Overview
Discovery Map International franchisees build successful, home-based publishing businesses. They do this by providing local businesses with our fun and functional Discovery Map, interactive WebMap™, and classy in-room guest directories. These premier marketing tools deliver a cost-effective solution for local businesses interested in capturing a greater share of visitor spending.
Your core business as a franchisee will be to secure advertising sponsors in your Discovery Map and manage its distribution. You will purchase an agreed-upon number of maps from Discovery Map International. Your profit is the difference between your gross sales and the cost of your publication and business operation expenses. Unlike most franchisors, Discovery Map does not collect royalties. Our profits are earned through the sale of our licensed products and production services to our franchisees.
Your core business as a franchisee will be to secure advertising sponsors in your Discovery Map and manage its distribution. You will purchase an agreed-upon number of maps from Discovery Map International. Your profit is the difference between your gross sales and the cost of your publication and business operation expenses. Unlike most franchisors, Discovery Map does not collect royalties. Our profits are earned through the sale of our licensed products and production services to our franchisees.
Products & Services
Beautiful to look at and easy to use, Discovery Maps are the perfect place for local advertisers to welcome visitors and optimize their marketing dollars. One side of the map features an artist's full-color, hand-illustrated depiction of the community, with major streets, points of interest, and advertisers highlighted. The other side includes comprehensive advertising listings and displays aimed at helping visitors find businesses fast. Because Discovery Maps are compact—easily carried in pocket or purse—travelers turn to them over and over again. Many take these tourism maps home and share them with friends and family, treasuring them as family keepsakes. Area newcomers who need to know about local services use Discovery Maps repeatedly.
More products means more profits. Travel and tourism research confirms that more than half of all travelers use the Internet for travel planning. Discovery Map's WebMaps™ are the talk of the Internet! Fully interactive, they promote the same businesses in your community as the published maps, but now future visitors can learn more about your market and local activities before they ever arrive. These WebMaps™ are very powerful selling tools for our franchisees, as well as being a very valuable asset to merchants! This is a win-win situation for everyone. No other marketing/publishing business or franchise offers both of these high-exposure advertising channels as a single business.
And it doesn't stop there!If you want to build a bigger business, we offer additional product expansion opportunities. Our Discovery Guest Guides are placed in hotel rooms, and include information on the community, as well as dining, shopping, and entertainment. It's a great way to increase profits and add value to your business by leveraging relationships with your clients in the lodging industry. The guest guide is branded to the motel or hotel, and allows you to grow your business as much as you'd like. In addition, chambers of commerce nationwide publish annual membership directories that advertise the local businesses participating in the local chamber chapters. With our help, you'll learn how to land these accounts if you want to expand your business into this area.
More products means more profits. Travel and tourism research confirms that more than half of all travelers use the Internet for travel planning. Discovery Map's WebMaps™ are the talk of the Internet! Fully interactive, they promote the same businesses in your community as the published maps, but now future visitors can learn more about your market and local activities before they ever arrive. These WebMaps™ are very powerful selling tools for our franchisees, as well as being a very valuable asset to merchants! This is a win-win situation for everyone. No other marketing/publishing business or franchise offers both of these high-exposure advertising channels as a single business.
And it doesn't stop there!If you want to build a bigger business, we offer additional product expansion opportunities. Our Discovery Guest Guides are placed in hotel rooms, and include information on the community, as well as dining, shopping, and entertainment. It's a great way to increase profits and add value to your business by leveraging relationships with your clients in the lodging industry. The guest guide is branded to the motel or hotel, and allows you to grow your business as much as you'd like. In addition, chambers of commerce nationwide publish annual membership directories that advertise the local businesses participating in the local chamber chapters. With our help, you'll learn how to land these accounts if you want to expand your business into this area.
Training & Support
Comprehensive training and ongoing support are foundational to your success. When you are awarded a franchise, our proprietary Getting Started manual will help orient you to our business. One of the most critical aspects of this manual—and in starting a business of your own—is completing a business plan. We will show you how to gather key information on your market to create winning strategies as you write a sound, professional business plan.
Next comes your classroom training in beautiful La Conner, Washington. Here you will receive our extensive operations manual. You will find this to be an invaluable tool while learning more about our business. During a week of instruction, our experienced trainers will cover a wide variety of topics relating to the map publishing business. Nothing is left in question and you will leave with a thorough understanding of business practices, products, marketing, the sales process, administration, and production.
When your classroom training is complete, next comes your hands-on training conducted in your community. We will come to you, providing you with one-on-one, on-the-job field training. Together we will go out into your community and call on potential customers. This way you can learn from our experience and avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes.
Keep in mind, your training and support does not end there. For the lifetime of your business, we offer you unlimited phone coaching whenever you need our expertise and support. In addition, if there is a need for supplemental training, it can be arranged as well. Our experienced home team will be available to back you up every step of the way. You will never have to travel alone on this adventure.
