Made in the Shade Blinds & More operates as a territory-based mobile window-covering business. The local franchise converts inquiries into custom window-treatment projects, conducts in-property consultations, measures and quotes, orders through designated manufacturers, coordinates installation, collects payment, and records the work in required systems.
This is a consultative project model, not a stocked retail store. The franchisee manages the local sale and customer handoffs; approved manufacturers fabricate the products; and the franchisor controls the Approved Products List, supplier access, brand presentation, online channels, technology, data access and operating standards.
What does the franchisee sell, and who buys it?
The franchisee sells custom interior and exterior window-covering projects, primarily to homeowners, through consultations at the project site rather than through a required showroom.
Authorized products and services
The Approved Products List governs what a MITS Business may offer. Disclosed categories include blinds, shades, shutters, drapery and outdoor products. Official consumer pages also present motorization, decorative grilles, exterior shades and retractable awnings, with professional measuring and installation.
Customer and lead channels
Item 1 identifies homeowners as the primary buyers. Official pages also show apartment and high-rise residents, office users and commercial property contacts. Leads may enter through the MITS website, local business listings, approved digital and print marketing, builder or designer referrals, repeat projects and service contacts.
Official context: consultation channel, measurement and installation, and dealer locator.
The public “mobile showroom” description is sample-based. The franchisee must maintain adequate sample inventory and use a brand-compliant vehicle. Finished treatments are custom ordered, so “zero inventory” refers to finished-goods stock, not sample books, delivered projects awaiting installation, tools or required supplies.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 1, 8 and 16; Franchise Agreement §§6.C–6.E. Official context: in-home custom-order model.
How does a project move through the local operation?
The verified cycle runs from lead intake through site consultation, quote and deposit, supplier fabrication, installation, final payment and recorded follow-up.
Lead intake and territory check
- Actor
- Franchisee or trained staff; the franchisor may route web leads.
- Action
- Capture the inquiry and confirm the project address belongs in the assigned area.
- System / asset
- MITS website, approved profiles, phone, email and lead tools.
- Output
- Qualified local lead and scheduled consultation.
Consultation, selection and measurement
- Actor
- Operating Principal or trained sales personnel.
- Action
- Present approved samples, assess the application, measure openings and prepare a quote.
- System / asset
- Sample inventory, branded vehicle, tablet, measuring tools and approved materials.
- Output
- Customer-selected specifications and estimate.
Project acceptance and deposit
- Actor
- Local franchisee as Seller and customer as Buyer.
- Action
- Confirm specifications and apply the Project Terms and Conditions. The public terms require at least a 50% deposit before ordering after any cancellation period.
- System / asset
- Estimate, invoice, payment method and project terms.
- Output
- Authorized custom order.
Supplier order and delivery
- Actor
- Franchisee and designated manufacturer.
- Action
- Order directly from the supplier and monitor fabrication, shipment and delivery.
- System / asset
- Approved Products List, supplier ordering process and project records.
- Output
- Custom-fabricated products ready for installation.
Installation and customer approval
- Actor
- Local installer under the franchisee’s project responsibility.
- Action
- Inspect, install, test operation or motorization, remove debris and complete a walkthrough.
- System / asset
- Delivered products, installation tools and site access.
- Output
- Installed and accepted project, or a documented service issue.
Payment, records and service
- Actor
- Franchisee administrative or accounting function.
- Action
- Collect the balance, reconcile the job, retain records and handle complaints or warranty follow-up.
- System / asset
- QuickBooks Online Plus, approved payment tools and customer records.
- Output
- Closed project record and service history.
The FDD requires a trained, sales-oriented staff and includes measuring and installation training, but it does not prescribe installer headcount or employment status. Each buyer should verify whether comparable units use an owner-installer, employee installer, subcontract installer or a mixed model.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 8, 11, 15 and 16; Franchise Agreement §§6.D–6.M; official project terms and installation guidance.
Who performs each operating function?
The Operating Principal is the accountable owner-operator. Unit personnel execute the local customer promise; the franchisor maintains standards and support; and manufacturers fabricate the approved products.
Execute and document the project
- Operating Principal
- Completes training, actively sells Products and promotes the Business; when the franchisee is an entity, generally holds at least 10% ownership.
- Sales personnel
- Consult, measure, quote and maintain customer relations using approved samples and materials.
- Installer
- Installs, tests, cleans the work area and completes the final walkthrough; classification is not disclosed.
- Administrative and accounting personnel
- Schedule, bill, collect, retain records and coordinate complaint or warranty handling.
Set standards and supply inputs
- Made in the Shade Blinds and More LLC
- Maintains the System and Manuals, approves products and advertising, designates suppliers, controls the website and provides support.
- Designated manufacturers
- Provide samples, fabricate products, ship orders and administer manufacturer warranties.
- Required platform providers
- Supply accounting, payroll, productivity, communications, payment and marketing functionality selected by the franchisor.
- Customer or site contact
- Provides access, confirms placement, reviews operation and makes final payment when due.
The Operating Principal need not work full time, but must use best efforts to actively sell Products and promote the Business. The FDD does not define an absentee or separate manager-run format. A replacement Operating Principal is subject to the contractual cure process.
