MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, June 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riaz Qazi spent eleven years managing factories for an asphalt and ready-mix company internationally, but his move to Canada proved time to examine business ownership. Buying an existing Minuteman Press franchise was the furthest thing from the hard-working, highly qualified new resident of Mississauga, but he felt the climate in the workforce was not making much sense. “I was new to the country and though I was highly qualified with two degrees, one as a Civil Engineer and the other an MBA with a major in marketing, it was a barricade to success, actually. People kept telling me not to put both degrees on my resume and I decided to look for something totally new, but still technical that would challenge me and let me use my skills.”
“That’s why I looked for and found Minuteman Press International,” he says. It was, in his estimation, the only tech-oriented franchise opportunity that appealed to his standard, so he bought a pre-existing franchise for two reasons. “One, I was new to being self-employed in a new country and two, I was new to the printing industry. I felt with those things ‘against’ me, it would have been difficult to open a shop independently. I needed the support of a franchise,” Riaz states boldly.
“I give my customers the best they can possibly hope to get in marketing and I do it by over-achieving and trying to beat their deadlines.” – Riaz Qazi, owner, Minuteman Press at Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga, Ontario.
If a bigger project is going to take four days, Riaz and his staff will turn up the energy and aim to get it done in three. “We work extra hard to help our clients and impress them so much that they come back.”
Riaz’ wife, Ayesha, is his partner in life and in business and he is thankful for her contributions and how her presence allows him to focus on gaining new business. “My wife does help me with the organization of the centre and that allows the day-to-day operation to fall on me without distraction.”
No one buys a business without the intention to make good money, ideally. For Riaz, he directs this drive right into the service of each individual. “I have to keep my wits about me and when the centre gets very busy, I get directly involved. There is no shortcut and I like to deliver more than is expected, so I make sure to deliver. I feel personal satisfaction every time we complete unique projects and jobs that come through for customers.”
He recalls one such out-of-the-ordinary job for a regular customer that made pallets for transportation. “They came in and wanted something unique so we came up with a miniature pallet with branded notepads on it. It was not exactly to scale, but they liked it so much they ordered again, in one and then two colors. There is no denying that it felt rewarding to create that just for them.”
When Riaz looks back on the past 14 years of franchising, he remembers his mindset was not passive. “I wasn’t going to be half-hearted about my business growth. The support I receive is wonderful. I did not imagine becoming my own boss and now that it’s been fourteen years, all I want to do is improve it every day and find new clients to help.”
He knows that respecting the brand and its guidelines is the key to greater recognition and he helps Canadians each day learn the power behind the name “Minuteman Press” in this way, and in how he speaks about history. “Our brand is recognized here, but I still tell people we are part of the largest printing franchise in the world with almost 1,000 centres. That carries weight. They know we are the real deal.”
He admits he maintains high standards for the work they do for everyone who entrusts them with a job and that is not going to change. “I am very demanding of anyone who works for me and the transition to Canada brought some cultural differences and the need to adapt my managerial skills. I used to work in Asia and Europe. Now, we have been working for more than a decade in North America and it has all become easier. We run a tight ship.”
Going forward, Riaz joins his fellow Minuteman Press franchise owners to say, “We Are The Modern Printing Industry.” Keeping with that truth, he has made sure that the technology he uses has evolved appropriately. “We are an all-digital print operation today, though when I took it over we did have a few offset presses. The time came to replace them and we are fully capable of just about anything ‘print.’ I offer wide-format printing and a great deal of promotional products. Also, we take care of branded signs of all kinds.”
“I do not present Minuteman Press as the ‘low end’ or cheap. I tell everyone, I do not compete on price, but for what we provide in quality and service, our prices are nice.”
Now that Canada has proven to be a fertile ground for his career as a Minuteman Press franchise owner, Riaz feels his future is nice as well; and he is “excited for more.”
Learn more about Riaz Qazi’s Minuteman Press franchise at https://www.mississauga10.minutemanpress.ca. For Minuteman Press Canada franchising opportunities, visit https://minutemanpressfranchise.ca.
Introducing Bounce Back Canada by Minuteman Press International, a free COVID-19 resource to support local businesses. Submit a free listing and receive a free COVID-19 safety and awareness poster at https://BounceBackCanada.com.
Minuteman Press International
Franchise Opportunities, 1-800-645-3006
https://minutemanpressfranchise.ca
or
Media Inquiries:
Chris Biscuiti, 631-249-1370
cbiscuiti@mpihq.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/807f4817-3e06-4b3b-99cd-29fe5e56a198