Periodically we will ask our Top 10 Franchisees to tell us about their Top 10 Customers. It is that conversation that forms the basis of our current thinking on the right vertical markets for us to pursue.

While there could well be a group or business out there, that we haven’t thought to approach (yet), this information allows us to point new Franchisees at the customers that are already forming the basis of business success for another Franchisee in our system.

With the purpose to illustrate the vast potential this business has, we have included below two examples per each vertical market.

#1 Non-Profits
Local Charity - Sports
What do they buy from you?
They buy a little bit of everything from us...in fact, “one stop shop” is one of the values that they see in their relationship with us. Most of what they buy falls into the apparel and the signs categories.

Apparel for outfitting the teams that run in different seasons for various sports.
Signs would include some pop up banners and things like “big checks” for presentations.
We do sell them some print services.

 How did you find them?
Our Franchisees knew the president of this organization through the sports that their kids participated in. I think he might have been the coach of one of the kids basketball teams. Once we (Instant Imprints) arrived on the scene as a vendor that they could use, they were very happy to buy locally. We do treat them as a special customer. Just this week we got one of those calls about something that had come up last minute or fallen through the cracks and had to be done this week. We already had a full plate of production for this week, but because it was this customer we told him to send over the files and we would find a way to get it done.

Church
What do they buy from you?
They have purchased almost everything from us. Vehicle graphics, flags, t-shirts, flyers, postcards, calendars, books and banners. The only thing we have not sold them is embroidery. One of their larger orders was for t-shirts.
Their purchasing is driven by self-promotion and spreading the word of their ministry services locally and internationally.

How did you find them?
They are an up and coming ministry that has been our customer for a couple of years now. They found us through a Google search, likely Adwords. They found us when they were looking to get flyers made. From there our relationship blossomed into what it is today. They are constantly having services and events. So, they purchase sporadically throughout the year.

Charity – Victim Assistance
What do they buy from you?
All she has ever purchased from us is screen-printed t-shirts. They are a non-profit that educates people about the importance of consent and the realities of sexual violence. They do this by visiting, primarily, college campuses and handing out shirts.

How did you find them?
The organization founder came to us as a walk-in. She started coming to us a few years ago.

#2 Media Agencies
Marketing Agency
What do they buy from you?
They are a marketing agency that represents Samsung. When the Galaxy S4 came out they were looking to promote their artwork tool. To promote this new tool they had us set up a DTG in two of their Samsung retail stores. Customers could then come in and play with the artwork tool and we would then print their creation on a shirt for them. Right on the spot!
Custom Shirts is their primary purchase. They have purchased print services from us, as well. We have only worked with this company a couple times, but they were really happy with our team and services. They told us that when they have an event in the area we will be there go to choice. So, I hope to work with them in the future on another fun and creative project.

 How did you find them?
The agency is located in Ontario and was looking for a vendor who prints shirts in Vancouver. So, they did a Google search and found us. They did talk to a couple other printers in the area, but none of them were willing to do an onsite printing job. 

Marketing Agency
What do they buy from you?
They are a marketing agency that represents a company that has an annual customer appreciation event the weekend of Halloween. The event spans Friday through Saturday in California. To add a new element to the event, their client asked the agency to find a printer who would be willing to come out and customize t-shirts onsite during the event.
This agency contacted various printers nearby, but we were the only printer that was willing to go out to the event and print onsite. I also got the feeling that they felt more secure going with Instant Imprints because we weren’t just a single owned mom and pop shop, but a national brand.
We silk-screened 3,000 shirts prior to the event. We printed the event logo on the front and a small logo on the back. We then went out to desert Friday and Saturday and brought the DTG to customize shirts for those in attendance. They were allowed to get their name printed across the back of the shirt. It was a success and we were asked to participate in 2015.

How did you find them?
They found us through Google search. 

Marketing Agency
What do they buy from you?
They are an agency that has an extensive portfolio and have come to us for many different projects for various clients of theirs. Coincidentally, 4 or 5 of the clients they represent are also customers of ours.
We have produced almost everything for them. They come to us for mostly document services, but we have also done many t-shirt orders, banners and trade show stuff. I have quoted them for promo product jobs, but they have never actually purchased those items form us. They have an established vendor for that at the moment.

How did you find them?
They came to us a few years ago, but I believe they found us through a pay-per-click ad that came through as an online inquiry.

