Learn about the support The UPS Store provides to help franchisees achieve their goals and operate a successful business.
If the coronavirus pandemic has you taking a hard look at your goals and career aspirations, consider buying a The UPS Store franchise. The UPS Store is committed to helping franchisees achieve their goals and operate a successful, essential business. We pride ourselves on providing support that differentiates our franchise business every step of the way, from start-up to expansion. Opening a The UPS Store franchise allows you to go into business for yourself and be your own boss, but not by yourself. You are never alone as a part of the franchise network.
Adam Berns, The UPS Store franchisee, shares: “There’s a very good balance between the amount of requirements and support that we get from our corporate office, as well as the freedom that you have being an independent business owner and being able to choose your own path. It’s just a very good overall balance.”
Here’s a look at the various forms of support The UPS Store franchise owners receive.
Start-Up Assistance
Getting your franchise business up and running requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Our support begins long before you sign on the dotted line. We know it can be difficult to select the franchise opportunity that best suits your interests, skill set and career objectives. Our franchise development team is committed to helping prospective franchisees discover all that a The UPS Store franchise has to offer and find opportunities in their desired market area. Whether you are looking for an established store already in business or prefer to build out a brand new location in an open market, The UPS Store has franchise opportunities available across the country. If you’re looking for a unique opportunity to bring The UPS Store services to your community, we also offer several non-traditional center models as well as a store in store concept.
We’ve streamlined the process of buying a The UPS Store franchise. Our team will guide you along an easy four-step franchise approval process. We can even provide funding resources through our partnership with Guidant Financial. A business development manager will work with you to conduct a franchise location analysis to evaluate the business potential and help ensure prime site selection. If a new location is your preference, we’ll help you secure the lease, plan and build out your store. A center development coordinator will get you in touch with local contractors to procure permits and bids. They will also assist with ordering and installation of equipment and supplies as well as the computer system.
When you join The UPS Store franchise network, you become family. We’re committed to helping our franchisees achieve success. Pre-opening support is only the beginning.
Training
As the saying goes, “preparation is half the battle.” Before you open the doors to your store, you’ll complete over 215 hours of training. Our comprehensive training program is designed to prepare franchisees for success by arming them with the knowledge and resources to operate their business confidently and successfully. It even won the PEAK Performance Award from The American Society for Training and Development. The four-phase program will teach you everything you need to know from basic business acumen to day-to-day operational skills.
Phase one includes over 45 web-based trainings to give you a strong understanding of store operations and business sense before transitioning to a hands-on learning experience. In phase two, you will have the opportunity to visit a The UPS Store Certified Training Center for a five-day training focused on store operations, technical systems and business acumen. The next phase is a ten-day interactive workshop to further develop business skills like human resources, marketing, operations, sales and financial management. Intensive hands-on print training covering equipment, software, techniques and in-center production to manage and grow print services is also included. In the final phase of training, you’ll get to spend five days in a store setting for a hands-on review of store operations, technical systems and print services to ensure you’re comfortable and well prepared to lead your own store.
Ongoing Training and Long-Term Guidance
The support doesn’t end once your store is open. Help is always just a phone call away. Whether you need technical support, troubleshooting help or expert advice, experienced home office and field staff and even fellow franchisees will be there for you.
Franchisee Laura Griffin shares, “We’ve got great support from corporate, our corporate office. We’ve got great support from area franchisees and area franchisee support staff. But more than that, we have a community of other franchisees that we can get information from, get help from, learn new things, it’s like a family.”
Franchisee Sandy Scandrett agrees. “There is always someone I can go to, to get an answer. Luckily, I haven’t had a lot of problems but when I have there’s someone there who can help me. You know they have a lot of resources for the store owners.”
The entire The UPS Store franchise system is truly a support network. There is a great sense of collaboration and fellowship among store owners who are eager to share advice and help one another succeed. “I think my favorite part of being part of The UPS Store network is the camaraderie with other franchisees. It’s a great group of people, all have businesses, that they run and that they operate so there is a business acumen that’s there, but there’s also a relational element that everybody loves to help everybody else,” says franchisee Jim George.
Advertising and Marketing Support
The UPS Store provides extensive advertising and marketing support to help franchisees promote and grow their business. From national brand awareness campaigns to turn-key solutions for local marketing efforts, we’re ready and willing to help in any way.
Even though The UPS Store is a prominent brand with strong name recognition, we continue to support brand awareness initiatives with national advertising and marketing campaigns. We also invest in regional and local marketing efforts to enhance exposure in your community and drive traffic to your store. The public relations team lends support as well with securing publicity for The UPS Store brand and enhancing visibility of the entire franchise network, in addition to helping garner local media coverage for stores. Support for store social media account management is provided for those looking to connect with customers online.
Local marketing is crucial for the success of individual locations. The UPS Store provides a number of marketing tools and templates to help franchisees enhance the visibility of their store within their community. Every franchisee has access to support for creating materials designed to drive traffic into their store, up-sell customers to increase sales, improve customer service and create a loyal customer base.
The UPS Store offers owners support that sets the network apart from other franchise business opportunities. Franchisee Blair McDougall says, “From day one of getting into the network, you kind of rely on the home office to show you the ropes and give you a clear understanding of what you need to set as goals and objectives. The level of support from the home office has helped us not only set those goals but achieve those goals.”
Interested in learning more about fulfilling your dreams of business ownership by joining The UPS Store franchise network? We’re open and ready to help. Reach out to our franchise development team for more details. You can also explore The UPS Store locations for sale and open markets ready for development on our website.
