To start a window treatment business in the US, pick the kind of work you'll sell, register the business with your state and get an EIN, open dealer accounts with one or two manufacturers, insure the business, learn to measure and install their products, set prices that cover your costs, and line up your first customers before you buy anything you don't need. Many new dealers start mobile, selling in the customer's home from sample books. This guide covers each step in order, with links to the official sources for the legal parts and the questions to ask where the answer depends on your state.
1. Pick your niche
"Blinds" covers a lot of different businesses. Decide which one you're starting, because it changes what you buy, who you call and how you price.
- Residential, in-home sales: blinds, shades, shutters and drapery sold at the customer's kitchen table. The most common starting point for a one-person dealer.
- Specialty residential: motorized shades, plantation shutters or drapery workroom products, sold at higher ticket prices to fewer customers.
- Trade work: measuring and installing for interior designers, builders or other dealers. Less selling, lower margin, steadier calendar.
- Commercial: roller shades for offices, schools and apartments, bid to general contractors from plans and specifications. Longer sales cycle, bigger jobs, different paperwork.
You can add more later. Starting with one keeps your samples, training and marketing focused.
2. Set up the business
The paperwork is the same as any small business, and it's mostly done at the state level.
- Choose a business structure: Sole proprietorship, LLC or corporation. This affects taxes and personal liability, so it's a good question for an accountant.
- Register with your state: The SBA's Launch your business guide links to a state registration lookup that tells you where to file. The documents and fees depend on your state and structure.
- Get an EIN: The IRS issues an Employer Identification Number online and free. You'll need it for the bank, for manufacturer credit applications and for hiring.
- Open a business bank account: The SBA lists an EIN (or your Social Security number for a sole proprietorship) and your business license among the documents a bank will ask for.
- Licenses, permits and sales tax: The SBA notes you may need licenses from your county or city as well as the state. Whether installing window coverings needs a contractor's license, and how sales tax applies to product and installation, varies by state. Check your state's requirements, and ask about a resale certificate so you aren't paying sales tax on product you resell.
3. Open manufacturer dealer accounts
Your products come from manufacturers, either directly or through a distributor. Each one has its own application, and each sets your factor: the share of list price you pay.
Questions to ask every manufacturer or distributor before you apply:
- What do you need from me to open an account (business registration, EIN, resale certificate, credit references)?
- Are there opening order minimums, sample purchases or annual volume requirements?
- What factor will I start at, and how do I move to a better one?
- What sample books and displays come with the account, and what do they cost?
- What training is available on measuring, ordering and installation?
- How are remakes, warranty claims and freight handled?
- How do I order: a dealer portal, email, fax or a distributor?
Start with one or two lines that cover most of what your customers want: a blind, a cellular or roller shade, and maybe a shutter. More lines mean more price books to learn and more ways to quote something wrong.
Window coverings also carry federal safety rules on cords. The CPSC's business guidance on its window coverings rule covers inner cords on stock and custom products and the permanent label every finished product must carry. Your manufacturer builds to these rules, but you're the one in the home with families, so learn what they say about the products you sell.
4. Insure the business
The SBA's guide has a section on getting business insurance. For a window treatment dealer, talk to an agent about:
- General liability, for damage or injury at a customer's home.
- Commercial auto, if you drive to appointments with samples and product.
- Workers' compensation, once you hire. The rules differ by state, so check your state's requirements in writing.
- Coverage for samples and inventory in your vehicle or storage.
Builders, property managers and commercial contractors often ask for a certificate of insurance before you start. Have one ready.
5. Showroom or mobile
A showroom gives customers somewhere to visit and touch the product, and gives designers somewhere to send clients. It also brings rent, a lease, display product and hours to staff before your first sale.
Mobile means sample books in the vehicle and appointments in the customer's home. Overhead is low and you see the windows you're quoting. The limit is your calendar: you can only be in so many living rooms a day.
Many dealers start mobile and add a showroom once the lead flow justifies it. If you do start mobile, your vehicle, your sample books and the way you present a quote at the table become your showroom.
6. Learn to measure and install
Measuring is where new dealers lose money. A blind made 1/2" too wide for an inside mount is a remake: new product, a second trip and a customer who waited twice.
- Follow each manufacturer's measuring instructions. Inside and outside mount are measured differently, and deductions vary by product.
- Measure every window, every time, even when two look the same.
- Record width before height, to the nearest 1/8", with the room and window name.
- Note obstructions: window cranks, alarm sensors, tile returns, shallow sills.
Get hands-on training from your manufacturer or distributor, install your first jobs yourself, and keep a log of every remake and why it happened.
7. Price for profit from day one
Your price is the manufacturer's list price, times your factor, times your markup multiplier, plus upcharges, install labor and any trip charge. Set a job minimum so a one-blind call doesn't cost you money. Two guides go through it with example numbers: how much to charge for custom blinds and margin vs markup for blinds dealers, which has a table that converts the margin you need into a multiplier.
Then put it on paper the same way every time. The blinds quote template lists what a quote needs, including the cancellation notice the FTC requires for covered sales made in the customer's home.
8. Choose your software
At the start, many dealers run on a spreadsheet, a calendar and a notebook. That works until you have a few open quotes and a few installs on the calendar, and then follow-ups start slipping.
What to look for: quoting from your real price books (so the price in the home matches what you'll pay), a quote the customer can sign, deposit collection, a place to keep every lead and follow-up, and an installation and service calendar. HeadRail does those on one record per job, with an in-home app that works on any phone. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.
9. Get your first customers
Your first jobs will come from people who already know you. Treat them as practice and photographs.
- Your Google Business Profile: fill it in completely, add photos of your own installs, and ask every customer for a review.
- Referrals: ask at the end of every install, while the customer is happy.
- Trade relationships: interior designers, real estate agents, builders, remodelers and property managers all meet people who need window coverings.
- Your website: service area, products, real photos and a way to book a free in-home consultation.
Track where every lead came from from the first week. In six months you'll know which of these is worth your money.
Frequently asked questions
Is a blinds business profitable?
It can be, if prices cover product cost, labor, freight, remakes and overhead, and you keep enough jobs on the calendar. There are no reliable public figures for typical profit, so build your own numbers: a target margin per product, a job minimum, and a weekly appointment goal.
Do you need a license to install blinds?
It depends on your state and sometimes your county or city. The SBA notes that local licenses may be required on top of state registration. Check your state's contractor licensing rules and your local business license office before your first install.
How much does it cost to start a blinds business?
It depends on the model. A mobile dealer's main costs are registration, insurance, sample books, tools, a vehicle and marketing. A showroom adds rent, build-out and display product. Ask each manufacturer what sample books and opening orders cost before you commit.
Should I start mobile or open a showroom?
You can usually start mobile, because the overhead is low and you see every window you quote. A showroom makes sense when walk-in traffic or designer referrals will pay the rent. Many dealers open one only after their lead flow is steady.
Do I need software to start?
Not on day one. You do need a reliable way to price from current price books, give the customer a clear signed quote, and follow up on every open estimate. When that gets hard to keep in a spreadsheet, it's time. Book a demo to see HeadRail with your own products.