Ken Barton Joins Minuteman Press International President’s Million-Dollar Circle

Ken Barton is a Minuteman Press franchise owner in Dublin, Ohio.

Ken Barton is the newest member of the Minuteman Press International President’s Million-Dollar Circle. A retired CPA, Barton bought an established Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise in Dublin, Ohio in 2015. Under his leadership and with the support of Minuteman Press, Barton has grown the business significantly and his franchise has now achieved yearly gross sales of at least $1 million.

Barton says, “It is really humbling to be a part of the President’s Million-Dollar Circle especially since I am still so new to the printing industry. It just shows that the Minuteman Press franchise system works. I went to the President’s Million-Dollar Circle meeting, and I’m in this room that is packed full of successful owners and corporate team members. They have all been at this longer than I have and know the industry much better, and yet here I am. I was just trying to absorb everything I could. Everyone I chatted with during the weekend was happy to share their secrets to success.”

What are the secrets to the franchise growth and success of Minuteman Press in Dublin? Barton answers, “There are two ‘secrets’ to our success to date. First, I am surrounded by a team of people who care about providing great service and products to our clients. I try to support them the best I can and I also have the backing of Minuteman Press International regionally here in Ohio and on the corporate level. Second, we are located in the growing community of Central Ohio. I really believe that there is lots of opportunity in this area that we haven’t discovered yet, and we are doing what we are supposed to do to introduce ourselves and show everyone what we can do to help them grow. Marketing is key.”

The 2019 grand re-opening of the Minuteman Press printing franchise in Dublin, Ohio.

Minuteman Press in Dublin also moved recently to its brand-new location at 4874 Blazer Parkway. Barton and his team held a successful grand re-opening event in May, inviting community members and customers to see all that Minuteman Press has to offer. Ken says, “We love our new location and it was great to see everyone come together to support us at our Open House! As we continue to expand, it’s great to have a new home that can accommodate our growth.”

From CPA to B2B Franchisee and the Benefits of Printing

As noted, Barton is a retired CPA. Why, then, did he decide to jump into the modern printing industry and join the Minuteman Press franchise family? He explains, “I enjoyed a 30-year career as a CPA in public practice before retiring from the profession at the end of 2015. I had the advantage of having worked with lots of small business owners over the years. When I decided I was ready to go into business for myself, I researched franchises and came across Minuteman Press. I met with Gary Nowak, who is Ohio Regional Vice President. Gary explained to me that a successful Minuteman Press franchisee enjoys meeting with customers and prospects. I really enjoy going out there and consulting with clients and showing them how we can help with all of the marketing of their products and services.”

Barton continues, “Minuteman Press also appealed to me because I am a businessperson and the B2B aspect of the franchise is great. I like working normal Monday-Friday business hours and also having ongoing local support. I have learned that there are lots of people in the Minuteman Press organization out there willing to help. My local field representative Rich DeRosa has been invaluable in training me to be an effective marketer. He helped me learn how to ask the right questions as well as how to listen and identify prospect motivations.”

The printing industry is perfect for B2B franchise owners like Barton because print is versatile and can be used to promote virtually any business. He says, “Printed marketing and training materials are the focus of our business. That encompasses business cards, trade show displays, training manuals, mailed pieces and a host of other items. Those pieces are in competition today with digital forms of communication. Part of our mission is to remind people of the advantages of printed materials. Making notes in the margins of training manuals. Being able to write something about a person on their business card. The ‘mail moment’ in an era of digital fatigue. We know print works and I love educating our clients about all of our capabilities. I enjoy delivering our products personally, having those productive conversations with them, and helping them grow.”

Rewards of Owning a Business and Advice for Others

In addition to the business growth that has helped Barton reach at least $1 million in yearly gross sales, Barton further discusses the rewards of owning his own Minuteman Press franchise. He states, “One of the rewards of this business is when I have customers take me aside to tell me how much they appreciate the level of service they have received from one or more of my coworkers. We think that we differentiate ourselves by demonstrating that personalized, high level of customer service, and it’s nice to hear that our clients agree.”

With a wealth of knowledge to share, Barton's advice to others is this: “Earlier in my career, I believed that the leader of an organization should focus solely on the client. Now I am convinced that as a business owner, my most important role is to support the team of people at our business so they can help the client. The better job I do of supporting the team, the better job the team can do of taking care of our customers.

Source: Minuteman Press

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.