Made in the Shade Blinds and More

Should you invest $78,000 to $107,700 in a home-based, mobile franchise selling custom window treatments — or is this an overcrowded, low-margin niche with better alternatives? That is the exact question serious franchise investors ask when evaluating the Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise, and it deserves a rigorous, data-driven answer rather than a sales brochure. The company was founded in January 2004 by Cathy Morse, a home interiors veteran with over 25 years of industry experience, who began by expanding her own successful home-based business concept before formalizing it into a franchise system. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Made In The Shade Blinds And More launched its franchising program in 2013 and has since grown to 117 franchised units across the United States and Canada, according to its 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, with all locations franchisee-owned and zero company-owned units in the network. Leadership has evolved alongside the brand's growth: Cathy Morse's son Josh Morse, who previously owned and operated his own Made In The Shade franchise in San Antonio with his wife Jessica, now serves as CEO, bringing direct franchisee-level operational credibility to the executive chair. The brand occupies a specific and defensible niche within the $12 billion U.S. window coverings industry — a shop-at-home, consultant-driven model that brings product samples and professional expertise directly to residential customers, removing the friction of big-box retail shopping and delivering a customized solution that large home improvement chains structurally cannot replicate. In 2020, Entrepreneur Magazine recognized the franchise on its list of Top 150 Strongest Growing Franchises, and the brand has appeared on Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchises list every year from 2020 through 2025, establishing a track record of sustained editorial recognition across half a decade. For franchise investors evaluating home services, low-overhead mobile concepts, or window treatment opportunities specifically, the Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise represents one of the most fully documented and externally validated options in this category.

The window coverings industry sits at an inflection point defined by three powerful and intersecting secular trends: smart home adoption, residential renovation demand, and the permanent shift toward remote and hybrid work that has elevated consumer investment in home environments. Current annual U.S. sales for the window coverings industry total $12 billion, with industry projections targeting $17 billion by 2030 — a roughly 42% expansion over the decade that creates compounding tailwinds for established brands with proven distribution models. The global blinds and shades market was valued at approximately $14.82 billion in 2024 by Grand View Research, with projections to reach $24.63 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% from 2025 through 2030. North America holds the dominant regional position in this market, accounting for 39.25% of global revenue in 2024, and the U.S. market specifically is projected to reach $2.73 billion by 2026 while growing at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2025 to 2030. The motorized and smart window treatment segment is the fastest-growing sub-category: automatic blinds and shades are forecast to expand at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2025 to 2030, and smart units already represented over 18% of total global installations in 2023. These figures are directly relevant to the Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise model because the company explicitly offers motorized window treatment options, positioning franchisees to capture the highest-growth, highest-margin segment of the category without requiring any additional capital investment or format change. Consumer trends further supporting demand include rising preference for energy-efficient window treatments, growing appetite for eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, recycled polyester, and biodegradable plastics, and an intensifying desire for customizable, aesthetically differentiated home environments. The residential segment accounts for over 55% of the market and the blinds segment alone commands a 67.91% market share within the broader window coverings category as of 2026, both directly aligned with the shop-at-home, residential-focused service model that defines the Made In The Shade operating approach. The competitive landscape in custom window treatments remains meaningfully fragmented at the local service level despite the presence of large retailers, creating durable opportunity for franchise systems capable of delivering the consultative, in-home experience that box stores cannot match.

The Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise cost structure is designed for accessibility relative to most brick-and-mortar retail franchise categories, which is a central part of its investor appeal. The initial franchise fee ranges from $67,500 to $77,500 according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, reflecting the protected exclusive territory granted to each franchisee and the comprehensive training and support infrastructure provided at launch. The total estimated initial investment required to start a Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise falls between $78,000 and $107,700, a range driven by variables including office space setup ($0 to $5,000), vehicle and vehicle wrap ($1,500 to $2,500), computer hardware and software ($100 to $2,000), initial marketing expenses ($3,000 to $6,000), professional fees ($2,000 to $3,000), insurance ($1,000 to $4,000), initial training expenses ($500 to $1,000), licenses and permits ($300 to $500), office supplies ($100 to $200), furniture, fixtures and equipment ($0 to $1,000), and three months of additional working capital ($2,000 to $5,000). The low end of this investment range is achievable for franchisees who operate from a home office, avoid vehicle wrap costs, and enter markets with minimal permitting complexity, while the high end reflects franchisees establishing a more formal operational presence. On the ongoing fee side, Made In The Shade Blinds And More is notable for its position on royalties: the company states it does not charge ongoing royalty fees in the traditional percentage-of-revenue structure, which is a structural advantage that directly improves franchisee cash flow retention compared to the industry norm of 5% to 8% royalty rates seen across competing home services franchise models. The advertising fund contribution is $100 per month plus 3% of gross sales, and the company recommends allocating approximately 2% of gross sales to local marketing efforts within the franchisee's territory. Minimum liquid capital requirements have been reported at $50,000, with a net worth requirement of $75,000 — thresholds that are achievable for first-time franchise investors with modest prior savings and position Made In The Shade Blinds And More as an accessible entry point rather than a premium-tier investment requiring $200,000 or more in liquid assets. The PeerSense FPI Score for Made In The Shade Blinds And More is 64, classified as Moderate, which reflects a balanced risk-return profile consistent with a growing mid-scale franchise in a stable, expanding industry category.

The daily operating model for a Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise is fundamentally a shop-at-home consultative sales business, meaning the franchisee or a trained team member travels to residential customer locations with product samples, takes measurements, provides design recommendations, and closes the sale on-site before coordinating professional installation. This mobile format eliminates the capital cost, lease obligations, and overhead drag associated with retail storefronts — one of the primary structural reasons the total investment range starts below $80,000 despite the franchise offering a full catalog of products including blinds, shades, shutters, draperies, and motorized window treatment systems. Staffing requirements in early operations are lean, typically owner-operated with the franchisee serving as the primary consultant-salesperson, with the option to scale by adding employees or sub-contractors as revenue grows. The initial management training program is mandatory for the Operating Principal and one additional trainee, provided at no additional cost, covering product knowledge, sales techniques, and operational procedures; franchisees requiring more than two initial trainees pay a fee of $750 per additional attendee. Ongoing support extends for the lifetime of the franchise relationship and includes access to online forums, discussion groups, annual conferences that franchisees consistently rate highly, continuing education programs, and a partnership with a dedicated web marketing team that delivers complete online marketing tools and digital campaign management. Franchisees are granted an exclusive protected territory, guaranteed through a formal protected territory agreement that prevents other Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchisees from operating within the defined boundaries — a contractual protection that is not universal across franchise systems and that franchisees frequently cite as a core differentiator. The business model is suited to owner-operators who want direct involvement in sales and customer relationships, though the scalable staffing structure allows for a semi-absentee transition as the business matures and a team is built.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document available in the PeerSense database. However, third-party sources drawing on the 2025 FDD provide meaningful revenue benchmarks that serious investors should analyze carefully before making a capital commitment. Franzy, aggregating data across 105 active U.S. franchise units, reports an average gross revenue of $855,525 per unit, a figure the platform states exceeds the window coverings subsector average by over 15% — a performance differential that, if sustained, represents a material competitive advantage at the unit economics level. Vetted Biz reports a different figure based on its FDD analysis, citing yearly gross sales of $439,036 per unit with estimated owner-operator earnings between $61,466 and $79,027 annually — a range that implies operator earnings margins of approximately 14% to 18% of gross revenue, consistent with the economics of a lean, low-overhead mobile service business with no storefront costs. The franchise payback period is estimated at between 1.8 and 3.8 years based on the investment range of $78,000 to $107,700 and the earnings estimates above — a payback window that compares favorably to franchise categories requiring $300,000 or more in initial capital where payback periods of five to seven years are common. The absence of ongoing royalty fees in the traditional percentage-of-revenue structure is financially significant: on $439,036 in gross sales, a standard 6% royalty would cost a franchisee approximately $26,342 annually, meaning the Made In The Shade fee model preserves meaningful additional cash flow relative to royalty-bearing alternatives. Variance in unit-level revenue is expected and will be driven by franchisee commitment levels, local market density, the quality of initial marketing investment, and the franchisee's personal sales skill — the company explicitly acknowledges that earnings potential is limitless but dependent on individual drive and business capability. Investors should request the most current FDD Item 19 disclosure directly and conduct independent validation conversations with existing franchisees, as the gap between Franzy's $855,525 average and Vetted Biz's $439,036 figure underscores the importance of understanding methodology differences across reporting sources.

