With a growing community of 1,400 franchise owners as of 2021, Budget Blinds is one of the most recognized home service opportunities in the United States and Canada. From window blinds to automated shades, and custom drapes this company provides an a solution for window treatments of residential and commercial properties. 

I’ve been curious about the Budget Blinds franchise ever since I got a quote to install blinds in my4 bedroom home for $15,230. After the sales rep provided me the quote, there was zero follow up from the sales person. Clearly, this is a business with significant profit margin and strong demand considering there was no followup on a project quoted at more than $15,000.

After my experience, I had to take a deeper look at this home service business opportunity. Let’s take a look at the cost to open a Budget Blinds, the fees, and profit potential of the franchise. Take this franchise quiz to find out if Budget Blinds is the right business for you.

Financial Requirements and Fees

If you decide to apply to become a franchisor of this top windows covering installation company, one essential item is evaluating the financial requirements. The list includes liquid capital, net worth, total investment, and franchise fee.

Do they ring a bell? If you haven’t encountered them yet, I will help you out and define the following for you:

• Liquid Capital – refers to the entire amount of cash you will need on hand and is available to use anytime.
• Net worth – refers to the value of all your non-financial and financial assets minus the value of all your outstanding liabilities.
• Total Investment – is the total capital of the total money you will need to put into the franchise overtime to get it up and running.
• Franchise fee – refers to the amount you must pay to the franchisor to use its brand and resources.

Another fee that you should be aware of is the ongoing fees. You can expect the royalty fee to cost between  $300 to $1,500 per month, while the ad royalty fee would be a monthly expense between $1,000 to $1,500 on average.

The initial franchise fee for the first territory is $70,000. If you plan on buying two territories at the same time, you can save yourself $10,000 on the additional territory fee and purchase both of them for only $130,000.

There is also a Veterans’ Discount of 15% granted to honorably discharged U.S veterans and to active military personnel of the United States armed forces, and their spouses. Depending on the real estate or leasing marketing conditions where you reside, the total amount of your initial investment will vary.

Budget Blinds corporate will also give y0u marketing materials to start the business. This includes a start-up package that includes but not limited to product samples and sample books. You can use these marketing materials to show prospective customers different window treatment examples. 

A vehicle wrap for the Budget Blinds is also installed on a work vehicle, usually a van. As far as required technology, you’ll need a 14-inch laptop (minimum) that’s compatible to the windows operating system. This laptop can be used to communicate with prospective customers and share even more window treatment options with customers.  

Not Sure What Franchise to Start? Take Our 7-Minute Franchise Business Quiz!

Average Sales / Revenue Per Year

The on-going health crisis actually turned out to financial blessing in disguise for Budget Blind franchise owners. With consumers spending an increasing amount of time at home, buying homes, and a sudden demand for remote services, revenues skyrocketed for this service business:

Due to Budget Blinds improving sales, the company moved up to the 12th ranked company in the Entrepreneur’s 2021 Annual Franchise rankings.

Budget blinds is recognized as the 46th fastest growing franchise worldwide and 37th in the U.S and Canada alone. This is the top business in the window covering category. 

How Much Profit Does A Franchisee of Budget Blinds Franchise Make Per Year?

Blue Blinds that matches the bedroom’s main color.

According to reports, a Budget Blinds franchisee makes 44 percent more than the national average earnings of all franchise owners. For each Budget Blinds location, franchise make an average of $94,000 annually.

However, keep in mind actual profit you’ll make as a franchisee will fluctuate based on market circumstances and global economic events. There are all sorts of variables that will impact the revenue at your location including your marketing efforts, sales skills, and local factors like migration into your market. If you happen to live in an area with a lot of new home construction and if migration into the area continues this is a good sign of a profitable Budget Blinds location.   

Budget Blinds Franchise Facts

Budget Blinds is dedicated to providing a path for franchisees to achieve financial freedom at the lowest startup cost possible. This home-based business or retail store front model provides lower startup cost and flexibility around scheduling that isn’t available with other franchises.  

Budget Blinds values entrepreneurial skills. Entrepreneurial skills are dynamic, including marketing, sales, customer service, and management skills. The company looks for goal-oriented team players who can train to become successful business owners. You don’t need to have all those skills coming into the role, but you must be coachable and have the energy to grow the business.  

As of 2021, this creative company from the home improvement industry grew 14.4% over 3 years, accumulating 1,321 units worldwide. 1,206 of these are U.S franchises, while 114 of these are international franchises.

As a franchisee owner, it’s not uncommon to earn $94,000 annually, which is 35% higher than the national average salary of all American workers. This is also 44% higher than the national average earnings of all franchise owners, which is $60,000.

Below is a list of some of the accomplishments and awards this company has received: 

• Rank #1 in Best of the Best 
• Rank #3 in the Top Franchises for less than $150,000
• Rank #7 in Top Franchises for Veterans
• Rank #37 in Fastest Growing Franchises (U.S and Canada)
• Rank #46 in Fastest Growing Franchises (Worldwide)
• Rank #55 in Top Global Franchises.

Advantages of Franchising Budget Blinds

Budget Blinds is an opportunity for self-starters looking for a proven business opportunity. Here are some of the advantages of starting a Budget Blind franchise. 

Tied to the Housing Market

When you buy a new house, there’s all sorts of items you need to make the house livable, including furniture, appliances, and of course window treatments. If you live in a location where new residential home construction is growing, you’ll have a big market of prospective customers. An estimated 7 million new single family homes were built from 2012 t0 2021.

