Mom and Entrepreneur: Minuteman Press Franchisee Renee Mansour Increases Gross Sales by 341 Percent, Celebrates Two Years in Business in Bend, OR

(Franchise Buy) - By Holli. Updated Feb 27, 2017

BEND-Ore.—Renee Mansour owns the Minuteman Press franchise in Bend, Oregon located at 235 SE Wilson Ave, Suite 100. She decided to purchase the established business in February 2015 after spending a few years as a mom and entrepreneur who taught cycling classes and helped run national events in Bend. Today, she celebrates two years in business with Minuteman Press. Renee has successfully managed to more than double the business, increasing gross sales by 341 percent.

See what Renee Mansour has to say about steadily growing the business, the benefits of owning a Minuteman Press franchise, her keys to success over these past two years, and important advice for others who are thinking of owning a franchise business 

1. Please provide an overview of your business – what do you offer your customers, and what would be your message to people who are interested in your services?

Renee Mansour: 'Minuteman Press provides all of the marketing and branding materials needed to promote and increase one’s business. Our products range from print to promotional items, as well as branded apparel. We at Minuteman Press listen to your needs and help direct you to the avenue that will best give you the desired outcome.  Our goal is making the process easy with no printing minimums, while providing quality products in a timely manner.'

2. What year did you join the Minuteman Press franchise? What was your background before franchising with Minuteman Press?

Renee Mansour: 'I bought a Minuteman Press franchise in Feb of 2015. My background in print comes from being a major account sales representative for IKON office solutions. I sold high volume digital presses to print shops and large organizations.  Once we started a family, I decided to manage our household and lessen the amount of hours I worked outside of the home. While raising our children, I taught cycling classes at our local athletic club and helped run national cycling events in Bend, Oregon.'

3. Why did you choose to franchise with Minuteman Press?

Renee Mansour: 'As our children became teenagers, my desire to do something for me became stronger.  I took a position working for a local company full-time, and I struggled with the lack of satisfaction I felt.  I am a committed person that gives 100-plus percent, and when that wasn’t received by my employer I started to feel that I would be better off putting my energy towards my own business.

The support Minuteman Press provides was one of the things that appealed to me.  Business to business sales and the hours of operation (8:30 am - 5:30 pm Monday – Friday) were also another reason we choose Minuteman Press.  We still have teenagers at home and I want to be present in their lives.  Those reasons coupled with the fact that Minuteman Press is the only franchise I researched that offered a cap on royalties, made it an easy decision for us.  The more I sell beyond the cap, the more I am rewarded. 

When needing to update equipment, the corporate office is there to help me find the best pricing as well as read through any contracts prior to signing anything.  Minuteman Press International has worked hard to provide us with the best pricing and sources for any and all items we need to be successful.'

4. Since you have taken over the business in 2015, you have managed to more than double the business in just two years and have increased gross sales by 341 percent. Why do you think that is / what are the reasons you have been able to be so successful?

Renee Mansour: 'The success I have had comes from being a sincere, kind, energetic person as I market to businesses in Central Oregon.  Making marketing calls is the number one key to my success.  I have a set follow-up plan I use after providing quotes to potential clients.

Other keys to my success include:

• Utilizing email marketing campaigns with monthly promotions
• Mailing Minuteman Press International's postcard marketing program via Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), a service we can also provide to our clients

• Running a commercial on TV

• Being a member of BNI amongst other organizations

• Our location

• Posting products on Facebook and Instagram

• Driving a vehicle that is branded with Minuteman Press

• Being an active part of Minuteman Press International's search engine marketing program they make available to all owners

• Last but not least, the key to my success is the support of family and friends, as well as the entire community'

5. What would you say is the most rewarding thing about running your business? How would you compare that to your previous career/industry/life?

Renee Mansour: 'The biggest reward is the success I have had.  Success comes in many facets.  One is that our customers enjoy working with us and know we provide great service with a quality product.  Another success is that we have doubled sales consecutively over the past 2 years.  This is due to the hard work and dedication of the team and myself to our customers. 

I have always been a driven person. I don’t allow myself to do anything with less than 100% effort. My daughter tells me, “Mom not everything has to be perfect.”  In my world, it does.

I thought being a business owner would allow me some freedoms but that hasn’t happened as of yet.  My determination to provide outstanding service to our customers has me working well over 40 hours per week.  However, I receive such great rewards daily when customers comment on how fast their quote was received, that they enjoyed working with us, or how great their product turned out.'

