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Mar
17
2020
OWNERSHIP

The UPS Store: Growing Your Business With Multi-Center Ownership

The UPS Store: Growing Your Business With Multi-Center Ownership

Learn about the benefits of multiple center ownership and how franchisees can grow their business. 

Historically, opening a franchise has consisted of two general models to choose from: single-unit and multi-unit. A single-unit, or direct-unit, franchise is the simplest and most common type of franchise agreement. Buying a franchise using this model licenses you to own and operate a single franchise location. A multi-unit franchise agreement allows a franchisee to purchase the rights to open and operate more than one unit or store, traditionally in the same region.

Multi-unit franchising has increased in popularity and frequency in recent years. In fact, the majority of franchised units in the U.S. are now owned by multi-unit franchisees. According to FRANdata, 54 percent of the country’s 450,000 franchised units are controlled by multi-unit operators and that number is expected to continue to rise. The UPS Store franchise system allows and encourages our qualified franchisees to own multiple centers. In fact, approximately 52 percent of our franchisees own more than one center. There are many reasons why multi-center ownership presents a solid opportunity for growth and wealth creation. But first, let’s consider some of the differences between owning one franchise versus multiple franchise locations.

Differences in Ownership Responsibilities

Single-unit franchise owners are often directly involved in the day-to-day operation of their The UPS Store franchise. They are in their center every day, essentially fulfilling the roles of both owner and manager. However, multi-center franchise owners are typically less involved in the daily operations, relying instead on experienced general managers and staff to handle these tasks. Although still very involved in the business on a full-time basis, multi-center owners focus more on the higher-level management of their locations.

Benefits of Multi-Center Ownership

Even though more centers mean more responsibilities, most The UPS Store multiple center owners feel it is a great way to grow their business. There are several economic and efficiency benefits when it comes to owning multiple locations, particularly within the same market.

Although income varies by location size and type, owning multiple locations provides an opportunity to maximize profit and generate a more lucrative revenue stream. Aside from business volume, multi-center owners also have the potential for significant financial gains as a result of achieving greater operating efficiencies. Costs for expenses such as equipment and supplies or back of the house responsibilities like bookkeeping and human resource management can be shared across locations. Franchisees who own multiple centers in the same area can also benefit from shared staffing and marketing efforts. In addition, qualified The UPS Store franchise owners may also be eligible for reduced initial franchise fees and receive specialized training to help them grow their business.

While becoming a multi-center franchisee requires a higher investment level, it also provides more stability and a higher probability of success since prosperity is not dependent on the performance of just one location. The operation of profitable locations by seasoned multiple center owners can also provide a great deal of stability to the entire The UPS Store system.

What The UPS Store Multiple Center Owners Are Saying

It’s not only about maximizing profit, improving efficiency and increasing stability. For The UPS Store franchisee Jim George, multiple center ownership is also about the joy of the business, “We decided to become an MCO with The UPS Store because we loved our first store. It worked so well that we thought, ‘Why wouldn’t we want to have two or three of these stores?’ So, we were able to find some opportunities very close by within the community and explore purchasing those stores with the other franchisees that were there.”

Multiple center owner Jay Soucia was looking to take on a bigger challenge to spur professional growth while at the same time creating jobs in his community and sharpening the skills of his employees, “I saw that in order for me to expand myself as a business leader, myself as just a person, I needed to take on a bigger challenge.”

He continues, “I like managing a store, but I really wanted to manage a business. I wanted to grow an operation. I wanted to create jobs. I wanted to create room for improvement for employees coming in…I just realized that I’m really good at making other people better.

A Variety of Options

The UPS Store franchise owners looking to expand their business by opening additional centers have a variety of options to choose from. Traditional, full-size stores are available as well as several non-traditional location types that allow franchisees to meet the needs of customers in their communities in unique ways.

Store in Store locations allow the owners of established retail businesses to provide additional value to their existing customer base while also gaining new ones by opening a franchise within their store. Non-traditional, store in store locations can be a great way for franchisees to grow their business while also providing valuable products and services that may be lacking, especially in smaller or rural communities.

The UPS Store centers in hotels and convention centers present another opportunity for franchise owners to branch out into multiple center ownership. Hosting a unique mix of vacationers, business travelers, exhibitors and conference-goers creates a prime location for a business center capable of accommodating a variety of needs from packing and shipping to professional printing.

Colleges and universities are often in desperate need of a facility to streamline mail, package delivery and storage solutions, in addition to providing a full line of services like packing, shipping, printing and faxing, as well as being a resource for moving supplies. In some areas, like Nashville, The UPS Store center at Belmont University services the entire community as well as students, faculty and staff.

Military bases provide another unique opportunity for franchisees to expand into multiple center ownership. The UPS Store centers on military bases not only provide valuable services to on-base businesses and community members, but they also help families stay connected with loved ones.

Whether traditional or non-traditional stores in urban or rural markets, we love helping qualified The UPS Store franchisees grow their business by becoming multiple center owners. Many opportunities for opening a franchise are available across the country including existing stores ready for business as well as open markets for development. To learn more, reach out to our franchise development team, join one of our weekly webinars or attend a live event in your area.

