Minuteman Press Franchise in Silverton, Pretoria, South Africa Celebrates Over 15 Years in Business
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Minuteman Press Franchise in Silverton, Pretoria, South Africa Celebrates Over 15 Years in Business

May 05, 2022 // Franchising.com // SILVERTON, Pretoria, South Africa - Minuteman Press in Silverton opened officially in March of 2006. The design, marketing, and printing franchise is owned by Wendy and Leon Krause, who were immensely proud to celebrate their 15th business anniversary with a ‘WILDLY EXCELLENT’ celebration last year.

History of the Business

Wendy says, “We opened with zero customers and went door-to-door marketing to grow our customer base. We have grown our customer base to over 15,000 customers and many of them have been with us from the start.”

After starting out at their initial location at Silver Water Crossing and expanding the business several times, Minuteman Press in Silverton is currently located in a highly visible location at Solomon Mahlangu Road. They moved to this location in January of 2019.

Helping Wendy and Leon achieve success over the years has been their ability to put together a great team. They would not be where they are today without the much appreciated hard work and stellar customer relations skills exhibited by not only members of their senior staff, but by their entire workforce.

Their Senior Graphic Designer, for example, Zach, joined the Silverton team in March of 2009. He is the teams’ technical advisor and supervises production while Shacky, who joined in Jun 2011 is the most senior bindery official. Sylvia, who also started in the bindery, was quickly promoted to lead digital printer. She has been on staff since March 2014, whereas Retha joined in January 2016, initially on a part-time basis, but soon moved up the ranks and now combines the duties of Sales Manager and General Office Manager.

For those who know to “look at the numbers,” Wendy observed: “We compiled some interesting stats over our first 15 years in business. Together with our staff, we had accrued a total of 114 years of EXPERIENCE. As of March 2021, we had completed 136,578 quotes to 15,937 customers resulting in 42,898 invoices.” 

And that level of success is recognized elsewhere too. “We have won 15 awards over the years. Flyers and business cards remain top sellers. We have sold an amazing 4 million 996 thousand 902 business cards and 6 million 068 thousand and 254 flyers in the first 15 years we had been operating. By May 2021, we surpassed 5 million business cards,” exclaimed Wendy.

Receiving Ongoing Support That Makes a Difference

When asked about the benefits of franchising with Minuteman Press International over the past 16 years, Wendy shares, “We have received great support from Minuteman Press International over the years. The regional reps have assisted us with integrating new products into our business – especially with the introduction of apparel and promotional items. The regular visits are most welcome because we can share ideas and discuss best practice strategies. Without having the franchise backing, we would have to try out new strategies on our own at a greater risk. The team is always available for a quick question and they are great when it comes to vendor advice. The constant upgrading of the proprietary software FLEX keeps us competitive in the market and provides owners a wealth of information to easily determine areas of concern and to better run their business.”

Wendy continues, “Our annual conference in South Africa, which is attended by representatives from Head Office, always adds a wealth of information to our knowledge base. Latest trends and technical feedback are the order of the day during these sessions. We recently had an online conference due to the pandemic and it was great to stay in touch though we really missed the in-person conversations and networking this year. Awards are also handed out at these sessions which is very encouraging and a great tradition.”

Speaking of the pandemic, one of the things that really sticks out to Wendy is how Minuteman Press International immediately addressed the situation and remained proactive. She says, “When it was the global lockdown during the pandemic, MPIHQ was actively communicating with the owners on a regular basis. They launched the Bounce Back South Africa initiative, which was well received and brought in new customers and highlighted the positive care for each community. The guidance and constant communication gave direction in the crisis and in that, I found courage to be resilient and innovative. I really appreciated being part of a franchise at this time as I could identify with others who were in the same boat and get support from shared experiences and knowledge.”

“We often get customer queries that are unique and it is fabulous being able to tap into the knowledge of our franchisor Minuteman Press International for assistance. It speeds up the response time to get back to the customer and there is always an answer. That is very reassuring. The brand Minuteman Press is also well-known and I get customers contacting me because they know the brand and want to do business with the brand. I love being part of the Minuteman Press family where progress and support are constant.”
- Wendy Krause, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Silverton, Pretoria, South Africa

‘WILDLY EXCELLENT’ Celebration

In addition to crafting a commemorative logo for use in celebrating this 15th anniversary, the Krauses decided to also develop a theme for their business anniversary. “We chose a theme for our 15th anniversary of WILDY EXCELLENT and came up with a categorization of our products according to the attributes of the BIG 5,” noted Wendy. While you don’t have to go on a safari-like hunt to find the best marketing services provider in the Silverton area, the BIG 5 have animal-specific descriptions of their top products and services.

  • The Rhino represents robust products for outdoor use that include banners, Correx boards, flags, signage, vehicle branding and vinyl stickers.
  • The Lion, symbolizing majestic products with special finishing include certificates, greeting cards, invitations and envelopes, menus, presentation folders, thesis books, and, of course, wedding stationery.
  • The Elephant, which never forgets this segment of products and services, encompasses larger than life products and services such as canvas art prints, exhibition stands, impactful graphic design, logo design, plans, posters, and wallpaper.
  • The Leopard range of products and services that don't change their spots include products featuring quick turn-around including B & W and colour copies, books & booklets, business cards, brochures & pamphlets, corporate stationery, medical stationery, training materials, as well as tickets and vouchers.
  • The Buffalo, symbolizing dependable hard-working products include calendars and diaries, continuous stationery, corporate clothing and apparel, corporate gifts, name badges, NCR books, as well as stamps.

Minuteman Press in Silverton also dedicated a variety of many customer giveaways in celebration of this milestone, including “branded pens, license disc stickers, business card boxes, packaging stickers, A6 notepads and doodle pads for adult colouring-in (which is a great destresser) and a colouring-in competition where a branded mug featuring the winning drawing was the prize,” says Leon. Their customers really enjoyed the competition and one customer commented “Was really fun can’t wait for the next big five!” when sending in his competition entry.

“Minuteman Press International, both the Head Office and the entire corporate team, particularly including our South African colleagues, join in congratulating Wendy and Leon Krause and staff on their anniversary as stellar Minuteman Press franchise owners,” noted Nick Titus, President of Minuteman Press International.

Wendy provides this bit of advice as to what sets Minuteman Press apart. She says, “With our experience in best practice marketing materials, customers can benefit from our years upon years of experience. We’re here to help them, to discuss what would be the best way for them to grow their own companies.”

In a tip of the hat to the success achieved at Minuteman Press in Silverton, it’s obvious that part of their well-earned success for over 16 years now can be attributed to one simple yet effective idea: “We take helping our customers very seriously,” concluded Wendy.

For more information on Minuteman Press in Silverton, visit https://www.silverton.minutemanpress.co.za.

Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.

SOURCE Minuteman Press International

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Media Contact:

Chris Biscuiti
Minuteman Press International
631-249-1370
cbiscuiti@mpihq.com

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