How Much Does the Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise Cost?

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document estimates $78,000 to $107,700 to open a Made in the Shade Blinds & More business in a minimum-sized U.S. territory of 150,000 people. That range is for the brand's home-based or office-based shop-at-home model, not a separately budgeted retail showroom, and it includes the Initial Franchise Fee plus three months of Additional Funds.

The disclosed total is not the same as cash paid to the franchisor on signing. The opening budget combines one contractual payment with third-party costs that occur over several weeks, including insurance, professional advice, travel and local approvals. A borrower who finances part of the initial fee still needs a separate source of cash for those third-party expenditures and for expenses incurred after launch.

A useful way to read the range is to separate three questions. First, what is contractually payable at signing? Second, what must be purchased from outside vendors before the doors open? Third, what cash must remain available after launch? The headline total answers all three at once, but it does not say that the entire amount is due on one day or that every buyer will use the same payment method. The timing and payee columns below show why the capital plan has to be built around actual dates rather than a single lump-sum assumption.

The disclosed total combines the territory-based initial fee with office, computer, insurance, training-travel, marketing, vehicle and early operating-cost estimates. The line items reconcile exactly to the official low and high totals, but several amounts depend on whether the owner works from home, already owns suitable furniture, leases a vehicle or purchases one with cash.

The low and high ends do not describe two complete operating plans. Each line has its own assumption: existing furniture can produce a zero estimate, home operation can avoid commercial rent, and a leased vehicle can keep the initial outlay below the cost of buying one outright. A buyer should therefore test each line against the actual assets already owned and the choices written into the agreement rather than treating the low total as a generally available package.

Opening payment and setup costs

Refundability also differs by payee. Amounts paid directly under the contract are stated to be nonrefundable, while a landlord, insurer, professional adviser or other outside vendor may apply its own cancellation and refund terms. That means the risk of committing funds is not uniform across the table. A payment made early in the setup period may become unrecoverable even when the business has not yet opened, so the buyer should read each vendor agreement alongside the franchise documents.

Launch and early operating costs

The estimates also use different methods of payment. Some are one-time purchases, some are deposits or professional bills, and the vehicle figure assumes periodic financing or leasing. Comparing only the numeric endpoints can therefore hide how long the obligation lasts. A small amount shown in the opening table may represent the first payment on a longer commitment rather than the full acquisition price of the underlying asset.

The table also does not settle every household cash question. It estimates business expenditures, not personal living costs, and it does not state that the owner will draw compensation during the first three months. It also excludes debt service from the early reserve. Those omissions matter when the owner expects the business to be the household's principal source of cash immediately after opening.

The $67,500 to $77,500 initial fee applies only to a minimum-sized area with 150,000 people. Item 5 prices the territory by both population and demographic tier, so a larger territory can carry an Initial Franchise Fee as high as $186,000 before the other Item 7 categories are considered.

The size discount is applied to a per-person rate, not as a simple reduction from the minimum-area price. As population increases, the discounted rate per resident falls, yet the total contractual payment can still rise sharply because it is applied to many more residents. This is why the word “discount” should not be read as meaning that a larger area costs less in total. The demographic classification and the population calculation both have to be known before the correct amount can be determined.

Derived comparison: the population-band ranges above use the lowest Tier 1 amount and highest Tier 3 amount printed for each band. They are comparison envelopes, not additional official Item 7 totals.

A larger licensed area changes the contractual fee, but the disclosure does not publish a complete revised startup total for each population band. It would be misleading to add the fee difference to the minimum-area total and call the result a new official estimate, because premises, travel, vehicles, staffing and launch spending may also change. The signed schedule should be the starting point for a territory-specific budget.

The largest payment is due when the Franchise Agreement is signed. Most remaining startup costs are paid before opening or as incurredduring the typical 60-to-90-day setup period, while Initial Marketing Expenses and Additional Funds are deployed after opening.

The sequence can create overlapping cash demands. Travel and setup bills may be outstanding when advertising begins, and loan payments can start at the same time as the introductory operating period. A plan that funds only the signing payment can therefore leave a gap before customer receipts are available. The relevant question is not merely whether the full opening estimate can be financed, but whether cash is available on each due date and remains available for costs that cannot be placed on the same loan.

1. 1
   Franchise Agreement execution

   Pay the initial fee in a lump sum, unless the franchisor approves in-house financing. The fee is nonrefundable and includes $10,000 for training and other pre-opening activities plus $10,000 for pre-opening materials and products.

