Blind Man of America vs A Shade Better Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Blind Man of America vs A Shade Better including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Blind Man of America Franchise
A Shade Better Franchise
Investment $45,500 - $69,100$114,000 - $156,000
Franchise Fee $15,000$35,000
Royalty Fee 4.3%6%
Advertising Fee -1%
Year Founded 19911988
Year Franchised 19961993
Term Of Agreement 5 years5/5/5/5 Years
Term Of Agreement 5 years5/5/5/5 Years
Renewal Fee $1K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Blind Man of America Franchise
A Shade Better Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Blind Man of America Franchise
A Shade Better Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/No-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Blind Man of America Franchise
A Shade Better Franchise
Training -Cleveland, OH or Phoenix, AZ 6 Days

On-Site 6 Days

Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone lineCentral Purchasing:

Field Operation Evaluation:

Field Training:

Initial Store Opening:

Inventory Control:

Regional or National Meetings: At Additional Cost

800 Telephone Hotline:

Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks-
Operations Franchise can be run from home.

0% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Average Number of Employees: 2 Full-time, 2 Part-time

Preferred Sites: Strip Center


Expansion Plans

 
Blind Man of America Franchise
A Shade Better Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Blind Man of America

The Blind Man of America is a home-based business providing customers with in-home selection of custom-made blinds, shades, shutters and more. We work from home and travel in the "blind mobile", our full-service vans containing everything we need to provide our customers with an unsurpassed selection of products with professional installation. Our concept is framed in its simplicity. The idea is this - most of today's home owners know what they want in window coverings, but they want someone else to do the critical measuring and installation. That's where  Blind Man of America comes in. We provide a huge selection of quality products, provide expert measuring and installation, and guarantee it all!
We provide this service to our customers in the comfort of their own home and all with unmatched customer service. It's a concept that consumers love and a system that's easy to implement for our franchisees. But, does it work? Judge for yourself. As a whole, our company averaged a 59% closing ratio in 2004 which means 6 out of every 10 estimates we've converted to sales. Our franchisees in business three years or more averaged a 55% repeat and referral business as well.

About A Shade Better

NO LONGER FRANCHISING