Window treatments

Window treatments seem to be far more popular than tinting, any one do them? Do you ever get contact from people who do?

i dont but a guy i know in allentown does . he makes good money doing it to

Just last week I sub contracted out hanging vertical blinds. A property manager called, asked if I could measure a job and install. Made a call and had a friend in that field go by and measure and fax me the dimensions. I faxed the info to the manager, got the job and called the installer back to schedule. All done over the phone. It would be nice to get calls like that every day!

I think Tintboy does blinds...

I Don't Do Windows!!!!!!

We have a few blind companies sell tint,,they sell it and we hang it, I give them a set square price and then they mark it up to whatever they want,,works great!

thats so odd yo mention this topic TD. We had a write up in our local paper today about window treatment. personally....... I....... uh ........ prefer TINT

me too, but i know window treatments are done 10 times as often as tint, so i thought mabey it was a good way to expand

forgive my Canadian Lingo..but when you say treatments ..are yourefering to solar blinds ?..if so, they're great..started the family business installing them..good for stores that like changing signs often in the windows ,but need the reflectivity of a strong blind in the day , and the normal vision by rolling itup at night..I also prefere tinting though..

,,,window treatments ie. blinds, shutters, shades

Window treatments are for dressing up a window and in most cases do not effectively control solar energy, allowing it to penetrate the glass. Window film is for controlling solar energy at the glass surface.

It would be a good add-on since tinters deal with windows to begin with, have gained know-how in removing and replacing treatments during film installation and can easily sell a treatment in place of film when the client opts out on film.

And... can sell film for added protection to and for the window treatments.

have a look at www.webshade.com, I think Llumar also our an approved supplier,
vertical roller blinds, like a perforated reflective film.

TD,

We added blinds, shades, and shutters to our Flat glass tinting business about three years ago. The businesses are a great complement to each other and each has opened doors. The negative to the coverings business is the opportunity for error. SIGNIFICANT! With everything being special order you have to really be careful. On the plus side - Hunter Douglas is sending my wife and I to Cancun Mexico for a week all expenses paid this April as a spiff for selling as much as we have this year.

Man, wouldn't you like to see a film distributor do that for once? Not on your bloody life mate regardless of how much you sold.
devil

CPfilms tried something of a "buy a lot get rewarded" program a few years back and it was a total flop.

Buy more Madico Devil and I'm sure Gaza will at least kick down a Schooner or two.

I'll tell him I want a seat on his cruise to Hawaii this Xmas.
DWBA

TD, we do Hurricane panels, roll downs, looking into armor screen.... just to keep cash flow. I have a sub that works for me alot and he makes a great living off of blinds, window treatments. He mainly tints flat glass but when you're slow ya have to supplement somehow. I also hooked up with a local builder and a window treatment co. kept me busy most all year.

Just got into selling blinds myself, only high end really. Hunter Douglas is a good co. for high end. Downfall is their samples aren't cheap by any means but one job pays for them!! Vista is another good one that people are buying up here. The great thing is I can make the same or much better profit in half the time it takes to tint.

We have carried the mylar type of pull down shades for a few years and have just recently expanded into different types of window coverings, like Hunter Douglas. It costs a few bucks to get all the samples and to get up and running but so far the early return on investment has been good.

Me too Re: Hunter Douglas One job seems to pay for the samples.

Having sold window coverings of all types for the last 9 years, and tint for 12 years, I can tell you they are an excellent mix. Just takes a little business sense and LOTS of product knowledge. Your markups aren't nearly as good as with tint, and the cost of getting into it with sampling is MUCH MUCH higher, BUT, its easy money all the same. Takes 2 hours to measure and sell a job, another 2 hrs. to install and you can make $500 to $5,000 depending on material. Lots of jobs that start as blind jobs end up as blinds and tint, and some that start as tint end up as blinds, which without that option would have been a no sale. The only negative is the time spent with customers who don't know what they want can really add up!

If your business could use a boost, add blinds, the competition is fierce and you'll find you have a lot to learn initially but its a good thing to offer. Anyone ever want any info on getting started, let me know, glad to help.

Takes me an hour tops to sell blinds, including picking out colors and taking deposits (whole nine yards). Can install a WHOLE house depending on brand up to 20 k in less than 4 hrs. Can't beat that shiot with a lead pipe!!!

Guess your better than me! Don't think I've ever been able to sell a $20K job in an hour and hang it in four. You'll have to teach me your secret!!

nahhh not better, have HIGH end clients here for the most part, (Hunter Douglas). When they call they pretty much already know what they want.

Oh, I sell plenty of HD, bought over $70K of just HD last year. But your probably in a much denser population area than we are. Also, we don't market ourselves properly. Working on changing that though.

It's a kick azz market Rama if ya advertise!! We compete alot with the "interior decorators" here they specialize in window treatments so most of my biz is in safety film due to last years hurricanes but the HD suppliment got me through this winter! Good luck to ya in advertising!!! The installs are a cake especially if you have an extra pair of hands on the job with you and a good drill!!

Advertising is not the problem, we do tons of advertising, but most of it in Yellow pages and then we have to compete with everyone else in the yellow pages. Going to be shifting away from heavy YP advertising and getting more into referrals. That way we can get out of the low ball competitive price. Blinds aren't like tint, with tint you sell film, install and service. With blinds your competing with the next guy who offers nothing different but a price tag and his smiling face. What's the customer going to differentiate you from him with? Product is identical, at this point the customer doesn't realize the value of service after the sale, and customer thinks any smuck can hang a blind, so go for price. Unless of course you get to the customer BEFORE they go to the yellow pages.