2. 2
   Pre-opening setup

   Arrange the Office, computer system, supplies, insurance, licenses and permits, vehicle and wrap. Before opening, the franchisee must establish the standing ACH authorization used for franchisor fees.

3. 3
   Initial training and launch

   Training tuition and materials for up to two attendees are included in the initial fee, but travel, lodging, meals and wages are paid separately. The current program is held in San Antonio, Texas and generally lasts about five days.

4. 4
   First months after opening

   Use the $3,000 to $6,000 marketing estimate over six months and the $2,000 to $5,000 three-month reserve after launch. Basic Marketing, Technology and Accounting support fees receive introductory credits for the first six months.

5. 5
   Month seven and later

   The introductory support credits end. The disclosed fixed basic support charges then total $350 per month, plus $5 per payroll employee, before sales tax, optional service tiers and future permitted fee increases.

The franchisor does not disclose a recurring royalty calculated as a percentage of gross sales. The continuing core charges are monthly Marketing, Technology and Accounting Fees, supplemented by product-sample costs and conditional supplier, conference, training and transaction fees.

“No royalty” removes one common percentage charge, but it does not make the continuing cost structure optional. The three basic support services are mandatory after the introductory credits, while local advertising remains a recommendation rather than a required percentage contribution. The distinction matters because one group is contractually payable to the franchisor and the other is spending the owner controls within the stated recommendation.

The continuing charges use several different bases. Some are fixed each month, one changes with payroll headcount, one is tied to approved purchases, and another is a recommended share of sales rather than a compulsory payment. These bases should remain separate in a forecast. Combining them into one percentage or one annual estimate would require assumptions that the disclosure does not provide and could obscure which amounts are mandatory, optional or triggered by a particular choice.

The first-six-month credits affect timing rather than the long-run fee basis. An owner who selects higher support levels, employs payroll staff or operates more than one location can owe more than the fixed base. The disclosure also permits changes to the required basic fee after notice, so the opening budget should not freeze the month-seven amount for the full ten-year term.

Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 5–10; Item 11, pp. 18–23.

Beginning with the second Agreement Year, the franchisee must make at least $75,000 in approved Manufacturer Product Purchases each year to maintain territorial rights. This is an operating purchase obligation, not a royalty and not an extra line added to the initial Item 7 total.

Because the threshold is measured through purchases, the cash effect depends on order timing, supplier terms and the pace at which customer projects require goods. It is not necessarily paid in equal monthly installments, and it does not represent a separate annual invoice for the full amount. The buyer still needs enough purchasing capacity to meet supplier payment terms as orders are placed. Prepayment requirements, deposits and the timing of customer collections can therefore affect short-term liquidity even when the annual threshold appears manageable in aggregate.

Manufacturer Product Purchases

The product purchase price paid to designated suppliers, excluding delivery and service fees, specified taxes, refunds and credits.

Required sourcing

Item 8 estimates that 85% to 95% of establishment and ongoing expenditures for goods and services will be made through the franchisor, approved suppliers or sources meeting system specifications.

Supplier rebates

Designated suppliers pay the franchisor rebates equal to 3% to 10% of franchisee window-covering purchases. The FDD discloses this relationship; it is not listed as a separate franchisee fee.

Source: 2026 FDD, Special Risks; Item 6, p. 10; Item 8, pp. 13–16; Item 12, pp. 23–24.

Renewal, transfer, relocation, extra training, payment defaults and supplier-compliance events can create material costs outside the opening budget. These charges should be separated from recurring support fees because the amount and payment date depend on a later trigger.

These charges should not all be added to the opening total, because many may never occur and several are mutually unrelated. They are better treated as life-cycle scenarios. A planned sale calls for transfer costs; a change of operating address calls for relocation costs; a late payment or reporting failure creates compliance charges. Keeping the triggers separate prevents an inflated startup figure while still showing the amounts that can become due later under the contract.

