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Franchise Info

Our company IS a family. When someone joins our company and opens a Goin`Postal store, they become part of our family. We see their successes as ours and that is why we and our store owners will consistently continue to rise above the competition

Marcus Price

Founder

Thank you for your interest in joining the Goin’ Postal family! As a nationwide network of proactive, positive, and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, we are on the path to making our financial goals a reality, and we hope that you will join us to share in our mutual success. At any point during reading this information you are welcome to contact us with any questions you may have. As part of our Goin’ Postal Shipping Store family, you will be given the knowledge that we have gained from owning and operating our own shipping business, and listening to our ever growing family of franchisees. In this information packet and in our FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) which you can request by submitting the franchise inquiry form; we will give you an idea of what to expect. Those materials answer 99% of the questions that people ask us about Goin’ Postal. Obviously you may have additional questions, and we are always happy to answer those in person or by email or telephone. Please read as much of this information and the FDD as possible before calling or emailing with questions, so that we can focus on your specific situation.

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What are Franchise and FDD?

franchise image

What is a Franchise?

In opening a Goin’ Postal store, you are an independent franchisee. You will establish and organize your business under your own name, and will be doing business as Goin’ Postal, in just the same way as owning a McDonalds restaurant franchise or a Curves Fitness gym franchise. GP Brands will help you set up your new franchised store.

Once your store is open you will benefit from the growing public awareness of The Goin’ Postal name. In addition, we will always be there for you when you have a problem. Also, as part of our chain you will be able to take advantage of our increased buying power as we negotiate better deals with vendors for everything from shipping to office supplies. In general, a franchise is a grant to use our Goin’ Postal name to operate a packing and shipping store in a specific territory, and to use GP Brands tried-and-true trade secrets, methods, proprietary manuals and software, and other materials to operate that Goin’ Postal store, and to benefit from our experience, business acumen, negotiations and advancements with vendors and carriers, continued technical support, assistance, and advisement for the term of your contract with us. The benefits of owning a franchise are essentially that you get to use a trade name, have a fairly standardized store appearance, receive standardized training, enjoy ongoing support, experience a reduced risk of failure (as opposed to figuring it out on your own and “winging it”), use a pre-tested standardized methodology to run your business, and other perks.

Types of store

There are two types of shipping stores. Those independently owned, and those that are part of a large franchise chain such as The UPS Store, Pak Mail, PostNet or Goin’ Postal. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of being an independent shipping store is the opportunity to run your business exactly as you please. On the opposite side of this is the fact that no one will help when you have a problem, you won’t have the benefit of an easily recognizable and trusted name, and you won’t have any clout with a vendor when you have an issue to be resolved. While the big chains are very strict about how the business looks and runs, they benefit from the increased buying power of a large company for things like supplies and even health insurance. Being part of a large chain usually comes with a hefty price tag, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get into business. Goin’ Postal offers all the benefits of being part of a large future chain without that whopping great price tag, and with flexibility as to how you will run your own business. In a nutshell, you can have the best of both worlds with a Goin’ Postal store and so we are building our own chain, to bring the American Dream within the of reach of everyday Americans. As a smaller direct management company, we can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace while using the growing number of stores to build awareness and name recognition for our brand. By opening a Goin’ Postal store, for a relatively small investment, you can get the help you need to get started, and you can own and operate your own store as your own business.

We support our franchisees, offer free training (included in the price of the franchise fee), free continuing education, free telephone and email support, free networking assistance, free advertising and PR assistance, and much, much more. Unlike those of our competitors who are primarily interested in selling franchises (for a whopping great price tag…some as big as 5 times the cost of a Goin’ Postal franchise!) to make their money and then leave you “on your own” for problem solving and continuing education, we at GP Brands are more interested in assuring the success of our individual franchisees, and in building a strong chain of very, very happy Goin’ Postal store owners and customers.

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What is the FDD?

The FDD is the Franchise Disclosure Document. This is the legal disclosure document that tells you everything you need to know that is material to the business you are about to buy and about us as a company. It also includes the Franchise Agreement that franchisees sign and send in with their franchise fee in order to become a Goin’ Postal franchisee. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that all franchises provide this document in an approved format at least 14 days prior to entering into any contract with or receiving any payment from a franchisee. Some states have their own rules about how long you must have the FDD prior to signing any binding agreement with us but that is discussed in the FDD itself.

