How Budget Blinds Supports New Franchise Owners With In-Depth Training

Budget Blinds, the California-based custom window coverings franchisor was founded in 1992 by a group of friends who wanted to bring window covering options directly to the customer. In just two years, the group went from canvasing neighborhoods with branded door hangers to becoming a rapidly growing franchise with 1,280 locations now open for business, proving that the convenience of in-home shopping and installation appealed to customers most strongly.

Fast-forward to 2020, when a pandemic has left many unemployed and seeking career ventures away from the corporate sector. When it comes to franchising, Budget Blinds’ home-based business model offers a quick return on investment, with high margins, low overhead costs and minimal staffing requirements. Franchisees have continued to see strong sales and profit margins, including a 54% gross profit average, as well as an industry-leading closing rates average.

Plus, many homeowners are choosing to invest their yearly vacation budget into home improvement amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and for Budget Blinds, this surge in demand has created an opportunity to excel in new markets.

The brand also offers franchisees , a suite of HR and healthcare benefit services, a flexible work schedule and greater overall career security as your own boss. To support prospective owners, the Budget Blind team has worked hard to create a robust training program and support infrastructure, even amid the pandemic.

“Our expert training staff provides highly personalized and informative training from immersive product knowledge and sales, to comprehensive local area marketing programs and installation support,” said Home Franchise Concepts' Chief Development Officer JT Thiessen.

Two franchisees who recently joined the Budget Blinds brand and went through training are Michelle and Doug Lumsden, the owners of Budget Blinds of Huntingtown and Waldorf, Massachusetts. Michelle is a nurse and Doug is an NASA contractor.

“Our training experience was virtual — lasting three-and-a-half weeks — and it covered operations, procurement, sales etiquette, profit margins, marketing and more,” said Michelle. “In addition, we received in-depth training on Budget Blinds’ breadth of product selection and how to choose the proper window treatments for each customer's needs. We also learned about the brand’s CRM platform and how to use it to set the business up when it comes to accounting, bookkeeping, licensing, answering services and more.”

The Lumsdens were able to open both their Budget Blinds locations in early September and have already hired an installer. According to Michelle, business is booming, with the window treatment industry skyrocketing in popularity as “people sit at home looking at 20-year-old window treatments that need a change.”

Zina Vrublevska recently opened a Budget Blinds location in Bellingham, Washington. “With COVID-19, all training had to be remote,” she said. “The video tutorials and follow-up Zoom calls were amazing. The whole training process is paced very well — if you didn’t come from the window treatment business, the team provides the perfect amount of time to absorb everything. I was concerned at first about virtual training but the team was able to nail the experience on-site and online as well.”

According to Vrublevska, the first week is all about the product types, manufacturers, customer service and response time — basically how to run the business in the most effective way. Week two is a deep dive into the touchpoints and systems, and week three is more of a deep dive into both topics with trainees and provides introductions to the vendors.

Vrublevska was able to open her location in September and start off with confidence. “Overall, the training was amazing,” she said. “I had worked for Budget Blinds for four years before this, but I absolutely would have regretted not going through the training. The support certainty doesn't end with the training — the team also assigns each franchisee to a business coach to answer any ongoing questions.”

Budget Blinds is planning to continue to take advantage of its high-demand positioning, seeking to grow its strong community of franchise owners. Thiessen says the brand is looking for “self-starters with a passion for customer service — people who want to be in business for themselves and seek their own success,” and has no doubt they’ll find the right entrepreneurs to fit the build.

Lastly, Thiessen notes that Budget Blinds franchise owners get the opportunity to become a positive part of their community and help people make their homes more comfortable and appealing. “Budget Blinds allows franchise owners to join an incredible community and network of fellow franchisees that help and support each other,” he said. “Budget Blind franchisees are not just joining a business — they are joining a family.”