Blinds Business Plan: Free Template, Sample Plan and Startup Costs (2026)

By The Zarla Team · Updated October 2026

Typical startup costs of $20,465–$42,237, what owners really earn, the licenses you'll need in the US, how to write every section, and a complete sample plan for Larkspur Blinds & Shutters — free to download as a Word template or PDF, or make it yours in five questions.

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Blinds business plan at a glance

Starting a blinds and shutters business in the US typically costs $20,465–$42,237, with a used minivan or small cargo van and launch marketing the biggest lines. Typical monthly costs run $5,652–$7,422 before owner pay and tax. The average window treatment project in HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide: $1,018.

Licenses and permits in the US (5 in all): business registration, a sales tax number and a local business license; a contractor license for installing, in some states; and child-safety rules for corded window coverings — the rules vary by state.
The plan: eleven sections, from the executive summary to what a lender, a landlord or an investor will ask for, written from five questions — free, no sign-up to write it.
The sample plan on this page: Larkspur Blinds & Shutters, Boise, ID — a fictional blinds and shutters business, a one-person shop-at-home window treatment business for Boise and its suburbs — blinds, shades, plantation shutters and motorized shades, measured, sold and installed by the owner.
The first 30 days: 9 steps, starting with “Apply for dealer accounts with two or three manufacturers, with your sales tax number ready, and order their starter sample books”.
Downloads: the fill-in template as Word and PDF, and the sample plan as PDF — free, no email address.

Facts checked October 11, 2026. Every figure is a published US range, not a quote; the sources are listed on this page, which covers how to write a blinds business plan, the complete sample plan and the free template.

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The numbers first

$20,465–$42,237to start a blinds and shutters businessTypical US range, required lines

$1,018the average window treatment project in HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide

$80,834what Bloomin' Blinds' one-van franchise owners open all of 2024 kept on average, before the owner's own pay (2025 franchise disclosure)

45%the median gross margin on product in Made in the Shade's survey of its franchisees, 2025 — product revenue less product cost

Startup costs

What it costs to start a blinds and shutters business

Typical US ranges, whole dollars. Optional lines are marked and left out of the total. The struck-through lines are what a Zarla plan covers, with the reason beside each; the generator turns this table into your own list.

Blinds and shutters business startup costs
Item	Low	High
A used minivan or small cargo vanKelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Prices in October 2026: a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan SE at $10,250 and a 2020 Ford Transit Connect XLT cargo van at $16,800. Many owners start in a vehicle they already own, and then this line is $0; a full-size 2020 cargo van runs $14,850 to $23,200 at a dealer, and Budget Blinds budgets $10,000 to $48,000 for a franchisee's van.	$10,250	$16,800
Measuring and installing tools and suppliesBudget Blinds' 2026 franchise disclosure budgets $250 to $1,500 for additional tools and supplies — a franchisor's figure, used here for the same kit: a laser measure, a metal tape, a drill/driver, a stepladder, a stud finder, a level, bits and fasteners.	$250	$1,500
Sample books and product samplesA planning range. Manufacturers give new dealers starter kits of sample books — the Hunter Douglas dealer program includes them for its top-selling lines — so the low end is $0. Made in the Shade's 2026 franchise disclosure budgets $100 to $200 a month for sample products; the top of this line is six months at $200.	$0	$1,200
Liability, tools and commercial auto insurance (the year, paid up front)Insureon's medians for installation businesses (August 2026): general liability $85 a month ($1,020 a year), commercial auto $299 a month ($3,588 a year) and tools and equipment $41 a month ($495 a year). The Hartford's small-business customers pay about $810 a year for general liability — the low end of the liability line.	$4,893	$5,103
Business registration (LLC), EIN and any contractor licenseAn LLC is $40 in Kentucky and $300 in Texas; the EIN from the IRS is free. Where a contractor license is needed, add it: California requires one for window coverings jobs of $1,000 or more, at $450 to apply and $200 (sole owner) or $350 to license, plus a $25,000 bond — Insureon's installation customers pay a median $112 a year for a surety bond. The top of this line is the $300 LLC with California's $450, $350 and a year of the bond.	$40	$1,212
Launch marketing: the first six monthsMade in the Shade's 2026 franchise disclosure budgets $3,000 to $6,000 for its first six months' marketing; Budget Blinds budgets $10,000 to $15,000 for its first three months.	$3,000	$6,000
Website and Google Business ProfileIncluded with ZarlaYour Zarla plan includes the website — a call button, a service-area map and a quote request form, with your products, your brands and photos of finished windows added in chat — and walks you through your Google Business Profile. Having one built typically costs $500 to $2,000 from a freelancer.	$0	$2,000
Quoting, booking and invoicing software (first year)Mostly included with ZarlaOnline quotes, booking, invoicing and a customer list come with your Zarla plan. For comparison, Made in the Shade's basic technology support is $150 a month for its franchisees, and manufacturers give their dealers online ordering and quoting.	$0	$1,800
Legal and accounting set-upBudget Blinds' 2026 franchise disclosure budgets $750 to $3,500 for professional fees.	$750	$3,500
Working capital: two months of running costsTwo months of the monthly lines below that don't come out of a customer's payment — fuel, samples, ads, software, phone and IT — while the first reviews and referrals build. The product and the card fees are paid from the customer's deposit and balance.	$1,282	$3,122
A small showroom, later: the first year's rent (optional)Optional — typically $11,000–$31,224. 500 to 1,200 square feet — the size Budget Blinds' disclosure gives for most of the office or workspace locations its franchisees take — at the US average retail asking rent of about $22.00 a square foot a year (CoStar) to $26.02 (Colliers), both reported by CRE Daily in July 2026. Neither Budget Blinds nor Made in the Shade requires a showroom.	$0	$0
Typical total (required lines)	$20,465	$42,237

