Shrinking Your Way To Prosperity

By Carl Gerhardt

Can you shrink your way to prosperity? Since 2007, our industry has shrunk well over 20 percent. (Dr. Joe would say a lot more if you count inflation.) So if you are “average,” your firm is a lot smaller today than it was then. Since the start of that recession in 2007, many firms have “shrunk” their expense structure in order to maintain profitability or even to survive. You can only go so far with that plan or at some point, you get below critical mass to have a sustainable business model. If you are near retirement, are financially secure and not counting on any value for your business, this might not be an issue. However, if you are not financially secure or you want to leave a larger estate, many us are in a dilemma.

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Carl Gerhardt

Carl Gerhardt Author's page Carl Gerhardt is the chairman of Alliance Franchise Brands LLC, the parent company of Allegra Network LLC and Sign & Graphics Operations LCC, and a world leader in marketing, visual and graphics communications, linking more than 600 locations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. The company’s Marketing & Print Division, headquartered in Plymouth, MI, is comprised of Allegra, American Speedy Printing, Insty-Prints, Speedy Printing and Zippy Print brands of marketing, printing, mailing and Web services providers. Its Sign & Graphics Division, headquartered in Columbia, MD, is comprised of Image360, Signs By Tomorrow and Signs Now brands of sign and graphics communications providers.

Carl and his wife, Judy, owned and operated their own successful Allegra franchise for nearly 20 years before selling the $2.3 million operation in 2003. He is a PrintImage International/NAQP Honorary Lifetime Member and was inducted into NAPL’s prestigious Soderstrom Society in 2010 in recognition of his contribution to the industry.

Shrinking Your Way to Prosperity