Biz Of The Month: Minuteman Press

OF THE MONTH Minuteman Press Windsor . . . Pressing Forward To Be Your Local Marketing Partner

By Victoria Rose

Some people who enter their 60s begin to think about retiring.

For an energetic entrepreneur like Lakshmi Bhamidipati, retirement hadn’t crossed her mind. In fact, while she was already running a successful business, she decided to take a risk and buy a new company, Minuteman Press.

“I work 12-hour days, but I have lots of energy,” she states. “I also really enjoy the creative field; that goes back to my childhood.”

Born in a small town in southern India, Bhamidipati was always doing artistic things and eventually pursued an Applied Arts course in Advertising and Marketing from Ahmedabad and then finished a Post Graduate certificate in Public Relations. She worked as a designer for two years, then spent 17 years at an ad agency working on campaigns for television ads, jingles and photo shoots. She was doing very well as an Art Director with the agency, but decided it was time to travel.

For Bhamidipati: “Life isn’t about living in one place. At the age of 45, I decided to see the world. Just going on a vacation and seeing places was not the goal, so I decided to emigrate.”

She listed Canada as her first choice for a big move, but the process was a lengthy one (nearly seven years!). Instead, Bhamidipati formed a plan — apply to live in New Zealand and apply to move to Canada from there.

In New Zealand, she landed a job at a printing company and realized that while the job was different from her previous role, she was still utilizing the same skills.

She wanted to learn all about the entire process and spent four years mastering what went into carton/box production.

In 2006, she came to Canada and started working for a company selling promotional products. Again she applied her skills for a similar industry, but this time focused on screen printing and embroidery.

It was a great opportunity to learn, however she knew it was time to start her own business.

A friend made some connections and Bhamidipati launched SAI Graphics in 2014, a creative agency with a focus on design and promotional t-shirts. One of her biggest contracts was creating special medical forms for clinics in the United States.

In 2013, the owner of Minuteman Press hired Bhamidipati on a three-month service contract, to help with their payroll software. She soon began helping in all areas of the company due to her printing and design experience and wanted to learn even more about this niche business.

That contract turned into a full-time role and when the owner, Nilesh Patel, decided to sell the business, Bhamidipati was given the chance to invest in her second venture. She met with the Senior Vice President of Minuteman Press International to discuss the opportunity and was pleased that they acknowledged her background and skills.

She had also heard about their reputation for supporting their branches so, in 2017, she became the new owner.

Bhamidipati dove right in, but mentions the first two years were very difficult. A lot of walk-in customers and long-standing clients discounted her knowledge of the business and related processes.

She faced some challenges and felt that was reflected in the work she was producing: “You have to have a lot of patience. Customer service is a priority, but I was struggling because this business was new for me.”

So she decided to take a new approach that demonstrated her knowledge and commitment to quality. Along with a focus on production, she leaned on her skilled staff for assistance. The shift of processes and a positive mindset saved her business.

“A top priority is to have the right staff and then treat them well,” Bhamidipati advises. “They will help you eliminate your struggles.”

She offers incentives to staff, appreciates their expertise and pays attention to their personal details, like meeting their families.

In addition to Bhamidipati, there are seven full-time and part-time employees, including graphic designers, administrative staff, a driver and a production crew that finishes, binds and packs orders. Some of the employees were even there when Bob Munden established his Minuteman Press store in 1979!

Munden sold the business 10 years ago, but retained ownership of the building. When Bhamidipati took over he let her know that when he retired he would sell the building.

In preparation, she began looking for new locations and in October 2022, Minuteman Press moved to 1276 Ottawa Street.

The large warehouse accommodates popular items like flyers, business cards, and brochures, but also allows for bigger displays of t-shirts and hats, hoodies, and jackets that can be customized in-house. They can also create large format laminated posters and office displays, up to 36 inches wide.

A new business trend keeping her very busy, is converting engineering drawings to digital files, allowing customers, such as construction companies to reduce their storage needs.

“We have a large format scanner that can do up to 42 inches,” says Bhamidipati. “Not many people have the equipment so it has been a popular service.”

She is happy to be busy again after the COVID-19 pandemic meant three months with no business and a 70% decline in sales.

The move has also affected sales, so she’s working on getting the word out about the new location and the benefits that customers get from it.

“I want more people to come to see our new bigger and better place and try us out to know our quality and how fast we deliver!” Bhamidipati expresses.

For more details on her company visit: Minuteman.com/ca/locations/on/windsor.

Lakshmi Bhamidipati, the local franchise owner of the Windsor Minuteman Press location would like “more people to know everything that we can do!” Assisting her in reaching this goal, from left in the front row, are: Van Nguyen, Press Operator; Lien Nguyen, Senior Finisher & Binder and Bhamidipati. Back row: Jon Kohut, Print Finisher & Binder; Bill Deans, Delivery Driver; Mandy Dessureault, Print Finisher Helper; Vijay Sharma, Digital Printer & Designer and Eliamo Safar, Designer & Apparel Printer. Photo by Rod Denis.