LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning business owner and employer. Volunteer and philanthropist. Wife, mother and grandmother.
The adage, "If you want something done, ask a busy person," comes to life in Lisa Buehler, a powerhouse who is just half of an entrepreneurial power couple. Not long after they said, "I do," her husband, Darwin, and she also became business partners. Almost three decades later, they are the owners of Allegra Marketing Print Mail and its sister company, Image360, employing 24 professionals, including their daughter, Amanda, in their Little Rock, Ark., headquarters.
For some, running a business can become all-consuming. For the Buehlers, it's just one aspect of their full and busy lives that are centered on family, including two grandsons – ages seven and two – and the community they've called home for 28 years.
"So much has changed since the early days when we were just starting out with two employees," said Lisa. "Initially, a printing business was out of our comfort zone, but Darwin could see that it would give us control of our future, professional growth and earning potential. When I joined the day-to-day operations a couple of years into our ownership, we were just building our vision for where we wanted to go."
As members of a franchise network (Allegra Network LLC, Sign & Graphics Operations, LLC and their parent company, Alliance Franchise Brands, LLC), the couple has found a reliable and comfortable blend of independence and support from their franchise along with their fellow franchisees. Lisa has served a term on the franchisor's Network Advisory Council, helping to shape programming. She was presented the Spirit of the Network Award in 2017, its inaugural year, and the couple has earned dozens of franchise awards for sales and operational excellence, perennially among the top performers in North America.
Business-minded
From a printing-only business to a multi-media solutions provider, the companies' services now range from signage to promotional products, graphic design to mailing services. Here are their three primary business growth strategies:
- Acquisition. Fourteen acquisitions, four in the first seven years, have increased their market share and ensured expansion.
- Diversification. To generate new revenue, they began selling promotional items in 2000 and now average $1,800,000 annually in this category.
- Dual branding. The launch of their sister brand, Image360, in 2010 further expanded their service offerings to indoor and outdoor building signs, large-scale graphics and displays, vehicle wraps and decals, and regulatory and ADA compliant signage.
Values-driven
Strong company values that permeate the way they do business and inspire their staff to share time and talent have earned the Buehlers the admiration and respect of industry peers. Locally, the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, Women & Children First, United Cerebral Palsy, and a long list of other organizations and nonprofit boards have benefitted from the couple's passion for community service.
Allegra also sponsors a program called the FootPRINT Fund® that provides area nonprofits with free printing and marketing services. Since 2004, they have donated a minimum of $20,000 annually to support organizations delivering vital assistance to underserved populations.
How do they do it all? "The key is to be equally committed to the same vision," said Lisa. "We pay closest attention to who we are as a family and a company, rather than on what we do. When you are guided by your core values, the decision-making is so much easier."
Located at 5610 W. 65th Street in Little Rock, visit Allegra and Image360 to learn more.
Contact:
Kelli Laski
8007269050
[email protected]
SOURCE Allegra Marketing Print Mail
Related Links
https://www.allegramarketingprint.com/locations/little_rock-ar
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