The Next Frontier of
Motorization BY SOPHIA BENNETT
Motorized window treatments are past the point of being a luxury and may soon be considered a necessity. Kevin Anderson, product and marketing manager for Insolroll, compares motorized window treatments to garage doors. For decades, garage doors had to be pulled or pushed open by hand. “Now, it’s really rare to find anybody who has a manual garage door,” he points out. “I know a lot of people in the industry believe it’s only a matter of time before motorization is considered standard.”
Furthermore, companies that can make it past the beginning stages with motorization and move into more complex projects have a bright future ahead of them. As home technology becomes more sophisticated and people gain a greater understanding of what motorized treatments can deliver, window covering professionals have openings to become involved in whole home automation projects, large commercial installations and more. But window covering pros shouldn’t make the leap into major projects until they’re sure they’re ready. It’s important to ask yourself some honest questions about your experience and level of knowledge before committing to new or bigger projects. Even people who’ve done a couple dozen small jobs may not be fully prepared for the complexities of massive or multifaceted installs, says Matt Dugger, national sales manager at Insolroll. “Just like with most things in life, there are levels of understanding: simple, intermediate and complex. As the project size increases, so does the level of knowledge and understanding. The items you need to understand get more complex and the projects require more thought to be successful.” In this article, we examine what types of opportunities exist for companies ready for the next frontier in motorization projects, as well as things to know and ways to expand your knowledge before making a major leap.
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