Minuteman Press franchise
A franchisee owns and operates a full-service Minuteman Press (or International Minute Press) printing and marketing center selling digital printing, design, finishing, mailing, advertising specialty items and related marketing services to local businesses and the general public from a leased retail location.
Manager-run permitted Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-03-31
- Item
- Item 15
- Page
- PDF p. 29
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 640316
must devote full-time and best efforts to the management and operation of the Center
Item 15 requires the franchisee — or, for an entity, a principal or general partner — or a fully trained manager to devote full time and best efforts to managing the center, and the center must at all times be under the direct on-premises supervision of a manager who has attended Minuteman's training program. Minuteman does not approve the choice of manager and the manager need not hold equity, but a non-operating owner's manager must attend training, sign a confidentiality agreement and accept a non-compete lasting two years after employment ends.
What stands out
- Initial investment is $138,351 to $216,346 with the equipment package leased, or $237,064 to $315,064 if it is purchased outright (Item 7, leased site, no real estate purchase).
- The standard initial franchise fee for a new center is $48,500; an existing franchisee adding a center pays $35,000, and a buyer of an existing center pays a $35,000 transfer/training fee instead of the initial fee.
- Royalty is 6% of gross revenue paid monthly, waived for the first two months. There is no advertising fund, no advertising cooperative and no required local marketing spend, although Item 11 recommends 5% of gross revenues.
7 more observations
- The 2026 equipment package costs $108,157 and must be purchased or leased from the franchisor; Item 8 puts it at 65% to 70% of total start-up purchases.
- Item 19: 609 U.S. centers reporting a full 2025 averaged $769,858 in gross sales with a median of $559,528, and only 33% of them reached the average.
- Item 19 also discloses cost of goods sold averaging 33.06% and labor averaging 21.59% of sales from 90 survey respondents, but no rent, royalty, financing or owner-compensation figures and therefore no profit measure.
- Franchised outlets grew worldwide from 972 to 1,039 across 2023-2025 with no company-owned units; 775 of the 1,039 were in the United States at December 31, 2025.
- Transfers to new owners totalled 55, 62 and 42 outlets over the three years, so a substantial resale market exists alongside new openings.
- No exclusive territory is granted and the franchisor reserves the right to open company-owned stores and alternative distribution channels without compensating franchisees.
- The initial term is 35 years, disputes go to arbitration and courts in New York, and a two-year, five-mile non-compete applies after the franchise ends.
Things to verify
- Ask how the Item 7 low total of $138,351 was built: the franchise fee row reads '$35,000 or $48,500' and the low column appears to use $35,000, the reduced fee for an existing franchisee's additional center, not the $48,500 a new franchisee pays.
- Item 8 states equipment revenue of $133,796 was 2.9% of total revenue of $39,055,997, but that ratio is about 0.34%. Ask the franchisor which figure is correct.
- Ask what the Royalty Incentive Program's Maximum Gross Billing Amount currently is, how many franchisees qualify, and on what terms it can be raised or withdrawn.
7 more questions
- Item 19's Table No. 2 narrative describes centers worldwide while its notes and population refer to U.S. centers, and note 1 cites 164 Million Dollar Club members against the 144 top performers shown. Request the written substantiation Minuteman offers.
- Ask what happened to the 21% of U.S. centers excluded from the Item 19 sales table and whether their sales differ from those that reported.
- No minimum liquidity or net worth requirement appears in the reviewed document; ask what financial qualifications the franchisor actually applies.
- Item 20 records no terminations or non-renewals in 2024 or 2025 while 19 and 10 outlets ceased operations for other reasons. Ask how those exits are classified and what happened to those locations.
- Confirm whether owners must personally guarantee the franchise agreement; the FDD discloses personal guarantees only for the Xerox and ML Leasing equipment financing.
- The equipment package price is 'then-current'; ask how it has changed over recent years and what a mid-term equipment refresh costs.
- Item 20 notes that some current and former franchisees have signed provisions limiting what they can say about their experience, which affects reference calls to the Exhibit H and I lists.
Category cost placeholders, not a forecast. This snapshot uses the default inputs; the calculator below updates when you edit them.
Evidence confidence: High. This describes source support, not investment quality. AI-extracted and machine-verified where stated; no human line-by-line review. Source and review record.
Read the full research overview
A Minuteman Press franchisee owns and operates a full-service printing and marketing center, selling digital printing, design, finishing, mailing, advertising specialty items and related marketing services to local businesses and the general public from a leased retail unit of initially 750 to 1,200 square feet. Item 7 estimates the initial investment at $138,351 to $216,346 when the required equipment package is leased, or $237,064 to $315,064 when it is purchased outright; the gap is the $108,157 2026 equipment package, which must be bought or leased from the franchisor. A new franchisee pays a $48,500 initial franchise fee, reduced to $35,000 for an existing franchisee adding a center, while a buyer of an existing center pays a $35,000 transfer/training fee instead. Continuing fees are a 6% royalty on gross revenue (waived for the first two months), a $405 annual software support fee, website hosting of $0 to $395 a month and an optional internet marketing program at $280 to $3,000 a month. There is no advertising fund, no cooperative and no required local advertising spend; Item 11 recommends, but does not require, 5% of gross revenues on marketing.
Item 19 reports sales plus two cost ratios, and no earnings figure. The main table covers 609 U.S. franchised centers that reported all twelve months of calendar 2025 — 79% of centers reporting, from 775 U.S. centers open at year end. They averaged $769,858 in annual gross sales against a median of $559,528, and only 199 of them (33%) reached the average; reported sales spanned $70,571 to $15,969,537. A second table isolates the top 144 and bottom 144 reporting centers, with ranges of $1,002,267 to $15,969,537 and $70,571 to $349,057. A February 2026 survey answered by 90 of 775 U.S. franchisees produced a cost-of-goods-sold average of 33.06% of sales and a labor cost average of 21.59%, the latter excluding one owner. Rent, royalty, marketing, equipment payments, financing and owner compensation are not disclosed in the reviewed source, so Item 19 shows what centers sell and two input costs, not what an owner earns. The data are unaudited and self-reported, and international centers are excluded.
Item 20 shows steady growth on a worldwide basis. Franchised outlets rose from 972 to 996 in 2023, to 1,016 in 2024 and to 1,039 in 2025, net gains of 24, 20 and 23, with openings of 42, 39 and 33. Minuteman recorded 2 terminations and 3 non-renewals in 2023 and none in either later year; all remaining exits — 13, 19 and 10 outlets — are booked as ceased operations for other reasons. Transfers to new owners ran 55, 62 and 42, a large share of resale activity for a system of about a thousand outlets. There are no company-owned outlets in any year. Table No. 5 projects a wide 5-to-77 range of new franchised outlets for the next fiscal year and no signed-but-unopened agreements.
The main structural features are the absence of any exclusive territory, a 35-year initial term with a 35-year renewal, compulsory sourcing of the equipment package and software from the franchisor, arbitration and then courts confined to New York, and a two-year five-mile post-term non-compete. Item 3 discloses five matters: one pending Alberta arbitration by former franchisees that produced a December 2025 award dismissing most claims but assessing limited damages against Minuteman over undisclosed information in a resale, two settled franchisee disputes, a 1994 Washington consent order, and a 1993 FTC action resolved by a 1998 injunction restricting earnings claims. Item 4 discloses no bankruptcies. No minimum liquidity or net worth requirement is disclosed in the reviewed source, and the document does not state whether owners must personally guarantee the franchise agreement.
View ratings and their supporting evidence
Transparent ratings
How these are computedEach dimension is scored 1–5 from published formulas. Missing data yields “Not enough evidence to rate”, never a low score. There is no composite score by design.
