that Minuteman Press International is still family owned and it seemed like there was a lot of support for owners on the local level."
Background before Franchising
Before franchising with Minuteman Press, Charlie Church had an extensive background in consumer product sales. Lyn used to work in sales, too. In fact, they met in a drugstore they both called on. She then had her own interior painting business. In more recent years, Lyn worked in operations for local nonprofit organizations. They also owned a children’s clothing boutique for a few years.
All of these experiences prepared Charlie and Lyn for Minuteman Press and made owning their own design, print, and marketing business all the more rewarding. Charlie and Lyn say, "Without a doubt, the most fulfilling thing about owning our Minuteman Press franchise is being able to help people grow their businesses. When our customers are excited about the products we have produced for them, it is very satisfying. We have also helped with personal orders like funeral programs. Helping someone at a difficult time is also a good feeling. We are excited to come to work every day, which we couldn’t say about our prior careers."
As far as life after franchising, Charlie sums it up best: "Once, Lyn had a particularly challenging day. I asked her if it was her worst day since we started our store. She said yes. Then I asked her if it was better than the best day at her previous job. The answer was a resounding yes! In our case, we are partners in life and in business, which makes it lots of fun!"
Franchise Support
Charlie and Lyn Church have nothing but glowing things to say about the ongoing local support they have received from their local representatives that Minuteman Press International has put in place to help them. Lyn says, "From the time we decided to explore a Minuteman Press franchise, our Regional Vice President, Richard Hornberger, has guided us every step of the way. He handled negotiations with our landlord for the lease and fit-out of our space. He also helped with the hiring process of our Graphic Designer & Production Manager, Tina Filice. She has been an integral part of our success and we have Rich to think for helping bring her on board.
Our local Field Representative, Richard Hartz, comes to the store weekly for at least half a day. He assists us with everything from marketing to production. We have also called Rich and Rich numerous times with questions and they have always replied in a very timely manner. We owned a children’s clothing boutique for a few years, and we were flying blind without experience in the field. The local support we have received from Minuteman Press has been invaluable in helping us achieve our goals."
Giving Back to the Community
As they build their business in Glenside, PA, Lyn and Charlie Church pride themselves on giving back to the community. Lyn says, "I have been a member of the Rotary Club of Glenside for 13 years. They support local special athletes and provide over 80 turkey dinners to families in need at Thanksgiving. As soon as we opened our store, we joined the local Keswick Village Business Association. We help plan and execute community festivals and events. Charlie is a member of a local LeTip group and Lyn has joined a Master Networks group. We are also members of the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. All of these groups allow us to stay involved with our community, local government and fellow business owners."
Typical Day
A typical day for Lyn and Charlie Church includes following up on leads, having a production meeting, and marketing the business. Lyn explains, "We arrive at the store a little before our 9:00 a.m. opening time. We check our voicemails and emails for any items that require follow-up such as Internet leads. We have a brief meeting with Tina to discuss works in progress and priorities, and then follow up with customer inquiries. Charlie usually tries to go marketing in the morning, bringing back at least 10 items to quote. I usually go out in the afternoon and tries to match Charlie's count. We are a little competitive about who generates more sales!"
Lyn continues, "As our business has grown, we find ourselves processing more reorders and Internet leads. Back at the center, we work on quotes and monitor ongoing jobs. We close at 5:00 p.m. and we have rarely had to stay past that time. Throughout the week, we also have meetings for our community and business organizations."
When it comes time to relax away from the business, Charlie and Lyn Church enjoy various activities. Charlie says, "We have several restaurants for customers. Most Friday evenings, we go to one of those restaurants to relax with a nice meal at the end of the work week. On the weekend, we enjoy things like going to the Philadelphia Art Museum or going to antique stores. We also enjoy watching Phillies baseball and Eagles football games. Given more time, we enjoy traveling."
Business Goals and Advice for Others
What's next for Minuteman Press in Glenside, PA? Lyn says, "We aim to increase monthly sales by 50% to 100% by the end of the year. In the first quarter of the year, we added 115 new customers. We plan to extend that to 500 new customers by the end of the year. We also plan to add another staff member."
As for their advice to other people who are thinking about owning their own business or considering a Minuteman Press franchise, Lyn and Charlie offer, "In exploring franchise opportunities, look for the level of support we get from Rich Hornberger and Rich Hartz. There is a system in place that works, so don’t try to reinvent the wheel. We also remember a great tip we got from Mike Jutt (Minuteman Press International Executive VP & Director of Training) at training school: Go marketing every day. If you have a problem, marketing will solve it. We try to go marketing every day, and we see the results when we do."
Lyn and Charlie Church's Minuteman Press franchise is located at 359 N. Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038. For more information, call (267) 626-2706 or visit their website: http://glenside-pa.minutemanpress.com
About Minuteman Press International
Minuteman Press International is a number one rated business marketing and printing franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Started in 1973 by Roy Titus and his son Bob, Minuteman Press began franchising in 1975 and has grown to over 950 business service franchise locations worldwide including the U.S., Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Minuteman Press is ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur 25 times and 14 years in a row, including 2017. Franchise Business Review has also named Minuteman Press International to its 2017 Top Franchises and 2017 Top B2B Franchises lists thanks to positive feedback and reviews from owners.
At Minuteman Press, we are the modern version of the printing industry, providing high quality products and services that meet the needs of today's business professionals and go way beyond ink on paper. Today, our centers offer innovative branding solutions and produce custom designs, promotional products, branded apparel, direct mail marketing, large format printing (banners and posters), signs, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.
To learn about Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and access Minuteman Press franchise reviews, visit http://www.minutemanpressfranchise.com or call 1-800-645-3006 for more information.
Chris Biscuiti, Minuteman Press International, http://www.minutemanpressfranchise.com, +1 6312491370 Ext: 249, [email protected]
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