CUSTOMER REVIEW shared by Renee Mansour: 'Lindsay Holtvedt from Cascade Sotheby’s sums up what we strive to hear from every customer: 'Minuteman Press is the most reliable at your service company that we have the privilege of working with!  They are always bending over backwards to produce our last minute orders in time for us, and we could not appreciate them enough! 100% recommend them to anyone needing of their services.''

6. How has the ongoing local support you’ve received from Minuteman Press helped you along the way?

Renee Mansour: 'The support we receive from Minuteman Press International is amazing.  With any business, you have employee turnover. Minuteman Press is here with each new hire training them on how to utilize the tools we have to make their job successful.  This takes the burden off of me and other staff. During this time, I am able to continue marketing while providing service to our customers.  Our Regional Vice President Chris Jutt and our field representative are just a phone call away and here to help with any and all matters.'

7. What local organizations (charities, non-profits, business organizations) do you work with and what causes are you passionate about?

Renee Mansour: 'As a local business owner it is important to help improve the lives of those in our communities.  We have provided all the printing, at no charge, for the fundraiser for Charlotte (a sparrow child here in Bend).  We have discounted printing rates for non-profit organizations.  It is important for non-profits to be able to get the word out on ways that they can help those in our community, and what better way than to put it in print. We are a supporter of Bend Film which brings thousands of visitors to our community, which in turn helps our local businesses. Pints for Polio is another organization we support, amongst many others.

In terms of other organizations, I belong to, BNI is one of them. BNI is a big part of our success.  Over 6% of our sales have come from BNI.  We are members of the Chamber and support COBA and COAR.  By attending these meetings/functions I am able to meet people in our community and increase the awareness of what Minuteman Press has to offer. I am in an Opportunity Knocks group. Opportunity Knocks supports me and helps me grow as a business owner.  Being a locally owned business, we as a family support local and do business not only with our customers but with local companies.'

8. What is a typical day like for you as a Minuteman Press owner?

Renee Mansour: 'A typical day has me arriving to the office by 7:15 – 7:30 am.  I update our Work In Progress report and prepare that for our morning staff meeting. Throughout the day, I am helping walk-in customers, following up on quote requests, quoting jobs for customers, delivering products to customers, marketing to local businesses, answering phones, troubleshooting, and the list goes on.  I leave the office around 5:30-6 pm. Eat and visit with my family and then work on quotes for a bit before retiring for the night.'

9. What is your ideal day off or vacation?

Renee Mansour: 'My ideal day off or vacation would be knowing my team has the office covered and allowing myself to fully shut off from work while spending time with my family and friends, someplace warm and sunny.'

10. What are your goals for the rest of 2017?

Renee Mansour: 'My goal for 2017 is to help educate our current customers on all that we have to offer so that we can be the source for all of their printing and marketing materials.  I also want to spend more time marketing the materials that we print for our customers, therefore creating awareness of what we offer while increasing their business at the same time. I will be doing this through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.'

11. What are one or two pieces of advice you would give to potential franchise owners?

Renee Mansour: 'My advice to any entrepreneur or small business owner is to get out of the office and market your business.  Be that kind, energetic face that people want to do business with.  Then follow it up with great service and quality products. Join BNI as well as Opportunity Knocks.  You need to not only work in your business but on your business.'

Renee Mansour's Minuteman Press franchise is located at 235 SE Wilson Ave, Suite 100, Bend, OR 97702. For more information, call Renee and her team at (541) 749-2900, email mmpbend@minutemanpress.com or visit their website:  www.bend.minutemanpress.com

About Minuteman Press International

Minuteman Press International is a number one rated business marketing and printing franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Started in 1973 by Roy Titus and his son Bob, Minuteman Press began franchising in 1975 and has grown to over 950 business service franchise locations worldwide including the U.S., Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Minuteman Press is ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur for 14 years in a row and 25 times overall, including 2017. We are the modern version of the printing industry, providing high quality products and services for businesses that go way beyond just ink on paper. Today our stores produce promotional products, custom apparel, direct mail advertising, large format printing (banners and posters), signs, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.

Learn more about Minuteman Press design, printing, and marketing franchise opportunities by calling 1-800-645-3006 and access Minuteman Press franchise reviews at www.minutemanpressfranchise.com

Contact:
Minuteman Press Franchise Opportunities
1-800-645-3006
www.minutemanpressfranchise.com
or
Media Inquiries:
Chris Biscuiti, 631-249-1370, ext. 249
cbiscuiti@mpihq.com