What if I don’t want to print it out??

Running a small business is a lot of work, and you will invest a lot of money into it. We find that if someone doesn’t want to spend a few dollars to print out the FDD, there is no-way they will invest tens of thousands of dollars and the effort required building a successful business. If you do decide to come and make a personal visit here at our headquarters prior to purchasing a franchise we will be happy to provide you with a printed copy while you are here, as at that point you have already made an investment of both time and in travel expenses to come and see us so we know you’re serious.

Why to invest?

why to invest

Our Flexibility. We will give you a lot of flexibility in how you run your store. Being in business is meant to be fun, and it’s no fun to have a massive faceless corporation breathing down your neck every moment of every day. Goin’ Postal isn’t like that, and never will be, no matter how large we become. We provide the opportunity to offer a variety of shipping services and will do everything in our power to help you to offer all of the services that you wish to offer in your store. Our stores not only offer the standard large carriers but also have the opportunity to use their local carriers. This also takes out the problems of carrier strikes and shutdowns for one reason or another as it never means you are left without a business if one carrier stops working for any reason.

What are Goin’ Postal’s greatest assets?

The name. With its mixture of humor and direct description of what we do, it has become an invaluable asset to the expanding scope of our business. While 99% of people love the name…NO ONE EVER FORGETS IT! Our management, drive, ambition and creative ability. We are a dynamic team dedicated to the success of EVERY MEMBER of our business family. Our drive is apparent just from looking at the growth of our chain compared to everyone else. Our approach to customer care. We actually care about our customers, their families, and their mail and packages. We strive to approach each customer as a cherished friend and we provide all of our customers with friendly service combined with professional skills and the lowest rates, all in a polished corporate atmosphere. Our customer care is superior to all others and we’re very, very proud of that.

A multitude of other products our stores offer everything from shipping to ink & toner and document services to office supplies. Most franchises offer only one or two of the products and services that our stores have in their models as it is easier to teach only a small part of what Goin’ Postal teaches. You get eBay chains, ink & toner chains, office product chains, and shipping chains. Most franchises all come with a hefty price tag for one or two services, but Goin’ Postal includes all of these services and more in one model, making for much more profitable franchisees. We actually test our products and services! We are the only major chain with a main company store where we test products and services before they are released to our franchisees. We don’t believe in letting our franchisees be guinea pigs for our ideas so we test everything before they ever see them.

Why is Goin’ Postal the fastest growing shipping chain?

We have a business model that is more successful than our competitors, yet we help our franchisees establish their stores for a small fraction of the cost. If you take the investment required to open one of the other franchises and compare it with ours, there is no competition (and that is what is scaring our competitors….). While there is no way to take a competitor like The UPS Store or PostNet to a small town because of the higher investment, our stores can open in much smaller markets and still be highly profitable due to the low overhead. With our business model we are able to open successful stores in ten times as many markets as our competitors, and still leave our franchisees with more profit in their pocket at the end of the year. We also strive to make our franchisees happy and productive members of our chain. While other large chains have major morale problems, we try to turn around any issues very quickly to maintain a positive direction for the company. A testament to our success is how our franchisees get their families and friends involved in opening stores so they can share their success. It is very important to us that our franchisees are satisfied and so we work hard to avoid the problems the other chains experience.

Also, unlike other chains, we don’t have an endless line of committees for you to go through to get something done. Every franchisee has our direct contact info and the cell phone of at least one of our management to have a direct line to a solution.

