2012 Annual Franchise Review: Slow and Steady, Recovery Continues

This library of “go-to” document resources is necessary to improve efficiencies in the consultation and selling process. Next, is delivering on the brand promise. Members who earn our Marketing Central certification gain access to agency-level expertise through our headquarters-based Marketing Resource Center (MRC). This team of veteran strategic planners, copywriters, graphic designers, and Web developers offers support with the planning and execution of projects, campaigns, and more comprehensive plans—from creating print ads and developing social media campaigns to preparing an email blast and launching a website.  

Having the most qualified staff at the center level is the next piece of the pie. Sometimes, that occurs through re-training existing team members in selling and delivering broader based marketing services. At other times, we assist franchise owners with their candidate searches, creating job postings and conducting personality/aptitude profiling and interviews.

Finally, our strategic alliances put wide-ranging marketing technology tools in ready grasp of our franchise members. They include email services company Constant Contact, data providers AccuData and InfoUSA, advocate marketing firm Amplifinity, and other equipment and software vendors. Saying you can do it is one thing; having all of the tools and resources at hand to get it done is another.

We eagerly look forward to the new opportunities 2012 will bring and are proud of how our franchise members have embraced and adopted the changes we have asked them to make. In the coming year, we see great growth potential in direct marketing, wide-format output, and mailing services—areas where all of our franchise members can grow and continue to prosper.

AlphaGraphics, Art Coley, president

First of all, I’d like to thank you for once again publishing the annual franchise review. More than ever, independent print shops are contacting us about joining our network. Your review provides valuable information in understanding what each franchise brand might be able to offer.

At AlphaGraphics, we believe that now, more than ever, is the best time to be a business owner in our industry if you have the right resources and support. Now is the best time to be a business owner in our industry if you’re current with technology, the right equipment, and the right systems and processes to make sure you’re relevant in the marketplace. That’s what we work on doing each day for our franchisee partners in the AlphaGraphics network. Our continued sales, profit, and location growth tell us we must be doing some things right…and we know we’re just getting warmed up.

Our focus is pretty simple. We work each day to help each of our business centers increase sales and profits. We work each day to help them build value in their business. And we’re looking for more franchisee partners who share that passion and drive. Whether someone is in the industry today as a business owner or looking to enter this industry, we welcome a conversation to see if there could be a fit for us to partner.

We are bullish about the future and continue each day to be the number one document and marketing solutions provider for businesses around the world.

CPrint International, Todd Nuckols, president

As far back as 2010 it became very apparent that print buyers weren’t returning to the same habits they had pre-recession. So, we took bold steps and peered into the future to help CPrint affiliates survive and thrive for many years to come. We continued on this trend in 2011 and as a result of the cards dealt before us, we continued training our affiliates on ManagedMarketing, which is a proprietary CPrint program that teaches printers how to help their customers increase sales.

CPrint affiliates are not becoming advertising agencies or marketing companies, but instead are now integrating print with new Internet-based communication tools for their current small business customer base. The combination makes the customer’s message stronger and the new Internet services are driving sales for the core business of printing. For the CPrint affiliates, this results in exciting new services that make sales calls easier and less focused on price. CPrinters are getting paid for the value they bring, and not just the transaction they deliver. And it’s working.