Of course this business isn’t just reliant on new home builds. There are plenty of homeowners who purchased used homes and want to update the home to reflect the style. As long as the housing market in your area remains strong, you should be in good shape as an operator.

Product Inclusivity and Innovation.

The product offerings of Budget Blinds are unbelievably versatile. From traditional window coverings (drapes, shades, blinds) to home automation solutions (including smart lighting), customers can purchase anything they need to improve their home the way they envision it to be.

By joining Budget Blinds, you get access to all sorts of window treatment products that otherwise wouldn’t be available to source on your own. This is a competitive advantage in the market since consumers need to work with you directly to get certain brands and styles of window treatment installed in the home.    

Flexibility in Business Operations

Budget blinds is an award-winning company that has proved itself multiple times to the home improvement industry. For more than 30 years, the company has strived to provide the best products and prices to the market as it supported.

You Might Like: How Profitable is a UPS Store? How Much Will it Cost to Open? 

With 50,000 window treatments being installed by the company each week, it’s safe to say the company is achieving their goal. While franchisees are gradually realizing their entrepreneurial dreams, Budget Blinds creates an environment that allows entrepreneurs to balance their work and life, and to work as creatively and flexibly as possible.

This level of flexibility isn’t the case with most franchise opportunities. Take for example a restaurant that must be open 7 days a week. There’s no way to take a day off if you have a family emergency in a restaurant. On the other hand, you can schedule client meetings and installations of window treatments around your schedule. It’s not uncommon for clients to wait 2 months or longer for blinds to be installed after they’ve made an order. 

Accessible Professional Support.

In relation to the previous point, Budge Blinds does seem to genuinely care for the well-being of its franchisees. Other companies demand intensive managerial and operational skills from their applicants, but this company only seeks franchisees with a positive mindset, work ethnic, and sense of collaboration from potential operators. You bring your work ethic, they bring the training and proven business model. 

Budget Blinds offers training, coaching, and regular digital learning sessions to ensure less experienced partners can become successful business owners.

Challenges of Franchising Budget Blinds

Shades for your dining and kitchen area.

Although this company has an attractive impression in the market, it is not a flawless opportunity maker. Here are some of the challenges you might face as a Budget Blinds franchisee. 

Upfront Investment.

Despite being the 3rd most affordable franchise, the journey towards becoming a budget blinds owner can still be expensive, especially if you don’t have the minimum liquid assets required.

You Might Like: What’s the Exact Cost to Open an Edible Arrangements Franchise? 

For starters, Budget Blinds applicants must have a net worth of around $125,000 and a working capital of $90,000. The initial investment ranges from $125,580 to $192,900 and every additional territories costs $74,950 to $124,950.

If the numbers make your eyebrows furrow, keep in mind this is a low barrier to entry compared to opening a restaurant franchise where you could need $1 – $2 million in net worth to be considered. 

Delayed Deliveries.

Over the past two years, logistics issues have stifled sales for Budget Blinds and other companies in the space. The reality is that delivers of window treatments have been delayed for all home service companies.

Some experts believe the global logistics and shipping issues won’t be solved for another 18 months or longer. In the meantime, expect longer delays to receive product and get full payment from customers as a result.

History of lawsuits.

The records of lawsuit are not helpful to the image of the company. Budget blinds dealt with legal issues from suppliers last 2006 to 2012 and incurred $746,000 worth of damages. If you are going to purchase a franchise, think about how the reputation would affect your sales performance in the market.

Is the Budget Blinds Franchise Right For You?

The appealing aspect of Budget Blinds is that you don’t need direct experience. You won’t need a multi-million dollar net worth to qualify either. 

• To determine if Budget Blinds is the right choice in a franchise for you, consider your interests.
• Do you like meeting new people in their homes?
• Do you like interior decorating and making homes look more appealing?
• Are you good at providing customer service and answering customer questions?
• Would you like to learn how to install blinds and window treatments in someone’s home?

If you answered yes to each of the questions above then consider becoming a Budget Blinds franchisee.

What brand of blinds does Budget Blinds Offer?

Budget Blind’s elegant shutters for the bathroom.

Budget blinds helps you become creative with your home aesthetics as they offer you different brands that are designed for different homes and commercial properties. Here are a few of the brands you’ll have access to sell.

• Silhouette ClearView™ Shadings
• Duolite® system
• Smart Living with Silhouette.
• PowerView® Motorization
• Hunter Douglas’ Vignette® Modern Roman Shades
• Vignette Duolite®
• Sonnette™ Cellular Roller Shades
• Hunter Douglas’ Pirouette® Window Shadings
• Hunter Douglas’ Luminette® Privacy Sheers
• SofTrak™ hardware system
• Hunter Douglas’ Solera® Soft Shades
• Hunter Douglas – the Duette® Honeycomb Shades
• Duette Duolite®

Can you buy an existing Budget Blinds Franchise?

Yes! Budget blinds is more than willing to welcome you to their community. With a minimum franchise fee of $89,950, you can enjoy an affordable start of business, a hassle-free working environment, no inventory, and potential financial freedom with steady earnings. 

In 1992, Chad Hallock and his friends–Todd Jackson, David Lewis, Brent Hallock, and Tony Forbes–envisioned a well-sought empire in the home improvement industry and established the first Budget blinds under its parent company, Home Franchise Concepts at Orange County, California.

If you still find the Budget Blinds franchisee appealing at this point, consider submitting an application to the Budget Blinds franchise team or completing our franchise quiz. A company rep will review financial qualifications and experience. If you can successfully get through the interview process and meet the financial requirements, you’ll be approved as a member of the Budget Blinds franchise.