#3 Manufacturing
Flooring
What do they buy from you?
This customer manufactures bamboo flooring. They have national accounts with Home Depot and Lowe's. They come to us at the beginning of the year when they restock their flooring labels. They are large stickers they place on each package of flooring.   They placed their last order in February this year.
They order 10’s of 1,000’s of stickers at a time. They have purchased print services in the past, but their biggest purchase is the stickers.

How did you find them?
They came to us as a walk-in. Their facilities are located down the street from us and they saw our center while driving by.

Tradeshow Exhibitor
What do they buy from you?
This company orders a lot of print services from us for their tradeshows and mailers. On occasion they might order a banner from us.

How did you find them?
They are located down the street and found us passing by.

Tech Industry
What do they buy from you?
We do their decals for their shelving units and parts. Each part has a sticker to identify and describe what the part number is.
Just recently, they had a promotion that they wanted to do shirts for and distribute them across Canada. So, we had a couple of big orders of screen-printing for that promotion.

How did you find them?
Their designer was looking for a person to do their decals. And we are close to their company.

Steel
What do they buy from you?
Biggest part of what they purchase is embroidery and screen-printing. They order a lot of caps. We have also done lots of promotional items for them. We are their go to shop for all of their promotional needs.

How did you find them?
They found us through a personal friend’s son. The son was a salesman around town and referred them to us. They have been a customer ever since.

Solar Energy
What do they buy from you?
They mostly order garments. We do a ton of embroidery and screen-printing for them. When they were building their business we did mostly garments, but as they grew they started to do promotional products.

They order things for internal and external use. They usually order nice items for their internal employee incentive gifts and t-shirts for giveaways. They also do a lot of golf tournaments. Their promotional product orders usually consist of nicer water bottles, USB and pens.

How did you find them?
The company was owned by a husband and wife. They discovered me after visiting a Starbucks in our shopping center. The wife stopped in and from there we have had an ongoing relationship.

Oil Industry
What do they buy from you?
They are a great customer! They order lots of high end garments like OGIO jackets. He is a big golfer and is into charities and gives away lots of stuff. He is a great customer.
I recently started doing some trade show stuff for them. Things such as promotional products like notepads, tally books and such.
I also recently started a sponsorship with his baseball team. I have never done a sponsorship. We will see how it goes. 

How did you find them?
The young man who is the head of marketing came in 9 years ago when he was in charge of sales. He came in to place a small order and now orders much larger orders. He is one of our best customers.

#4 Utilities
Wind Energy
What do they buy from you?
The manager or higher up did three shirts for his kids and he liked the service and saw that we carried nice jackets, Stormtech jackets specifically. He then had someone get in touch with us to place an order for Surespan. The first order they placed was reasonable. Then a month or so later they placed a large order of jackets and hoodies. The order was roughly 20k. They now order consistently.

How did you find them?
We are located close to the manager or higher up that came in to get three shirts for his kids.

Technology
What do they buy from you?
A lot of screen-printing and a lot of embroidery. Mostly uniforms and give away shirts. They order at least once a quarter. With an order of at least 100 shirts or more. They have also ordered hats and print services. They did one promo product order with us. It was for foam collapsible can coolers. They have ordered everything from us except signs and banners. 

How did you find them?
They became our customer a long time ago.

Power Company
What do they buy from you?
They have ordered pretty expensive hats and stickers. They have placed only a few orders here and there.

How did you find them?
They found us on Google.

#5 Freight Delivery
Transport Company
What do they buy from you?
I haven’t heard from them this year, but they bought a bunch in 2014. So, I think they are still working on going through their product from last year. One of the largest orders was an order of water bottles that they purchased when they were gearing up for a peach festival in 2014.

They are a smaller company with a few office people and a lot of truck drivers. So we get a small amount of embroidery and screen-printing orders from them. They also buy Lip balm, pens, balloons, and coffee mugs.

How did you find them?
I recall that they were an EDDM recipient. They came in not too long after a mailer so we assumed that’s what it might be.

Transload Company
What do they buy from you?
They are a large company who moves shipments from trains to trucks and vice versa. They order everything from us: lots of hats, jackets, polo shirts, lip balm, banners, vehicle magnets, water bottles, pens, mugs, totes, safety vest, tire gauges and more. 

How did you find them?
I’ve known the owner for 10 years. She first came in because her daughter swims at the local high school. They came to us because they wanted to print swim banners for them. Her kids graduated and she passed along her info to the next parent and I still have them as a customer.
Later I met up with her again at an event and she started to use us for her freight business that she has with her husband.

