What are the verified pros and cons of Made in the Shade Blinds & More?
Data basis. The legal franchisor is Made in the Shade Blinds and More LLC, a Texas limited liability company. The FDD was issued April 28, 2026 and presents one U.S. MITS Business operating from one Office within a Territory. Territories generally cover 150,000 to 450,000 people; a larger population may require a separate Territory and Franchise Agreement. Item 22 lists no separate Development Agreement.
This review uses Items 1, 3-8, 10-12, 15-17, and 19-22, the Franchise Agreement and Schedules 1, 3, and 5-8. Item 19 covers 2025 results; Item 20 covers 2023-2025. Sources were checked July 31, 2026. No franchise-controlled public FDD copy was located, so FDD references are unlinked by Item and page. See the official U.S. franchise website and official consumer brand overview for current public descriptions.
Metric sources: Made in the Shade Blinds and More LLC 2026 FDD, cover; Items 6, 7, 12, 19, and 20, pp. 5-15 and 23-42.
Which franchise features can help, and what does each one require?
The most relevant features are dual-edged. Each may improve operating clarity or financial structure for one buyer while increasing control, dependency, workload, or exit exposure for another.
No sales-based royalty, but required support fees
Verified fact: Item 6 lists no sales-based royalty, but requires monthly basic marketing of $100, technology of $150, and accounting of $100 plus $5 per payroll employee.
Potential advantage: Revenue growth does not automatically increase a percentage royalty paid to the franchisor.
Constraint: Fixed support fees continue after introductory credits and can rise within disclosed notice and cap provisions.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 5-10; official franchise FAQ.
Home-office eligibility with a hands-on Operating Principal
Verified fact: A MITS Business may use a dedicated home Office, and initial training provides 43 classroom and 15 on-the-job hours for up to two attendees.
Potential advantage: Home-office eligibility can reduce premises commitments while training addresses product, sales, measuring, installation, marketing, and launch tasks.
Constraint: The Operating Principal must own at least 10%, complete training, actively sell and promote, and personally guarantee performance.
Source: 2026 FDD, Items 11 and 15, pp. 19-23 and 27; Franchise Agreement §§4.H and 6.K; official model and training page.
Exclusive Territory tied to annual approved purchases
Verified fact: The Franchise Agreement grants an exclusive ZIP-code Territory, but after the first Agreement Year requires at least $75,000 in approved Manufacturer Product Purchases annually.
Potential advantage: Same-mark MITS outlets are excluded from the Territory while the standard is met.
Constraint: One miss permits territory reduction; two misses in later years can trigger immediate termination without cure.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 12, pp. 23-24; Franchise Agreement §1.D and Schedule 5.
Standardized suppliers with concentrated purchasing dependence
Verified fact: The FDD estimates 85%-95% of startup and ongoing expenditures are subject to approved sourcing; supplier rebates were 45% of franchisor revenue in 2025 and 3%-10% of window-covering purchases.
Potential advantage: Negotiated arrangements and standardized products can simplify assortment, specifications, and vendor onboarding.
Constraint: Supplier choice is narrow, product availability is not guaranteed, and approved alternatives carry a 5% fee.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 8, pp. 13-16; Franchise Agreement §§3.C and 6.C-6.D.
Franchisor financing with secured, short-term repayment
Verified fact: Franchisor financing may cover up to 80% of the initial franchise fee for 24 months at SOFR plus 3%, secured by collateral and personal guarantees.
Potential advantage: A buyer approved for financing can reduce the cash paid at signing.
Constraint: The down payment is at least $20,000, and default can accelerate debt and terminate the Franchise Agreement.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 10, pp. 17-18; Franchise Agreement Schedules 6 and 7.
Item 19 evidence with a defined response gap
Verified fact: Item 19 reports 2025 averages and medians from 69 of 106 eligible U.S. franchisees, including revenue, close rate, sale price, product margin, and projects.
Potential advantage: A 65% response population offers more context than a selected testimonial or unsupported sales claim.
Constraint: Nonresponders may differ, and the representation excludes costs of sales and operating expenses needed to calculate net income.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 19, pp. 33-34.
Long contract runway with controlled renewal and transfer
Verified fact: The initial term is 10 years; renewal requires a $6,000 fee and then-current agreement, while transfers cost 5% of sale price, subject to $10,000-$40,000 limits.
Potential advantage: A defined renewal path and no franchisor purchase option can support planned continuity or third-party sale.
Constraint: Consent, release, training, pricing conditions, Texas dispute provisions, and a two-year geographic noncompete can constrain exit.
Source: 2026 FDD, Items 6 and 17, pp. 5, 8-9, and 28-32; Franchise Agreement §§2, 9.C, 12, and 17, subject to state addenda.
What does Item 20 show about network direction and turnover?
The U.S. network expanded over the disclosed period, but growth does not establish unit economics. The all-franchised mix also gives buyers many operators to interview while providing no company-owned operating benchmark.
Exact outlet counts from Item 20; company-owned outlets remained zero throughout the period.
