How to Start Your Own Blinds and Shutters Franchise

If you’d like to start your own blinds and shutter franchise, you’re not alone. There are thousands of businesses working in the window coverings sector and you can be the next. Here’s what you need to know to start your own blinds and shutters franchise.

The pandemic hit many businesses hard, and the blinds and shutters businesses of the UK were no exception. Despite several years of consecutively rising growth, the blinds and shutters sector recorded a nine percent drop in business activity in 2020 [AMA Research]. But, if you think that means this isn’t the right time to start your own business, you thought wrong.

The lockdowns have created a big build-up in demand and this means that many big businesses in this sector are seeing record levels of demand. Now, this sector is going to see positive, sustained growth well into the future. So, if you’re thinking about making a career change, now could be the perfect time to get set up.

What is a blinds and shutters franchise?

Blinds and shutters are two parts of a wide-ranging industry, sometimes referred to as the window coverings industry. As a franchisee, you’ll get the chance to be a part of some of the biggest blinds and shutters franchises in the sector. 

Your role will be working within the industry to fit window coverings. Demand for your services will be wide and you can expect to be busy on a daily basis. 

Should you start a blinds and shutters franchise? 

Opportunities are imminent in the window blinds market, as manufacturers shift their focus toward using eco-friendly, recyclable, and sustainable materials, such as jute, bamboo, and reeds that are PVC-free
– Fact.MR

As touched on above, this is an industry where many businesses are registering record levels of demand. The need for window covering repairs and installations hasn’t gone away and is only growing, so you can expect to be busy from the day you open.

Not only that, this is an industry that is adapting to the many changing habits of consumers. As all industries try to reduce their waste, blinds and shutters franchises are moving their business towards sustainable options. This is a busy industry that is constantly evolving and looking to the future.

How to start a blinds and shutters franchise

1. Understand your options

As you begin to weigh up your options, you’ll quickly realise that there are lots of different avenues for you to take. This may seem overwhelming at first, but narrowing down which franchise is the right fit for you doesn’t need to be a chore.

First of all, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Which franchises most appeal to me? Why?
• Which franchises can I afford? How many are affordable? 
• Which franchises have the best training and support on offer?
• Which franchises have better selling points? Will some be more popular than others?
• Do I like the franchises working practices and schedules? 
• How easily can I give and receive feedback?

Once you’ve answered many of these questions, you should have a better idea of which franchises are a better fit for your needs.

2. Finance your start-up

The next step is to finance your enterprise. When it comes to starting your business, the franchise model is one of the easiest to finance, most cost-effective businesses to start. The average cost of starting a franchise is around £42,200, and with franchises enjoying higher survival rates, you’ll know that you’re making a safe investment.

The minimum investment fees for many franchises in this sector are well below this level. And, even then, there are ways to finance your new franchised business. Many high street banks are prepared to lend up to 70% of start-up costs for individuals with a good credit history.

When it comes to start-up costs, you could consider franchises such as:

• Shuttercraft where your minimum investment fees are £27,495.
• Just Shutters has a minimum investment fee and a total investment fee of £40,000, along with franchising fees of £20,000. 

3. Identify any key trends

This industry, like many others, is looking to tap into some of the sustainability trends sweeping through and changing the way lots of businesses work. While the majority of blinds and shutters were once made with single-use plastics and other harmful materials, today there are a plethora of different material options, many of which are very much more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.

If you have an interest in running a sustainable business, you could look at providing shutters and blinds made from:

• Organically grown materials
• Plantation
• Bamboo
• Wood and faux wood
• Jute
• Grass

4. Highlight your unique selling point

Whatever it is that attracts you to your franchise, you should make sure potential customers know about it as well. When it comes to marketing your franchise, you’ll be working closely with your franchisor who will likely already have a strategy in place. But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have an input.

It’s quite possible that whatever drew you to this franchise will be something that draws additional customers, and so should be something to market heavily when it comes to finding new customers. So, don’t be afraid to highlight your unique selling point as much as possible. 

5. Be prepared to go the extra mile

Starting a business is never easy and with so much negative economic news around, it would be easy to come to the conclusion that now isn’t the right time to go it alone. However, much of the process of starting your own business is overcoming many of the smaller challenges that come with it.

Although times have been hard, working as part of a franchise is a great way of overcoming many of these challenges with plenty of support and training to back you up. When you decide to open your franchise business, you should be prepared to take on board all feedback and training to help take your business to the next level.

Become a franchisee in the blinds and shutters industry today

Becoming a franchisee can be a very profitable and hugely rewarding career choice. If you’ve been thinking about whether you want to start your own blinds and shutters business, hopefully this article has given you a good idea of what it takes to start a business in this sector. 

If you'd like to see what other franchise opportunities are available, you can have a look at the UK franchise directory for a complete list.