Over 1 million minutes and counting!
You’d think with a business name like Minuteman Press we’d count everything in minutes, but when you get to a number like 1,576,800 it’s easier to simplify and just call it 3 years. So here we are, celebrating our third anniversary, and we could not have done it without our amazing clients. And we mean that in a very literal way: our clients and their projects are the reason we get up each morning and whistle our way into work!
Partnering with our clients to meet their marketing and print needs is at the heart of everything we do, and partnering with you will be the best part of our years to come. Don’t you have that convention coming up? Or was it business cards? Haven’t you been thinking about doing a mailer? When you partner with MMP of Redmond, know that your success is a measure of how successfully we do our work, which is why on our anniversary our clients get the credit.
This month take a look at some of our favorite projects on our Facebook page and read about some of our favorite moments from the past three years on our website. We also have a highlight below of the work we’ve done with the Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF). LWSF has been a great and fun partner to work with, and—oh boy—have we done some projects with them! No matter how big or small the need, we’ve been able to meet LWSF where their budgets are and on time.
Here’s the Executive Director of the Foundation, Larry Wright, Ph.D., talking about our Partnership:
MMP: When did you starting working with us at Minuteman Press in Redmond? Do you remember the first project that made a favorable impression and why?
LWSF: When I came in last November, we had been working with MMP Redmond for a year or two. We had worked with a different printer until JD came on as owner and switched as a way to support local business. The first project I worked on was our big spring fundraising events. We did everything from save the dates and invitations to remit envelopes and leave behinds for the guests. It was all first class. The real kicker was that MMP Redmond threw in a banner and picked up the cost. It’s a real partnership with JD and his team. That’s unique and we really value that relationship.
MMP: We have done many projects of all sizes for LWSF, including the current Fall campaign that is relatively large and important. What’s unique about working with us?
LWSF: It goes back to that idea of partnership. Most of the time, we tell a printer what we want, we get a bid, the product is produced and that’s it. With MMP Redmond, it starts with “what are you trying to accomplish” and then together we worked through messages and discussed audiences and the best way to reach them. It was the next best thing to having a marketing department.
MMP: LWSF is an important partner of the Lake Washington School District, specifically by funding and delivering programs that enable students with very diverse needs to have opportunities for excellence. How have we been able to help you from behind the scenes to pursue your objectives with the students in the Lake Washington School District?
LWSF: During this year’s fall campaign, the MMP Redmond team asked us where we were making an impact so that we could tell some of those stories as part of our outreach. That question set in motion a project with MMP that resulted in a map showing where we make grants. We added another layer that describes where the largest percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch reside. That’s literally and figuratively a view we didn’t have before and one that will inform our work going forward.
MMP: So, sometimes marketing and printing aren’t the most exciting sort of projects and they can be complex and taxing on volunteer staff. How have we helped take load off your staff or provided expertise and resourcing that maybe you would have struggled with previously?
LWSF: As I mentioned, this year MMP Redmond brought demographic analysis to the table to give us insight we lacked previously, this is more strategic. And to give a more tactical example, in years past, we literally stuffed envelopes ourselves and with the help of volunteers. Last fall, we did 18,000 letters. This year, MMP took on that role, freeing us up to do other work.
MMP: We take an interest in the success of all the businesses and organization we work with. When you look ahead 3 to 5 years, what impact would you like the Foundation to make and how will you know when you’ve been successful?
LWSF: That’s a great question. Ultimately, we want every student in the district to have the opportunity to achieve their potential, both in and out of the class room. To do that, we need the communities of Redmond, Kirkland, and Sammamish to rally around the Foundation. That’s a tall order, but we think we’re up for it. In three to five years, I’d like us to be raising $2.5 million a year to help students in our district.
Thanks to Lake Washington Schools Foundation and all of our partners out there who have helped to make our first 3 years of business memorable and impactful!
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