Martell

Goin` Postal Differentiator

  • Amazing customer service (see above).
  • Attention to detail.
  • A family business attitude.
  • Super name, logo and product recognition.
  • As a small organization, we can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace.
  • As part of our business building practices, we are constantly developing new products and services that are only available through our direct retailing in our stores and on our websites.
  • Currently the initial investment required to open a Goin’ Postal is approximately 25% of our competitors’ shipping stores. Our business model is designed to allow you to open a store with the minimum out of pocket investment and to let the business pay for its own expansion.
  • Unlike the other large franchise operations, we are in the shipping business, not just in the business of selling franchises. Our goal is to own and run a chain of shipping stores, not just sell the logo on the front of the building and take a step back.
  • But most important of all is the flexibility that you will enjoy with Goin’ Postal. Within the boundaries of our established guidlines and rules which serve to protect and preserve the Goin’ Postal name, our trademarks, and our corporate identity, you will have tremendous flexibility in running your store and deciding the products and services you intend to offer.
  • Superb continuing education materials, support, guidance, access to our creative promotions staff, and assistance from the entire caring, professional GP Brands staff. You are NEVER “released into the wild” and left to fend for yourself with Goin’ Postal. We are here for you, as your behind-the-scenes team to cheer you on and to help you to succeed every step of the way for the duration of your term as a Goin’ Postal franchisee. Your success is our success, and we take that success very seriously.
  • Now we are achieving major name recognition, why would anyone pay over a quarter of a million dollars or more for exactly the same thing they can achieve with a Goin’ Postal store for a fraction of the price.

What are our plans for the future?

  • Our own GP Rate Pro software is constantly being developed to streamline and improve the shipping business. This is available to all Goin’ Postal stores.
  • Rapid expansion of the chain, building additional equity for current store owners.
  • New services and businesses under the Goin’ Postal brand.
  • Increased buying power for both shipping services, packaging and office supplies.
  • Future expansion plans that no other shipping store currently has, or will be able to compete with.
future plans

Your investment

investment

How is the investment to have my Goin’ Postal store broken down?

You will pay GP Brands $25,000 for the combination of Franchise Fee and equipment as broken down in the Franchise Agreement.

The remainder of your investment is not paid to GP Brands (except for some travel expenses for our rep to come and visit your store for opening) and can fluctuate. This portion of your investment will include rent/lease/purchase of a location and equipment such as: peanuts, hoppers, packing tables, shelving, product displays, merchandise to sell, boxes, copiers, fax machines, laminating machines, etc. This investment will vary from store to store depending upon your needs, your budget and if you decide to lease, already own, borrow, or purchase used or new equipment.

For example: One of our franchisees already owned his building and had nearly all of the required equipment except for a peanut hopper, peanuts and boxes, so he didn't need to spend much at all on his space/equipment. Other franchisees may start from scratch and will spend more on supplies, equipment, rent, etc. After we receive your franchise fee (again, the franchise fee just $15,000) we give you a list of recommended and required equipment and supplies. We do not fly to your location to buy you staples for your stapler, boxes for your shelves, etc. It is your responsibility to acquire the items on the list that we will provide for you PRIOR to the representative arriving at your store. When our representative is there he will spend as much time as possible reviewing all of your training so it is important that the store be as ready as possible when he arrives.

Piedmont
Shape

How do your investments compare to other stores?

Source: Entrepreneur.com (figures provided by each franchisor directly to Entrepreneur Magazine). We will try to keep these numbers up to date but their prices may change without notice. If you see a figure that has changed please let us know and we will get it updated. Our own figures are updated regularly to reflect changing costs. Our figures are up to date and directly from our FDD.

Total Initial Investment

LowHigh
The UPS Store $159,224 $434,521
Pak Mail $167,800 $247,850
PostNet $187,767 $230,275
Postal Connections $101,300 $130,500
Goin’ Postal $46,750* (standard low) $109,500 (Turn-Key high)

* Subsequent store franchise fees may be discounted by each individual company. Check their FDD for details. The amounts shown in the total Initial investment table above include the initial franchise fee.

Royalties and Ad Fees

RoyaltyAd Fund
The UPS Store 5% 3.5%
Pak Mail 5% 3%
PostNet 5% 5%
Postal Connections 4% 2%
Goin’ Postal $525.00 per month* 0%

* Goin’ Postal royalties do increase every 3rd year by approximately 5% for the term of your franchise agreement but the retail price of the products you are selling will also be increasing.

pay royalties

Why should I pay royalties at all?

The money to pay for support has to come from somewhere. While the other large franchisors may take $4,000 a month out of your pocket, you get very little for it. The $525.00 that a Goin’ Postal franchisee pays each month more than pays for itself when you look at the deep discounts our franchisees receive from vendors, constant stream of new profit centers we produce, the ongoing training, and the exceptional support we provide. Each month, our average franchisee saves hundreds of dollars just by asking for our advice (and taking it!) on different issues. If you think that after 60% cost of goods sold, a franchisee only has to sell an additional $9,000 worth of product a year to cover their royalties, yet our franchisees more than double the average sales of the industry as a whole, it’s easy to see why being part of Goin’ Postal is much better for your wallet!