Startup ranges: Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Prices (2019 Dodge Grand Caravan SE $10,250, 2020 Ford Transit Connect XLT cargo $16,800, 2020 Ram ProMaster cargo $14,850, 2020 Ford Transit 250 extended high roof $23,200, valid through October 11, 2026), Budget Blinds' 2026 franchise disclosure (vehicle $10,000 to $48,000, tools and supplies $250 to $1,500, professional fees $750 to $3,500, initial marketing $10,000 to $15,000, workspace size), Made in the Shade's 2026 franchise disclosure (initial marketing $3,000 to $6,000, sample products $100 to $200 a month, technology support $150 a month), the Hunter Douglas dealer program (starter kits of sample books), Insureon's installation-business medians (general liability $85, commercial auto $299, tools $41 a month, surety bond $112 a year, August 2026), The Hartford's general liability average ($810 a year), state LLC fees (Kentucky $40, Texas $300), California's CSLB fees ($450 application, $200 and $350 license) and bond ($25,000), and US retail asking rents (CoStar about $22.00 and Colliers $26.02 a square foot a year, CRE Daily, July 2026) — checked October 11, 2026. Ranges are what a small operation typically pays in the US; replace them with real quotes as you get them.

Monthly costs

What it costs to run each month

Typical monthly operating costs for a small operation, before the owner's own pay.

Cost	Typical monthly range
Fuel	$158–$384
Sample products and swatches	$100–$200
Online ads, listings and home shows	$200–$600
Quoting, booking and invoicing software (included with Zarla)	$0–$150
Phone, internet and IT (on about $10,000 of sales)	$183–$227
Product from the manufacturers (on about $10,000 of sales)	$4,685–$5,500
Card processing and bank fees (on about $10,000 of sales)	$326–$361

Typical total: $5,652–$7,422 a month. Monthly ranges: the US Energy Information Administration's average for regular gasoline ($4.354 a gallon, week of October 5, 2026), Made in the Shade's sample-product budget and gross product margin, and Bloomin' Blinds' materials, merchant-fee and IT shares of sales — checked October 11, 2026. Lines marked (included with Zarla) are what those tools cost separately — with Zarla they are part of one monthly plan.

How much a blinds and shutters business makes

A blinds and shutters business earns jobs times the average ticket, at the margin between the manufacturer's price and yours, plus installation — with no inventory, because the product is ordered after the customer says yes. HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide puts the average window treatment project at $1,018 (most between $167 and $1,872), with installation labor at $50 to $100 a window on a whole-house job. Full-service custom dealers sell bigger jobs: Made in the Shade's franchisees averaged $4,201 a project in 2025, closed 64% of their quotes and kept a median 45% gross margin on product, in the franchisor's survey of its owners, and one-territory Budget Blinds owners had median sales of $522,826 — both from their 2026 franchise disclosures. Bloomin' Blinds publishes what is left: its 28 one-van owners who were open all of 2024 and reported (owners who closed that year aren't counted) averaged $342,569 of sales, spent about half on product, and kept $80,834 on average (median $68,617) after marketing, royalties and running costs — before the owner's own pay, interest, taxes and depreciation. Ten jobs a month at about $1,000 is about $10,000 of sales; about half of it pays for the product, and what the owner keeps depends on the margin, how many consultations close, and how few windows are re-measured or re-ordered.

