Minuteman Press International Announces New Jersey Franchise Opportunities and Shares Unique Perspectives from Four New Franchise Owners

Newark, N.J. – Minuteman Press International, the world’s leading design, printing, and marketing franchise, is announcing the availability of new and established franchise opportunities across New Jersey. The franchisor is sharing unique insights and paths to entrepreneurship from new local area franchisees in Newark, Jersey City, Westfield, and Wall. New and existing franchises are available in NJ at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.  

“It is always exciting to welcome new franchisees to the Minuteman Press family right here in New Jersey,” says Jim Galasso, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President. “We have the unique ability to offer an opportunity for people from all walks of life and varying careers to realize their dream of owning their own business without having to do it alone. We are proud to provide all of our franchisees in New Jersey and across our system with everything from training and marketing to software and ongoing local support.”

US Army Veteran Ken Tays Buys an Established Business in Newark, NJ
US Army Veteran Ken Tays is the new owner of the long-established Minuteman Press franchise in Newark, NJ. Ken took over the successful business from Holly Kaplansky, who retired after owning and operating Minuteman Press in Newark for 15 years. Ken served for 11 years in the Army and then earned his degree in financial services. Ken says, “I worked as a Federal Bank Regulator for 12 years and then entered the private sector working for companies like PwC and Citibank. I decided to research franchise opportunities because I wanted to be my own boss.”

After doing his due diligence and reviewing many different franchises over a number of months, Ken decided that Minuteman Press was the right fit for him. He explains, “At its core, Minuteman Press International is a family-owned business. I went out to Long Island and CEO Bob Titus talked to me for an hour and a half. I was looking for a printing franchise that had that family-like atmosphere and wasn’t so corporate. The other franchises I looked into just didn’t have that same feel to them where I felt comfortable like I did with Minuteman Press.”

Ken continues, “Another aspect I really like about Minuteman Press is they don’t have a heavy hand on each business where they are dictating everything. I feel like this is my business and yet they provide me with that security blanket of local support and guidance. I have no printing experience and the training and ongoing assistance from Jim Galasso and the local field staff here in Newark really helps me. I know I can contact anyone in the company and they will respond and be there without breathing down my neck all the time.”

He adds, “I also have to mention the monthly royalty cap they have in place as well as the Minuteman Press FLEX software. The royalty cap is huge because unlike other franchises Minuteman Press is set up where they want us to succeed but they aren’t chasing after every dollar because they don’t take any royalties above that cap. FLEX was a huge selling point that drove me to own this business because the software makes it easy to manage everything and it contains so many features I can use for pricing, order tracking, and marketing.”

Speaking of marketing, Ken leaves no stone unturned and uses all of the tools made available to him by Minuteman Press to promote his products and services. “The overall approach is that we want to market through every channel we possibly can and create that awareness of who we are and what we can do to help. We do face-to-face direct marketing, email campaigns, phone calls, flyers, direct mail, and utilize internet marketing programs. We have a content marketing calendar that lays out what we want to do each month.”

He further explains, “We have a one-page calendar featuring the Minuteman Press logo and contact information. I ask my employees, ‘What do you think this means?’ I then tell them that the purpose of this calendar is to put us right in front of our clients every single day. When it comes to print, this will resonate with them. We advertise to them every day, and they don’t even see it as advertising because it’s a useful item for them to keep handy.”

When asked about the rewards of owning his own business, Ken’s first inclination is to say, “Work life balance. That is something I feel like I have even though I am working hard and always on. I love the challenge of running my own business and being responsible for everything. I spent a lot of time in corporate America making money for other people and I wanted to do this. There are ups and downs but it’s on my time.”

Ken’s advice for others who are looking into business ownership or franchising is, “I would say that I looked at a lot of businesses. Find something that is a good fit for you, and find a franchisor that has what you’re looking for. I spent several months doing my due diligence, and once you make that decision, you have to be committed.”

Former NYC Bank VP Adnan Siddiqi Opens Minuteman Press Franchise in Jersey City, NJ
Adnan Siddiqi opened his new Minuteman Press franchise in Jersey City, NJ in March 2018. For over 15 years, Adnan worked as a VP for a New York City bank and specialized in Trade Technology. He says, “After the 2008 financial crisis, most of my time ended up being negotiating outsourcing contracts with vendors and training teams in low-cost locations around the world. Eventually I saw the writing on the wall and decided to go on my own, where I can build something and interact with my team in-person.”

Adnan highlights three key items that really appealed to him about Minuteman Press in Jersey City. He says, “I chose the Minuteman Press franchise because there is a cap on royalties and I liked their products and services. There is a significant depth of products that I can potentially use to grow my business. For example, people have grown successful small businesses focusing on promotional items.”

He continues, “The third reason I chose Minuteman Press is because I figured that given the density of businesses in this area and my background in IT, I could leverage some of my skills in technology platforms and build volume in this commoditized business of printing. I have total control of budget allocation and I can adjust my resourcing and plans rapidly, as I see fit, based on data. I am very pleased with the growth I have seen so far in my two years in this business.”

