Connecticut franchisee joins Minuteman Press President’s Club

Matt Bloom, owner of Minuteman Press in Norwich, Connecticut since September 2023, purchased the center from retiring owners Gail and Steve Weber, who ran the business for 31 years. Thanks to a smooth transition with help from a strong core team, Bloom has continued the tradition of excellence in Norwich by joining the Minuteman Press International President’s Club for achieving over $1 million in gross sales for the year ending 2024.

“Since I’m a relatively new Minuteman Press owner, the true credit for our center’s President’s Club achievement really goes to the previous owners, and most importantly, the hardworking and dedicated team that we have here in Norwich. We have an amazing core team that has been working together for over 20 years now, plus some key team members who are newer additions and bring in fresh ideas and different perspectives,” Bloom said.

He continued, “That being said, it really is an honor and privilege to join this accomplished group of owners in the President’s Club. There are unique challenges and opportunities at every stage of a company’s growth, so I’m humbled to have the chance to network, brainstorm with, and learn from other more experienced owners that are (or have been already) at a similar inflection point in their businesses.”

From venture capitalism to Minuteman Press

“I’m a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist by background. Before buying Minuteman Press in Norwich, I spent the past 10 years advising and investing in tech startups at early-stage VC firms. But as much as I loved investing in other entrepreneurs, I missed being on the operating side of things myself,” Bloom said.

“With two young kids at home at the time (now three), the constant travel didn’t seem appealing anymore, and my wife and I quickly nixed the idea of me starting a new company from scratch,” he explained. “I then turned my attention to evaluating all kinds of different established businesses for sale and eventually came across this opportunity in Norwich. Although I didn’t have any experience in commercial printing, I really liked the infrastructure, training, and support that MPIHQ offers their franchisees.”

Minuteman Press business transition

As he became more comfortable in his new role as business owner, Bloom made it a point to establish a culture of proactivity over complacency. He says, “Southeast Connecticut has a handful of small cities, such as Norwich, but is primarily comprised of towns and rural communities. We’re fortunate to have a strong market position here; however, it became apparent to me pretty early on that there was a bit of complacency in that respect. I spend a lot of my time meeting current and prospective customers in-person, which has made a significant difference in strengthening existing relationships and building new ones as well.”

“My team thinks I sound like a broken record, but my mantra to the staff and to the community is that we’re here to be a partner and a solution provider, not just a passive order fulfillment service.” – Matt Bloom

Bloom shared the following keys to growing and marketing the business since taking over Minuteman Press in Norwich: “My top 3 keys to growth are: 1. Investing in the team; 2. More cross-selling of other products/services to existing customers; and 3. Doing whatever it takes to make a good first impression with new clients. My top 3 marketing strategies are: 1. Networking and building in-person relationships; 2. The Minuteman Press Internet Marketing Program; and 3. Customer referrals.”

When asked why print is so relevant today, Bloom revealed how his opinion has changed now that he’s more familiar with the industry, Bloom said, “Given my background as a tech investor, I’ll candidly admit that until a few years ago I did not have a full appreciation of how relevant and impactful print truly is today. We’re all getting constantly bombarded with a deluge of digital messaging and people are overwhelmed by it. Digital messaging is constantly in our faces and the sheer volume of it, combined with continually decreasing relevancy rates, is agitating their intended targets more and more.”

Bloom continued, “We’re at a point in time where physical mail is viewed by the average consumer as refreshing. Not only is it a tangible piece of messaging that you can pick up and interact with but that mail piece tends to be much more relevant and interesting than its digital equivalent. I believe print is so effective partly because of this subtle yet powerful appeal that cuts through the clutter. One thing I’ve learned is that people interact with such a wide variety of printed materials in their normal day-to-day lives without even realizing it, and that is simply good for the present and future of our business.”