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Taylor Abbott’s family bought an existing San Antonio print shop in 2009 without knowing a thing about printing, and four years later revenue had slid from $1 million to $600,000. Franchising was their last-ditch move, and it turned the business around. In this episode of From A to Franchisee, Taylor talks about converting a respected independent shop, what he inherited when he later bought an existing franchise location, and why he replaced the entire staff within a year. He also explains how documented systems, leaders promoted from within, and a parent-and-son split between sales and operations took the business from one location to three, with a fourth planned for 2027. If you’re weighing a resale, a ground-up location, or going into business with family, he’s candid about what worked and what he’d choose again.

Show notes

Guest: Taylor Abbott, multi-unit AlphaGraphics franchisee in San Antonio, Texas, who owns and operates three locations with his parents.

What you’ll learn

• Why Taylor’s family chose printing (no weekend work) and how they found the business through a broker
• What went wrong in the years after the purchase, and why they turned to a franchise
• The trade-offs of joining a system: royalties, monthly reporting, and brand standards, against new products and equipment buying power
• What you get on day one from an existing business, and what you inherit with it, including the team and culture
• How Taylor grew by acquiring a location, opening one from scratch, and planning a fourth
• His advice for first-time owners and for families going into business together

Key takeaways

• An existing business brings customers and cash flow, but also the previous owner’s habits and processes.
• Taylor replaced all eight employees at the acquired location within a year because the culture didn’t match.
• Scaling came from process: a documented plan from opening the doors to closing, with KPIs.
• The fourth location’s manager is an employee trained in the company’s system for about three years, not an outside hire.
• Taylor’s advice: if you can buy something already running, it’s far easier than opening from zero.

*While this episode features AlphaGraphics, this is not a sponsored episode. We encourage you to check out this brand and see how their Franchisee Satisfaction Data stacks up!

Resources

• Read: Should You Buy An Existing Franchise?
• Listen: Pros and Cons of Buying An Existing Franchise
• Listen: Employee to Entrepreneur: Taxes, Cash Flow, and the Mindset Shift

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