How the system has performed, computed from the disclosed Items 7, 19 and 20. Figures a documented material source inconsistency puts in doubt are excluded, and the dimension shows “Not rated”.
Inputs
- Franchised outlets 717 → 775 (Item 20, Table 3)
- Thresholds: ≥15% → 5; 5–15% → 4; 0–5% → 3; −5–0% → 2; below −5% → 1
Inputs
- Attrition = (terminations + non-renewals + reacquisitions + ceased-other) ÷ start-of-year franchised units, averaged over 3 fiscal years
- Thresholds: <2% → 5; 2–4% → 4; 4–6% → 3; 6–10% → 2; >10% → 1
Inputs
- AUV $769,858 (disclosed) ÷ midpoint investment $177,349 = 4.34×
- Thresholds: ≥2.0 → 5; 1.5–2.0 → 4; 1.0–1.5 → 3; 0.7–1.0 → 2; <0.7 → 1
How much this brand’s FDD discloses, and how well-supported our data on it is. This measures transparency, not business performance — a strong business that discloses little scores low here and stays unrated above.
Inputs
- Item 19 present (+1)
- Average plus median or a distribution (+1)
- Population 79% of franchised units, clearly described (+1)
- Cost or profit data disclosed (+1)
- Multi-year or cohort data (+1)
- Franchisor Track Record
- Franchising 51 years (since 1975) · 1,039 outlets · Item 3: 5 matter(s) disclosed · Item 4: none disclosed
- Multi-Unit Scalability
- No area development or multi-unit agreement is offered in this document. Item 12 states the franchisee has no option, right of first refusal or similar right… · Manager-run permitted
- Operational Intensity
- Manager-run permitted
Initial investment
FDD Items 5 and 7Format shown: New single-unit Minuteman Press center on a leased retail site, with the required equipment package leased rather than purchased (Item 7 'leased' totals column)
$138,351–$216,346 total initial investment. Excludes real estate purchase. Includes 6 months of additional funds.
View full investment breakdown — Items 5 & 7
| Initial franchise fee (the named Item 5 fee only) | $48,500 Disclosed
Standard fee for a new Center, inclusive of the refundable $5,500 pre-signing deposit that is credited toward it (leaving $43,000 due at closing). The $35,000 Transfer/Training Fee (existing Center) and $35,000 Additional Center Fee (existing franchisee) are separate, non-standard cases; a $10,000 veteran discount is not the standard low end. |
|---|---|
| Other required initial payments to the franchisor (Item 5) |
|
| Total Item 5 payments to franchisor/affiliates | $158,057 Derived
|
| Total initial investment — low | $138,351 Disclosed
Low end of the Item 7 total when the equipment package is leased. |
| Total initial investment — high | $216,346 Disclosed
High end of the Item 7 total when the equipment package is leased. |
| Midpoint of range | $177,349 Derived
|
| Real estate purchase included? | No — assumes a leased site |
| Additional funds assumed | 6 months |
| Required liquid capital | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. No minimum liquid capital requirement appears on the cover pages or in Items 1, 5, 7 or 15 of the reviewed document. |
| Required net worth | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. No minimum net worth requirement appears in the reviewed document. |
Item 7 shows one table with two total rows: leased equipment ($138,351 to $216,346) and equipment purchased outright ($237,064 to $315,064). The cover page repeats both ranges and states that $38,995 to $56,495 of the investment is paid to the franchisor or its affiliates. The totals assume a leased retail site of initially 750 to 1,200 square feet and exclude any purchase of land or buildings. Our arithmetic check: the leased low and high foot exactly to $138,351 and $216,346 when the reconditioned equipment package row is excluded, and the purchase-outright low of $237,064 equals the leased low less the $9,444 lessor deposit plus the $108,157 purchase price. The printed purchase-outright high of $315,064 is $5 above the $315,059 that the same substitution produces. 'Additional funds' covers 0 to 6 months.
Item 7 line items (15)
| Expenditure | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee — $48,500 for a new franchisee; $35,000 for an existing franchisee opening an additional center. A buyer of an existing center pays a $35,000 transfer/training fee instead. | $35,000 | $48,500 |
| Real estate (rent) — Retail location of initially 750 to 1,200 square feet, typically a strip center, standalone building, industrial center or attached storefront. | $1,500 | $10,000 |
| Real estate security deposit | $3,000 | $10,000 |
| Equipment package deposit (if leased) — Paid to the lessor; amount may vary by leasing company. Included in the leased totals in place of the $108,157 purchase price. | $9,444 | $9,444 |
| Equipment package (purchase) — 2026 Equipment Package bought from Minuteman; included only in the purchase-outright totals. | $108,157 | $108,157 |
| Xerox leased equipment — Monthly lease payment to Xerox. | $907 | $907 |
| Equipment package (reconditioned, if available) — Leased or rented from ML Leasing or a third-party lessor. This row is not included in either printed total. | $1,000 | $1,800 |
| IT/computer and networking | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| Software — FLEX Management Software licence; included when the new equipment package is purchased, otherwise $7,995 (or $3,995 to $7,995 for an existing center). | $0 | $7,995 |
| Insurance (6 months) | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Shipping — Payable to Minuteman or ML Leasing. | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Professional fees — Legal and accounting services, including review of the franchise agreement. | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| Utility deposits | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Business licenses | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Additional funds (0-6 months) — Item 7 states these are estimates for the initial phase only and that a franchisee should not expect to be profitable when they are exhausted. | $75,000 | $100,000 |
Source for every row: the Item 7 estimated-initial-investment table of 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc. (table begins PDF p. 15) — rows inherit the table's citation rather than carrying fifteen identical ones.
Other formats disclosed in Item 7 (1)
| Format | Low | High | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same single-unit center with the equipment package purchased outright | $237,064 | $315,064 | $48,500 |
Ongoing fees
FDD Item 6Royalty
6% of gross sales Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-03-31
- Item
- Item 6 — Other Fees table — Royalty
- Page
- PDF p. 13
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 640316
6% of total gross revenue, payable monthly by the 10th of the following month by electronic funds transfer. Gross revenue is all sales from the franchise location excluding sales tax. The royalty is waived for the first two months for a new franchise. Late payment carries a charge of up to $10 per day plus a $100 late report fee. Minuteman also runs a discretionary Royalty Incentive Program under which a compliant franchisee's royalty is capped at a percentage of a set 'Maximum Gross Billing Amount', with sales above that amount not royalty-bearing; the FDD states Minuteman may raise that amount or discontinue the program.
Brand advertising fund
0% of gross sales Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-03-31
- Item
- Item 11 — Advertising
- Page
- PDF p. 22
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 640316
No brand or national advertising fund contribution is required. Item 11 states Minuteman currently has no required advertising program and no advertising council; Item 6 lists no advertising fee.
Local marketing
0% of gross sales Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-03-31
- Item
- Item 11 — Advertising
- Page
- PDF p. 22
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 640316
No contractual minimum local advertising spend is imposed. Item 11 recommends, but does not require, spending at least an amount equal to 5% of gross revenues each year on direct marketing and local advertising, including digital advertising, pay-per-click and search engine optimisation, and recommends a classified directory listing. Franchisee-created materials must be submitted to Minuteman for approval, normally answered within 30 days.
Core requirements shown separately; caps, credits and conditions may overlap. Check the full schedule for technology, cooperative, transfer and other charges.
