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Cartridge Green are delighted to announce our membership of the Irish Franchise Association. The Irish Franchise Association promotes “best practice” franchising in Ireland and our successful membership application is an endorsement for our brand and business model. Cartridge Green will be proud to communicate our membership of the association and our franchising materials will be updated to include their logo. Cartridge Green has announced plans to open 4 new stores in 2010. These new stores will be located in Dublin and Cork. Commenting on the expansion, Niall McConnell from Cartridge Green commented, “Despite the tough economic climate, the Cartridge Green business model is robust enough to not only survive but also to prosper. Our superior product quality means that the saving we offer to households and business is a real one”. Cartridge Green has also delayed their proposed expansion into the UK until 2011. According to McConnell this delay is as a result of their continued search for a suitable Master Franchisee in the UK. McConnell stated, “We have conducted meetings with many candidates but we have yet to find a suitable person who we believe can successfully bring Cartridge Green to the UK. The delay also has the added advantage of allowing us to continue to concentrate on our Irish expansion and operations” The Irish Franchise Exhibition which hosted by The Irish Franchise Show takes place on 19th and 20th of February 2010 in Croke Park, Dublin. Please visit our stand if you are interested in finding out more about the Cartridge Green franchise opportunity. Alternatively email
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to request more information or a brochure. The new Cartridge Green store in Santry is now open and is located opposite The Comet Pub, beside Larkhill Credit Union. Please contact Fran on 01 8060993 with any queries. Cartridge Green are delighted to announce that a new store will open in Santry, Dublin in October 2009. The store will be run by our latest franchisee, Fran McDonagh. Commenting on the new store opening, Nik Healy from Cartridge Green stated, “To say we are delighted to open a new store in the midst of this economic gloom is a gross understatement! The opening of this store by Fran merely highlights that our business model is attractive to prospective franchisees no matter what the economic circumstances” Cartridge Green will announce their plan for further expansion in December this year. Printer cartridge refilling is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Cartridge Green has created a new advertising campaign to highlight how easy it is for people to refill their printer cartridges and save money. The 3 step process is: Step 1: out of ink again? Step 2: bring your empty cartridges to Cartridge Green Step 3: cartridges refilled and returned to you with cost savings! If you are not already using Cartridge Green, why not follow the quick 3 step process and start saving money at your nearest Cartridge Green store. Cartridge Green have unveiled their new quality badge and slogan that will be used to highlight our superior product quality to home and business users of our services. “The difference is our quality” slogan and badge will be used to showcase our strong emphasis on product quality. Cartridge Green stores use the latest refill and remanufacture technology available to maintain our high quality standards. Commenting on the new badge, Niall McConnell from Cartridge Green commented, “Our emphasis on product quality is a fundamental aspect of the marketing communications strategy for Cartridge Green. This badge and slogan highlights how different Cartridge Green are when compared to other printer cartridge refill operators. We will continue to invest in the best to maintain our brand equity”. Cartridge Green has officially launched a community based programme designed to raise funds for local community organisations. The programme is called Community Connect and the roll out will involve all Cartridge Green stores. Cartridge Green will donate a percentage of each sale to a local community based organisation. The organisation must register with Cartridge Green to become a participant in Community Connect. If you are a sports club or community based organisation and you would like to register to become a participant please email
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By Margaret O'Brien
In the full grip of economic panic last
November, John Smith opened the doors of his Cartridge Green outlet in Lucan.
“I
analysed a lot of franchise opportunities before choosing Cartridge Green,
including all the other competitors in this sector. Ultimately I chose this
industry as I felt the timing was perfect.
With the massive shift in focus by individuals and businesses towards better value for money, I thought it was essential to choose a franchise that offered a lower cost alternative. My big consideration at this stage was quality of product and service. Having conducted extensive research I was left in no doubt that Cartridge Green was the only show in town in this sector”, said Smith. He added, “The support from Cartridge Green has been excellent. I signed up as a franchisee a couple of months prior to opening, to allow time for training and other preparation. Since opening the store, I have had constant telephone access to Cartridge Green’s franchise technical department and I have been in regular contact with the existing network of franchisees, who are also a great source of support. I received hands-on support pre-launch, as well as excellent practical in-store training, which is part of the franchise package. A tailored marketing plan was drawn up to help me grow and maintain my business-to-business and walk-in customer bases”. Smith reported, “To date things are going brilliantly. I'm getting really positive feedback from the local community in Lucan and beyond. People who have never refilled ink cartridges before, are genuinely surprised by the huge savings and the quality of our product, while those who have refilled previously are really impressed by our professionalism and high quality standards. My figures in terms of footfall and revenue are really pleasing to date”. Smith is confident he made a good franchise choice, one that is particularly relevant in the current economic climate. “The fact that I can walk into a small business and offer up to 40 percent savings on what they are currently paying for their printer cartridges gets their ears pricked immediately. A year or two ago this might have been a harder sell but now companies have an obligation to investigate at all ways to reduce their overheads, so a service like ours, where the quality is guaranteed, is an absolute no-brainer”. Coming from a marketing background Smith is particularly impressed by Cartridge Green’s strong branding proposition. “We offer an environmentally friendly, low cost product which strikes two very relevant chords with people today. The huge emphasis on brand consistency from the top gives me great confidence in the potential for the brand to grow and grow. Brand consistency is key for Cartridge Green, from the layout of our stores, to our staff uniforms, to our customer service procedures, to the vans we drive, to our packaging”. He added, “In my book a franchise is only as strong as its weakest link and huge emphasis is placed on maintaining really high standards across the board at Cartridge Green and that gives me as a franchisee great confidence”.
