Navy veteran helps Minuteman Press revive local community

Newport franchisee Lee Taylor is supporting his local economy with Minuteman Press’s ‘Bounce Back Newport’ scheme.

The international initiative was started by the printing franchise to help local communities recover from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lee Taylor, who served in the Royal Navy for 23 years before becoming a franchisee six years ago, is just one of the many generous individuals who are taking the time to help fellow local businesses. Lee said:

“Bounce Back Newport has been a great initiative, which we have enthusiastically embraced. In simple terms, it’s been a great platform to engage existing clients and new prospects. It is straightforward, easy to use and cost-effective.”

He discussed how the Bounce Back movement has struck the right tone at such a difficult time for many.

“I feel at the current time all our existing and potential clients are being bombarded with sellers desperate to stay afloat, so this local community-based message of support has struck the right tone. It’s something positive and useful they can engage with, and rather than just me trying to sell them stuff, it shows the wider public that we are genuinely interested in helping them maintain and grow their own business.”

Lee has chosen to send weekly emails, take out advertising space in local publications and use social media to get local businesses on board. He revealed that the feedback so far has been incredibly positive.

“The quality of the website and messaging system has been well received and drawn very complimentary remarks from my local and national clients alike. For me, it’s really been a great conversation starter. As well as helping my own customer base, it gives me a good opportunity to speak to them, see how they are and potentially build stronger relationships that will serve all parties well as things improve. Likewise, it gives off a great impression to my new and prospective customers that I am behind such an impressive vehicle.”

Lee also revealed what drove him to choose Minuteman Press after more than two decades in the Navy.

“I wanted to manage my own business and do something completely different when I left the Royal Navy. I chose to invest in the Minuteman Press franchise after researching the company, finding out more about the quality of the comprehensive training and support package they provide to help franchisees succeed. This has included me studying at their training academy in New York and ongoing support from the UK management team.”

He concluded by saying:

“Bounce Back UK was the perfect system for us to work on when things were quiet and moving forward the framework will help us build as we come out of this challenging COVID-19/lockdown period.”