Franchisor Stories
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Budget Blinds is a mobile franchise specializing in custom window coverings, offering in-home, shop-at-home services to residential and commercial clients.
Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in California by five entrepreneurs: Chad Hallock, Brent Hallock, Tony Forbes, Todd Jackson and David Lewis. The group launched the company as a franchise in 1994, offering in-home consultations for window coverings. It is now part of Home Franchise Concepts and boasts more than 1,300 locations.
Mission: The Budget Blinds mission is to provide high-quality, custom window coverings through convenient, personalized in-home and virtual consultations, ensuring functional solutions that fit various budgets.
Vision: The brand’s operational vision is centered on maintaining its position as a leader in the home services industry by leveraging a primarily mobile retail model that emphasizes customer convenience and professional in-home service, growing via multi-territory expansion, infrastructure scaling and targeted new franchise openings.
Budget Blinds is in the midst of targeted expansion throughout the United States (especially in North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Maine) and Quebec, Canada. Visit the Budget Blinds website for more information on current franchising opportunities.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Budget Blinds franchise ranges from $100,500 to $211,250. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Min | Max |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $19,950 | $19,950 |
| Initial Territory Fee | $30,000 | $70,000 |
| Travel & Living Expenses While Training | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| In-Person Training for Additional Personnel | $0 | $1,500 |
| Vehicle | $10,000 | $48,000 |
| Computer Equipment & Software | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| Credit Card Processing Technology | $50 | $500 |
| Auto Insurance | $750 | $2,400 |
| Commercial General Liability Insurance | $750 | $2,400 |
| Contractor's License & Bond | $0 | $1,500 |
| Professional Fees | $750 | $3,500 |
| Initial Marketing | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Additional Tools & Supplies | $250 | $1,500 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $25,000 | $40,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee for a Budget Blinds franchise is $19,950, which is due in full upon the signing of the franchise agreement.
A discount on the initial franchise fee is available for qualified currently-serving or honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. armed forces and their spouses.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, Budget Blinds franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty | Greater of 3.5% of gross revenue or a minimum monthly amount/month Tier 2: $1,875 Tier 3: $1,250 |
| National Advertising Fund | Greater of 3.5% of gross revenue or a minimum monthly amount/month Minimum Monthly Amount Tier 1: $1,000 - $1,500 Tier 2: $750 - $1,125 Tier 3: $500 - $750 |
| Technology Fee | $600 for the first territory and $300 per additional territory/month Capped at $3,000/month |
ROI Potential: According to the 2025 FDD, the 583 Budget Blinds franchises operating for the entirety of FY 2024 reported the following gross sales:
| Territories Owned | Average | Median | High | Low |
| 1 (253 Franchisees) | $853,650 | $556,995 | $8,706,835 | $135,890 |
| 2 (207 Franchisees) | $1,252,032 | $968,124 | $8,118,861 | $194,170 |
| 3+ (123 Franchisees) | $2,508,917 | $1,917,040 | $14,827,230 | $546,755 |
The franchisor will designate a specific territory and provide an initial startup package. This package includes a $1,000 travel voucher for training, a personalized website, 25 yard signs and various marketing materials like design guides and brochures. Additionally, the franchisor assists in developing initial post-opening promotions and provides signage for the mandatory commercial vehicle.
Budget Blinds provides a comprehensive initial training program that must be completed by the franchisee’s principal or an approved manager before business operations begin. The program consists of approximately 93.5 hours (including 10.5 days of in-person academy training in Coppell, Texas, supplemented by virtual pre- and post-academy sessions). The curriculum covers product knowledge, installation techniques, consultative sales and financial management. Training is provided at no additional charge for up to two people for the first franchise agreement.
Once the business is active, the franchisor offers ongoing consultation and guidance during normal business hours. This includes access to a confidential electronic operations manual and a handbook that details required procedures and standards. The franchisor also manages a national support service network and a toll-free telephone number that routes customer calls to the appropriate franchisee based on ZIP code. Additionally, the franchisor may hold annual conventions and regional meetings to discuss industry trends and marketing programs.
Franchisees are required to use specific technology. The franchisor provides access to Touchpoint, a custom web-based application for customer relationship management, price configuration and order management. Franchisees also receive an electronic portal for accessing marketing assets, training materials and reporting solutions.
Budget Blinds does not require prior experience in window coverings or the home improvement industry. The brand looks for owners with an entrepreneurial mindset, strong customer-service instincts, willingness to follow a proven system, basic business and financial management capability, and the leadership skills to hire, train and manage a team as the business grows.
Franchisees must actively participate in the direct operation of the business or employ a full-time manager who has completed initial training. Franchisees are required to maintain a business address within their assigned territory and use a commercial-grade van wrapped in specified branding. There is a strict requirement to source approximately 90% to 95% of products and supplies exclusively from approved vendors.
The franchisor offers in-house financing for a portion of the initial territory fee for prospective franchisees who meet their credit standards (to obtain this financing, franchisees must sign a secured promissory note and general security agreement. Payments typically begin with the first royalty due date).
“My life, my family time, everything about Budget Blinds met every criteria I was looking for. It affords me financial freedom. I get to make my own schedule and I get to run the business how I want to run it. It’s been one of the best decisions of my life.”
- Jordan Craft, Franchise Owner — Beaufort, South Carolina
The global market for window treatments reached a valuation of more than $15 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach a valuation of more than $21 billion by 2030. North America makes up the majority of that market with a 38% market share. A greater demand for smart home technology, energy efficiency, sustainability, customization and e-commerce is driving industry growth.
Overall, the American window treatments sector presents promising opportunities for growth and investment, driven by increasing demand for quality, convenience and innovation.
Budget Blinds stands out in the window treatments space by focusing on mobile convenience, technological innovation and customizable solutions. Focusing on guests via long-term protection and warrantied services in a franchised setting helps deliver a somewhat recession-resistant model.
In terms of competition, Budget Blinds faces several notable players in the window treatments realm, including 3 Day Blinds, Gotcha Covered, Made in the Shade, SelectBlinds, Blinds.com, big box retailers and more. However, Budget Blinds’ mobile convenience, array of services and particular focus on quality and the customer set the chain apart.
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