For those people currently considering an
investment in a franchise opportunity, Smith advises them to, “Do your
research, make sure it's the right franchise for you. Look further than price,
obviously it’s a big consideration but remember, the cheapest franchise
opportunity is not necessarily the best franchise opportunity.
Finally, be prepared to work very, very hard. The business isn't going to run itself" By Margaret O'Brien
Launched in 2007, Cartridge Green, a wholly Irish owned
company has bucked the economic trend by opening new stores and creating employment.
Co-founder Niall McConnell stated, “We are extremely happy
with the progress we have made to date. We now have 12 franchised stores, with at
least four more due to open this year.
We are opening new stores, while our competitors appear to be rationalising
and closing some of their stores. We believe that the reason for this is our
strong focus on product quality and brand consistency/awareness”.
He agreed that the recessionary economic backdrop creates
opportunities for Cartridge Green. “Households and businesses are trying to cut
costs, so a low cost solution such as ours is very appropriate right now. The
fact we produce a very high quality product is also a key factor to our future
growth and sustainability”.
While predominantly Dublin based, Cartridge Green has also succeeded
in launching in towns such as Naas, Ennis and Clonmel. McConnell confirmed, “We
are currently fielding multiple positive enquiries from other towns and cities
and are particularly keen to bring our brand to the high streets of Limerick,
Cork, Galway, Waterford and Belfast”.
Cartridge Green is receiving enquiries off people from of
all walks of life. “People of various ages and working backgrounds have
contacted us. Many have been made
redundant and are now looking to plough their own furrow. The redundancy
experience has made them want to control their own future and they see
ownership of their own business as an integral part of that”.
For those looking at franchise opportunities, McConnell
said, “There’s no doubt, we are in a good space right now. We are growing
despite the hard recession and the feedback from our franchisees indicates that
most of their custom is driven by cost and product quality and then
environmental concerns. Consumers are
actively looking for the best quality at the keenest prices”.
McConnell believes businesses and consumers are refilling cartridges
now, who might not previously have considered doing so. “Refilling has
justifiably had some negative publicity. At Cartridge Green we are attempting
to restore peoples faith in the concept and we believe we are succeeding in
attracting new customers and maintaining customer loyalty through repeat
business”
The fact remains, it is irrelevant if our product is 40 to
50 percent cheaper and it doesn’t work. Our philosophy and emphasis on product
quality has clearly put pressure on our competitors. We have focused
strenuously on making sure ours is the best refill product in the marketplace
and that’s why we are converting the sceptics into repeat customers”.
He concluded, “Brand consistency and product quality is the
lifeblood of Cartridge Green. We will continue to invest heavily in the areas
we believe will sustain this business into the future. We don’t just want to
offer the best refill product today, we want to ensure that Cartridge Green
represents the highest standards of product quality and brand consistency in
the future” For more information on obtaining a Cartridge Green franchise, Tel: 01 2103868 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Cartridge Green is delighted to announce the opening of two
more stores in the space of just two weeks. The stores are located in Naas on
the main
Healy added "Naas and Tallaght are key locations for Cartridge Green. Both
towns have a large residential and business population meaning there will be a
lot of business for both stores". Naas Franchisee Gary Jennings said
"It's taken a lot of hard work to get this far but we are delighted with
the store, and the response so far has been fantastic. The people of Naas
are familiar with refilling concept and we are delighted to be able to
offer them a quality based service"
Lucan did not have any cartridge refilling or printing services so it was an obvious location for us considering the large population in the area” said master franchisor Nik Healy. “Clondalkin and Leixlip will also be serviced by the store by a pick-up and delivery service to business customers” he added.