$1,018 — the average window treatment project in HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide
$80,834 — what Bloomin' Blinds' one-van franchise owners open all of 2024 kept on average, before the owner's own pay (2025 franchise disclosure)
45% — the median gross margin on product in Made in the Shade's survey of its franchisees, 2025 — product revenue less product cost

Prices and earnings: HomeAdvisor's window treatment cost guide (average $1,018, most between $167 and $1,872, labor $50 to $100 a window on a whole-house job, updated June 19, 2026), Made in the Shade's 2026 franchise disclosure (its survey of 69 of 106 eligible owners: 2025 average sale $4,201, close rate 64%, median gross product margin 45%), Budget Blinds' 2026 franchise disclosure (median 2025 sales for a one-territory owner $522,826) and Bloomin' Blinds' 2025 franchise disclosure (the 28 one-van owners open and reporting for all of 2024: average sales $342,569, materials 46.85% of sales, bank and merchant fees 3.61%, IT and telephone 2.27%, adjusted earnings $80,834, median $68,617, before the owner's pay; all 43 reporting owners: bank and merchant fees 3.26%, IT and telephone 1.83%) — checked October 11, 2026.

Rules: California's CSLB (D-52 Window Coverings, the $1,000 minor-work threshold from January 1, 2025), the Federal Register (the 2022 window covering cords rule; the CPSC's September 24, 2026 proposal, comments to November 23, 2026), WCMA (ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022, compliance June 1, 2024; the September 12, 2023 court decision), New York City's fire code as summarized by Weill Cornell Medicine, and Maryland's home improvement commission — checked October 11, 2026.

Licenses and permits

Licenses, permits and insurance for a blinds and shutters business

What you need before you can legally trade in the US. Rules vary by state and city — confirm each item with your local licensing office and an accountant.

Requirement	What it means
Business registration, a sales tax number and a local business license	In the US most window treatment dealers register an LLC with their state — $40 in Kentucky, $300 in Texas — take a free EIN from the IRS, and register to collect sales tax on the products they sell. Manufacturers ask for a retail sales tax number before they open a dealer account. Your city or county may also require a business license.
A contractor license for installing, in some states	In the US some states license window covering work as contracting. California's CSLB classifies it as D-52 Window Coverings, under the C-61 Limited Specialty license, and requires a license when a job's labor and materials total $1,000 or more (since January 1, 2025), it needs a permit, or you employ anyone on it: $450 to apply, $200 or $350 to license, a $25,000 bond and four years of experience. Home-improvement laws in states such as Maryland are written broadly. Check your state's contractor board before you quote an installation.
Child-safety rules for corded window coverings	In the US a federal rule in force since December 28, 2022 treats stock window coverings with hazardous operating cords, and stock or custom ones with hazardous inner cords or no manufacturer label, as a substantial product hazard. The industry standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 has applied to custom products made since June 1, 2024, removing free-hanging cords and limiting corded custom products to a few systems. A 2022 federal rule for custom products' operating cords was vacated by a federal appeals court in September 2023, and on September 24, 2026 the CPSC proposed making the standard's custom-product limits a substantial product hazard — comments close November 23, 2026; check its status. Sell cordless or compliant products.
Fire codes for commercial fabrics	In the US commercial clients and local fire codes can require flame-resistant fabric shades and draperies, most often tested to NFPA 701 — New York City's fire code, for example, requires it for curtains and hanging fabric in laboratories, places of public assembly, schools and common areas, but not for metal or vinyl blinds. Ask for the fabric's certificate before you quote commercial work.
General liability, commercial auto and workers' compensation	In the US liability cover pays for damage you cause in a customer's home or building, and builders and commercial clients commonly ask for a certificate of insurance; a vehicle the business owns or uses for work needs commercial auto cover in many states; and most states require workers' compensation once you hire an installer. Maryland requires its home improvement contractors to carry at least $500,000 of general liability.