View all recurring fees and conditions
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales Disclosed
6% of total gross revenue, payable monthly by the 10th of the following month by electronic funds transfer. Gross revenue is all sales from the franchise location excluding sales tax. The royalty is waived for the first two months for a new franchise. Late payment carries a charge of up to $10 per day plus a $100 late report fee. Minuteman also runs a discretionary Royalty Incentive Program under which a compliant franchisee's royalty is capped at a percentage of a set 'Maximum Gross Billing Amount', with sales above that amount not royalty-bearing; the FDD states Minuteman may raise that amount or discontinue the program. 6% of total gross revenue, payable monthly by the 10th of the following month by electronic funds transfer. Gross revenue is all sales from the franchise location excluding sales tax. The royalty is waived for the first two months for a new franchise. Late payment carries a charge of up to $10 per day plus a $100 late report fee. Minuteman also runs a discretionary Royalty Incentive Program under which a compliant franchisee's royalty is capped at a percentage of a set 'Maximum Gross Billing Amount', with sales above that amount not royalty-bearing; the FDD states Minuteman may raise that amount or discontinue the program. |
|---|---|
| Advertising / brand fund | 0% of gross sales Disclosed
No brand or national advertising fund contribution is required. Item 11 states Minuteman currently has no required advertising program and no advertising council; Item 6 lists no advertising fee. No brand or national advertising fund contribution is required. Item 11 states Minuteman currently has no required advertising program and no advertising council; Item 6 lists no advertising fee. |
| Required local marketing | 0% of gross sales Disclosed
No contractual minimum local advertising spend is imposed. Item 11 recommends, but does not require, spending at least an amount equal to 5% of gross revenues each year on direct marketing and local advertising, including digital advertising, pay-per-click and search engine optimisation, and recommends a classified directory listing. Franchisee-created materials must be submitted to Minuteman for approval, normally answered within 30 days. No contractual minimum local advertising spend is imposed. Item 11 recommends, but does not require, spending at least an amount equal to 5% of gross revenues each year on direct marketing and local advertising, including digital advertising, pay-per-click and search engine optimisation, and recommends a classified directory listing. Franchisee-created materials must be submitted to Minuteman for approval, normally answered within 30 days. |
| Technology / software | $405/year Disclosed
Recurring annual support and maintenance fee for the required FLEX Management Software, payable on the anniversary of the software licence and subject to increase. The licence itself is a one-time $7,995 (included when the new equipment package is purchased from Minuteman; $3,995 to $7,995 when acquiring an existing center). Separately, website hosting and maintenance runs $0 to $395 per month and an internet marketing program (SEO/SEM) runs $280 to $3,000 per month, currently optional. Recurring annual support and maintenance fee for the required FLEX Management Software, payable on the anniversary of the software licence and subject to increase. The licence itself is a one-time $7,995 (included when the new equipment package is purchased from Minuteman; $3,995 to $7,995 when acquiring an existing center). Separately, website hosting and maintenance runs $0 to $395 per month and an internet marketing program (SEO/SEM) runs $280 to $3,000 per month, currently optional. |
| Advertising cooperative | 0% of gross sales Disclosed
Item 11 states Minuteman does not provide advertising through a franchisor-sponsored or other cooperative, has no local or regional advertising cooperatives, and that the franchise agreement does not require a franchisee to join one. Item 11 states Minuteman does not provide advertising through a franchisor-sponsored or other cooperative, has no local or regional advertising cooperatives, and that the franchise agreement does not require a franchisee to join one. |
| Transfer fee | $35,000 one-time Disclosed
The greater of $35,000 or the then-current fee, paid by the purchaser of an existing center at closing. Where it applies, the $48,500 initial franchise fee is not payable. A verified U.S. military veteran buyer receives $5,000 off (Item 5). The greater of $35,000 or the then-current fee, paid by the purchaser of an existing center at closing. Where it applies, the $48,500 initial franchise fee is not payable. A verified U.S. military veteran buyer receives $5,000 off (Item 5). |
| Renewal fee | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. Item 17 sets out renewal conditions (written notice, no default, signing the then-current agreement and releases) but states no renewal fee, and Item 6 lists none. |
| Royalty + ad fund (% of sales) | 6% Derived
|
Fee schedule (13 fees; 12 verified against the source, 1 single-pass)
Every recurring, conditional and one-time fee found in this FDD's Item 6 table (plus mandatory recurring costs disclosed in Items 7/11), each cited to its page and carrying its verification status: verified means two independent readings agreed or a tie-break re-inspection of the page decided it; single-pass means one reading captured it and it has not been independently confirmed (permitted only for fees that cannot move modeled economics — see the materiality rule). Amounts marked “not stated” are charged at then-current rates the FDD does not quantify and are never modeled as $0.
| Fee | Amount | Frequency | Mandatory | Verification | Cite | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales | monthly | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Waived for the first two months for a new franchise. Late charge up to $10/day plus a $100 late report fee. Discretionary Royalty Incentive Program may cap royalty above an undisclosed 'Maximum Gross Billing Amount'; Minuteman may modify or discontinue the program. |
| FLEX Management Software annual support and maintenance fee | $405 | annual | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Payable on the anniversary date of the software license; subject to increase. One-time license fee ($7,995 new, or $3,995-$7,995 for an existing center's software) is separate and not recurring; see id flex-software-license. |
| FLEX Management Software license fee | $0–$7,995 | one time | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 7, p. 15 | Included at no charge when a new Center purchases the 2026 Equipment Package from Minuteman; $7,995 if the package is not purchased; $3,995 to $7,995 when acquiring an existing Center running third-party software or an older FLEX version. Neither pass's $3,995 low is right for the modelled new Center: Item 7 prints the range as $0 - $7,995, and $3,995 is only the floor of the existing-Center case (Item 6 note 2, PDF page 13/14; Item 7 note 6, PDF page 16). Pass A's amount_type 'tiered' with an empty tiers array and Pass B's mandatory:false are both corrected - the licence is required, only its price varies. Pass B's overlaps_with 'equipment-package' is dropped because no such id exists in the fee census (the equipment package is an Item 7 investment line, not a schedule entry); the bundling is recorded in model_note instead. |
| Website | $0–$395 | monthly | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Fee for monthly hosting and maintenance of the franchisee's website. |
| Internet Marketing Program | $280–$3,000 | monthly | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Currently optional; Minuteman reserves the right to require a minimal spending level in the future. |
| Audit | Not stated | per event | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Payable only if an audit shows an understatement of Gross Revenue greater than 2%, or if an audit is necessary due to failure to furnish required reports. |
| Additional Training (hotel, food and airfare) | Not stated | varies | No | verified (tie-break) | Item 6, p. 13 | Applies only when the franchisee requests training beyond the initial 10-day program or sends additional trainees. Minuteman pays the cost of training, transportation and lodging for one owner for the initial 10 days only, and pays no compensation for services performed during additional training. Pass B's 'additional-training-travel' is the same Item 6 row under a different id; keep this single entry and drop the duplicate. Frequency resolved to 'varies' because the Item 6 Due Date column reads 'As incurred', which is not a defined event; the Item 11 pre-opening obligation 5 (PDF page 21) supplies the initial-program carve-out. |
| Transfer/Training Fee | $35,000 | one time | Yes | verified (2-pass) | Item 6, p. 13 | Applies only to the purchase of an existing Center (replaces the standard initial franchise fee). Not a recurring fee; included for completeness of the census. |
| Recommended local advertising/marketing spend | 5% of gross sales | annual | No | verified (2-pass) | Item 11, p. 22 | Not a contractual requirement -- explicitly a recommendation only. |
| Xerox Leased Equipment | $907 | monthly | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 7, p. 14 | Monthly lease payment to Xerox, not to Minuteman. Item 10 states Xerox requires a personal guarantee from the franchisee and spouse and that the lease cannot be prepaid without penalty. In scope: the pass instructions extend the census to recurring obligations stated in Items 7, 11 and 12, and this row is printed with method of payment 'Lease Payment' and when due 'Monthly'. The lease term is not disclosed in Item 7, so the number of years it runs is unknown. |
| Insurance | $4,000–$6,000derived | annual | Yes | verified (tie-break) | Item 7, p. 15 | The franchisee must maintain the policies Minuteman requires at its sole expense; see Item 8 for minimum coverages. Cost varies with landlord requirements and local insurance rates. Paid to a third-party insurer, not to Minuteman, but required by Item 8, so it is a mandatory recurring cost of operation. Only the six-month figure is disclosed; any consumer-facing display should show the disclosed $2,000-$3,000 per six months alongside the derived annual figure. |
| Recommended accounting/bookkeeping services | $200–$500 | monthly | No | verified (tie-break) | Item 7, p. 16 | Recommendation only, in Item 7 note 8. Neither the franchise agreement nor Item 6 requires the franchisee to retain a bookkeeper. Page corrected from Pass B's 15 to PDF page 16, where note 8 actually appears (verified with page_of.py). Included with mandatory false, consistent with the census already carrying other non-mandatory items (recommended local advertising, the optional Internet Marketing Program). |
| Royalty late charge and late report fee | $10 | per event | No | single-pass | Item 6, p. 13 | Applies only when the royalty payment or royalty statement is submitted after the 10th of the month. [Listed by one verification pass only (B); not independently confirmed.] Item 6 footnote 1. |
Item 6 lists only six fee types: royalty, FLEX software, website, internet marketing, audit and transfer/training. There is no advertising fund, advertising cooperative or required local advertising spend. All fees are payable to Minuteman and non-refundable unless stated otherwise.