One way that Adnan has grown his small business in Jersey City is by simply going out there and marketing while reminding his clients the value of the local, human connection. He states, “People love the personal touch. I have dozens of customers who were using online printing companies and now switched over to us because of the personal service that we provide.”

Adnan concludes, “Minuteman Press is a good franchise business to own. Corporate provides ample training and support to owners and helps us with marketing. Their proprietary FLEX software is a really mature and top-notch product in this space.”

Father and Son Jim & Seamus Mooney Make a Dynamic Marketing and Operations Team with Minuteman Press Franchise in Westfield, NJ
Together, Jim and Seamus Mooney run their Minuteman Press franchise in Westfield, NJ. Jim’s professional background includes managing strategic marketing for multi-unit franchise brands across various industries. Jim says, “As the majority of my career was spent in franchise marketing, I am a true believer in franchising. Because I worked in advertising agencies where we had production and graphic design capabilities, I was very comfortable buying this business.”

Jim continues, “I look at Minuteman Press as an ad agency for other businesses in Westfield. My career skills match up really well with what we are doing, and I am proud of our capabilities as well as the infrastructure we have in place being part of the Minuteman Press franchise family.”

Speaking of family, while Jim concentrates on marketing the business, his son Seamus handles the bulk of the operations. Jim says, “Seamus is fantastic as our Director of Operations and I couldn’t do this without him. We’re a good team because we complement each other’s skills. Our Graphic Designer, John, has been with us since day one and he’s also an invaluable part of our team.”

One of the biggest reasons Jim decided to own a Minuteman Press franchise is because of his extensive marketing background as well as the ability to capitalize on the wide variety of products and services such as direct mail. Jim explains, “Direct mail is really a great service avenue for us. With my marketing background, I love that I am able to use direct mail and help my clients. We now process requests for Every Door Direct Mail almost every day at this point.”

Jim adds, “Simply put, direct mail is something that we can do and love doing for our customers. I love that we can remove the burdens on their end and handle everything from design through delivery. We have also started utilizing Minuteman Press Xpress Ads via EDDM, and it sold out because our clients see the value of reaching their customers via direct mail.”

In addition to direct mail, Jim and his team at Minuteman Press in Westfield handle all kinds of orders for booklets, promotional products, apparel, trade show displays, and more. Jim says, “It’s incredible to have the ability to help my clients market their businesses and look at the smiles on their faces when I make deliveries. I love seeing their reactions to the quality of what we produce for them. The satisfaction of delivering that final printed order and getting praised for its quality means the world to me.”

Jim has grown his business through networking with a heavy focus on community involvement as he is an active member of multiple Chambers of Commerce. He also appreciates being able to put his own stamp on the local Westfield community through his business. He says, “We have a lot of pride when we see our work displayed or distributed in the community – storefronts, window signage, direct mail, brochures, business cards – it’s always great to get kudos from happy clients.”

One specific example that comes to mind is an auto company who was referred to Jim and Seamus by another satisfied client. “The auto company is starting to get into trade shows. We are now fulfilling their order for a step and repeat banner, retractable banner, table throw, and postcards.”

Minuteman Press in Westfield is also finding their niche with real estate-related industries and non-profit organizations. Jim says, “Of course, we love working with all of our clients in every industry. My advice to any small business owner is to work the business every day. We’re constantly out there networking and building trust while delivering them quality products. That’s how we are building ourselves and I love helping other businesses do the same.”

How else does Minuteman Press International support Jim and Seamus while they grow? Jim answers, “We are huge fans of the FLEX software. It’s easy for us to track works in progress, manage workflow, and track our sales.” He concludes, “The franchise support from Minuteman Press on all fronts has been great. If we need them, they are always there, and that is a real benefit of franchising with Minuteman Press.”

Tom Conner Transitions from Real Estate to Printing in Wall Township, NJ
Tom Conner bought his Minuteman Press franchise in Wall Township, NJ that was established for approximately 30 years. He says, “I have grown my business at this point predominately by communicating regularly with our current customers, increasing our internet presence, expanding and offering quality products and services, and networking.”

He continues, “I purchased the business in June 2018. Previously, the store offered basic printing as well as promotional products and wasn’t taking full advantage of the product and service lines that Minuteman Press offers. Since I have acquired the store, my goal has been to accommodate all of our clients’ needs. I want to be able to be a one-stop shop where they are able to get their printing, promotional products, apparel and direct mail needs met in one place.”

Tom adds, “Everyone that comes to our store knows that we care about their products and what their needs are. Our center’s sales are up on average 35-40% from 2018, so I think we are offering what the consumer wants. Because of my past career, I consider everyone a client… not just a customer. We look out for their needs.”

Prior to franchising with Minuteman Press, Tom spent time in the restaurant, retail, and real estate industries. He also served as a Lieutenant in his local fire department as well as an EMT for 13 years. “I looked at a number of businesses that I felt that I could run well. I came across Minuteman Press, and as I looked at it more and more, I realized it was a great fit. I felt that I was going to get a great deal of support from the franchisor, I felt that I had a fair amount of knowledge of basic printing from my career in real estate, and I liked having a business that had normal business hours, something I had never really had before in my life.” Read more about Tom Conner’s decision to buy an established Minuteman Press franchise.