Best Printing Franchises for 2024
Explore the top printing franchises, ranked by growth and industry resilience. Discover how leading brands like FASTSIGNS and Minuteman Press are adapting to digital challenges, and see if they’re the right fit for your next investment.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The printing services business is both physical and digital printing. The majority of business done in this industry though is commercial lithographic printing which amounts to 40% of production. There are over 46,000 printing businesses in the “general printing” market. Digital media continues to have a presence in our ever-changing technology-focused society, which will have negative impacts on printing companies. However, in this article, we will discuss the best printing franchises ranked by net unit growth, industry trends, and the key industry numbers that you need to know.
Business Services Industry Trends
Companies in the business services industry will continue to invest in the integration of digital transformation into the overall strategic road map, not only to connect sellers and buyers directly but also to keep competitive within the industry. In addition, the demand for cybersecurity has been increasing as cybercriminals have been attacking businesses and threatening their data and confidential information. Firms that are victims of cyberattacks face great costs as clients tend to search for a more secure service provider.
Printing Services Business Trends
Printing franchises might be taking a hit as the Industry revenue is expected to decline 2.5% to 68 billion in 2024. Also, profit margins are expected to gradually decline because of the lack of demand. The print industry seems to have had a bleak outlook on combating this new digital era. According to IBISWorld, the print advertising expenditure will fall at an annualized rate of 4.0% over the next five years although U.S. advertising is projected to grow 2.0% annualized in the same period. Contributing to the decline is the accessibility and ease of reading of products like Amazon’s Kindle, and Apple iPad.
Key Business Services Industry Numbers
- Average Business Services Franchise Royalty Fee: 10.4%
- Average Business Services Franchise Marketing Fee: 2.2%
- Average Business Services Franchise Initial Investment: $108K
- SBA Loan Paid-in-Full Rate: 30.7%
- SBA Loan Charged Off Rate: 2.9%
- SBA Loan Success Ratio: 10:1
5 Best Printing Franchises
FASTSIGNS
- Total U.S. Locations: 689
- Net Unit Growth (3 years): 30
- Initial Investment: $96K-$345K
- Royalty Fees: 5%
Fastsigns is one of the top printing franchises in the US. They have been a trusted name since 1985 as they offer personalized signs and graphic items. They assist businesses in getting noticed and reaching their goals with all kinds of services from design, to print, and products. Fastsigns offers support and training as they have great expertise in the industry.
Minuteman Press
- Total U.S. Locations: 743
- Net Unit Growth (3 years): 9
- Initial Investment: $81K-$221K
- Royalty Fees: 6%
For over 45 years, Minuteman Press has been serving the business community to be one of the best printing franchises in the US. Minuteman Press offers the support that businesses need for daily operations and marketing. As a franchisee, you will run the franchise which operates a full-service printing and marketing center.
PostNet
- Total U.S. Locations: 200
- Net Unit Growth (3 years): 16
- Initial Investment: $223K-$290K
- Royalty Fees: 5%
PostNet is a printing franchise that offers printing and document services, graphic design services, shipping, packaging, mailing services, and more. Also, PostNet is one of the best printing franchises in the printing industry with excellent customer service. They offer their franchisees ongoing support ranging from marketing and training to financial support.
AlphaGraphics
- Total U.S. Locations: 232
- Net Unit Growth (3 years): -16
- Initial Investment: $53K-$374K
- Royalty Fees: 5%
AlphaGraphics is a printing franchise that offers its franchisees ongoing training support, local and national marketing support, and a world-class customer relationship management (CRM) system. Also, they offer their customers a great deal of offers that can be customized to one’s needs.
Signarama
- Total U.S. Locations: 390
- Net Unit Growth (3 years): -5
- Initial Investment: $120K-$340K
- Royalty Fees: 5%
Signarama is one of the sign printing franchises in the printing industry with exclusive offers and state-of-the-art technology to provide the best quality signs they can. They create banners, vehicle wraps, window graphics, channel letters, dimensional letters, illuminated signs, neon signs, and more. In addition, they offer support to their franchisees which includes training support and marketing training.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the printing services industry is facing some challenges as the digital age we’re in is affecting the industry negatively. However, there are still several great printing franchises to invest in as you look for your next investment opportunity. In this article, we discussed the 5 best printing franchises for 2023 ranked by net unit growth. You should take them into consideration if you’re planning to invest in the printing services industry.