Financial performance (Item 19)
What the franchisor actually disclosedWho is represented: Table No. 1 covers 609 U.S. franchised centers, stated as 79% of centers reporting, that were operational for the whole prior calendar year and reported sales for all twelve months of calendar 2025. It excludes owners not operational for the entire calendar year, those that failed to report all twelve months, and those under audit. As of December 31, 2025 there were 775 U.S. franchised centers and 1,039 franchised centers worldwide; international centers are not in Table No. 1 and there are no company-owned outlets. Table No. 2 reports only the 144 highest-selling and 144 lowest-selling reporting centers, each 18.5% of the system. Table No. 3 covers the 90 U.S. franchisees (11% of 775) who responded to a February 2026 Business Management Survey.
Qualifications: The representation is unaudited and built from data reported by franchisees; the FDD states no certified public accountant has audited or opined on it. Table No. 1 leaves out 166 of the 775 U.S. centers, all 264 international centers, and any center that was not operational for the whole prior calendar year, failed to report twelve months, or was under audit, so the reporting population is skewed toward established centers. The average of $769,858 sits well above the $559,528 median and only 33% of reporting centers reached it. Table No. 2 shows only the two 144-center tails of the distribution, and the FDD itself states the Million Dollar Club figures are not representative or typical of the system; its narrative describes the table as covering centers worldwide while its notes and population refer to U.S. centers, and note 1 cites 164 qualifying centers against the 144 shown in the table. Table No. 3 rests on 90 self-selected survey responses, 11% of U.S. centers, and covers only cost of goods sold and labor; rent, royalty, marketing, equipment lease payments, debt service, insurance and owner compensation are not disclosed, so no profit, margin or cash-flow figure appears anywhere in Item 19. Minuteman states written substantiation is available on reasonable request.
View full Item 19 disclosure and tables
Item 19 is a historical sales representation with two cost ratios attached, and no earnings figure. The headline table covers 609 U.S. franchised centers that reported a full twelve months of calendar 2025 — 79% of centers reporting, out of 775 U.S. centers open at year end. Those centers averaged $769,858 in annual gross sales against a median of $559,528, and only 199 of them, one in three, reached the average. Reported sales spanned $70,571 to $15,969,537, and a separate table isolates the top 144 and bottom 144 reporting centers, whose ranges were $1,002,267 to $15,969,537 and $70,571 to $349,057. A February 2026 survey answered by 90 franchisees produced a cost of goods sold average of 33.06% of gross sales and a labor cost average of 21.59%, the labor figure excluding one owner. Because Item 19 discloses no rent, royalty, advertising, equipment, financing or owner-compensation costs, and no company-owned units exist for comparison, the item shows what centers sell and two of their input costs, not what an owner takes home. International centers and centers open less than a full prior calendar year are excluded throughout.
| Metric | Subset | Value | Units | Period | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual gross sales — average, reporting U.S. franchised centers 33% of units met or exceeded 199 of the 609 reporting centers (33%) attained or surpassed the average. | 609 U.S. franchised centers reporting all 12 months of 2025 Average | $769,858 | 609 | CY2025 | FDD p.33 |
| Annual gross sales — median, reporting U.S. franchised centers The FDD states approximately 50% of the centers in Table No. 1 met or exceeded the stated median. | 609 U.S. franchised centers reporting all 12 months of 2025 Median | $559,528 | 609 | CY2025 | FDD p.33 |
| Annual gross sales — lowest reported center Stated range of reported annual sales in the Table No. 1 study. | 609 U.S. franchised centers reporting all 12 months of 2025 Low | $70,571 | 609 | CY2025 | FDD p.33 |
| Annual gross sales — highest reported center Stated range of reported annual sales in the Table No. 1 study. | 609 U.S. franchised centers reporting all 12 months of 2025 High | $15,969,537 | 609 | CY2025 | FDD p.33 |
| Annual gross sales — low end of the 144 top-performing centers Table No. 2 reports only the low and high of this subset, not its average or median. | Top 144 reporting centers (18.5% of system) Low | $1,002,267 | 144 | CY2025 | FDD p.34 |
| Annual gross sales — high end of the 144 top-performing centers Same figure as the high of the Table No. 1 population. | Top 144 reporting centers (18.5% of system) High | $15,969,537 | 144 | CY2025 | FDD p.34 |
| Annual gross sales — low end of the 144 bottom-performing centers Table No. 2 reports only the low and high of this subset. | Bottom 144 reporting centers (18.5% of system) Low | $70,571 | 144 | CY2025 | FDD p.34 |
| Annual gross sales — high end of the 144 bottom-performing centers Table No. 2 reports only the low and high of this subset. | Bottom 144 reporting centers (18.5% of system) High | $349,057 | 144 | CY2025 | FDD p.34 |
| U.S. centers attaining President's Million Dollar Circle membership (gross sales above $1,000,000) Note 1 to Table No. 2 states 164 U.S. centers attained membership, while the table itself lists 144 top-performing centers; the FDD does not reconcile the two figures. | All 775 U.S. franchised centers at Dec 31, 2025 Count | 164 | 775 | CY2025 | FDD p.34 |
| Cost of goods sold as a percentage of gross sales — median, survey respondents Cost of goods sold is defined as the percentage of sales revenue spent on paper, outside purchases and services, click charges and other production materials. | 90 U.S. franchisees responding to the February 2026 Business Management Survey Median | 33% | 90 | CY2025 | FDD p.35 |
| Cost of goods sold as a percentage of gross sales — average, survey respondents 42.2% of units met or exceeded 38 of the 90 respondents (42.2%) attained or surpassed the average. | 90 U.S. franchisees responding to the February 2026 Business Management Survey Average | 33.06% | 90 | CY2025 | FDD p.35 |
| Labor costs as a percentage of gross sales — median, survey respondents Labor costs are defined as wages, payroll taxes and benefits, excluding one franchise owner. | 90 U.S. franchisees responding to the February 2026 Business Management Survey Median | 22% | 90 | CY2025 | FDD p.35 |
| Labor costs as a percentage of gross sales — average, survey respondents 48.8% of units met or exceeded 44 of the 90 respondents (48.8%) attained or surpassed the average. | 90 U.S. franchisees responding to the February 2026 Business Management Survey Average | 21.59% | 90 | CY2025 | FDD p.35 |
System health (Item 20)
Outlets, openings, exits and transfers by fiscal yearView detailed Item 20 tables and source notes
| Fiscal year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Not renewed | Reacquired | Ceased — other | End | Transfers | Company-owned (end) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 717 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 742 | 55 | 0 |
| 2024 | 742 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 754 | 62 | 0 |
| 2025 | 754 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 775 | 42 | 0 |
Disclosed 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc., Item 20, Tables 1–3 (PDF p. 36). Tables No. 1 and No. 3 report worldwide outlets. Table No. 3 also breaks the totals into Total USA (717 to 742 in 2023, 742 to 754 in 2024, 754 to 775 in 2025) and Total International (254 to 253, 253 to 262, 262 to 264). All three years foot: start plus openings less closures equals the year-end count. There were no company-owned outlets at any point in the three years and Table No. 4 is entirely zeros. Minuteman recorded 2 terminations and 3 non-renewals in 2023 and none in 2024 or 2025; all other exits — 13, 19 and 10 outlets — are classified as 'ceased operations for other reasons'. Transfers to new owners other than the franchisor ran 55, 62 and 42 across the three years, a meaningful share of a roughly 1,000-outlet system. Item 20 also states that some current and former franchisees have signed provisions restricting their ability to speak openly about their experience.
