I Ink, Therefore I Am Full Circle Image image supply re-manufacturing franchise

An eruption of ink, as furious as a Kuwaiti oil well, blastedonto the recycling marketplace in the early '90s. And MikeBouquet, co-founder and vice president of Full Circle Image, was inthe thick of it. Along with his partners, Bouquet, now 34, helpedlaunch the image supply re-manufacturing franchise in 1991. Littledid he know, they were tapping into a vast sea of toner gold.

The Rochester, Minnesota-based company originally marketedrecycled ribbons, but field representatives soon learned there wasa demand for imaging resources, complete with toner cartridges andfax and copier supplies. "We help [businesses] deal withsupplies in an environmentally friendly way," Bouquet says,"we help them save money."

The Full Circle concept took shape following a simple phonesurvey conducted by Bouquet and his partners, asking people if theywould be interested in recycling their printer ribbons rather thanjust tossing them in the trash. The partners were overwhelmed withpositive responses, and soon, the company was literally set inink.

Fresh out of college himself at the time, Bouquet used histelemarketing and sales experience to help sell his products. Hemaintains that even now, a recent college graduate can easily dothe same. "You have to enjoy interacting with people, and youcan't be reluctant about knocking on doors and introducingyourself," he counsels.

To date, Full Circle Image has produced 25 franchises, spanningthe United States and Central America. Start-up costs run justunder $25,000, which includes the $20,000 franchise fee. FullCircle provides protected territory and a two-week field- andclassroom-training program, which Bouquet directs. He explains,"We're in a fast-growing, ever-changing marketplace, andit's very exciting."

Make The Call

Full Circle Image, (800) 866-8190, www.fullcircleimage.com.