Press Release

HOUSTON & THE WOODLANDS, Texas –In order to accommodate business growth and expansion of products and services, the Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise in The Woodlands, Texas, has moved to a new stand-alone facility at 1626 Rayford Road. Owner Darin Waite says, “We have relocated to our new building that is on a main road and provides increased visibility. Our #1 complaint at our previous location in an industrial warehouse was the parking. Now, we have plenty of parking and our daily exposure is huge. Inside, we have doubled our space, which makes more room for our customers in our lobby and also helps us streamline our workflow and production.”

From power tools to the printing industry

Darin first joined the Minuteman Press franchise family in May 2009. He reflects on this crucial time in his career, saying, “I spent 11 years working in sales for Black & Decker, selling power tools to independent distributors. In 2009, the world economy collapsed and despite being the #4 salesperson in the company I found myself out of a job. I always wanted to own by own business since my dad was a contractor, and this was the time for me to bet on myself and do it.”

He explains why the printing industry appealed to him despite having no industry experience. “I want to a franchise show with the intention of buying a sub shop. I visited Minuteman Press at the show and after I was done I told my friend that I knew what I wanted to do. He worked in the high-tech industry and told me that he wasn’t sure about printing. I held up my printed bag filled with printed products and said this is why I want to do this. He said I made a very good point.”

Why Minuteman Press? Darin answers, “What I liked about Minuteman Press is that it’s Monday-Friday, B2B. I didn’t have to own ten sub shops to grow. Instead, I could grow with my one location and the growth is unlimited. There is a creative side, a service side, and a challenge side, and I love it all. I love finding and selling the right product for the right customer that will also help them. I love making sure we can work together and produce that product. I always say to my team, we don’t just do it. We do it right.”

He adds, “The support I’ve received from Minuteman Press has been tremendous. The support is always available, it’s always valid, and it’s always helpful and legitimate. The advice I get from Houston Area Manager Rich Panowitz and Dallas Regional Vice President Pete Scaglione is right on the mark. They make suggestions when I ask them for their input, and they work. Also, every Minuteman Press franchise owner is sincere about helping each other out. I will help my fellow franchisees, and they will help me. It really is like a family.”

For those who are unfamiliar with the benefits of the modern printing industry, Darin is more than happy to educate his clients. He says, “Printing is a valuable tool because it’s an actual physical interaction with your business. Print is tangible and people like that. You can buy clothes or shoes online, but you can also still return it after trying them on. There’s a reason for that.”

“When somebody interacts with print, they are spending uninterrupted time with your product, postcard, invitation, etc. They see that postcard and feel it in their hands. Those interactions resonate and stick with you.”

Taking a ‘workshop approach’ to customer service and growing the base

Eleven years later and now in a new location, Darin shares why he believes he has been successful. “My philosophy is simply, ‘What can we do to help?’ I let our clients know that as a business owner, people need to find you, see you, and understand your business. They want to be your customer and it’s up to you to show them why they should trust you. The biggest part of what we do is educate the customer so they can learn and see the value of what we do. When we take that workshop approach and show our clients how to do something, it creates a sense of loyalty and appreciation.”

He continues, “Teach before you sell and it will pay off. We get our best customers from referrals, and when they say we come highly recommended, we know we did right by the person who referred us and that is a great feeling.”

This approach has indeed paid off for Darin as he has steadily built his Minuteman Press franchise and made a name for himself in the community. He says, “Generating positive reviews and referrals is one of the biggest drivers of new customers. I like to educate my clients and keep them 100% satisfied so that when it comes time for them to recommend someone, they think of Minuteman Press. I also use Internet marketing programs to provide us with a constant feed of new customers as well.”

“I’ve also tried to grow my business by scaling up when it makes sense and bringing products and services in-house with streamlined workflow and fast turnaround for my customers. The upgrades I’ve made over the last two years include large format printing, perfect binding, creasing, booklets, and heat press transfers. As for future growth, we are looking at apparel, t-shirts, screen printing, and even more direct mail as target growth areas.”

As Darin looks ahead to future growth prospects, he also takes a minute to reflect on the rewards of owning his business. He states, “I think the most rewarding thing for me is the sense of accomplishment that I did this and am doing this with a team that I assembled. I am not working for another business or another manager. I like that it’s my goals, my direction, and my decisions with the input of a qualified team. Including myself we have a staff of 5 people and we are all working together. Ultimately, nothing is holding me back except me. I enjoy that responsibility and being my own boss.”

He also has the following advice for aspiring business owners: “I would say be prepared to put in the time and the work build that solid foundation for your business so you can work towards growth at the right pace. Ultimately, this is your business, and it’s only limited by you.”

About Minuteman Press International

Minuteman Press International is the number one rated business marketing and printing franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. At Minuteman Press, We Are The Modern 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 and printing solutions and produce custom graphic designs, promotional products, branded apparel, direct mail campaigns, large format printing including posters, signs and banners, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.