Marketing Support
Every business needs customers and Discovery Map is no different. In fact, in our business having more customers not only equates to more revenue, but it also helps area merchants strengthen their bottom lines. This results in a more vibrant local tourism economy. A franchisee's success through their own marketing efforts not only produces better financial results, it also creates profound pride because of the contributions they make in their community. Our approach to marketing is broad-based. Many people think of advertising when they hear the term marketing, but that is only one method of growing your business. There are many other techniques that we use and many of these methods are more effective and less expensive than advertising.
Any comprehensive marketing plan has a number of components that are used in conjunction with one another to produce the most effective results. Among the major marketing initiatives designed to help ensure the success and growth of our Discovery Map franchise businesses are the following:
Community/Network Marketing
If you decide to consider a Discovery Map franchise, be prepared that the marketing of this business gives you a tremendous amount of visibility in your community. You will build relationships, gain new friends, and help other local merchants build their businesses. It’s all about networking in the tourism map publishing business. Our franchisees are passionate about their Discovery Map businesses because they know that it’s a fun business to own and operate. They love their jobs because they are constantly out and about serving as marketing consultants to local business owners instead of being tied to a desk or retail location.
Next comes your classroom training in beautiful La Conner, Washington. Here you will receive our extensive operations manual. You will find this to be an invaluable tool while learning more about our business. During a week of instruction, our experienced trainers will cover a wide variety of topics relating to the map publishing business. Nothing is left in question and you will leave with a thorough understanding of business practices, products, marketing, the sales process, administration, and production.
When your classroom training is complete, next comes your hands-on training conducted in your community. We will come to you, providing you with one-on-one, on-the-job field training. Together we will go out into your community and call on potential customers. This way you can learn from our experience and avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes.
Keep in mind, your training and support does not end there. For the lifetime of your business, we offer you unlimited phone coaching whenever you need our expertise and support. In addition, if there is a need for supplemental training, it can be arranged as well. Our experienced home team will be available to back you up every step of the way. You will never have to travel alone on this adventure.
Marketing Support
Every business needs customers and Discovery Map is no different. In fact, in our business having more customers not only equates to more revenue, but it also helps area merchants strengthen their bottom lines. This results in a more vibrant local tourism economy. A franchisee's success through their own marketing efforts not only produces better financial results, it also creates profound pride because of the contributions they make in their community. Our approach to marketing is broad-based. Many people think of advertising when they hear the term marketing, but that is only one method of growing your business. There are many other techniques that we use and many of these methods are more effective and less expensive than advertising.
Any comprehensive marketing plan has a number of components that are used in conjunction with one another to produce the most effective results. Among the major marketing initiatives designed to help ensure the success and growth of our Discovery Map franchise businesses are the following:
Community/Network Marketing
- Brand Management
- Direct Mail
- Public Relations
- Press Relations
- Referred Leads
If you decide to consider a Discovery Map franchise, be prepared that the marketing of this business gives you a tremendous amount of visibility in your community. You will build relationships, gain new friends, and help other local merchants build their businesses. It’s all about networking in the tourism map publishing business. Our franchisees are passionate about their Discovery Map businesses because they know that it’s a fun business to own and operate. They love their jobs because they are constantly out and about serving as marketing consultants to local business owners instead of being tied to a desk or retail location.
Why Discovery Map International?
Map publishing currently is a multi-billion dollar industry. Destination maps are not a product looking for a market—the traveling market is looking for fun and informative maps. United States residents alone spend in excess of $570 billion on travel, spending $170 billion shopping at domestic destinations, according to the latest Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) figures. Discovery Map is the nation's leading illustrated map and guide publishing franchise. As a tourism map publisher, you will be part of a niche market. Travelers need and seek Discovery Maps, and businesses want to capture more traveler spending.
Travel and tourism comprises one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries—the third-largest retail sector in the U.S., behind only automotive and food stores. Wherever they go, whatever their interests, business and leisure travelers need to know—Where do we eat? Where do we stay? Where can we shop? How can we have fun? What's the easiest way to get there? Our slogan at Discovery Map is, "We Show the Way!"
According to the TIA's report, The Shopping Traveler, shopping is the most popular activity Americans do while on trips away from home. And when asked what factor most impacted a positive shopping experience, 70% of the respondents cited, "shopping area is easy to get to or convenient". When asked about sources used to find information on shopping, in-room maps and guides were a top choice—second only to referrals by friends or families.
Where shall we start? We simply blow away the competition. Our maps are hand-illustrated. They're vivid, beautiful, fun, and functional. Travelers are attracted to them and businesses want to be associated with them. Where tourism is a strong economic sector our franchisees are poised to profit from the need of businesses to attract visitor dollars.