#6 Professional Services
Financial
What do they buy from you?
They have purchased quite a range. Corporate wear, jackets and polo’s with embroidery. They have also purchased promotional products such as: pens, bottle openers, coffee mugs, usb’s and stress relievers. We have also done a few roll up banners stickers.

They use the jackets for nicer staff gifts. They use the promo products for giveaway.

How did you find them?
They were a service provider in starting my business.

Mineral Water
What do they buy from you?
They are one of our favorite customers. They normally bring in their own apparel and we put logos on them. They sell mineral water. So we put their logo on the bottles. We have done some banners and tents. Majority is embroidery or printing on shirts and jacket’s for them. 

How did you find them?
Found us driving by.

Political Party
What do they buy from you?
It is a political party that advocates legalization of marijuana. They sell marijuana seeds. They get signage and stickers. 

How did you find them?
They found us online. 

Veterinarian
What do they buy from you?
Embroidery. Lots of embroidery on shirts. 

How did you find them?
They are close by and saw us.

Product Retailer
What do they buy from you?
They create clothing for the cannabis culture. They order t-shirts and hoodies and stuff like that. Mostly DTG and some embroidery. Sometimes, Signs and banners. 

How did you find them?
They found us online.

Assisted Living
What do they buy from you?
We've done outdoor signs, vehicle graphics, but mostly tees. Tons of tees for employees and residents every year.  They also occasionally order other promotional products.  I usually deliver the tees to them and have met their partners and kids at their house when doing that and my grandsons do a great job of trucking boxes of tees up their very steep steps to their front porch. 

How did you find them?
I first met the representative when we did tees with resident artwork for family members and an art sale.  That artwork was beautiful and the tees looked great! That was when we were next door to Starbucks and I think the girl just found us there that way so - location! We did those tees for about 5 years and met other people at other facilities because of that.

Orthodontist
What do they buy from you?
T-shirts and promo are the majority sometimes embroidery, magnets, cups. All orthodontics order cups.

How did you find them?
I gained this business while going door to door early on in business. The lady that I worked with happened to be in a place I was going into.

Eye Care
What do they buy from you?
The sales were from a onetime order and we didn’t get it this year. 

How did you find them?
Early on in business a woman came in and placed a small order from us and these guys to us.

#7 Government
Regional Authority
What do they buy from you?
Coins, Lapel Pins, Shirts and jackets. 

How did you find them?
They were a walk-in. They were looking for someone to do coins and lapel pins.

Housing Authority
What do they buy from you?
They have purchased banners, yard signs, roll up signs, many promotional products (from gel packs to kids superman capes). Pop up tents, tons of stickers and many more promotional products. They are associated with a non-profit and also refer me to other people. 

How did you find them?
I do not know how they found me, but my suspicion is an employee there used to be employed by a different customer and has referred me around to all the departments there. So, now 3-4 people order from us.

#8 Retail
Gas Station
What do they buy from you?
One of the members of the owner’s family came in for a small order of transfer shirts. We have done other orders for them and overtime they have grown into a big account. We do shirts for their stores, their corporate office, their equipment company and their trucking company. All started with one small order. They buy mostly apparel, but they also buy almost everything from time to time. 

How did you find them?
They are one of our oldest customers and most likely our biggest customer, most years.

Women’s Apparel
What do they buy from you?
Signs 

How did you find them?
Internet

Pillows
What do they buy from you?
Pillow Cases. 

How did you find them?
Google.

Logo Mascots
What do they buy from you?
They make custom mascots and we transfer logos on their provided fabrics. 

How did you find them?
Walk-In.

Wholesaler
What do they buy from you?
We do mostly banners and promo hats. We do a lot of 16ft banners for their retail stores and they order typically around 8-10K promo printed hats to give away at grand openings. 

How did you find them?
President of the company is my father, but to be fair, we still have to give them the best price.

Ice Hockey Pro Shop
What do they buy from you?
They usually buy team spirit wear and use to buy for the proshop. I did their customization on all their team uniforms. I still do a lot of team spirit wear for them. 

How did you find them?
They are just a few blocks away and they are the pro-shop for the Ice Rink next door. A former employee worked for them many years ago and brought them in. I no longer work with them very much.

Tree Farm
What do they buy from you?
They order tees, jackets, employee gifts (about 40 employees at this Tree Farm). Everything from keychains to golf balls. They really love their employees. 

How did you find them?
They found me as a retail customer when I was next door to Starbucks. The owner came in with her coffee and went crazy with orders.