Installs are not a problem either. Just don't think we've ever pulled off a $20K job in 4 hours, thats all.

Had help it can be done

Uh huh! What type of blind was it? How many?

awww Rama will pull out the ppr work and post it for ya just not tonight. Don't wanna think of work this evening.... post it tomorrow or i can PM ya, either way.

Oh, not important, just wondered. Don't have to be overly specific. If its not on the tip of your fingers, not worth it. I've only done one job over $30K ever, just a little dealer.

Me too hun little dealer here. Just was a few months back, more than happy to PM info to ya though, just can't don't wanna think at the moment Have done several 10k to 15 k over last year. Do ya sell Vista btw? If so do ya like them, got a vista dealer here in town had good success with them too, not as high dollar, still nice shiot.

Vista film? OR vista blinds?

Hey Rama,

That you Bob?? Were currently doing a $42,000 residential job. By far the biggest ever. 26 HD silhouettes w/hard wire conversion to Somfy 110 motors plus 6 more motorized luminettes. Should be done next month. To tell you the truth it scares the Hell out of me. Large jobs=large opportunities for mistakes.

Vista blinds.... sorry should have been more specific.

[ With blinds your competing with the next guy who offers nothing different but a price tag and his smiling face.


I sort of agree with that until I found that my supplies not only have film blinds on there products but also a great range of fabrics that are reflective on the rear, the film blinds are not everyones cup of tea, but with a range of fabrics now to offer my clients opens a few more possibillitys for a sale if they are not sure about a film.


Mike
Spain

Go to www.myblindbiz.com to learn to start a custom blind and shutter business.

Go to www.myblindbiz.com to learn how to sell custom blinds and shutters.

Do you have any Canadian Dealers?

I just started tinting awhile back, and have decided to move much more into tint over blinds/shutters. I mentioned this on another thread, but with tint there's much less stress. You bring in the right tint, cut/apply, check, and walk away. Not so with blinds/shutters. Off by a 1/4 on an inside mount blind/shutter and you own it.

I've started to refer the blind jobs out and pick up a referral fee.

Less lifting(especially shutters) less trash, less go backs. With blind install you needs parts galore to carry along. Tint you need a bucket of tools and a few extras in the truck.

In comparison I see tinting as free money.

btw, I can easily see 30 - 40k jobs in blinds. HD Silhouettes can be pricey and they go up awfully fast. 4 hours - you have a pretty good system down to get that done.

btw, I just happened to come across this site a few hours ago. Great site, and a godsend of info. If I can help anyone with blinds/shutters(I love Norman shutters) feel free to get back to me. Measure sheets/advice whatever just get back to me.

Cheers

Hey Rob,

It just happens that I am in the market for cell shades OR shutters. I got a quote for Normal shutters but the price was pretty high. Can you tell me what kind of margin there are for this type of product?? Should a 34 X 58 window run about $400 for a white wood shutter? Also I liked the looks of the Norman Shutters but heard some bad things on some of the boards (made in China and so on). Any feedback on quality?

Thanks for whatever help you can provide.

SP

$400. is about right. Stay away from Norman Composite Shutters. They are MDF wrapped in plastic. Bad news if water gets into em.

I have been installing Norman Shutters for over 7 yrs. I have never had an issue with the Woodlore Product. It is not MDF if I an not mistaken. I have had to have at some frames with a power plainer a few times. Best way to describe them would be compressed cardboard. Now I would not install them in an outdoor porch for sure.

Or in a bathroom next to the shower?

Take a look at the nails that are used for the "clear view option". Why plastic? How long do you suppose those will hold up?

Let me re-phrase, Not in a shower/bath area either. Thanks VC

Ya gotta understand that Boo is in an area with over 700,000 people In the Sarasota area alone. And 45 - 50% of 'em have more money than god! A 2400 s/f house on Siesta Key can go for over 3 million!!

"Hey Rob,

It just happens that I am in the market for cell shades OR shutters. I got a quote for Normal shutters but the price was pretty high. Can you tell me what kind of margin there are for this type of product?? Should a 34 X 58 window run about $400 for a white wood shutter? Also I liked the looks of the Norman Shutters but heard some bad things on some of the boards (made in China and so on). Any feedback on quality?

Thanks for whatever help you can provide.

SP"

Sorry for the looong delay. Haven't been on this site in awhile. Norman Woodlores are MDF, and it seems to be the shutter of choice when choosing between the three Norman has to offer. The dealer should be offering them to you at around $15.00 -$16.00 shipped. Retail Woodlores run around $31.00 here, with install perhaps additional. Your price is about $28.50 per ft. Shops here might match that if they were presented with another shops deal.

Woodlores are the choice here on the Cape since they are not prone to warping like the real wood may do. I've installed large arched systems in bathrooms with no problems so far. There may be a better shutter to install from an installers point of view, but I haven't run across it. Hinges are tight allowing for 2-3 panels hinged together with little drop off, and the hinges themselves are adjustable. A very good system, and the only drawback I see is the fact that they are made in China, and while the production process starts days after they receive the order, to receive them here on the east coast the shipping time is about 6 weeks, more for systems requiring templates. Otherwise, the fact that they are made in China should be a non-issue. Otherwise don't bother shopping in any big box store- or about any other store these days.

For blinds check out Smith and Noble online, or just type in "blinds" in Google. Blinds online save you sometimes 50% over a retailer, though quality varies

Cheers