When you buy a Discovery Map franchise, we will create a custom, fully illustrated map of your town or city. All our maps meet or exceed the highest design standards, which means they pass the "WOW!" test. You will receive a protected territory and benefit from the associative power of the Discovery Map brand. In business since 1987, our branding and experience distinguishes Discovery Map from the crowd. Our longevity, stability, and steady national growth, are reflective of a long history of success. As a Discovery Map owner you will be participating with a proven company focused on dependability, reliability, and results.
A key element of our success is our Discovery Map franchisees. As members of the community, Discovery Map owners are committed to helping local companies connect with travelers, and are focused on showcasing the very best their community has to offer. Discovery Map has locally owned and operated franchise businesses in more than 40 markets and in 18 states in all regions of the country. We distribute more than five million maps annually, reaching nearly 11 million visitors nationwide.
Business Advantages
Travel and tourism comprises one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries—the third-largest retail sector in the U.S., behind only automotive and food stores. Wherever they go, whatever their interests, business and leisure travelers need to know—Where do we eat? Where do we stay? Where can we shop? How can we have fun? What's the easiest way to get there? Our slogan at Discovery Map is, "We Show the Way!"
According to the TIA's report, The Shopping Traveler, shopping is the most popular activity Americans do while on trips away from home. And when asked what factor most impacted a positive shopping experience, 70% of the respondents cited, "shopping area is easy to get to or convenient". When asked about sources used to find information on shopping, in-room maps and guides were a top choice—second only to referrals by friends or families.
Where shall we start? We simply blow away the competition. Our maps are hand-illustrated. They're vivid, beautiful, fun, and functional. Travelers are attracted to them and businesses want to be associated with them. Where tourism is a strong economic sector our franchisees are poised to profit from the need of businesses to attract visitor dollars.
When you buy a Discovery Map franchise, we will create a custom, fully illustrated map of your town or city. All our maps meet or exceed the highest design standards, which means they pass the "WOW!" test. You will receive a protected territory and benefit from the associative power of the Discovery Map brand. In business since 1987, our branding and experience distinguishes Discovery Map from the crowd. Our longevity, stability, and steady national growth, are reflective of a long history of success. As a Discovery Map owner you will be participating with a proven company focused on dependability, reliability, and results.
A key element of our success is our Discovery Map franchisees. As members of the community, Discovery Map owners are committed to helping local companies connect with travelers, and are focused on showcasing the very best their community has to offer. Discovery Map has locally owned and operated franchise businesses in more than 40 markets and in 18 states in all regions of the country. We distribute more than five million maps annually, reaching nearly 11 million visitors nationwide.
Business Advantages
- No royalties.
- Low investment.
- Superior, competitive product.
- Enviable, independent lifestyle.
- Fun business where you'll become an active member of your community.
- Fast startup.
- Flexible hours.
- Exclusive, protected territory.
- World-class training and support.
- Home-based operation.
- Multiple business ownership options.
- No expensive equipment to purchase.
Are You a Good Fit for Discovery Map International?
Do you want to be your own boss? We're looking for ambitious self-starters who can sell advertising in a compelling, attractive publication. We want entrepreneurs who have with media sales or direct sales experience, and who are familiar with how businesses are run. Owning a Discovery Map franchise means you will have flexibility, visibility in your community, and few or no employees, with a home-based business.
Don't want to be tied to a desk or store hours? If you want a flexible, independent lifestyle, Discovery Map might be the business for you. This is a direct sales business. We look for franchise candidates with a sales personality, who are self-starters and persuaders who love the sales process. You do not need advertising sales or media sales experience to qualify, although it is beneficial: if you're outgoing, manage time well, know how to follow business systems, and work well under deadlines, we'll show you how to leverage your sales skills into owning an exciting publishing business of your own. Our most successful franchisees enjoy working with people, building relationships, being part of the community, and networking. Some of our franchisees utilize part-time or out-sourced staff to help with day-to-day operations; others choose to operate without support staff. If you choose to run a Discovery Map publishing franchise on your own, you will be your own bookkeeper, file your own paperwork, and maintain customer records.
Don't want to be tied to a desk or store hours? If you want a flexible, independent lifestyle, Discovery Map might be the business for you. This is a direct sales business. We look for franchise candidates with a sales personality, who are self-starters and persuaders who love the sales process. You do not need advertising sales or media sales experience to qualify, although it is beneficial: if you're outgoing, manage time well, know how to follow business systems, and work well under deadlines, we'll show you how to leverage your sales skills into owning an exciting publishing business of your own. Our most successful franchisees enjoy working with people, building relationships, being part of the community, and networking. Some of our franchisees utilize part-time or out-sourced staff to help with day-to-day operations; others choose to operate without support staff. If you choose to run a Discovery Map publishing franchise on your own, you will be your own bookkeeper, file your own paperwork, and maintain customer records.