Which inputs and systems are mandatory?
The franchisee cannot source freely. Approved products, designated suppliers, specified technology, mandatory support tiers and franchisor data access are structural dependencies.
Approved supply network
Orders must follow the Approved Products List and use designated or approved suppliers unless an alternative receives written approval. The franchisee orders directly, pays supplier invoices and maintains samples. The franchisor may change suppliers, specifications and products.
Required technology
Required infrastructure includes a computer, high-speed internet, email, approved hardware and software, approved POS or card systems, the franchisor-controlled web presence, and QuickBooks Online Plus or higher with franchisor access.
Mandatory support stack
Basic marketing, technology and accounting support are required after the introductory period. Components include Canva, website analytics, listing support, Microsoft productivity apps, a local webpage, the MITS Home Office Support and Help Center, QuickBooks Payroll Core and assisted bookkeeping.
The first six months add Standard marketing, full-service bookkeeping and a CRM Add-On for lead conversion, communications, soft phones and payment-processing discounts. The FDD does not say that the CRM Add-On remains mandatory afterward; the current MITS Home Office Support Brochure should be checked for the post-trial configuration.
Current official product-line examples include Alta, Graber, Norman, Hunter Douglas, Eclipse Outdoor, Fabricut, Rainier, SunPro, Horizons Window Fashions, Insolroll Window Shadings and Tableaux Decorative Grilles. These are public examples, not a substitute for the controlling list. See the official U.S. product-line page.
The franchisor may access customer, transaction and operational information, inspect records, require hardware or software changes, and revise the Manuals. The Franchise Agreement states no contractual restriction on data access and no fixed frequency or cost cap for future system changes beyond the franchisor’s stated reasonableness standard.
Evidence: 2026 FDD, Items 6, 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement §§4.B–4.F, 6.C–6.G and 6.M. Official context: support FAQ and marketing resources.
Where may the franchisee market and perform work?
The franchisee receives an exclusive ZIP-code Territory for the licensed marks, but rights remain bounded by project-location rules, written-consent requirements and franchisor control of digital distribution.
Territory protection
The Franchise Agreement Territory generally contains 150,000 to 450,000 people. The franchisor will not establish another company-owned or franchised outlet there selling similar goods or services under similar marks. More than 450,000 people may require a separate agreement.
Performance condition
After the first Agreement Year, protection depends on at least $75,000 in approved Manufacturer Product Purchases per year. One failure may permit reduction; failures in two Agreement Years may permit further reduction or termination.
Project-location rule
The franchisee may not market or sell outside its assigned area without written consent. For a builder or designer referral, the project address determines ownership. Work in another protected area must be referred to that franchisee.
Digital channel control
The franchisor controls the MITS website and primary rights in Google Business Profiles, Google Ads and Facebook Business Pages. It may route internet leads; unapproved sites, domains, social media and digital advertising are restricted.
Which decisions remain with the franchisee?
The franchisee controls local execution and remains locally responsible, but each decision sits inside product, supplier, brand, territory, technology and recordkeeping rules.
| Decision | Franchisor control | Franchisee responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Office format | Requires an Office inside the assigned area; a home office must be separate and dedicated. | Select a compliant home-based or commercial Office. |
| Staffing | Requires competent, courteous, conscientious, sales-oriented trained staff. | Set headcount, hiring, scheduling, supervision and lawful worker classification. |
| Local marketing | Approves materials and channels; controls key online profiles; recommends 4% of Gross Sales. | Choose local tactics and spending within approved standards. |
| Project pricing | May recommend prices and impose lawful pricing requirements. | Quote projects within any requirements and standard customer terms. |
| Customer service | Sets project terms, quality standards and claim-reporting triggers. | Handle complaints, warranty coordination, records and customer relations. |
| Local compliance | Specifies core systems, vehicle image and operating standards. | Maintain licenses, permits, insurance, ordinary tools and safe practices. |
What does Item 20 show about the operating network?
At December 31, 2025, the U.S. network had 131 franchised outlets and zero company-owned outlets. Customer execution was therefore entirely franchisee-operated.
The network added 24 year-end outlets from 2023 to 2025. In 2025, Item 20 reports 21 openings, two terminations, two non-renewals and three other cessations, for a net increase of 14.
Source: 2026 FDD, Item 20, Tables 1, 3 and 4, pp. 35–42. Total outlets equal franchised outlets because company-owned outlets were zero.
Which operating questions remain undisclosed?
Current Manuals, support materials, suppliers and local practice determine several workload-critical details that the FDD does not specify.
What is the practical operating conclusion?
Made in the Shade Blinds & More converts local inquiries into custom window-covering projects through consultation, measurement, manufacturer fabrication and installation. The franchisee’s central responsibility is controlling every handoff from quote accuracy through completion and service. The strongest dependency is the Approved Products List, designated supplier network and technology/data environment. The key distinction is that the Office may be home-based while the Territory, sample inventory, branded vehicle and field workflow remain essential. The largest undisclosed question is the staffing and installer model required for the local workload.
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