Source data notes (10) — inconsistencies found in the FDD itself during verification
Our verification re-reads every table. Where the FDD's own printed tables disagree, we document the discrepancy rather than silently "fixing" it. Classes: B = arithmetic error in the source's derived column; C = the printed tables genuinely disagree; D = a legitimate definitional difference (e.g., transfers netted, explained by a footnote); E = unresolved ambiguity. Figures a material C/E issue puts in doubt are excluded from our derived metrics, scores and rankings.
- [A/material] Table 3: The record's item20.franchised_status and item20.system_summary for FY2023-FY2025 were populated from Table No. 3's combined worldwide 'Total' row (972->996, 996->1,016, 1,016->1,039) rather than the 'Total USA' row, even though Table No. 3 reports U.S. and international separately and the verification rule calls for the TOTAL row of the U.S. table. item20.us_only is set to false, so the basis is declared, but the figures are not comparable with the U.S.-only counts used for peer brands. — Rebase to Table No. 3 'Total USA' (PDF page 47): FY2023 start 717, opened 37, terminations 2, non-renewals 2, reacquired 0, ceased-other 8, end 742; FY2024 742/24/0/0/0/12/754; FY2025 754/28/0/0/0/7/775. Set us_only to true. The 2025 end figure of 775 is independently corroborated by Item 19 note 1 ('As of December 31, 2025, there were 775 franchised Centers in the U.S.') and the 49 state rows sum exactly to the Total USA row in all three years.
- [D/material] Table 1 vs Table 3: Table No. 1 (Systemwide Outlet Summary, PDF page 36) is worldwide and is not split into U.S. and international sub-tables, while Table No. 3 is. Table No. 1's franchised row (972->996, 996->1,016, 1,016->1,039) matches only the worldwide 'Total' row of Table No. 3, never the 'Total USA' row, so Table No. 1 cannot be used as a cross-check on any U.S.-only count. This definitional difference is what led the record to the worldwide basis. — Legitimate difference of table scope, not a source error: Table No. 1 is systemwide by UFOC definition. Any U.S.-only outlet count must be taken from Table No. 3 'Total USA' (742 / 754 / 775); Table No. 1 should be used only to corroborate the worldwide Total row, which it does exactly for all three years.
- [C/minor] Table 3 2023: Table No. 3 does not cross-foot for 2023-2024: 'Total USA' plus 'Total Int'l' is 971 at the start of 2023 and 995 at the end of 2023 (and 995 at the start of 2024), but the worldwide 'Total' row prints 972, 996 and 996. The one-outlet gap closes at the end of 2024 because the Total row reports 19 outlets ceased for other reasons while USA (12) plus Int'l (6) is 18. From 2025 the three rows reconcile exactly (754 + 262 = 1,016 start; 775 + 264 = 1,039 end). — The printed rows genuinely disagree: 'Total USA 2023 717 37 2 2 0 8 742' plus 'Total Int'l 2023 254 5 0 1 0 5 253' sums to 971/995, against 'Total 2023 972 42 2 3 0 13 996' (PDF page 47). Every row nevertheless foots internally and every year-end carries forward to the next year-start. Both candidate totals are independently corroborated - the worldwide Total row by Table No. 1 and the Total USA row by Item 19's 775 and by the sum of the 49 state rows - so the one-outlet gap sits in an unreported international or unallocated outlet. At 1 outlet it is about 0.1% of the 972 start-of-year base, far below the 0.5% threshold, and does not change the direction of growth in any year.
- [D/minor] Table 3 vs Item 19 2025: Both passes observed that Table No. 3 'Total USA' end-of-2025 (775) is independently confirmed by Item 19 note 1, which states 'As of December 31, 2025, there were 775 franchised Centers in the U.S.' Item 19 repeats the 775 figure three times, including as the survey population. — Not a defect - a corroboration. It settles which Table No. 3 row is the U.S. count (775, not the worldwide 1,039) and is the strongest evidence supporting the rebasing in the first issue above.
- [D/minor] Table 3: Both passes recomputed Table No. 3 and agreed that every row foots internally (start + opened - terminations - non-renewals - reacquired - ceased = end) for Total USA, Total Int'l and Total in all three years, that year-end to next-year-start carry-forward is clean in all three rows, and that the 49 U.S. state rows sum exactly to the Total USA row in each year (717/37/2/2/0/8/742, 742/24/0/0/0/12/754, 754/28/0/0/0/7/775). — Not a defect - independently reproduced here. No arithmetic anomaly exists inside any single row; the only cross-row problem is the 2023-2024 one-outlet gap classified separately above.
- [D/minor] Table 2: Table No. 2 (Transfers) lists U.S. states only and has no international rows, so its totals (55, 62, 42) are a U.S.-only measure, whereas the record's outlet counts were taken on a worldwide basis. The 2023 state rows were recomputed and sum exactly to the printed total of 55. — Legitimate table-definition difference: the transfer table is U.S.-scoped by construction and its printed totals are correct as recorded. The mismatch is entirely a by-product of the worldwide outlet basis - a transfer rate of 55/972 understates the true U.S. rate of 55/717. It resolves itself once franchised_status is rebased to Total USA.
- [D/minor] Table 4: Table No. 4 shows zeros in every cell for United States, International and Total across 2023-2025, consistent with Table No. 1's company row, with the all-zero 'reacquired by franchisor' column in Table No. 3, and with Item 12's statement that Minuteman operates no company-owned stores. — Not a defect - four independent parts of the FDD agree that there are no company-owned outlets. The record's company_owned_status zeros are correct.
- [D/minor] Table 5 2026: Table No. 5 gives no point estimate for projected openings: the Total row reads '-0- 5-77 -0-' and every state is a range such as '0-1' or '1-5'. This is also the source of the validator warning ('/item20/projected_openings_next_year: value null but evidence "disclosed" (expected not_disclosed)'). — Legitimate disclosure form, not an error: the FDD adds an explanatory paragraph that 'The projected range is broad to reflect that new franchise openings may vary significantly from year to year.' Schema $defs.fact_number has no range_high, so keep value null and change evidence from 'disclosed' to 'not_disclosed' to clear the validator warning, retaining the 5-77 range in the note. Do not record 5 as the projection.
