Holly Kaplansky is the Owner/CEO of Minuteman Press, a 100% woman owned printing and marketing company based in Newark. Holly started Minuteman Press in April 2005 after leaving the corporate world where she had extensive experience in advertising and marketing. She realized that the skills she had acquired in managing and running corporate businesses, such as marketing, finance, operations and management, would be a perfect basis to start her own business. What is important to Holly and what Minuteman Press of Newark is known for is great quality, quick turnaround, on-time and on-budget delivery, and most important, great personalized customer service. The companies that have worked with Minuteman Press can attest to the fact that she has stayed true to this ideal in the 12 years that she has been in business. Personalized customer service has helped Minuteman Press stay competitive in an industry where people can do their own printing on-line, at home or in their office. In addition, the company’s personalized consultation services allow clients to understand all the design and printing options available to them whether they work with Holly and her staff in the store, by phone, or at their business site. Her customers have gotten used to getting quality printed materials in a shorter turn around than what most competitors can provide.
Since Minuteman Press started as a client, supporter and collaborative partner of the SBDC, they have grown revenue to close to a million dollars with a compliment of three full time employees plus one part time. She has taken full advantage of the training and technical assistance services the Center has to offer, such as the Women Entrepreneurs’ Networking (WEN) Business Breakfast, the RBS/SBDC Student Experiential Learning Programs, After Lunch Webinar Series, the Business Bazaar Pitching for Contract and Capital Event, and many more. As the Regional Director of the Center, I asked her one day why as an established business she was so dedicated to attending the events and she replied: “Every time I attend one of these events I learn something new, no matter how small, that has helped me grow my business!” She completely understood that you cannot just work in your business and that external business development is just as important as management and operations in growing a small business.
As a business woman, Holly is an extraordinary, exemplary entrepreneur who supports other businesses to grow. In addition to being a very active Advisory board member and Ambassador of the NJSBDC at Rutgers-Newark for 10 years and having contributed hundreds of pro-bono hours to the Center in that capacity, she is also Immediate Past President of the North Essex Chamber of Commerce, President Elect of the State Board of NJAWBO (New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners), Advisory Board Member of the EPI Alumni Association of the Rutgers Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development, Founding Board Member of New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Former President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Women in Communications, Member of Newark Regional Business Partnership and a Leadership Newark Fellow, Class of 2010.
She is a tireless advocate of the small business community in so many ways. We are proud to have Minuteman Press as our 2017 Success Award Winner