What about ad funds?

While national and local ad funds are very important for certain types of businesses which need to create ‘impulse buys’, traditional advertising doesn’t work with this business. If McDonalds runs a commercial advertising a Big Mac, you have to eat three times today and there is a good chance they will convince you to go and buy a Big Mac, or Best Buy shows you what a great deal they have on DVD’s this weekend, you may go and take a look and buy one. You cannot make someone ‘impulse buy’ shipping. Someone has a package to ship or they don’t. People go to the shipping store they are comfortable with so what we do actually gets people into your store and gets them to learn your name. They might not be shipping a package today, but when they do have one they will be back in your store.Even when the ads are run only at Christmas, most franchisors take ad fund contributions and the actual franchisees never see much local benefit from them. If we collected $15,000 from each franchisee this year and ran campaigns in every market at Christmas with the money, most of our franchisees in rural areas would receive less benefit from those funds, and that’s just not fair. The reason for this is the difference in both station availability and differing costs among markets. To run a TV ad on a large station in Los Angeles for instance

would cost far more than running the same ad in Oneonta, Alabama and the ad in Los Angeles will produce far more business for that franchisee, so why should the Oneonta franchisee pay the same as the Los Angeles franchisee? We say, he shouldn’t. Our goal is to leave the money in your pocket, and let you decide what to do with it. If you can promote yourself through community events and promotions that cost very little, why spend tens of thousands of dollars on an already saturated advertising medium such as a newspaper? If you do want to do traditional advertising we produce the ad templates and customized ads for you at our expense, and you decide where to run them at your expense.


Another little secret the franchisor community doesn’t want you to know is ad funds are very good for cash flow. If our competitors each collect $1,000,000 a year in ad funds, those ad funds find their way into general revenue available for the franchisor to use for whatever they like until they decide to spend it on advertising. Our competitors also use ad funds to sell franchises which we think is completely wrong. Franchisors are in the business of selling franchises and shouldn’t be paying for their business off the back of their franchisees.

A $15,000 franchise fee? What do I get for your $15,000 fee that I couldn’t do myself?

First of all, you get a much better chance of succeeding, which is priceless. Approximately 90% of small businesses fail in the first couple of years for a variety of reasons. A small fraction of franchised small businesses suffer the same fate. The success rate is much better due to the training, support and the constant flow of new money-making and money-saving ideas shared by the franchisor and the franchisee.


We can save you from the years of fumbling and growing pains, and can teach you time-saving and sanity-saving techniques, give you forms to use and procedures to follow that we have developed by owning and operating our own shipping stores. We know what it takes to run a successful shipping business from first-hand experience. We hold your hand until you are comfortable with being a bit more independent (and then we’re just on the other end of the telephone or email, should you need us!), and then you still benefit from the growing public name recognition of the Goin’ Postal chain. For the $15,000 franchise fee you get the knowledge to start business with the experience to make it a success. You also get the license to our great name and corporate identity which is rapidly gaining public recognition.


There is a lot to know! But you don’t have to learn the shipping business the hard way. We make it easy. We’ll teach you how to run the various types of software, how to calculate shipping rates based on dimensions,

weight, destination zip codes, speed of travel required, insurance coverage desired and carrier preference, common problems that may occur with customers or carriers and how best to deal with them, how to get competitors to be your best source of customers, bookkeeping, setting up accounts for your customers, advertising tips, ways to cultivate business that will feed your shipping store, and much, much more. During your week in Florida, you will spend around 40 hours between taking various classes in the classroom, taking competency exams, and doing hands-on training (under our supervision and constant direction) to test your knowledge and to hone your skills in preparation for serving your customers.


As part of a chain like Goin’ Postal you also benefit from the constant flow of great ideas we receive from our franchisees.


Also, a big reason for buying a franchise is not being a mom and pop store as these are the main targets of big businesses. When Wal-Mart comes to town it doesn’t make more people buy clothes, it takes the market away from the local clothing retailer. The same goes for tax franchises, tire shops, pharmacies, shipping stores, and other ‘on-demand’ businesses. The small independent store owner cannot compete with the prices, appearance, standardized service, or organized system that big chains bring with them.