How to write it

How to write a blinds business plan

The sections a lender, a landlord or an investor expects to see — and what goes in each one for a blinds and shutters business. Larkspur Blinds & Shutters' sample plan below follows this outline exactly.

Executive summary

One page, written last: what the business is, where it trades, who it serves, what it costs to start — typically $20,465–$42,237 for a blinds and shutters business — and where that money is coming from. Someone who reads nothing else should still know the whole plan. For Larkspur Blinds & Shutters below, that page says: a one-person shop-at-home window treatment business for Boise and its suburbs — blinds, shades, plantation shutters and motorized shades, measured, sold and installed by the owner in Boise, ID, $29,451 to start.

Products and services

What you offer and how you charge for it. For a blinds and shutters business that usually means free in-home consultation and measure; blinds and shades — wood, roller, cellular and roman; and plantation shutters. Keep the base offer simple and price the add-ons separately.

Market analysis

Who pays, and why they'd pick you: homeowners who have just moved in, are remodeling or are replacing tired blinds room by room; homeowners who want shutters or motorized shades and a measure they can trust. Name the two or three local competitors a customer would compare you with and the one thing you do better. Skip the market-size statistics — a lender wants your customers, not the industry's.

Marketing strategy

How those customers find you: Google Business Profile and Google — homeowners search “blinds near me” and “custom blinds” before they call, so the profile shows the area you cover, photos of finished windows and the reviews; reviews and photos of real finished rooms on Google and the website; and builders, remodelers, interior designers and real estate agents who send clients. Put a cost and an expected result beside each channel, and say which one you'll start with.

Operations plan

The week to week, plainly: a free in-home consultation with sample books, measuring every window and quoting from the manufacturer's price list before anyone orders; a deposit when the order is placed and the balance at installation; and every window measured twice, to the manufacturer's rules for inside and outside mounts, before the order goes in. If the plan can't say who does what on an ordinary Tuesday, it isn't finished.

Startup costs

Every line you'll spend before you start, with a running total — typically $20,465–$42,237 for a blinds and shutters business, and the two biggest lines (a used minivan or small cargo van; launch marketing) move it most. The table above is the starting list; replace each range with a real quote as you get one.

Financial plan

Typical monthly costs ($5,652–$7,422 a month for a small blinds and shutters business, before your own pay), the monthly sales you're aiming for (Larkspur Blinds & Shutters plans on $10,000 a month), and how many months it takes to recover the startup budget. Use ranges until you have quotes, and never invent a revenue forecast to make the page look full.

Milestones, risks and the appendix

The first 30 days as a dated to-do list. Larkspur Blinds & Shutters' begins: apply for dealer accounts with two or three manufacturers, with your sales tax number ready, and order their starter sample books. Then the risks, said out loud: a wrong measurement means a custom product re-made at your cost — the manufacturer won't take it back. Then the licenses and permits you'll need, and what a lender will ask for beyond the plan: two years of personal tax returns and a personal financial statement, for a start.

The sample plan

Larkspur Blinds & Shutters is a fictional blinds and shutters business in Boise, ID — a one-person shop-at-home window treatment business for Boise and its suburbs — blinds, shades, plantation shutters and motorized shades, measured, sold and installed by the owner. The plan below is exactly what the free generator writes from five answers, in the outline above, with every number calculated from the figures on this page rather than invented. Read it as a worked example, then make it yours.

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Business plan

Sample plan · fictional business

A complete blinds business plan: Larkspur Blinds & Shutters

Boise, ID · Startup plan · a fictional blinds and shutters business, written by the free generator from five answers

Executive summary

Larkspur Blinds & Shutters is a new blinds and shutters business in Boise, ID offering free in-home consultation and measure; blinds and shades — wood, roller, cellular and roman; plantation shutters; motorized and smart shades; installation and repair; and light commercial work for offices, clinics and restaurants. The model is shop-at-home: a free in-home consultation and measure, a written quote from the manufacturer's price list, a deposit when the order goes in, and installation in one visit — with no inventory and no showroom in year one.

Startup budget: $29,451 across 10 items, funded from savings. Target: $10,000 in monthly sales.

