It’s 21 years since Vivienne and Nick Kane opened up their Minuteman Press franchise in Prahran, Victoria and now the pair are marking their significant tenure at the B2B franchise by sharing their strategies for growth.

Vivienne and Nick managed to grow the sales of their printing business through the Covid crisis with a combination of direct marketing and high-demand products and services.

Nick Kane reveals more about the strategies that work for them.

What do you feel are the biggest keys to your recovery and growth as you emerge from the lockdowns in Australia?

“We kept in touch with our customers and remained consistent. Having been in business for many years and having a broad customer base also helped with the recovery. Our Facebook presence also increased.”

What are the high-demand products and services that your clients are ordering and seeing as valuable to their reopening and recovery?

“Our high-demand products are calendars, short-run books and POS materials, which encompasses all different kinds of custom printing that we can produce to help businesses promote themselves as they reopen.”

What are the key selling points for print right now? 

“Because of the pandemic, people are looking for different ways to market their businesses and they’ve had time to do the things they have been putting off. The staples of our industry have also come back as we’ve seen orders for business cards, compliment slips and note pads (general stationery).”

What has the response been like from the community been like when reaching out? 

“The response has been that we are all in this together. Strategies are no different, and the key is to keep in touch with your current customers.

When we were able to get out I used Minuteman Press International’s direct marketing strategies that have shown to be effective. I visited every café, bar and restaurant in my area. I always asked about them and their business and if they were doing anything different. Taking the transaction to the back of the conversation also helped.”

What is your advice for other local businesses right now who come to you for help and guidance? 

“If they ask, as always discuss marketing and be available with options. Suggest having a good offer, a strong call to action, and a way to track success. But most importantly, keep engaging with your customers.”