2023 Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Top Rated for Veterans badge

We Proudly Support Our Veterans

Participating partners with the VetFran program, The UPS Store offers qualifying veterans $15,000 off their franchise fee to start their new business. To learn more, contact The UPS Store Franchise Development Team.

Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Ranked #4 in 2023 badge

Ranked for over 30 Consecutive Years

The UPS Store has been ranked #1 in the postal and business services category for over 30 years and remains in the top 5 overall for the seventh consecutive year according to the Franchise 500 list.

Kristin Howard

Franchisee, Michigan

The reason my husband and I decided to go into franchising and specifically with The UPS Store, is the different opportunities we're given with the business. The UPS Store has name recognition as well as opportunities to expand.

Debbie Adams

Franchisee, Kentucky

What I enjoy most about being a The UPS Store owner is working with my customers. We are the solution specialists for our customers.

Jim George

Franchisee, Illinios

My favorite part about The UPS Store network is the camaraderie with other franchisees. Everybody loves to help everybody else. You’re really part of a family.

Greg Murray

Franchisee, Florida

The interesting thing about The UPS Store is that when a customer walks through the door there's an extremely high probability that they're coming there to do something that is important to them. So at the end of the day, what we do for customers is very important and they are trusting that we are going to do it well.

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Mariana Huberman

Franchisee, Washington, D.C.

One of the things that I love about The UPS Store franchise system is that you're not ever in this by yourself. The franchisees of The UPS Store network are great.

Heidi Morris

Franchisee, Colorado

The thing I enjoy most about being a The UPS Store franchisee is I get to get up, go to work and know that I'm helping other business owners succeed in what they're doing.

Bob Brown

Franchisee, Tennessee

Owning a The UPS Store franchise has changed my life because it's finally given me the opportunity to engage my customers and my staff and be able to take real pride in what I do. As a franchisee, we get faced with solving peoples' problems every day and we do everything we possibly can to try to help.

Marie Jensen

Franchisee, Oregon

My favorite thing about The UPS Store is the variety. I love the variety of customers, I love the variety of services; getting to know the customers, meeting their needs, finding out how we can help them accomplish what they need to accomplish and seeing how happy they are. That makes me ecstatic.

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Tad Mollnhauer

Franchisee, Florida

With the products and services that The UPS Store provides we can make a difference in people's lives and that is the best reason for being a The UPS Store owner.

Joy Batchelor

Franchisee, Idaho

What makes being a The UPS Store franchisee worthwhile at the end of the day is the customers. The customers treat us like we're family.

Paul Erchinger

Franchisee, Texas

One nice benefit of owning a The UPS Store franchise for me has been that it gives me the opportunity to be more involved in the community. As I make relationships with others it seems like no matter what the environment is, in one way or another business comes out of that and that's not my objective—it's been a secondary benefit to being involved in the community.

Chris Reminder

Franchisee, Ohio

There are several things that I really enjoy about being a The UPS Store franchisee. First and foremost it allows me to get to know the people in the local community and that is a lot of fun. We get to see people on a regular basis. We get to know their life stories. That's a lot of fun.

Bruce Jones

Franchisee, Kentucky

Since we have joined The UPS Store, our life has changed by just having more time to spend together as a family. We've been very fortunate with the stores that we have and we have a great staff that looks out for our best interest and we look out for theirs.

Lonnie Williams

Franchisee, Oklahoma

What makes The UPS Store so successful is it gives each individual an opportunity to grow with the network and just meet the challenges that are brought to them on a daily basis. Every day gives us a new opportunity to help another person, to help another small business, to answer a question and to solve a problem.

Jeff Graham

Franchisee, Alabama

I love my customers. I love my employees. I love every person, every face that comes into my store. I enjoy every day going into work and I can't see doing anything else for the rest of my life.

Stacie Stigar

Franchisee, Alaska

I think that this franchise is so successful because of all of the resources that are available to us as center owners—we have marketing materials, we have so many different opportunities for help from the home office, and it just really makes for a great franchise.

Don Pollard

Franchisee, New Jersey

I think the thing that makes this franchise successful is a number of things. First of all we have an outstanding system, we have a great product, a great brand, and we're able to attract dynamic people to run these centers and run the business. So I think when you put all that together it really provides for a winning combination.

Mary Ellen Nichols

Franchisee, Tennessee

The thing I love about the franchise is that you have the UPS name backing you but yet you also have the autonomy to make your own decisions to promote.

Laura Griffin

Franchisee, Florida

In the eight short months I've owned my The UPS Store it has really changed my life. I've gone from being an employee of someone else to being an employer of my associates. It's a big responsibility but it's exciting every day.

Sandy Scandrett

Franchisee, Wisconsin

Being a The UPS Store franchisee has improved every aspect of my life. It's very rewarding financially, professionally, and emotionally. I have a large number of regular customers who are really, really appreciative of everything we do.

Kristie Robison

Franchisee, Alabama

I would say owning a The UPS Store location has changed my life to where I have more time and flexibility. In owning your own business you get your store up and running and you get employees that you can trust that are going to help keep your store running. This allows me to attend my two boys' ball games and also travel and do things with them so it has really changed my life for the better.