Interpretation: Net growth was 30 outlets from the start of 2023 to the end of 2025. Across those three years, Item 20 separately reports 49 openings, 12 terminations, two non-renewals, five other cessations, eight transfers, and no franchisor reacquisitions. Transfers are ownership changes, not closures, and the other departure categories should not be treated as identical causes.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 20, Tables 1-4, pp. 35-42. The official location finder shows the current consumer-facing network but is not the source of the historical counts.
A buyer can use Exhibit C and Exhibit D to sample current and former franchisees across opening years, territory sizes, and departure categories. The FTC's franchise buyer guide treats those interviews as a central verification step rather than a substitute for Item 20 analysis.
How much decision value does the Item 19 survey provide?
Item 19 provides a defined 2025 franchisee population and multiple operating measures, which improves transparency. Its 65% response rate and omission of operating expenses mean it cannot establish a buyer's likely net income.
Eligible U.S. franchisees opened before January 1, 2025 and still open at December 31, 2025.
Included in the reported averages and medians.
Eligible outlets not represented in the survey results.
The reported average revenue was $730,016 and the median was $496,655; 23 of 69 respondents met or exceeded the average. These are revenue figures, not owner earnings, and the FDD expressly excludes the expenses needed to calculate profit.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 19, pp. 33-34. Formula: 69 respondents ÷ 106 eligible outlets = 65.1%, displayed as the FDD's rounded 65%; 37 nonrespondents ÷ 106 = 34.9%.
The survey does not segment results by Territory tier, geography, tenure beyond the eligibility rule, owner time commitment, staffing, financing, or local lead source. Written substantiation and franchisee-level interviews are needed to test whether the population resembles the buyer's planned market and operating approach.
How do the protected Territory and reserved rights interact?
The protected core is narrower than a general promise of unrestricted local market ownership. The Franchise Agreement protects against another same-mark MITS outlet, while controlling out-of-territory selling, referrals, internet activity, and certain franchisor channels.
Each block describes a different contractual layer; none should be read alone.
Protected core
No company-owned or franchised outlet selling the same or similar goods under the same or similar Marks is established inside the Territory.
Franchisee boundary
Out-of-territory marketing or sales require consent. The project location controls builder or designer referrals, and unauthorized intrusion can produce a fee up to 150% of gross sale.
Reserved activity
The franchisor may advertise the System and generate leads in the Territory, and retains specified rights involving different Marks, subject to the detailed Item 12 limitations.
Source: 2026 FDD, Items 6 and 12, pp. 9 and 23-24; Franchise Agreement §§1.D and 6.G.
Which buyer profiles align with the operating and contract demands?
Fit depends less on generic entrepreneurial interest than on willingness to sell locally, operate within supplier and data controls, sustain the purchase threshold, and accept a long contractual horizon.
More aligned with the disclosed model
A hands-on buyer or ownership group with an active 10%-plus Operating Principal, comfort with in-home consultations and local selling, enough working capital for product orders and receivable timing, and a preference for approved vendors, defined brand materials, and a ten-year operating plan.
More likely to experience friction
A hands-off investor without a qualifying active principal; a buyer who needs unrestricted supplier, product, website, data, or territory discretion; or an owner with a short exit horizon, limited tolerance for personal guarantees, or a plan that depends on Item 19 revenue translating directly into profit.
What should be verified before signing the Franchise Agreement?
The highest-value questions connect the exact Territory, supplier economics, owner workload, and exit terms to independent records rather than promotional descriptions.
- Obtain Schedule 3 with the exact ZIP codes, population, demographic tier, Office address, opening deadline, and written explanation of how the $75,000 Minimum Performance Standard applies to partial, renewal, split, or multiple Territories.
- Request the current Approved Products List, designated-supplier terms, rebate arrangements, sample-replacement schedule, freight and deposit requirements, product lead times, warranty responsibilities, and all approvals for non-designated suppliers.
- Obtain the current MITS Home Office Support Brochure and price every required Basic service, optional tier, annual increase, extra location or DBA, payroll employee, payment-processing component, and data-migration cost.
- Ask for Item 19 written substantiation and respondent segmentation by opening year, Territory tier, geography, staffing, owner involvement, and financing; build a separate expense model because Item 19 does not disclose net income.
- Interview current and former franchisees from Exhibits C and D, including recent openings, mature operators, low and high survey performers, transfers, terminations, non-renewals, and other cessations. Separate each departure reason.
- Have franchise counsel compare the transfer fee, pricing condition, release, then-current renewal agreement, personal Guaranty, two-year noncompete, Texas forum provisions, and the buyer's state-specific addenda.
- Confirm local contractor or installer licensing, home-office and signage rules, vehicle-wrap requirements, insurance pricing, installation labor arrangements, and whether a commercial address is needed for local search performance.
- Model liquidity under slow customer collections, supplier prepayment, vehicle debt, the 24-month franchisor note, mandatory support fees, and the purchase threshold without treating revenue, product margin, or network growth as owner cash flow.
What is the most defensible buyer takeaway?
Related Blogs
- What Are Some Alternatives to Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise?
- How Does the Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise Work?
- How to Start a Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise in 7 Steps: Checklist
- How Does the Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise Work?
- How Much Does a Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise Owner Make?