Twelve months from now, success looks like this: About ten window treatment jobs a month at around $1,000 each — HomeAdvisor's average project is $1,018 — about $10,000 a month, with two local builders or remodelers sending work by the end of the first year

Products and services

Larkspur Blinds & Shutters' core service is free in-home consultation and measure. Every window is measured to the manufacturer's rules, every quote is written before anything is ordered, every product sold is cordless or compliant with the 2022 child-safety standard, and every installation carries a written warranty.

Free in-home consultation and measure
Blinds and shades — wood, roller, cellular and roman
Plantation shutters
Motorized and smart shades
Installation and repair
Light commercial work for offices, clinics and restaurants

Market analysis

The customers are homeowners who have just moved in, are remodeling or are replacing blinds room by room; homeowners who want shutters or motorized shades; the builders, remodelers and interior designers who need windows measured and fitted; and small offices and clinics that need roller shades.

Homeowners who have just moved in, are remodeling or are replacing tired blinds room by room
Homeowners who want shutters or motorized shades and a measure they can trust
Builders, remodelers and interior designers who need window treatments measured and fitted
Small offices, clinics and restaurants that need roller shades for glare and privacy

Marketing strategy

Most homeowners will find Larkspur Blinds & Shutters on Google — “blinds near me” or “custom blinds” plus the town — so the Google Business Profile, the reviews, photos of finished rooms and a website with the products, the brands and a free-measure form decide the call. Builders, remodelers and designers send the rest, along with word of mouth from every finished room.

Google Business Profile and Google — homeowners search “blinds near me” and “custom blinds” before they call, so the profile shows the area you cover, photos of finished windows and the reviews
Reviews and photos of real finished rooms on Google and the website
Builders, remodelers, interior designers and real estate agents who send clients
Repeat customers and referrals — every finished room is in front of the neighbors
A website with your products, the brands you carry, your free in-home measure and a quote form

Operations plan

The owner works alone in year one: consultations in the evening and on weekends, orders placed with two or three manufacturers through dealer accounts, product shipped to the owner and installed in one visit, and jobs grouped by area. An installer comes once the consultations fill the week, and a small showroom only once the referrals ask for one.

A free in-home consultation with sample books, measuring every window and quoting from the manufacturer's price list before anyone orders
A deposit when the order is placed and the balance at installation
Every window measured twice, to the manufacturer's rules for inside and outside mounts, before the order goes in
Cordless or compliant products only, ordered to the 2022 child-safety standard
Orders placed with two or three manufacturers through dealer accounts, shipped to you, and installed in one visit
Jobs grouped by area, with repairs and add-on rooms booked into the install trips

Startup costs

What it will take to open the doors, funded from savings.

Startup costs
Item	Amount
A used minivan or small cargo van	$13,525
Measuring and installing tools and supplies	$875
Sample books and product samples	$600
Liability, tools and commercial auto insurance (the year, paid up front)	$4,998
Business registration (LLC), EIN and any contractor license	$626
Launch marketing: the first six months	$4,500
Website and Google Business Profile	$0
Quoting, booking and invoicing software (first year)	$0
Legal and accounting set-up	$2,125
Working capital: two months of running costs	$2,202
Total	$29,451

Typical range to start a blinds and shutters business in the US: $20,465–$42,237. Your list is what you decided to spend — replace estimates with real quotes as you get them. Website and Google Business Profile: Your Zarla plan includes the website — a call button, a service-area map and a quote request form, with your products, your brands and photos of finished windows added in chat — and walks you through your Google Business Profile. Having one built typically costs $500 to $2,000 from a freelancer. Quoting, booking and invoicing software (first year): Online quotes, booking, invoicing and a customer list come with your Zarla plan. For comparison, Made in the Shade's basic technology support is $150 a month for its franchisees, and manufacturers give their dealers online ordering and quoting.

Financial plan

The numbers below come from your own startup list and typical monthly costs for a one-person blinds and shutters business in the US. The vehicle, a year of insurance and the launch marketing are most of the startup; the product is ordered after the customer pays a deposit, so there is no inventory to finance — but it is about half of every sale, so the monthly costs move with sales.

Typical monthly operating costs for a blinds and shutters business: $5,652–$7,422 a month, before the owner's own pay.

At $10,000 in monthly sales, Larkspur Blinds & Shutters would clear $2,578–$4,348 a month before owner pay and tax, and recover the $29,451 startup budget in roughly 7–12 months.

