Kathy Martin Transitioned from a 23-Year Career in Information Technology to Owning Her Own Design, Print, and Marketing Business

ALPHARETTA, Ga. & CUMMING, Ga. –The Minuteman Press franchise located at 26 Tri-County Plaza in Cumming, GA is now owned by Kathy Martin. Kathy first joined the Minuteman Press family of design, marketing, and printing franchise owners in November 2015, when she decided to buy her business in Alpharetta. Before franchising, Kathy spent 23 years working in Information Technology for one of the largest retailers in the world. "I now bring this large scale knowledge of branding to our client bases in Alpharetta and Cumming," she says.

Each Minuteman Press franchise provides essential products and services that meet the needs of today's business professionals. Kathy explains, "We offer full service printing, marketing design, promotional products, car wraps, window vinyl and direct mailing services.  We strive to be the one-stop solution for our clients.  If there is something we do not do in-house, we have forged partnerships with local companies to assist our clients with that service.  No job is too large or too small."

As for why Kathy chose to expand by buying an existing franchise for sale, she says, "I always knew I wanted multiple locations. I did not plan to purchase the second location in my first year in business. But, the opportunity was too good to pass up and I knew I could manage it with the right staff in place.  I’m so grateful to say that I have the right staff and they run the show." Like all Minuteman Press franchise owners, Kathy is the independent owner and operator of her business, and she is proud to support the local business communities in Alpharetta and Cumming, GA.

Why Minuteman Press?

With a multitude of franchise opportunities available to her, Kathy Martin chose Minuteman Press because their business model simply was the right fit for her. Kathy says, "After speaking with Minuteman Press International at the Franchise Expo in Atlanta, it was a no-brainer that this was the franchise for me.  Every single business owner out there, whether home-based or a large corporation, needs printing of some form.  I also love the multiple streams of income under one roof.  We aren’t just printing on paper, and we can offer anything that you can put your logo on."

The Minuteman Press franchise also helped Kathy make an easy transition from her corporate career in Information Technology to business ownership. The training and ongoing local support she receives from Minuteman Press International has been crucial to her success. Kathy elaborates, "When I started in this business, I had no idea what printing was all about.  My background was building and implementing IT systems.  The local support was invaluable for assisting in training and guiding me through the entire process.  I now feel I am very well versed in a short amount of time."

Keith Cawley is Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President for the Atlanta region. Along with his field support team, Keith has been providing local support to Kathy for both of her locations in Alpharetta and Cumming. He says, "Kathy Martin has been a very welcome addition to the Minuteman Press franchise family right here in Georgia. She works really hard on behalf of her customers to provide them with the highest levels of quality and service; she manages her two businesses wisely and has a great staff in place; and she has taken her skills from the corporate sector and applied them to running her own businesses while also following the Minuteman Press franchise system. Kathy cares about her customers and has done a great job in making in-roads in the community while building her business."

Most Rewarding Thing and Giving Back in Georgia

When asked about the most rewarding thing about running her business, Kathy doesn't hesitate to answer. She says, "I love helping my fellow business owners, whether I am helping them with a marketing plan or assisting them with creating their brand through marketing materials.  In my corporate career, I was limited by what the company wanted.  I didn’t have the freedoms that I now have."

Kathy also prides herself on getting involved and giving back to the local communities in both Alpharetta and Cumming. She gives back through sponsorships and supporting other local businesses. Kathy explains, "We sponsor the Relay for Life races in our area.  We sponsor our local schools and churches by offering them a 10% off programs.  Plus anyone they send our way, we set aside 10% of their purchases for the school or church to use at their discretion.  I’m passionate about supporting our local community.  I live here, both of my shops are in the same county.  There is something to be said about staying local and supporting your community." 

She adds, "I am also part of the Chamber of Commerce in Alpharetta and Cumming.  As well, I am involved in quite a few women’s organizations.  Women business owners definitely support one another."

Typical Day and Business Goals

Owning two Minuteman Press locations means that there is no such thing as a typical day for Kathy Martin. Like most new business owners who are looking to grow, marketing and networking are vital to building the business. Kathy agrees, saying, "I try to do some form of marketing daily, whether that is attending a networking event, meeting one-on-one with another local business owner over lunch or coffee, or door-to-door marketing in my community.  After that, I’m in the store, rolling up my sleeves helping out.  I split my days between the two locations.  But I am in either location each week.  My phone rings regularly when I’m not in the shop, my folks are still fairly new so they still have a lot of questions.  That will calm down as they gain more experience."

The end game, of course, is continuing to grow, and Kathy is really determined to build on her early success. She says, "My goal is to really focus on my local community.  I want every business in my community to be using me for their printing services.  And, if they are not, I want to know why! I want to grow the business in both centers, and I have both immediate goals and stretch goals in mind for where I want to be. I want us to stretch ourselves as a team and see what we can do."

Advice for Others

Kathy's advice to others who are thinking about owning their own business is this: "If you do not market, folks will not use your services.  Some folks do not realize what services we offer and also how economically priced we are until we show them.  Also, get great staff! We owners should not be spending our time in the stores.  We should only be in the store to help out, not to do the production work."