The store is situated at 15/16 Main St., Lucan where the old
Raphael’s snooker hall used to be. You can contact the store directly
on 01-6219740 or by emailing
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.
HP has announced a price increase of approximately 5% with effect from 1st November 2008 on their laser printer cartridges. Oki have also announced a 5-6% increase for December 1st, 2008. Higher prices in raw materials, transportation and manufacturing are being blamed.
HP and Oki customers will be directly affected as the increases are likely to be passed on to them and not absorbed by the distributors. Cartridge Green Director Nik Healy said “these latest price increases will be particularly painful considering the current slowdown that most businesses have had to weather”. “Refilling should now be seriously considered by all businesses who want to cut costs” added Healy. HP is one of the largest suppliers of printers in Ireland especially in small to medium sized offices where they have a cornered the black and colour laser printer market. “Savings of around 40% can be made on HP and Oki cartridges by getting them refilled so it is an area that all business should seriously consider if they’re trying to cut costs.” It is anticipated that further prices increases will be announced in the coming weeks and months by other OEMs because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Cartridge Green has announced plans to open 3 new stores in Dublin by September 2008. 3 new franchisees are now on board to run stores in Harold's Cross, Lucan and Crumlin.
These store additions bring to 11 the total store numbers. Niall McConnell from Cartridge Green said "having started out in September '07 with 2 stores, the addition of 9 stores in a calendar year solidifies our presence in the Irish market and gives us a platform to go on and open our 30 planned stores in Ireland as well as launching into mainland Europe". "We have been inundated with enquiries from prospective franchisees and it's been tough keeping up with demand. We have stuck rigorously however to our main goal of only offering licenses to high calibre people who have chosen hight profile locations" commented Nik Healy, the company's Operations director. Keep checking this news section for more store opening announcements and news.
One of Irelands top business magazines, Business Plus has featured the phenomenal growth of Cartridge Green since our launch last September. The article also looked into the printer cartridge refill industry in Ireland today and was featured in the April 2008 edition. Commenting on the article, Niall McConnell from Cartridge Green said "any company feature in a publication of this calibre adds a new weight of importance to our marketing message and brand positioning. We believe that Cartridge Green has struck a chord with the general public and we will continue to inform all printer cartridge users of the huge cost and environmental savings to be made with printer cartridge refilling"
Cartridge Green will soon announce details of their next phase of growth with several new stores to open in Ireland by then end of the calendar year. Details will also shortly be announced of our move into the UK market.
After exhaustive hard work and endless hours our store in Bray is finally open to the public. The operators, Dara and Shane O’Buachain have put in a serious amount of effort to ensure the Bray store is open on time. The Bray store is located on Novara Avenue just a few yards from the Main Street opposite the Pharmacy. The Old Bodhran café formally occupied the premises.
The store will also offer an extensive range of printers, paper, phone and iPod accessories and computer equipment. In addition you will also be able to avail of our full range printing services (business cards, letterheads etc) and browse over 20,000 office supply and stationery products online. Call the store today on 01 2116376 for a quote on your printer cartridge refill at home or in the office.
Cartridge Green is an Irish-owned franchise operation with a growing chain of retail units involved in remanufacturing and refilling computer printer cartridges. Set up by Niall McConnell (BBLS ’99, HDipCompSc ’00) and Nik Healy (BAgSc ’99, HDipCompSc ’00), the company has already opened seven stores and plans to increase this to 15 by the end of 2008 and to 30 within two years.