Typical monthly operating costs
Cost	Typical range
Fuel	$158–$384
Sample products and swatches	$100–$200
Online ads, listings and home shows	$200–$600
Quoting, booking and invoicing software (included with Zarla)	$0–$150
Phone, internet and IT (on about $10,000 of sales)	$183–$227
Product from the manufacturers (on about $10,000 of sales)	$4,685–$5,500
Card processing and bank fees (on about $10,000 of sales)	$326–$361

US ranges for a small operation; replace with your own figures as you learn them. Lines marked (included with Zarla) are what those tools cost separately — with Zarla they are part of one monthly plan.

Risks and honest downsides

Every blinds and shutters business plan should say out loud what can go wrong. For Larkspur Blinds & Shutters, the real risks are:

A wrong measurement means a custom product re-made at your cost — the manufacturer won't take it back
Consultations that don't close cost the drive and the evening; a close rate well under half the quotes leaves the calendar full and the bank account empty
Big-box stores and online sellers sell blinds for less, so the free measure, the installation and the warranty have to be worth the difference
Product lead times and back-orders push installations — and the balance you're owed — out by weeks
Child-safety rules for corded products are tightening; a non-compliant product sold today is a liability
Ladders, drills and other people's walls and window frames — a fall or a cracked frame lands on your insurance

Licenses, permits and insurance

What Larkspur Blinds & Shutters needs before it can legally trade in the US. Rules vary by state and city — confirm each item with your local licensing office and an accountant.

Business registration, a sales tax number and a local business license — In the US most window treatment dealers register an LLC with their state — $40 in Kentucky, $300 in Texas — take a free EIN from the IRS, and register to collect sales tax on the products they sell. Manufacturers ask for a retail sales tax number before they open a dealer account. Your city or county may also require a business license.
A contractor license for installing, in some states — In the US some states license window covering work as contracting. California's CSLB classifies it as D-52 Window Coverings, under the C-61 Limited Specialty license, and requires a license when a job's labor and materials total $1,000 or more (since January 1, 2025), it needs a permit, or you employ anyone on it: $450 to apply, $200 or $350 to license, a $25,000 bond and four years of experience. Home-improvement laws in states such as Maryland are written broadly. Check your state's contractor board before you quote an installation.
Child-safety rules for corded window coverings — In the US a federal rule in force since December 28, 2022 treats stock window coverings with hazardous operating cords, and stock or custom ones with hazardous inner cords or no manufacturer label, as a substantial product hazard. The industry standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 has applied to custom products made since June 1, 2024, removing free-hanging cords and limiting corded custom products to a few systems. A 2022 federal rule for custom products' operating cords was vacated by a federal appeals court in September 2023, and on September 24, 2026 the CPSC proposed making the standard's custom-product limits a substantial product hazard — comments close November 23, 2026; check its status. Sell cordless or compliant products.
Fire codes for commercial fabrics — In the US commercial clients and local fire codes can require flame-resistant fabric shades and draperies, most often tested to NFPA 701 — New York City's fire code, for example, requires it for curtains and hanging fabric in laboratories, places of public assembly, schools and common areas, but not for metal or vinyl blinds. Ask for the fabric's certificate before you quote commercial work.
General liability, commercial auto and workers' compensation — In the US liability cover pays for damage you cause in a customer's home or building, and builders and commercial clients commonly ask for a certificate of insurance; a vehicle the business owns or uses for work needs commercial auto cover in many states; and most states require workers' compensation once you hire an installer. Maryland requires its home improvement contractors to carry at least $500,000 of general liability.

Milestones: the next 30 days

The first month's to-do list for Larkspur Blinds & Shutters, in order:

Apply for dealer accounts with two or three manufacturers, with your sales tax number ready, and order their starter sample books
Check whether your state licenses window covering installation, and get the license or bond if it does
Register the business, take the free EIN, and open a business bank account
Get quotes for general liability, commercial auto and tools cover
Buy the measuring and installing kit: a laser measure, a metal tape, a drill/driver, a stepladder, a stud finder and a level
Learn each manufacturer's measuring rules, and practice inside and outside mounts on your own windows first
Write your quote process: deposit at order, balance at installation, your warranty and your lead times
Set up your Google Business Profile with your service area and put your website live with your products, your free measure and a quote form
Visit ten local builders, remodelers and interior designers with your sample books

