While Working in His Church and With Other Local Churches, Nathan Foeller Saw the Need for High Quality Graphic Design and Printing; With No Business Experience of His Own, Nathan Found the Perfect Partner in Minuteman Press

Stroudsburg, Pa. – Minuteman Press franchise owner Nathan Foeller is celebrating five years in business with his full-service design, marketing, and printing center located at 1250 N 9th St, Unit 101 (Route 611) in Stroudsburg, PA. Since joining the Minuteman Press franchise family in 2013, Nathan has taken full advantage of the products and services available to him by his franchisor and has expanded his capabilities for his customers.

On this point, Nathan says, "We started out by doing what you would expect from a typical print center – business cards, brochures, flyers, etc.  Over the years, we’ve expanded into direct mail, signage and wraps, screen printing, and promotional products.  With skilled graphic designers on staff, we can do whatever is needed to get a customer’s project across the finish line." He adds, "At this point in our business there is very little that comes through the door that we’re not able to handle."

From the Local Ministry to Local Minuteman Press Printing Business Owner

For Nathan Foeller, owning a business was always something he wanted to do. Minuteman Press became a logical partner for Nathan based on his desire to fill a void for design and printing services in his community and their ability to offer franchise training and ongoing local support. Nathan explains, "My background is in Ministry – I spent nearly 10 years there before we owned our Minuteman Press center in 2013.  Being involved in our church, I saw a need for quality graphic design and printing and eventually started a business offering these services to other churches.  As that business grew, I contacted Minuteman Press and looked into opening a location.  I didn’t end up opening a center at that time, but that contact opened the door for me to eventually purchase the franchise that we run today."

Why own a Minuteman Press franchise? Nathan answers, "I’ve always wanted to run my own business.  Even when I’ve had 'regular jobs' I’ve usually had something else going on the side as well. The training and support that comes from Minuteman Press was appealing to me.  I had also looked into a Mom-n-Pop print shop that was for sale, but didn’t feel as confident about coming in the door with no experience and not knowing what to do. I also liked that Minuteman still gives owners a lot of flexibility in our decision-making.  We have great vendor relationships set up and get great recommendations from corporate, but in the end we’re allowed to make the decision that is right for our business."

Rewards of Entrepreneurship

To become an entrepreneur means one has the drive to work hard and the passion for helping others. Nathan Foeller reflects on being a Minuteman Press franchise owner for the past five years and what it means to him moving forward: "It sounds funny to talk about freedom because I’m probably busier now than I’ve ever been.  But I can honestly say that owning a business is helping us to build a better future for our family.  At this stage I’m still putting in the time, but I know that my hard work is paying dividends, both now and in the future."

With Minuteman Press International, Nathan and his team receive crucial support from Richard Hornberger, Minuteman Press Regional Vice President for the Philadelphia Region. Nathan says, "Our current support staff has been fantastic.  Rich Hornberger especially has coached me on a few key parts of our business, and we’ve been more successful and profitable as a result." He continues, "I should also mention that the support and networking of other owners has been a huge help to me.  We have a group of local owners that stay in close touch with each other; this has been a great source of information and inspiration."

Rich Hornberger adds, "I'd like to congratulate Nathan Foeller and his team on achieving five years in business. Nathan follows the Minuteman Press franchise system closely and he has successfully expanded his business by doing the work, providing excellent customer service, and adding new products and services as he progresses. I look forward to continuing to support Nathan's efforts for many more years to come."

Managing the Business and Family Life

While Nathan remains focused on continuing to hone his skills and grow his business, he also has a growing family as well. Time with family is important, as Nathan states, "We have three young kids, so time with family is first on the list of things I like to do away from the business."

In addition, Nathan continues to be heavily involved with his local church and this helps him stay involved and active in his community. His team also helps a variety of local organizations to give back. He says, "It’s always enjoyable to see the work that we do making a difference."

Nathan also hopes to make a difference with his employees and his clients, saying, "My first goal is to help my employees grow and see progress in their lives.  This may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s my way of following the golden rule.  When my employees know that I care about and value them, they give more as a result.  As a team, our collective goal is to simply do our best for every customer and to in turn grow our business. We try to constantly add new capabilities, becoming as much of a one-stop-solution as possible for our clients."

Entrepreneur Tips and Advice for Others

When asked about the lessons he's learned as a Minuteman Press franchise owner over the past five years and the advice he has for other aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners, Nathan Foeller answers, "Be honest with everyone – both employees and customers.  Sometimes that means less money in your pocket on a particular job, but when your customers know you’ll always do what’s best for them you’ll build a loyalty that can’t be found any other way.  Integrity isn’t always the norm in business, but I believe it’s the first key to success."

Nathan continues, "Become an expert at what you do.  We have a number of customers who came to us not because our pricing was better, but because we did a great job educating them and answering their questions.  When you sound like an expert, you build a higher level of trust with your customers."

Lastly, Nathan concludes, "Always be learning. In order for your business to grow, you have to first grow yourself.  Our business grew quickly to the level that I was capable of growing it to. In order to grow beyond this point, I first need to grow myself and keep working to enhance my skills as a boss, a leader, a salesman, and organizer, and everything else that goes into running this business."

Nathan Foeller's Minuteman Press franchise is located at 1250 N 9th St, Unit 101 (Route 611), Stroudsburg, PA 18360. For more information, call Nathan and his team at 570.421.1437 or visit their website: www.stroudsburg.minutemanpress.com.