The most obvious reason to pay a $15,000 franchise fee…

We know what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t work. If you follow our system and listen to us, you WILL save $15,000 in your first 12 months on advertising and other purchases that don’t work! We are smart business people, and even we had to figure certain things out the hard way, but you won’t have to. After the first year with us, you would have invested less money in your store than if you hadn’t purchased a franchise!here is a lot to know! But you don’t have to learn the shipping business the hard way. We make it easy. We’ll teach you how to run the various types of software, how to calculate shipping rates based on dimensions,weight, destination zip codes, speed of travel required, insurance coverage desired and carrier preference, common problems that may occur with customers or carriers and how best to deal with them, how to get competitors to be your best source of customers, bookkeeping, setting up accounts for your customers, advertising tips, ways to cultivate business that will feed your shipping store, and much, much more. During your week in Florida, you will spend around 40 hours between taking various classes in the classroom, taking competency exams, and doing hands-on training (under our supervision and constant direction) to test your knowledge and to hone your skills in preparation for serving your customers.

As part of a chain like Goin’ Postal you also benefit from the constant flow of great ideas we receive from our franchisees.


Also, a big reason for buying a franchise is not being a mom and pop store as these are the main targets of big businesses.When Wal-Mart comes to town it doesn’t make more people buy clothes, it takes the market away from the local clothing retailer. The same goes for tax franchises, tire shops, pharmacies, shipping stores, and other ‘on-demand’ businesses. The small independent store owner cannot compete with the prices, appearance, standardized service, or organized system that big chains bring with them.

Why is Goin’ Postal so much LESS expensive than other shipping franchises?

The primary reason for our low cost is that we spent years on end working hard for other people. We knew that we were smart and hard-working, and we knew we could find a better way to make a decent living and to enjoy our lives again. We created Goin’ Postal, and when we saw how well we were doing with our first store, we decided that we needed to start franchising so that we could teach “regular people” like us how to be financially independent. Everyone deserves a shot at the “American Dream” if they are willing to work for it so we knew we had to keep the initial investment low. We have also studied the market and any shipping and packaging store, whether it’s a major chain shipping store or an independent mom-and-pop store, has about the same resale price which is based on sales, not the name. Generally, resale prices for successful stores are around an average of $140k. Why would you spend upwards of $200,000 or more on business that will probably always be worth less than you invested? With a $200,000 franchise, you are just buying a very expensive job for the ultimate benefit of the franchisor and parent company. Our opinion is that our way is better. At GP Brands, we show you how to set up and operate your shipping store for the smallest investment possible, and after the first year you should be in the black with a business that is worth far more than you invested to set it up.


We save you the most money by having you go directly to the source for most of your materials and supplies. Instead of us selling you boxes that are marked up 100% before you get your hands on them, you go directly to our suppliers and order them at the same price we would pay. Instead of buying an overpriced copier or fax machine from us, you go directly to our supplier and guess what, pay the same price we do! Generally, well over half of whatever spend to set up a franchise goes directly into the franchisors pocket in one way or another UNLESS you are buying a Goin’ Postal.

Also, by keeping our initial investment low, we have ABSOLUTELY no competition and are expanding rapidly. We are continually signing up new franchisees that were already in negotiations with the other large shipping chains, and then they discovered Goin’ Postal.


We don’t use franchise brokers. We advertise our franchises online and through word of mouth. If a franchisor pays a broker $15,000 for pushing you into their franchise, that money has to come from somewhere , and it’s coming out of your pocket. We let our franchisees success sell our franchises. Also, as we charge far less than other franchisors, those exact same brokers will never sell a Goin’ Postal franchise if they have the opportunity to sell a far more expensive franchise. If they can get a third of $30,000 or a third of $15,000 for the same amount of work, where will they direct your wallet? We actually received a call from a broker recently who said that he would like to introduce his friend as a potential franchisee as he wanted what was best for him, but that he would never have called us if it was a regular customer since he’d make far more money by selling him a franchise other than Goin’ Postal. At least he was honest! That franchisee is now one of our happiest, most successful store owners!