According to McConnell, the company has really taken off since being rebranded and relaunched last year to take advantage of increased environmental consciousness among consumers. “The branding, the corporate profile and the positioning of the bran seem to have struck a chord with customers” he says
Cartridge Green has continued their rapid store growth with the impending store opening in Bray, Co. Wicklow (opening beginning April 2008). Cartridge Green Bray will open in the old Bodhran café on Novara Avenue just yards from the Main Street. Commenting on the upcoming opening Niall McConnell from Cartridge Green said “the new store in Bray represents confirmation that our eco-friendly brand positioning and our diversification into more mainstream product lines (stationery & office supplies and printing services) is striking a cord with potential new franchisees and the general public” He continued, “This store also continues our corporate level strategy to open stores in high profile locations in order to give Cartridge Green an elevated main street presence” The addition of this new service was launched largely to meet the requested needs of the UCD student body. It is anticipated that this service will help further grow the exposure of the green, cartridge refilling concept throughout the UCD campus. Cartridge Green franchisees have taken delivery of their brand new fleet of eco-friendly diesel Volkswagen Caddy vans. These vans boast a new, consistent and eye catching livery and will be used to give the Cartridge Green brand an elevated main street presence whilst also servicing our corporate customers with a collection and delivery service. All of our franchisees use an intelligent logistical route planning system to maximise efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. Cartridge Green strategically chose Volkswagen vans due to their impressive statistics with regard to their fuel efficiency and emissions. By having a consistent make, model and branding, the Cartridge Green Marketing Team will develop roadshow campaigns throughout Ireland. All new stores will also receive a vehicle as part of their overall franchise package. See photos of the new vehicles below.  Our seventh store is located in Blackrock Village and brings our total Irish presence to seven stores with five more new stores due to open imminently. Cartridge Green’s amazing growth has seen it grow from one store in September to seven by February with five more in the pipeline. If you are interested in opening a Cartridge Green franchise in Ireland or abroad contact Cartridge Green Ltd. Cartridge Green will open its 6th and 7th stores in the space of 2 days! The first of these in Ennis is located on the high profile Abbey Street and will give the Cartridge Green brand important recognition in County Clare. Please keep tuned for some more exciting new store openings in the coming weeks! If you are interested in opening a Cartridge Green franchise in Ireland or abroad contact Cartridge Green Ltd.
Cartridge Green’s corporate goal is to be the first stop provider for all printing needs in Ireland. In line with this goal, we are delighted to officially launch our new printing service offering. You can now order business cards, letterheads, posters, flyers, menus, invites and many more items in-store or over the phone. Samples of each product are available at your nearest store. We also offer a “green” printing option on fully recycled paper and if this is too expensive for your budget then don’t worry – Cartridge Green only use paper from sustainable forests so you are still doing your bit for the environment! For more information visit or call any of our stores for details or alternatively click on: printing services
Over 20,000 products will be available to order in-store, using the Cartridge Green Stationery & Office Supplies catalogue or online via www.cartridgegreen.ie Cartridge Green strongly encourages all of our customers to order online and in turn reduce our dependency on the printing of catalogues. Click here to order your stationery and office supplies The Cartridge Green founders and promoters have been profiled in the popular “Under the Radar” section of The Irish Times. For full version of article please see below:
Susan Mitchell A new Irish eco-friendly retail chain offering inkjet and laser printer cartridge refilling to small businesses, plans to establish a network of 30 stores across Ireland within two years. Cartidge Green which is owned by UCD graduates Niall McConnell and Nik Healy also offers printing services and office supplies, has established five stores since September, and will open up to seven more by April 2008. The company has been self financed to date, but plans to raise about €1 million in funding next year to extend the concept overseas. It has not yet appointed a company to carry out the fundraising. Healy said Dublin shops could expect to generate a turnover of €320,000 by year three. It costs €25,000 for the licence fee and an additional €35,000 to equip a store. “We emphasise the recycling angle and educate customers about how they can save money by doing this” McConnell said. Cartridge Green believes there is potential for the concept in France, eastern Europe and the United States.
Tipperary Town is the latest location to go Cartridge Green. Our expansion into the heart of the golden vale comes at a time when plans are afoot to open even more stores throughout Ireland. If you are interested in opening a Cartridge Green franchise in Ireland or abroad contact Cartridge Green Ireland.
Leopardstown may be renowned as a destination for horse racing lovers but from today Cartridge Green is truly at the races! We have opened another new store on Leopardstown Road, bringing our total number of stores to four with three more planned by February 2008. This store is located on the Leopardstown Road a few hundred yards from the entrance to Leopardstown Racecourse. Cartridge Green has opened a new outlet that will service the students and staff of University College Dublin. This new store, which is located on the Belfield campus, will bring the Cartridge Green brand to the heart of the Dublin student body. If you are interested in opening a Cartridge Green franchise in Ireland or abroad contact Cartridge Green Ltd. Cartridge Green Ireland has begun the rollout and implementation of the latest technological tools and equipment in the print cartridge refill industry. All Cartridge Green stores will exclusively use this new equipment that will dramatically improve product quality standards in print cartridge refilling in Ireland today. Our commitment to the very highest standards of product quality is backed up by our franchisees financial investment in these state of the art machines.
Cartridge Green has officially launched in Ireland with its first store on Foster Avenue, Co. Dublin. This is the first of a planned 30 stores in Ireland. This store features the new corporate branding and in-store design. The focus on the brand was accentuated using white space, effective “grass” window displays and earthy timber counters and flooring. Cartridge Green, which is headed by Niall McConnell and Nik Healy, has ambitious plans to expand outside Ireland into mainland Europe. If you are interested in opening a Cartridge Green franchise in Ireland or abroad contact Cartridge Green Ltd.
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