HispanicBusiness

Had his career as a technical representative for the 3M Company gone smoothly, Frank Grande probably wouldn't be the owner of a successful Minuteman Press franchise in Miami today.

Mr. Grande repaired computers, cameras, and other equipment for 3M for 15 years. Then, at age 36, he realized it was time for a change.

"At the time, 3M was going through a corporate restructuring – eliminating a lot of positions and cutting down on the service department," he recalls. "I felt that my job was in danger. I decided it was time to leave."

Mr. Grande, now 49, purchased a Minuteman Press franchise near Miami International Airport, using $60,000 in savings to get started. Minuteman Press, founded in 1973 in Plainview, New York, is a full-service printing center offering the speed and convenience of a quick-copy service with the volume and color capabilities more often found at commercial printers.

While working for 3M, Mr. Grande had visited Minuteman Press franchises to service 3M equipment. That familiarity helped convince him to purchase a Minuteman Press franchise of his own years later, as opposed to going into the restaurant business, which he knew nothing about.

"We opened up from zero with no customers and went out selling, and within the first six months we broke even," he says. "That's the basic concept behind the Minuteman Press franchise: Go out and make one-to-one contact, and that's how we did it."

Mr. Grande keeps tabs on his customers' printing needs by visiting – sometimes unannounced – their places of business. Once there, he discusses his services, asks for samples of their current work, and leaves a package that includes discount offers, information on services, and a quote on future work.

"Many people will keep the quote, and when they need something they remember it," he says.

While he's reluctant to provide exact figures when discussing the growth of his business, he is quoted in a Minuteman Press news release as saying he grossed more than $400,000 in 1996 with a staff of five full-time employees.

"We're happy with the business and we're glad we got into it," says Mr. Grande, who came to the United States from Cuba in 1964. "I think eventually we'll be able to sell it and retire."

He says owning your own business is harder than working for someone else. "You have to be on top of everything, you have to worry. It's not like a job where you go home and forget about it."

The payoff? Money, of course. "If you work for someone, you have a salary," he says. "When you have your own business, the sky's the limit."

– Scott Williams

Minuteman Press International Inc.

Business: Full-service printing center

Date established: 1973

Number of franchises: 890

Total annual revenues: $350 million

Requirements: $100,000 to $120,000

Where available: United States, Canada, United Kingdom; currently targeting the Caribbean, South Africa, and Australia, with long-term expansion plans in South America

Contact: Minuteman Press International Inc.
1640 New Highway, Farmingdale, NY 11735
(516) 249-1370

Web site: www.minuteman-press.com