We also keep our own corporate overhead down. If we don’t spend it, we don’t have to collect it from our franchisees. A perfect example of this is the work ethic of our staff. Instead of purchasing a large, flashy office building, we purchased an older, run-down office building, and the entire staff worked late nights after regular work (for nothing but pizza and beer) to get it cleaned, painted and renovated. By saving close to a quarter of a million dollars on our headquarters we could do more for our franchisees while lowering their investment too.

It sounds like I need to be far more motivated to do a lot of the work myself to get open for the low end of the investment range.

True. If you want to get a store open for around $48,865 and you want it to look like a competitor’s $200,000 store, it’s going to take some effort on your part using our help and advice. Instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to hand you the keys to your new store, you’ll be setting up your store with our direction, guidance, and assistance. We figure that if it takes you 6 weeks to do this and you save yourself $150,000 dollars in the process, then it’s as good as paying yourself $100,000 a month! Also, we encourage our store owners to be

self-motivated go-getters, as folks who embrace new experiences with gusto and who expend some elbow grease to attain their goals are the ones who are far more likely to succeed.

It sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?

We hear that all the time…and there is no catch! Really! It’s a simple equation: your hard work = money in your pocket. Make no mistake…Goin’ Postal is not a get-rich quick scheme, it’s a business. You will definitely have to expend some serious elbow grease, study the materials that we provide for you, participate in training, read our continuing education notices and utilize our refresher exams and the Operations Manual, follow our guidelines and rules, get involved in your community, advertise, sparkle as you serve your customers, and yes, you will surely work harder than you ever have before…but the income that you will earn for yourself and your family will be all the more meaningful because it will be generated by your hard work in YOUR business. Just call or visit

any of our existing franchisees and they’ll tell you straight-up that they too thought Goin’ Postal must be too good to be true…but then they visited us in Florida (just to make sure that we were real people with a real company!), they contacted our franchisees, they’ve been in business as Goin’ Postal store owners for some time now, and they are very happy with the way that we do business, the way that their stores are performing, and the support and encouragement that we provide for them. Seeing is believing, so we encourage you to come visit us at our headquarters in Zephyrhills, Florida or to visit any of our franchisees’ stores nationwide.

How am I expected to pay the $15,000?

You are welcome to pay by credit card, cash or check, whichever is most convenient for you. You may pay for your point of sale system with a credit card or a check when you sign up as a franchisee.

How long does my initial licensing fee last?

Unlike most franchise license terms which typically expire after 10 years, our term is valid for 15 years. Should this policy change in the future, all current stores will remain under the policy in effect when they opened. There is no charge to renew your franchise for an additional 15 years.

Can I get a refund?

Once we receive your initial franchise fee you are supplied with a large amount of proprietary information that we have taken several years to develop. For this reason once you have signed your franchise documents you are bound to the non-competition agreements until the end of the term. Should you decide that you would like to sell your franchise, we are always happy to help in finding a suitable buyer. This is also necessary due to the fact that we provide you with a protected territory as soon as we receive your franchise agreement, and as a result, we turn away any other parties who are interested in your location.

refund

What is included in the Goin’ Postal set-up package?

With our initial set up package we will hold your hand through every step of setting up your business, including:


License to use the Goin’ Postal name and corporate identity as a DBA.

You will be licensed to use the Goin’ Postal trademarks and the corporate identity.


Location assistance: We ask that you send photos and descriptions of several locations that you are interested in pursuing as potential sites for your store. Be sure to include information about square footage, parking, traffic patterns, and nearby businesses. We will help you to choose the best one, but the final decision will be up to you.


Licenses & Permitting assistance: We know what you need in general, plus we’ll help you find out what you need to best serve the customers in your neighborhood.


Equipment purchasing and training: We know what you need, and we’ll teach you how to use it!


Store Layout, design and construction consultation: We know what works and what doesn’t.


Training, training, and more training. Part of the set-up package is our intensive training program at our Shipping Store University. You will visit

our headquarters and main store in Florida, and will train in both a classroom environment, and then by serving customers alongside us. We will teach you EVERYTHING in one week from network set-up to customer service to processing packages, and more. When you are ready to open your Goin’ Postal store you will also have one of our representatives on-site to do refresher training, to assist you in serving your customers, and to help with your store set-up.


