Lessons on how franchisees adapt to quick change

Quick printing has changed in the last 30 years. Here is a good summary from an Austin shop owner on the changes and the increasing difficulty of being a small quick-print shop. First, adapting to rapid technology change is critical - being leading edge but not bleeding edge. In one story, an Alphagraphics owner speaks about how upgrading equipment helped turn around profits. Do it the wrong way or too much and you bleed profits.

Second, the Austin shop followed equipment upgrades by pro-actively training its customers on technology changes that make their life simpler.

"There has been a complete turnover of equipment and processes in the last 10 years," says Meyers, who started the 25-employee company with a $10,000 bank loan while he was a student at the University of Texas. "We had to completely revamp our equipment and personnel for the digital era."

With so much change in the printing industry, Meyers has learned a few lessons about transitioning a company over the past 15 years. The first and foremost lesson was learning to change and adapt -- and he says that's a lesson that continues today.

"We try to look ahead for our customer's developing needs so we are ready before they are. That means buying new equipment and training our employees," Meyers says. "If you are not ready, then you are going to lose customers."

Meyers says his quick-print shop has also learned the importance of holding customers' hands through industry transitions. The company educates clients on new technologies, teaching them what is possible and what is not possible to ensure files are printable at the highest quality.

Some quick-print franchisees entered when the boom of the technology shift towards quick-print shops in the mid-70s and early 80s. Some exited by selling their operations and now are back, looking for the next early technology driven franchise trend.

Take this iSold It franchise story as an example.

Owner Seymour Hoffman considers himself to be on the cutting edge of the franchise world. He entered the quick print business in its infancy, and now is jumping on to the eBay trend.

"My quick-print sales went from $12,000 to $2.5 million in 25 years," Hoffman said. "This is the same situation. E-commerce is in its infancy, and I'd like to be in on the ground floor."