Warminster, Penn. – Just about everyone is familiar with the brands Pete Esmet assisted when he worked in Human Resources for a major apparel group. Jones New York, Gloria Vanderbilt and Nine West are just a few of the top-drawer companies that kept Pete traveling between major U.S. cities and Mexico. Executives of these brands respected his work. He was very thorough in his approach, but as he said, “Things changed in that environment so in 2009, I was laid off.”

Unemployed along with hundreds of thousands of other well-paid professionals during that time, Pete decided to attend a local franchise trade show and Minuteman Press International was present for his consideration. “After several months of considering my options, I bought my own business.”

Pete bought his brand-new Minuteman Press printing franchise in Warminster, PA. While he has no regrets about removing himself from a tumultuous workforce to be his own boss, he will not tell you it was easy. “One aspect of my job in Human Resources was to facilitate training and to educate management on how to treat employees. Now I am the one managing employees. Fortunately, I have great employees that love what we do and we have had very little turnover. I have been here nearly nine years and have only had three employees leave in that time. Still, the learning curve from employee to employer is continual. It’s a lot of work and training alone cannot fully prepare you for all of it. You have to go through it to understand. I am thankful I made it this far and our local support staff, including Rich Hornberger and Rich Hartz, care about our success and are there whenever we need them.”

Pete knows that becoming a marketing services provider means building business together with clients and finding just the right product and approach each time. Fortunately, he feels his franchisor has become more of an ally over time in this area. “Minuteman Press International keeps getting stronger as we have more resources now than ever before. Finding the right product is critical and our choice vendors are extremely helpful.” The community of Warminster has been pleased with the upgrade in marketing services his Minuteman Press franchise provides.

“I bought a brand-new location and I am pleased that we have more resources than ever because a large part of our business is the result of customer referral. We want to keep people coming back and talking about us favorably.” On the point of excellent service, Pete keeps it honest. “I will take some losses on jobs strategically because I want things done right no matter what. Failure is not an option. Yet, a lot of the time, customers will realize errors are on their part and then it becomes give and take. I am just happy to have a lot of loyal clients and we are loyal to them in return.”

“Pete is a great example of what can be achieved through Minuteman Press ownership. He has the systems to follow and the support to rely upon and he couples this with hard work and dedication to providing superior quality and service. This the formula followed by Pete and other successful Minuteman Press franchisees.” – Rich Hornberger, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President

He has a bright, energetic 15-year-old daughter and the charm of being an entrepreneur includes the ability to tailor his life to fit her needs. “What is great about this business is that it allows me to take her to practices and to be there when she is sick. It does give me that flexibility.” Still, his dedication to those counting upon him in business is tireless and one of his obstacles can be his own determination to lead. “Sometimes, I have difficulty letting go of command and I do not mean micro-managing. I mean, if I need to leave the center, it can be difficult for me to let my guys here finish the day without me because I like to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. I know having my own business includes setting my own hours but it’s not easy for me to let others open and close my business. I love it here, especially when it is insanely busy. When it gets slower than that, I am less comfortable.”

Pete describes himself as “extremely high-energy” so perhaps this is why he seems to feed off of high-demand from the community he serves. He is at his very best when his clients need him the most, and so is his team. “I make deliveries to some, but others will also come into the center to pick-up their orders. We welcome them to our new larger facility that we recently moved into because it allows us to consult with them and to find new ways to help them.”

High-energy is just what client inherQuests.com needed from Minuteman Press to grow their venture and empower young women and girls

“I look back at when the designer from inherQuests came in to see us in November of 2017 and our partnership started with questions she had that we could answer to her satisfaction,” Pete states. The expertise needed to select the correct paper weights, lamination process, and a quick turnaround time was assurance enough for a small job order…to start.

“They began as a GoFundMe campaign with the purpose of educating young girls about money management. We print almost everything connected to inherQuests and you can see examples online, too. We just finished yet another job for them.” As the father of a teen daughter, he feels they are doing such good work, he hopes they expand their market. “They created a great game with a great purpose that will give girls skills in finance they will use for life. I think this is a great idea for every child, but this company focuses on educating girls and they have our full support.”

The curriculum materials produced by Minuteman Press in partnership with inherQuests.com are based on educational standards from the National Financial Educator’s Council.

The game-based and experiential learning they provide are geared toward ages 5-9 and while all kids can play, they are girl-focused and they center on financial matters. Now that the venture has taken off, parents are loving the games and the chance to use “QuestGirls” (characters) to have important discussions about real-life money situations. It is all part of an initiative to help girls become “financially empowered women” through age-appropriate play.

“When I see print throughout the area and know those menus, signs, or banners are our work, it is a great feeling. Helping companies grow and succeed is what we are here to do.” – Pete Esmet

Owning a digital print, design and marketing franchise may not have been Pete’s plan early in his corporate career, but he is proving to be a strength for his community and the Minuteman Press brand. On the subject of brand, he adds, “I think Minuteman Press provides more than a few advantages. Our proprietary software is a powerful tool and I cannot imagine running this operation without it. It’s bigger than that, though. I have relationships with fellow franchise owners that go beyond getting or giving advice. We are allies and have become great friends.”

For more information on Minuteman Press in Warminster, visit their website: https://www.warminster.minutemanpress.com. 

Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.