- [E/minor] Table 5 2025: Table No. 5 reports '-0-' franchise agreements signed but outlet not opened for every single state and for the Total at December 31, 2025, even though the U.S. system opened 28 outlets in 2025 and projects up to 77 next year. A pipeline of exactly zero signed-but-unopened agreements at fiscal year end is unusual for a system of this size. — Unresolved: the FDD offers no footnote or explanation, and nothing elsewhere in Item 20, Item 1 or Item 19 corroborates or contradicts a zero backlog, so it cannot be told from the document whether this is a true zero or a reporting convention. Record the printed 0 as disclosed but do not present it as evidence of a stalled pipeline; the projected 5-77 openings imply otherwise.
- [D/minor] Table 3: U.S. terminations and non-renewals are reported as zero in both 2024 and 2025 (2023: 2 terminations, 2 non-renewals), so all U.S. attrition in the last two years is booked to 'ceased operations - other reasons' (12 in 2024, 7 in 2025). The same pattern holds in the worldwide Total row (0 and 0 terminations, 19 and 10 ceased-other). — A classification convention within the table, not an arithmetic error: total exits and the printed end-of-year totals are unaffected and foot correctly. It does mean any termination-rate metric reads as zero for 2024-2025 while total attrition is 12 and 7 outlets, so attrition should be derived from total exits (terminations + non-renewals + reacquired + ceased-other), not from the termination column alone.
Company-owned outlets (Table 4)
| Year | Start | Opened | Reacquired from franchisee | Closed | Sold to franchisee | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Read: How to read Item 20.
Ownership and operations
Items 11, 12, 15, 17Manager-run permitted Disclosed
- Source
- 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Document
- FDD 2026, issued 2026-03-31
- Item
- Item 15
- Page
- PDF p. 29
- Obtained
- Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search, file 640316
must devote full-time and best efforts to the management and operation of the Center
Item 15 requires the franchisee — or, for an entity, a principal or general partner — or a fully trained manager to devote full time and best efforts to managing the center, and the center must at all times be under the direct on-premises supervision of a manager who has attended Minuteman's training program. Minuteman does not approve the choice of manager and the manager need not hold equity, but a non-operating owner's manager must attend training, sign a confidentiality agreement and accept a non-compete lasting two years after employment ends.
View operating requirements, territory and contract term
| Owner involvement (Item 15) | Manager-run permitted Disclosed
Item 15 requires the franchisee — or, for an entity, a principal or general partner — or a fully trained manager to devote full time and best efforts to managing the center, and the center must at all times be under the direct on-premises supervision of a manager who has attended Minuteman's training program. Minuteman does not approve the choice of manager and the manager need not hold equity, but a non-operating owner's manager must attend training, sign a confidentiality agreement and accept a non-compete lasting two years after employment ends. Item 15 requires the franchisee — or, for an entity, a principal or general partner — or a fully trained manager to devote full time and best efforts to managing the center, and the center must at all times be under the direct on-premises supervision of a manager who has attended Minuteman's training program. Minuteman does not approve the choice of manager and the manager need not hold equity, but a non-operating owner's manager must attend training, sign a confidentiality agreement and accept a non-compete lasting two years after employment ends. |
|---|---|
| Initial training | A 10-day initial training program held over a two-week period, conducted from Minuteman's headquarters in Farmingdale, New York or, at Minuteman's discretion, by video conference or other remote means. The franchisee must attend and complete it to Minuteman's satisfaction before opening. Minuteman pays the cost of training, transportation and lodging for one owner; the franchisee pays travel and lodging for any additional trainees, and training for managers and employees is offered free of charge on the same basis. Minuteman also provides a qualified field representative on site for at least 60 hours during initial set-up and opening. Disclosed
The Item 11 table lists 12 subject blocks; summing its rows gives roughly 64 classroom hours and 88 on-the-job hours, and the FDD states the hours are approximate and subject to change. Topics run from owning and managing the business, marketing and budgeting, through management software, pricing and invoicing, design and graphics, offset and digital printing, finishing and bindery, QuickBooks recordkeeping, paper selection, direct mail and franchise reporting. Item 11 puts 6 to 12 weeks between signing the franchise agreement and opening. |
| Multi-unit / development options | No area development or multi-unit agreement is offered in this document. Item 12 states the franchisee has no option, right of first refusal or similar right to acquire additional franchises; Minuteman will consider a request based on the franchisee not being in default, the financial history and stability of the existing business, and demonstrated ability, competency and management at the existing center. An existing franchisee who is approved for an additional center pays a reduced initial franchise fee of $35,000 rather than $48,500. Disclosed
The reduced additional-center fee is stated in Item 5 (page 12) and repeated in Item 7 note 1. |
| Territory (Item 12) | No exclusive or protected territory is granted. The franchisee operates from a single Minuteman-approved location and may face competition from other franchisees, from outlets Minuteman owns, and from other channels of distribution or competitive brands Minuteman controls. Minuteman states it has no company-owned stores and no present plans to open them, and no present intention to sell through alternative distribution channels such as the internet, catalogues, telemarketing or direct marketing, but reserves the right to do both without the franchisee's consent and without paying the franchisee any compensation. Because there is no territory, no minimum performance condition attaches to keeping one. Relocation is permitted only with written approval, conditioned on the franchisee not being in default and on Minuteman's assessment of the proposed site's proximity to other Minuteman centers and competitors. Disclosed
|
| Initial term | 35 years Disclosed
Section 7 of the franchise agreement. The software licence term runs from signature of the software licence agreement for the duration of the franchise agreement. |
| Renewal | Item 17 states a renewal or extension term of 35 years. To renew, the franchisee must give written notice, must not be in default, must sign the then-current form of franchise agreement and must sign releases. The FDD warns that the renewal agreement may contain materially different terms and conditions from the original. No renewal fee is stated. Disclosed
|
| Staffing | Item 7 states the franchisee needs a retail location of initially 750 to 1,200 square feet, typically in a strip center, standalone building, industrial center or attached storefront. Item 15 requires a competent and trained staff and direct on-premises supervision by a trained manager. The FDD does not state a typical headcount, payroll or operating hours; Item 19 reports labor costs averaging 21.59% of gross sales among 90 survey respondents, excluding one owner. Disclosed
|
Risk and legal observations
Items 3, 4, 8, 15, 17 — summarized neutrallyLitigation: 5 matter(s) disclosed Disclosed · Bankruptcy: None disclosed Disclosed
View legal disclosures, restrictions and guarantees