#9 Computer Software
Educational Software
What do they buy from you?
Just about everything you could think of to do Trade shows. Garments-polos,fleece, tees,lots of things.  USB's, bags, signs, tradeshow goods of all kinds, (eco)seed packets, travel mugs, dice, (Lots of promotional products). baseball team tees. 

How did you find them?
The owner’s ex-wife was originally my customer and she owned a retail store. We did t-shirts for her business.  Now he and his current wife are my customers and they own a medical software company.

Web Services
What do they buy from you?
They have placed large orders of screen-printed shirts. A handful of orders of logo’d mugs, posters and embroidered shirts. 

How did you find them?
They were a customer before my time, but I believe they were either a customer picked up by the former manager while he was doing bold walking. Or a referral from, another past manager.

#10 Education
Christian School
What do they buy from you?
Mostly Uniform Polo’s. 

How did you find them?
We knew them through our Christian Community

Junior High
What do they buy from you?
A little bit of everything. 

How did you find them?
We had a salesperson when we first started and she started the account 11 years ago.

Middle School
What do they buy from you?
School clothing (spiritwear), print, promo items, custom tees, signs & banners, team uniforms, and staff polo’s. 

How did you find them?
It was a combination of sales (cold) call/referral.

High School
What do they buy from you?
School clothing (spiritwear), print, promo items, custom tees, signs & banners, team uniforms, and staff polo’s.

How did you find them?
It was a combination of sales (cold) call/referral and personal relationship.

Elementary School
What do they buy from you?
School clothing (spiritwear), print, promo items, custom tees, signs & banners, team uniforms, and staff polo’s. 

How did you find them?
It was a combination of sales (cold) call/referral.

School Sponsored Event
What do they buy from you?
Custom T-shirts for an annual walk that takes place in Toronto. 

How did you find them?
They were a referral from our Church Organization and we have worked with them for the past few years.

PTA
What do they buy from you?
Custom T-shirts for an annual walk that takes place in Toronto. 

How did you find them?
They were a referral from our Church Organization and we have worked with them for the past few years. Their youth has a separate account since the tax is different. 

What do they buy from you?
They primarily buy custom T-Shirts 

How did you find them?
To be honest, I have been working with them so long I have no idea.

#11 Clubs/Organizations/Events
Gymnastics School
What do they buy from you?
Signs, Brochures. 

How did you find them?
They were a referral from another gymnastics company we work with.

Dance School
What do they buy from you?
First they purchased window graphics and large awning decals. Then over time they ordered t-shirts, water bottles, bags, embroidery and other types of signs. 

How did you find them?
Google Ad words on Jan 3rd. Most of the printers were closed.I was the only store open. Customer told me.

Club
What do they buy from you?
First they purchased window graphics and large awning decals. Then over time they ordered t-shirts, water bottles, bags, embroidery and other types of signs. 

How did you find them?
Google Ad words on Jan 3rd. Most of the printers were closed.I was the only store open. Customer Told me.

#12 Real Estate
Apartments complex
What do they buy from you?
They have bought a lot of stuff over the years. Mostly just shirts and name tags in that year or so. We did a large screen printing order for them around three years ago. 

How did you find them?
We already had a relationship with their owners that owned several apartment complexes.

Real Estate Association
What do they buy from you?
Signs - real estate sign - car wrap. Paper printing - postcards - door hangers - flyers. 

How did you find them?
Repeat customer since 2012.

#13 Restaurants/Bars
Design Professional
What do they buy from you?
Wall graphics, light box film, shirts, window graphics. 

How did you find them?
Google. 

Brewery
What do they buy from you?
Signs & banners. 

How did you find them?
They are across the street.

Pizza shop
What do they buy from you?
Signs banners, coroplast. T-shirts. Promotional products.

How did you find them?
Repeat customer since 2012. 

Naturist business
What do they buy from you?
Signs, t-shirts, Trade show booth, paper printing, promotional products.

How did you find them?
Repeat customer since 2011.

#14 Construction
Contracting Company
What do they buy from you?
Banners, Vehicle graphics, embroidered polos, stickers. Rolls of paper for construction site windows, mugs. 

How did you find them?
Driving by. 

Renovations Company
What do they buy from you?
Signs – Van. Jackets embroidery for his employees. 

How did you find them?
Repeat Customer since 2012. 

Roofing and Drains Company
What do they buy from you?
Signs, light box, vehicle graphic, coroplast signs. T-shirts. Hoodies embroidery. Paper printing, postcards, door hangers. 

How did you find them?
Repeat customer since 2013.