Franchisee: Jeffrey Kulas

Budget Blinds of Cranston | Cranston FOR STARTERS

Pitch: Budget Blinds designs and installs blinds, shades, shutters and drapery for inside a person’s home. Years in business: Two Number of employees: One Cost to obtaining franchise: $89,950 initial

fee; $125,340 minimum investment Before opening franchise: Kulas worked in the banking industry for more than 20 years. Reason for opening franchise: After two decades working in corporate within the banking sector, Kulas got to a point where he wanted “to look elsewhere and do other things.”

“It was time to see what else is out there. I did a little bit of discovery on what other jobs I could get into to change things up. I came across franchises and looked into it a bit. Those connections led me to Budget Blinds.”

“We played it by ear a little bit [with the pandemic and safety protocols] and I said, ‘I’ll come out and put your shades in. Let’s not be in the same room at the same time.’ That was the confidence builder [for customers]. We could also handle 6 feet apart in sales consultations as well. I’m with one, maybe two people in a house in any given time. It felt safer as we went on. People appreciated the professionalism.”

CHANGE OF PACE: Jeffrey Kulas, franchise owner of Budget Blinds of Cranston, with his wife, Kelly, and his daughter, Danni, 5. Kulas worked in the banking industry for 20 years before opening his Budget Blinds franchise two years ago because he wanted “to look elsewhere and do other things.”

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

“I think a lot of people were not spending money on those vacations and they said, ‘Let’s put it toward the house instead.’ ”

Franchise owners interested in being included in an upcoming Franchisee feature can contact PBN Researcher James Bessette at (401) 680-4838 or Research@PBN.com.

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