Appendix: what a lender will ask for

This plan tells the story and shows the numbers. If you take it to a bank, expect to be asked for these documents as well:

Two years of personal tax returns and a personal financial statement
A month-by-month cash-flow projection showing consultations, close rate, average ticket and the slow first months
Your dealer account approvals and the manufacturers' payment terms
The vehicle's purchase price or loan terms
Your insurance quotes and any contractor license or bond your state requires
Any builder or designer relationships you have lined up, and your credit report

Every figure in Larkspur Blinds & Shutters' plan is a typical US range from the tables above or arithmetic on the sample's own startup list and $10,000 monthly sales target — nothing is a market projection. The template downloads above are the same plan with [bracketed] lines for your own business.

Step two

Turn this plan into a website

Add your name and your city to the line, and Zarla builds the website with your services in place. You edit the rest in chat.

Or download the free template (Word)

Keep going

The plan is the thinking. These are the next pieces for a blinds and shutters business:

Blinds business plan FAQ

How much does it cost to start a blinds and shutters business?

Typically $20,465–$42,237 in the US, counting every required line in the table above. The range is wide because the biggest items (a used minivan or small cargo van; launch marketing) depend on what you already have and where you are. The free generator turns the table into your own list with your own figures.

How much can a blinds and shutters business make?

$1,018 the average window treatment project in HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide; $80,834 what Bloomin' Blinds' one-van franchise owners open all of 2024 kept on average, before the owner's own pay (2025 franchise disclosure); 45% the median gross margin on product in Made in the Shade's survey of its franchisees, 2025 — product revenue less product cost. A blinds and shutters business earns jobs times the average ticket, at the margin between the manufacturer's price and yours, plus installation — with no inventory, because the product is ordered after the customer says yes. HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide puts the average window treatment project at $1,018 (most between $167 and $1,872), with installation labor at $50 to $100 a window on a whole-house job. Full-service custom dealers sell bigger jobs: Made in the Shade's franchisees averaged $4,201 a project in 2025, closed 64% of their quotes and kept a median 45% gross margin on product, in the franchisor's survey of its owners, and one-territory Budget Blinds owners had median sales of $522,826 — both from their 2026 franchise disclosures. Bloomin' Blinds publishes what is left: its 28 one-van owners who were open all of 2024 and reported (owners who closed that year aren't counted) averaged $342,569 of sales, spent about half on product, and kept $80,834 on average (median $68,617) after marketing, royalties and running costs — before the owner's own pay, interest, taxes and depreciation. Ten jobs a month at about $1,000 is about $10,000 of sales; about half of it pays for the product, and what the owner keeps depends on the margin, how many consultations close, and how few windows are re-measured or re-ordered.

What licenses and permits do I need to start a blinds and shutters business in the US?

Business registration, a sales tax number and a local business license; a contractor license for installing, in some states; child-safety rules for corded window coverings; fire codes for commercial fabrics; and general liability, commercial auto and workers' compensation. Rules vary by state and city — confirm each item with your local licensing office and an accountant before you spend on it.

Do I need a business plan to start a blinds and shutters business?

You need the thinking more than the document: what you'll offer, who pays, what it costs to start, what it costs to run each month and how long the budget takes to recover. A lender, a landlord or an investor will ask for the document — and for things beyond it: two years of personal tax returns and a personal financial statement; a month-by-month cash-flow projection showing consultations, close rate, average ticket and the slow first months. The sample plan above has every section; the generator writes yours from five questions.

Can I turn this business plan into a website?

Yes — that's the point. Your plan's own marketing section says people will find you on Google and through word of mouth; a website is how both happen. Zarla builds your blinds and shutters business website from what you've already told us — free to build, pay when you publish.

Is there a free blinds business plan template?

Yes. The blinds business plan template on this page downloads free as a Word document or a PDF — no email, no sign-up. It's the complete plan for a placeholder business with [bracketed] lines to fill in, and the typical figures for a blinds and shutters business already in the tables. The generator writes the same plan with your own name, city, services and numbers in five questions.

What should a blinds business plan include?

The sections a lender, a landlord or an investor expects: an executive summary, products and services, market analysis, marketing strategy, an operations plan, startup costs, a financial plan, the risks, licenses and permits, milestones and an appendix. Larkspur Blinds & Shutters' sample plan above has all eleven, and the section-by-section notes explain what goes in each one for a blinds and shutters business.