How would you like to own a franchise? Now, when I say own I literally mean OWN shares of the actual franchise you are a franchisee of. This is exactly the news that was announced at Instant Imprints‘ annual conference just three weeks ago. The response there was exceptionally positive among the franchisees of the system.
Christian Collucci, COO and one of the owners of Instant Imprints, announced this news to the world of Franchise Brokers first in a presentation for the FBA. FBA brokers have an exclusive opportunity ahead of them, as they are the only Broker organization that Instant Imprints is a member of. This is a distinct and significant competitive advantage for FBA members. During his announcement he explained the company’s plans to go public in five years and have a long term goal to grow to 500 units within those five years.
He admits that growing that many units is a hefty goal but points to the ownership group and management team’s experience of doing so with other businesses. They have worked worldwide growing several businesses and, in the case of UPS Store in Canada, grew it from 125 to 370 stores in a few years prior to selling them. Their stated approach for growing their franchise rests on the shoulders of Franchise Consultants and referral partners.
The specifics of their ownership plan is that they have set aside 20% of the company for the franchisees. This means that they have created the first and only franchise system that is franchisee-owned. Christian is very excited about this. “Everyone always talks about becoming partners with their franchisee. However, none of them actually make it so. They really only accomplish that as a parent-child relationship and this is changing the game.”
All franchisees – new and existing will be gifted up to 10,000 common voting shares in the parent company for each license they hold. The shares are gifted on a rate of 2,500 per year up to 5 years. The shares the franchisees will receive are the same type of shares that the leadership possesses and none of the other owners will have any powers or conditions.
Instant Imprints is a concept that is already known for having great relationships with its franchisees. They put a lot of focus on providing uncommonly good support for everyone in their system. They are constantly celebrating wins both big and small and are always looking for ways to help build wealth opportunities. Christian says “We believe in doing the right things for the right reasons and doing it passionately.”
Gagan Bhathal (Vancouver, BC Multi Area Franchisee)Â says “We get everything we need as a franchisee, from beginning to end, from Instant Imprints.”
To help incentivize Franchise Brokers to promote their concept they are also rolling out several new programs. In the past these types of promotions have proven to be a great way to encourage a seasoned franchise brokers to “break out of their shell” and give them a few opportunities to a new brand. FBA Franchise Brokers can learn more about these incentives in Instant Imprints profile on FBAMembers.com
Instant Imprints is a visibility marketing company. They were the first, and are still the only, company to combine these four separate franchises into one: Signs and Banners, Custom T-shirts, Embroidery, and Promotional Products. This multi-business-in-one bus &iness model means that there is always something to sell. They provide paper printing too, as customer come to them because they have print in their name, but it only accounts for a minor portion of revenue, it is really an accessory category for them.
Instant Imprints’ business model allows them to tap into two huge industries – Promotional Product & Signage. In the US alone, the Promotional product industry is $19.4 billion and Signage is $32 billion.
According to Advertising Specialty Institute, 8 out of 10 customers remember businesses that give them a promotional product. 82% of recipients keep promotional products that are useful.
The concept is one that does very well in both Canada and the US. They even provide an earnings statement in their Federal Disclosure Document (FDD) and have three different ways to get into their model: single unit, multi-unit, and area development. People interested in the concept don’t need to have experience with the industry. In fact, their #1 franchisee used to sell tools for a living and their #2 used to be an auto mechanic.
For someone looking for a business that offers a solid system, repeat clients, and a schedule that leaves time for family, they should seriously consider Instant Imprints. With this latest announcement they have proven their commitment to their franchisees and made franchise history in the process.