Computer system design and training: Shipping is all about computers and software. Our techs are superb and very helpful.


Store management training: Anyone can open a store, but staying in business is another thing. We’ll be here for you!


Phone support for your business. We will never leave you out on your own. We are here to help.


The GP Store Set-Up Manual and New Franchisee Primer is our very own useful step-by-step guidebook that will help you to navigate the waters of setting up your store and learning the ropes. Our Operations Manual is an invaluable collection of guidelines and training information that covers the operation of your entire business We will keep your manual up-to-date as we improve upon it by making it available on the owners’ section of the website.

What type of training you will get?

Our training will cover both the business and practical sides of owning and operating your own shipping store. You will also get a priority toll free number to call when you have any questions. You will do a week of mandatory training at our headquarters in Zephyrhills. You will pay for your own lodging, transportation, and meals during that time. We then send a representative to your store to help you put the finishing touches on your shop, to do a little refresher training if you feel that you might like some, and to open your doors with you for the first few days. You will be responsible for the representative’s lodging, meal allowances and transportation, but our representatives travel in the least expensive manner possible and only utilize economy transport and economy lodging. We want you to get started for the least amount of money possible, so that you can see a return on your investment as quickly as possible! We are all about saving you money, and helping you to make money We have had many carrier representatives remark that we have the best-trained franchisees, and we’re very proud of that standard of excellence!

Problem Diagnosis

Computer Setup, configuration, and initial problem diagnosis

Customer Service

Customer Service

Point Of Sale Training

Point Of Sale Training

Proper Packaging

Proper Packaging as Outlined by Each of the Carriers

Calculation of Shipping Rates

Calculation of Shipping Rates Based on Dimensions, Destination Zip codes and Weights

Freight Truck Booking

Freight Truck Booking

Packaging & Box Making

Packaging & Box Making

Business Expansion

Business Expansion & Idea Building

What about continuing education?

We provide a wealth of continuing education materials on the Owners’ Section of the website. These c.e. materials include quizzes and tests and exams, answer keys, fun crosswords and word searches and other items, and we are always updating the existing materials AND adding new materials. The c.e. materials will soon include video tutorials as well. We also revise the GP manuals often, and the updates are available to all franchisees, 24 hours a day via the restricted Owners’ Section. Franchisees are encouraged to utilize these materials themselves, and to use them to train their employees. GP Brands also provides a standing

offer for any franchisee to return to training in Florida, at no cost (the franchisee pays his/her own travel expenses, lodging, meals, etc.) for the duration of the contract term. GP Brands also updates its comprehensive Operations Manual weekly, sends out all-franchisee email newsletters that contain valuable updates, notices and tidbits of information, and encourages the franchisees to stay informed by visiting the carriers’ websites on a regular basis in order to stay up-to-date with the latest rules, regulations, and developments in the shipping industry.

What about advertising?

Instead of charging everyone a 2 – 3% co-op advertising fund like the majority of franchises and spending the money on massive national, regional and local campaigns that may not help the individual store owner directly, we will personally cover the cost of producing TV and radio ads which will be available to all store owners free of charge to run in their own markets at their own discretion. Generally when you take a look at most franchises and their their ad funds, they do very little to promote an individual store so we prefer to leave the money in your pocket and let you spend it the way you feel is right for your situation.


As part of our business history, we operated a full-service advertising agency which catered to a multitude of international clients. We have carried over this experience to be able to control our own advertising look and feel for Goin’ Postal, and have done so with a very small budget.


All advertising materials will be available to you free of charge via the website where you can download print ad templates, business card

templates, postcard layouts, flyer layouts, etc. (which you can then pay your local newspapers to run or you can Xerox copies of), and in the future, TV and radio commercials will also be available.


Starting a business is all about legwork to promote your business, not throwing money at advertising companies. While TV, print, and radio advertising is a great way to promote your business, a more cost-effective method is distributing flyers at events and parking lots (with permission, of course!), and even better than that…is making certain that you are an active member of your community, and doing creative and inexpensive celebrations and promotions at your store. We also teach our franchisees that the very best advertisement in the world is free…a happy customer. Treat all of your customers like gold, and you will be amazed at how many referrals you will receive. We are thrilled and proud to say that THIS is what built our business to the level it is at today.

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