5 minute read
FARMLAND TO FORTUNE 500 TO FRONT RANGE, COLORADO
Entrepreneur on what it takes to run a small business
By Lee Harper
Ramon Alvarez’s resume boasts roles in Fortune 500 companies in North and South America. But his first work experience was in the farm fields of central California — his father brought the family from Guadalajara, Mexico, when the younger Alvarez was nine years old. Now he owns Minuteman Press of Colorado Springs and serves on boards for the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Colorado Better Business Bureau.
Mr. Ramon Alvarez, Entrepreneur and Owner/Operator - Minuteman Press - Colorado Springs along with wife, Alana Alvarez.
“My wife Alana and I purchased Minuteman Press in August of 2019, just a few months before the COVID outbreak severely impacted most of our clients,” Alvarez explains. They serve hundreds of customers with graphic design, printing, promotional items, direct mail services, and more. “Our one-stop-shop convenience is geared toward making things easy for our customers, and gaining trust that we are a dependable resource for them,” he adds.
Alvarez's Minuteman Press is located at 6870 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 | 719.638.2920
Prior to purchasing Minuteman Press, Alvarez led large companies (mostly retail) expansion plans and executed far larger budgets throughout this hemisphere. He says he grew up professionally in the corporate world of matrix organizations and performance teams where financial results were key.
Alvarez says, “We have applied large company mindset to running our small business, like establishing strategic approaches to talent acquisition, retention, operations, and client service, while maintaining the agility and care of a small family-operated business.”
He admits to expecting “quick and robust” success as a small business owner — perhaps naive but no one predicted a global business reset. Now Alvarez sees how owning a small business has tested all the skills he’d fine-tuned in his professional life. Without the significant resources of a larger corporate machine, he developed a transition strategy of the best people, critical thinking, and healthy accountability.
“I’ve always had an owner’s mentality in my corporate roles,” Alvarez explains, “but the truth is that steady income allows for some levels of confidence and bravado in making business decisions…Nothing can be taken for granted as a business owner, especially cash flow. I’ve had to assess my decisions more closely, evaluating the ripple effect they can have in my business cash flow.”
Alvarez has surrounded himself with the best team, people with skills he doesn’t have, and modeled the behavior expected from everyone. The staff is well trained through daily development activities to maintain mission alignment. He includes big company tactics like onboarding programs, internships, cross training, and high standards of excellence.
That process includes treating every client as a VIP to demonstrate commitment to customers’ business success. From a website with printing templates to full-scale direct mail campaigns, Minuteman Press aims to focus on the client needs and doing what is right for the customer.
Alvarez feels his roles within the business community are as important as his role as business owner.
We are blessed that the community has embraced our servant mindset. We have a great team whose mission is to provide excellent client experiences.
Alvarez sees clearly how helping the prosperity of the Colorado Springs business community, and serving others, means contributing to the creation of a land of opportunity. He volunteers, mentors, and serves internal and external audiences as a testament to his life’s journey from the farm fields to the Front Range.
Alvarez’s three pieces of advice for the individual considering small business ownership:
1. Have a why — that purpose should be documented so it can help energize the owner and connect them with their customers. My purpose is to serve and pay mentorship forward, which is aligned with the actions I take daily.
2. Plan your business journey with the end in mind — leverage some of the many resources available to prepare for the journey (especially from local business organizations). Include financial projections in your business plan, how you will be organized internally, and everything necessary to execute what’s needed to reach your goals.
3. Remember that you are not alone — surround yourself with people better than you at their role, and create a high performance team of resources inside your organization (and out) who will help you and your organization be better. Create these relationships proactively, and nurture them with servitude.
Mr. Alvarez is also the Chairman of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC board of directors. Visit Minuteman Press: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/co/colorado-springs20/