| Litigation (Item 3) | 5 matter(s) disclosed Disclosed Item 3 lists five matters and states that no other litigation is required to be disclosed. One is pending: a May 2012 claim in Alberta by former franchisees alleging misrepresentation, non-disclosure and breach of contract in connection with the resale of a center. That action was stayed and moved to arbitration; in separate arbitration confirmed by an Alberta court in January 2018, Minuteman obtained a judgment for unpaid royalties of C$39,666 plus costs and interest, confirmation that the franchise agreement was terminated, and an injunction against further use of its marks. A final hearing in the franchisees' original arbitration was held in September 2025 and an award dated December 1, 2025 dismissed most claims, found that Minuteman had provided accurate business information and the required support, and concluded that Minuteman should have disclosed additional information about two former employees of the selling franchisee. Limited damages were awarded, producing a net award of about C$23,500 to the corporate claimant plus C$5,500 and US$15,985 to the individual claimant after offsets for Minuteman's earlier judgment; only costs remain to be decided. Two franchisee matters are concluded. A Kansas case in which a former franchisee added Minuteman as a defendant on breach of contract and misrepresentation claims arising from a transfer ended in a September 2022 summary judgment for Minuteman on the fraudulent misrepresentation claims and an October 2022 settlement with mutual releases and a $20,000 payment to the former franchisee. A 2017 AAA arbitration by franchisees alleging violations of New York General Business Law section 687(2) settled in February 2018 with mutual releases, termination of the franchise agreement, assignment of certain equipment leases and Minuteman's purchase of specified franchisee assets for stated amounts. Two older regulatory matters are also disclosed: a March 1994 consent order with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions under which Minuteman and an employee paid $10,000 and agreed to comply with the state franchise act and maintain a compliance program, while denying any violation; and a 1993 Federal Trade Commission action in the Eastern District of New York resolved by a December 1998 injunction barring earnings or profit representations to prospective franchisees without written material providing a reasonable basis, requiring compliance with the Franchise Rule, restricting transfer and training fees where the seller was not told of them, and requiring complaint monitoring. Item 3 states no litigation was commenced against franchisees in the past fiscal year. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy (Item 4) | None disclosed Disclosed Item 4 states that no bankruptcy information is required to be disclosed. |
| Personal guaranty | Not disclosed in the reviewed source Not disclosedNot disclosed in the reviewed source. We did not find this value in 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc.; we do not fill gaps with estimates or third-party figures. The Item 17 relationship table contains no guarantee row, and Items 15 and 22 do not mention a personal guaranty of the franchise agreement or a separate guaranty exhibit. Item 10 does disclose that Xerox requires a personal guarantee from the franchisee and spouse on its equipment lease and that ML Leasing requires a personal guarantee, but those are equipment financing guarantees, not a guaranty of the franchise agreement itself. |
| Non-compete | During the term, Item 17 prohibits involvement in any similar business. After the franchise is terminated or expires, the franchisee may not operate a competing business for two years within five miles of the former location and within five miles of any existing Minuteman center. Separately, a manager trained by Minuteman must abide by non-compete restrictions valid for two years after that manager's employment ends. Disclosed
|
| Transfer restrictions | A transfer includes assignment of the franchise agreement or a change of ownership. Minuteman retains the right to approve all transfers but states it will not unreasonably withhold approval. Conditions are written consent, payment of the training/transfer fee by the purchaser (currently the greater of $35,000 or the then-current fee), the franchisee not being in default, the buyer signing the then-current franchise agreement, and the seller signing a release. Minuteman holds a right of first refusal to acquire the business on the same terms as a bona fide prospective purchaser. On expiration or termination it also has an option to buy certain assets at the lower of the franchisee's cost or fair market value. On death or disability the franchise may pass to heirs or other shareholders subject to approval. Item 20 shows 55, 62 and 42 outlets transferred to new owners in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Disclosed
|
| Termination / non-renewal | Minuteman has no right to terminate without cause and may terminate only on the franchisee's default. Curable defaults carry a 10-day cure period after written notice and cover default under any lease, breach of the agreement's covenants, and misuse or removal of the trademarks. Non-curable defaults include abandonment, insolvency, bankruptcy and the commencement of dissolution proceedings. The franchisee may terminate on a material breach of Section 4 of the agreement after notice and an opportunity to cure, or on any other ground available under applicable state law. On termination or non-renewal the franchisee must pay all amounts due, return the operations manual and software materials, stop using anything identifying Minuteman, and pay attorney's fees. No minimum sales quota or liquidated damages provision appears in the Item 17 table. Disclosed
|
| Supplier restrictions (Item 8) | The initial equipment package — computer hardware and software, digital printing equipment, bindery and finishing equipment, furniture and fixtures and copy equipment — must be purchased or leased exclusively from Minuteman before opening, at a current price of $108,157 for the 2026 package. Third-party financing or leasing is permitted provided the equipment itself comes from Minuteman. Franchisees must also license Minuteman's proprietary FLEX management software. Replacement and additional equipment and supplies must meet Minuteman's then-current specifications; using an unapproved item or supplier requires submitting specifications and samples, with a decision usually in 30 to 60 days. There is currently no supplier approval fee, but Minuteman reserves the right to charge one and to adopt formal approval criteria. MMP Supply, a division of Minuteman, sells ink, plate-making materials, solutions and consumables, but franchisees are not obliged to buy from it. Item 8 states the initial equipment package represents 65% to 70% of total start-up purchases and roughly 5% to 35% of ongoing operating cost. For the year ended December 31, 2025, Minuteman reported revenue from the sale or lease of equipment to franchisees of $133,796, stated as 2.9% of total revenue of $39,055,997, and MMP Supply revenue from franchisee sales of $317,195, stated as 0.81% of total revenue. Several approved suppliers pay Minuteman credits and fees ranging from 0.5% to 7.0% of franchisee purchases from them. Disclosed
The two percentages in Item 8 are not internally consistent with each other: $317,195 is indeed about 0.81% of $39,055,997, but $133,796 is about 0.34% of that total, not the 2.9% stated. Both figures are recorded exactly as printed; a prospective buyer should ask which is correct. |
| Dispute resolution | Item 17 requires the parties to submit to arbitration in New York initially. Litigation must be brought in a New York state court or the U.S. District Court in Suffolk County, New York, and New York law applies. The cover pages carry a state-required risk factor noting that out-of-state dispute resolution may force a franchisee to accept a less favourable settlement and may cost more than proceeding in the franchisee's own state. Item 17 also states that no acknowledgment signed at the start of the relationship waives claims under applicable state franchise law or disclaims reliance on statements made by the franchisor. Disclosed
|
- No exclusive territory is granted, and Minuteman reserves the right to open company-owned stores and to sell under its marks through the internet, catalogues, telemarketing and other direct channels without compensating franchisees (Item 12).
- The 2026 equipment package at $108,157 must be bought or leased from the franchisor and is the largest single start-up cost; Item 8 puts it at 65% to 70% of total start-up purchases.
- The initial term is 35 years with a 35-year renewal, and the post-term non-compete runs two years within five miles of the former location and of any existing Minuteman center.
- Item 20 discloses that some current and former franchisees have signed provisions restricting their ability to speak openly about their experience with Minuteman.
- Minuteman has remote access to franchisee point-of-sale and sales accounting data and states there are no contractual limitations on that right of access (Item 11).
- Approved suppliers pay Minuteman credits and fees of 0.5% to 7.0% of franchisee purchases from them (Item 8).
- Item 20 records zero terminations and zero non-renewals in 2024 and 2025 while 19 and 10 outlets are shown as having ceased operations for other reasons.
- The Royalty Incentive Program that caps royalties above a set gross billing amount is discretionary; Item 6 states Minuteman may raise the threshold or discontinue the program.
Summaries are neutral paraphrases of the cited document and are not legal advice. Read the full Items in the current FDD and consult a franchise attorney.
Illustrative unit economics
Model estimateModel estimate — not disclosed by the franchisor, not a forecast. Fee lines below come from this brand's verified FDD fee schedule and are computed exactly as disclosed (each line shows its arithmetic). Operating-cost ratios are category placeholders we chose — every one is editable and labeled assumption. Results are illustrative arithmetic, not expected returns. Every figure here belongs to one of five labeled categories — disclosed inputs, model assumptions, unmodeled mandatory fees, user-editable assumptions, and exclusions — defined in our methodology. This brand's Item 19 also discloses some cost or profit data — see the Item 19 section, which takes precedence over any assumption here.