Made In The Shade Blinds And More has demonstrated consistent growth since beginning franchising in 2013, expanding from 64 franchised locations across 30 U.S. states documented in the 2017 FDD to 117 total units reported in the 2025 FDD — a net addition of approximately 53 units over eight years, representing an average of roughly 6 to 7 net new units per year across the system. The South has historically been the brand's largest regional concentration, with 31 of 64 locations in that region as of 2017, suggesting both a proven home market and a growth opportunity in underpenetrated Northern and Western U.S. territories. Recent leadership investments signal a deliberate corporate expansion posture: Lori Tobia joined the company in 2024 as Vice President of Franchise Development, bringing over 20 years of experience in the window fashions industry specifically — a domain-expert hire that is functionally different from bringing in a generic franchise development executive and signals serious intent to accelerate network growth with someone who understands the product category at depth. Noah serves as Director of Digital Marketing, focused on data-driven campaigns that increase franchisee lead generation and online visibility — a critical infrastructure investment given that smart window treatment buyers increasingly research and initiate purchase decisions through digital channels before engaging an in-home consultant. The brand's competitive moat is built on four reinforcing pillars: an exclusive protected territory structure that prevents internal cannibalization, access to premium products from top manufacturers that provides franchisees with a curated and differentiated product catalog, a no-royalty fee structure that creates franchisee financial loyalty and retention, and a shop-at-home service model that is structurally aligned with the $24.63 billion trajectory of the global market by 2030. Expansion plans for the near term focus explicitly on growing presence throughout the United States and Canada, with motivated entrepreneurs across North America being actively recruited — a clear signal that franchise territory supply in many markets has not yet met the strategic demand ceiling the corporate team has set.

The ideal Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise candidate is a motivated entrepreneur with strong interpersonal and consultative sales skills, comfort operating a mobile service business, and the discipline to build a client base through local marketing activity and referral networks in a defined exclusive territory. Prior experience in home interiors, design, construction, or window treatments is a meaningful advantage but is explicitly not a requirement, given that the initial training program provides comprehensive product knowledge and sales methodology from day one. The business model is particularly well-suited to individuals seeking schedule flexibility alongside income growth — franchisee testimonials consistently highlight the ability to set their own schedules and build a business that accommodates family commitments while generating consistent, year-over-year sales growth. Minimum liquid capital of $50,000 and a net worth of $75,000 define the financial entry threshold, making this opportunity accessible to a broader population of franchise investors than concepts requiring $150,000 or more in liquid assets. Geographic opportunities span the full North American market, with particular runway in regions outside the South where the system is less densely represented as of current unit counts, and prospective franchisees are encouraged to identify and secure their territory early given that exclusive territories are allocated on a first-come basis. The franchise agreement grants an exclusive protected territory with full operational rights, and the multi-unit and absentee pathways are available to franchisees who build team infrastructure capable of supporting growth beyond the owner-operator model.

For franchise investors evaluating the window treatments category, the Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise presents a data-supported case for serious due diligence: a total investment of $78,000 to $107,700 in a market growing at a CAGR of 9.1% toward $24.63 billion globally by 2030, with a fee structure that eliminates traditional percentage-of-revenue royalties, a protected exclusive territory, and reported average unit revenues ranging from $439,036 to $855,525 depending on the data source consulted. The brand has earned consecutive Entrepreneur Top 500 recognition from 2020 through 2025, added senior leadership talent with direct industry expertise in 2024, and operates a model structurally aligned with the fastest-growing consumer trends in the category — smart and motorized window treatments, energy efficiency, and shop-at-home convenience. The PeerSense FPI Score of 64 (Moderate) reflects a brand with documented growth momentum, accessible entry economics, and an industry tailwind that creates durable demand, balanced against the typical risks of a mid-scale franchise system in active expansion. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark Made In The Shade Blinds And More against competing window treatment and home services franchise concepts with precision. Explore the complete Made In The Shade Blinds And More franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.