In February of 2022, Devin and John Weiss purchased the independent print shop Avante Print Center and joined the Minuteman Press franchise family. Now operating as Minuteman Press in Mesa, Arizona, Devin and John have successfully transformed the business by continuing to provide outstanding service, investing in the Internet Marketing Program, and expanding their promotional products and apparel lines.
After achieving over $1 million in gross sales for the year ending 2023, Devin and John are two of the newest members of the Minuteman Press International President’s Club. Devin and John recently accepted the award from Nick Titus, president of Minuteman Press International, at the franchisor’s President’s Club Meeting on May 16, 2024.
Devin said, “As fairly new owners of our Minuteman Press location in Mesa, this has been our goal since the beginning. It feels great to achieve this milestone but we aren’t stopping here! We definitely want to continue growing and achieve more of our personal goals for the business.”
Growing the business
Devin and John highlighted the shop’s key steps to growth:
- “Customer service is always the number one driving factor for us.”
- “The Internet Marketing Program has been a tremendous help in growth and customer acquisition.”
- “Having a dedicated promotional products specialist has been a key area of growth for us. This was an untapped resource at our shop and has allowed us to bring additional products to our clients and further service their needs.”
John continued, “Our highest-demand product is digitally printed manuals. Most of what we do is digitally produced in-house. Our biggest growth was definitely in promotional products and apparel. This is an area we intend to focus attention on growing further.”
Community involvement is also a point of focus that helps Minuteman Press in Mesa build brand awareness and credibility. Devin said, “Many of our clients are also small business owners, and many have been with us for years. This creates a tight community with trust and loyalty, which we continue to strive to support with professionalism and care. As owners, we are active in the local chamber of commerce, and support various charitable organizations as well.”
Support in a new industry
Prior to joining Minuteman Press, Devin and John have owned other businesses but not in the printing industry. John said, “We come from different backgrounds. I’ve had many businesses and career paths, and Devin owned one business for over 25 years. This gave us the benefit of numerous experiences to draw on as owners. At the same time, Minuteman Press is the first franchise either of us has owned and that was probably the biggest selling point to us. We have been extremely impressed with the structure and support that the MPI provides.”
When describing the support provided by Minuteman Press, the first word that came to Devin’s mind was simply, “Tremendous!” She elaborated, “We came in as true novices to the world of print, and the training was invaluable. Our local support of our regional VP Jack Panzer and our field rep is something we can truly count on and use often. The knowledge we have at our disposal from MPIHQ has helped us many times. They are a valuable resource!”
Rewards & advice for others
Devin laid out the two biggest rewards of owning the business that go beyond the financials. She said, “Personally, I enjoy the freedom! No question about it, the freedom of being your own boss is one of our most treasured assets.”
John added, “Professionally, as our business grows, it is rewarding to be able to have our trusted employees grow with us. As new owners of a longtime family business, our employees are the heart of our shop. We are fortunate to have them and want to see them succeed alongside the business.”
As for what advice she would give to others, Devin shared, “In our two-plus years as owners, we have been able to see the systems do work! Our advice is to trust the process and don’t try to recreate the wheel.”