• Renewal
  $6,000 with the written notice to renew. The franchisee must give at least six and no more than nine months' notice and satisfy the other renewal conditions.
• Territory split or relocation
  $7,500 for a Territory split and $7,500 for a Territory relocation, each as incurred and subject to approval.
• Business transfer
  5% of the gross sale price, with a $10,000 minimum and $40,000 maximum, due with the transfer application. A qualifying Family Member transfer is waived.
• Transfer referral
  If the franchisor matches the seller with a buyer, an additional fee is the greater of $5,000, the then-current referral fee or third-party broker fees.
• Extra or replacement training
  $1,000 per additional initial-training attendee; $1,000 per transferee attendee; reasonable fees may apply to successor, replacement or additional training. Travel and wages remain separate.
• Late or failed payment
  $100 for insufficient funds or a late payment, plus interest at the lesser of 10% per year or the maximum lawful rate.
• Supplier-reporting default
  Up to 50% of an unreported or underreported non-designated-supplier purchase, plus the cost of an inspection or audit.
• Territorial intrusion
  Up to 150% of the gross sale made in another franchisee's Territory without consent, with possible termination consequences.
• Insurance, enforcement or indemnity
  Actual premiums, administrative costs, legal expenses, losses or other reasonable expenses can be charged when the applicable contractual event occurs.

Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 5–10; Item 17, pp. 28–33.

The disclosure offers financing only for the initial fee, subject to credit approval. It does not disclose a fixed Liquid Capital or Net Worth minimum, while the official franchise cost page recommends having more than $20,000 in working capital for startup costs outside the fee.

Credit approval is a separate decision from franchise approval. The lender in this case is the franchisor, and the note is secured, so the borrower is accepting repayment and collateral obligations in addition to the operating contract. Borrowing may preserve cash at signing, but it also creates a fixed payment schedule that begins at launch. The absence of a prepayment penalty can make early repayment possible, yet it does not remove the consequences of default or the need for personal guarantees when the buyer uses an entity.

Item 10 illustrates a $50,000 loan at 7% APR over 24 months with an approximate monthly payment of $2,239. That example is not a promise of the rate available to a specific borrower. The current official franchise startup-cost page separately recommends $20,000 or more in working capital, while Item 7 includes only $2,000 to $5,000 of Additional Funds for three months.

Financing changes when cash leaves the buyer's account; it does not reduce the cost disclosed for the business. Payments begin on the stated opening date, so the loan can overlap with monthly support charges, supplier invoices and local operating expenses. The example payment is useful for understanding timing, but the actual rate depends on the reference rate and the note signed by the borrower.

The headline range is decision-useful only after the proposed Territory, Office format, financing structure and continuing support obligations are matched to the signed documents. The most important checks are specific to the buyer's actual cost contract.

A written reconciliation should start with the amount on the proposed agreement and then map every outside payment to a date, payee and refund rule. It should also identify which figures are estimates, which are fixed contractual charges and which depend on later events. That exercise is more reliable than using a rounded web figure because it exposes gaps such as a deposit not covered by financing, a recurring charge that begins earlier than expected or a local requirement outside the published range.

• Confirm the territory tier and exact population. Schedule 3 should state the Initial Franchise Fee, Territory, Office location and Opening Date; a larger territory can move the fee far above $77,500.
• Separate the standard home-office model from optional premises. The 2026 FDD has no separate Item 7 range for a retail storefront or multi-location operation.
• Reconcile the six-month support credits. Confirm the selected Marketing, Technology and Accounting tiers, sales tax, per-employee charges and the amount due when the credits end.
• Budget the $75,000 annual Manufacturer Product Purchases standard separately. It begins after the first Agreement Year and affects territorial rights.
• Price the vehicle choice correctly. Item 7 assumes a loan or lease; a cash purchase can exceed the disclosed Vehicle and Wrap range.
• Identify exclusions. Debt service, trainee wages, possible owner compensation, optional commercial space, future technology upgrades and locally variable permits or insurance may require cash beyond the Item 7 estimate.
• Request the latest disclosure and updates before payment. The FTC franchise buyer guide explains the 14-calendar-day disclosure period and the right to request updated information before signing.

For a minimum 150,000-person area, the official Estimated Initial Investment is $78,000 to $107,700, including an initial fee of $67,500 to $77,500 and a three-month reserve of $2,000 to $5,000. The range can rise materially when the licensed area is larger, a commercial work location or additional location is used, a vehicle is purchased with cash, or local insurance and licensing costs exceed the assumptions.

After opening, the absence of a percentage Royalty Fee does not mean the franchise has no continuing obligations. Required basic support charges, sample inventory, the $75,000 annual purchase standard, and event-triggered renewal, transfer, relocation and compliance fees remain central to the capital decision.

The low end is most relevant only when the buyer can actually use the assumptions behind it, such as existing equipment, a home work setting and financed transportation. The high end is not a ceiling on every possible local or contractual expense. A sound reading treats the published bounds as a disclosed starting framework, then replaces each assumption with a documented quote, payment date and funding source for the proposed operation.