| Line (annual) | Downside | Base | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue (AUV basis) | $615,886 | $769,858 | $885,337 |
| − Cost of goods / supplies assumption | $184,766 | $230,957 | $265,601 |
| − Payroll (excl. owner) assumption | $184,766 | $230,957 | $265,601 |
| − Occupancy assumption | $43,112 | $53,890 | $61,974 |
| − Other operating expenses assumption | $61,589 | $76,986 | $88,534 |
| − Royalty disclosed 6% of gross sales = $46,191 |
$36,953 | $46,191 | $53,120 |
| − FLEX Management Software annual support and maintenance fee disclosed $405 per year |
$405 | $405 | $405 |
| − Xerox Leased Equipment disclosed $907/month × 12 = $10,884 |
$10,884 | $10,884 | $10,884 |
| = Modeled operating result before the items below (EBITDA-style) | $93,412 | $119,587 | $139,218 |
| − Manager compensation assumption | $65,000 | $65,000 | $65,000 |
| = Modeled result after manager compensation | $28,412 | $54,587 | $74,218 |
| − Illustrative debt service assumption | $20,102 | $20,102 | $20,102 |
| = Illustrative pre-tax cash flow — before taxes, capital expenditures and unmodeled fees | $8,310 | $34,485 | $54,117 |
| Modeled operating margin | 15.2% | 15.5% | 15.7% |
This modeled result is not owner income. It excludes: income taxes; capital expenditures and equipment-replacement reserves; working-capital needs; ramp-up losses; owner-specific costs; one-time and per-event fees (transfer, renewal, audit); and 2 mandatory fee(s) whose amounts the FDD does not state (listed below — real outflows are higher by these amounts). It is illustrative arithmetic on stated assumptions, not a promise or forecast of what a franchisee earns.
Mandatory fees disclosed but not quantified — not included in the modeled result: the FDD requires these but states no amount (e.g. billed at "then-current" rates). They are never modeled as $0. If you have a quote or estimate, enter an annual amount to include it as your own assumption:
- Website (Item 6, p. 13) — Range $0-$395/month depending on plan; no further tiering disclosed.
- Insurance (Item 7, p. 15) — Item 7 discloses $2,000-$3,000 for the first six months of operation (PDF page 15, explained by note 7 on PDF page 16); doubled here to $4,000-$6,000 per year. The annualisation is ours, not disclosed, hence evidence 'derived'.
Every figure in this table is a model estimate built on the disclosed fee schedule plus labeled assumptions. Excluded: income taxes, owner draw, working-capital swings, capital expenditures, ramp-up losses in year one, one-time and per-event fees (transfer, renewal, audit), and the undisclosed-amount fees listed above. Read AUV vs. EBITDA vs. owner income before using this.
Sources and provenance
Primary source: 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc. · issued 2026-03-31. Find the FDD at Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search. We cite source pages and do not redistribute PDFs.
View all sources, provenance and verification notes
| Document | Obtained from | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document — Minuteman Press International, Inc. Registry file 640316 · 159 pages Cover reads 'Issuance Date: March 31, 2026'; the running footer reads 'MMP26E3 MULTISTATE UFDD'. The Wisconsin registration record shows an effective date of 3/13/2026, which precedes the cover issuance date; the registration is listed as Registered and this is the newest document available in the registry. No amendment date appears on the cover. | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration Search | Issued 2026-03-31 Retrieved 2026-08-29 | Newest available at retrieval |
AI-assisted extraction from the archived FDD text, independently machine-verified against the cited source (two passes plus tie-break); not human-reviewed. Extracted 2026-08-29. Last updated 2026-09-05. AI-assisted extraction independently machine-verified against the cited source document (2026-09-02): two independent AI reading passes plus tie-break re-inspection of every disagreement; 72 of 77 material fields confirmed (44 with the exact page citation re-confirmed), 13 corrected, 0 unresolved, 5 confirmed not disclosed. No human has reviewed this profile. Fiscal year covered: FY2025 (Dec 31, 2025). See how we use AI and verify data.
Fields flagged as uncertain (7)
- /item20/projected_openings_next_year/value — Item 20 Table No. 5 discloses a range (5 to 77 projected new franchised outlets next fiscal year) rather than a single number, so no value is recorded; the range is in the note.
- /investment/franchise_fee_low and /franchise_fee_high — recorded as the $48,500 standard new-franchisee fee from Item 5. Item 7's franchise fee row reads '$35,000 or $48,500' and the printed low total appears to embed $35,000, the reduced fee for an existing franchisee's additional center, so the recorded fee is higher than the fee inside total_low.
- /fees/local_marketing/value — recorded as 0 because Item 11 imposes no required local advertising spend; the 5% of gross revenues that Item 11 recommends is described in the note rather than as a required fee.
- /fees/ad_fund/value and /fees/cooperative/value — recorded as 0 on the strength of Item 11's affirmative statement that there is no required advertising program, council or cooperative, rather than as not_disclosed.
- /franchisor/business_since — Item 1 states the franchisor was established in February 1975; its predecessor Minuteman Press Corp., established November 1973, operated the first Minuteman Press printing center. 1973 is recorded because the field covers a predecessor's start of the concept; franchising_since is 1975 (franchises offered since March 1975).
- /risk/personal_guaranty/value — the FDD does not state whether owners must personally guarantee the franchise agreement; Item 10 discloses personal guarantees required by the Xerox and ML Leasing equipment lessors only.
- /fees/technology/value — recorded as the recurring $405 annual FLEX support and maintenance fee; the one-time $7,995 licence and the monthly website and internet marketing charges are described in the note and in other_recurring.
Extraction notes (22)
- Validator warning on /item20/projected_openings_next_year (value null with evidence 'disclosed'): intentional. Table No. 5 discloses a 5-to-77 range and no single figure, so recording any one number would misstate the disclosure.
- Item 7 arithmetic verified. The leased totals of $138,351 and $216,346 foot exactly when the 'Equipment Package (Reconditioned) (if available)' row of $1,000 to $1,800 is excluded, which is how the printed totals appear to be computed. The purchase-outright low of $237,064 equals the leased low less the $9,444 lessor deposit plus the $108,157 purchase price. The printed purchase-outright high of $315,064 is $5 above the $315,059 the same substitution produces; the printed figure is recorded as disclosed.
- Internal inconsistency in Item 8: equipment revenue from franchisees of $133,796 is stated as 2.9% of total revenue of $39,055,997, but that ratio is about 0.34%. The MMP Supply figure ($317,195, stated 0.81%) does reconcile. Both figures are recorded as printed and flagged.
- Internal inconsistencies in Item 19 Table No. 2: the narrative describes franchised centers worldwide while the table's notes and its 18.5%-of-system percentages refer to the 775 U.S. centers, and note 1 states 164 U.S. centers attained Million Dollar Club membership while the table lists 144 top-performing centers.
- Item 20 Tables No. 1 and No. 3 are worldwide, so units.us_only and item20.us_only are false. Table No. 3 separately gives Total USA (775 at year-end 2025) and Total International (264). Item 19's population is U.S.-only.
- All three years of Item 20 Table No. 3 foot exactly (start + opened - terminations - non-renewals - reacquisitions - ceased other = end), and Table No. 3 year-end totals match Table No. 1.
- Cover-page cross-check: the cover repeats both Item 7 ranges and states that $38,995 to $56,495 of the investment is paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.
- Registration timing: the Wisconsin registry shows an effective date of 3/13/2026 while the FDD cover carries an issuance date of March 31, 2026. Recorded as issued 2026-03-31 and treated as current, since it is the newest document in the registry.
- Item 6 contains no advertising fee of any kind, and Item 11 states there is no required advertising program, council or cooperative, which is unusual for a system of this size and is reflected in the zero values recorded for ad_fund, local_marketing and cooperative.
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/0/start 972 → 717
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/0/opened 42 → 37
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/0/non_renewals 3 → 2
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/0/ceased_other 13 → 8
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/0/end 996 → 742
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/1/start 996 → 742
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/1/opened 39 → 24
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/1/ceased_other 19 → 12
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/1/end 1016 → 754
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/2/start 1016 → 754
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/2/opened 33 → 28
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/2/ceased_other 10 → 7
- Verification 2026-09-02: correct /item20/franchised_status/2/end 1039 → 775
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