October is National Window Cord Safety Month and Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) and Budget Blinds® take seriously the proven danger of dangling window cords to infants and small children. We work only with manufacturers that are equally committed to the advancement of window covering safety features to ensure that our window covering products meet or exceed industry standards of the American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products.

The tragedy of approximately one child a month dying from cord strangulation is very preventable, and Budget Blinds offers a wide selection of cordless window treatments as well as the option to retrofit existing window coverings already in place. Budget Blinds franchise owners are educated on safety issues regarding the window treatments we offer and they are well-prepared to assist consumers by providing information about how to make their homes safer.

Making a difference in the local community

Bob Russo of Budget Blinds of Pickerington and SE Columbus, OH, was interviewed by a local TV station about window covering safety tips for parents. Bob shared common-sense tips like:

• Be sure continuous-loop cords are firmly secured to the wall or floor to prevent a child or pet from becoming entangled.
• Wand control for blinds or drapes is an alternative to dangling cords.
• Keep all cords as short as possible, out of a child’s reach.
• Use cordless blinds or shades if children are able to reach the window.
• Cord cleats safely secure cords up and away from a child’s reach.
• Motorization completely eliminates cords on all styles of window coverings.

Bob talked about how to install cleats and cord winders and offered to supply free cord cleats and winders to anyone who contacted him, regardless of where they purchased their blinds. Manufacturing partners Springs Window Fashions® and Custom Brands Group joined Bob in his community safety campaign by providing 200 cleats and cord winders.

Staying on the cutting edge of home safety

HFC strives to keep all its home services franchise brands up-to-date with the latest market trends, especially when safety issues are involved. This includes Green Certifications, meeting LEED standards, low VOC emissions and more. With HFC, you become part of a franchise network dedicated to high-quality products that keep home safety in mind as well as being friendly to the environment.

Budget Blinds (custom window coverings for home and business)

• Recently introduced Smart Shades by Budget Blinds and Lutron®, a partnership offering the newest in Smart Home technology for window shades.
• North American hardwoods from sustainable forests are used for our blinds, shutters and shades; woven wood shades are made from natural materials like jute, bamboo, hemp, kenaf and flax and are completely recyclable.
• Many of our vendor partners manufacture GREENGUARD Certified products that must meet stringent chemical emissions requirements, ensuring low VOC (volatile organic compounds), increasing the air quality inside the home.

Budget Blinds Is a leader in window covering innovation and automation, placing them out in front of the competition

The Tailored Closet® (custom storage and organization solutions for residential and commercial)

• Cabinet and closet construction panels are moisture resistant, guaranteed not to peel at the edges, whether a laminate finish, wood veneer or Italia glazed finish.
• Our PremierOne^® hybrid polymer garage floor coatings are industrial-grade, free of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and twice as hard as traditional epoxy floor finishes. Moisture and spill resistant, the finishes will not chip, crack or fade.
• Our specialty line of eco-friendly sustainable materials, UltraBlend™, is certified as an Environmentally Preferable Product by Scientific Certification Systems.

Professional installation ensures secure storage solutions, like this child’s closet organization system, that won’t tip or fall apart, eliminating the danger of injury

Concrete Craft® (decorative concrete overlays to enhance indoor and outdoor surfaces for home or business)

• Concrete Craft surfaces are green, meaning they incorporate unique features that are required for LEED points (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
• Products contain 60%-80% recycled or reclaimed material in each bag and our sand is a byproduct or recycled material.
• Our manufactured stone system (comprised of up to 80% recycled materials) reduces the need for mining real stones.

Be part of the solution for clean, green living with Concrete Craft

If you ‘ve been looking for a business where you can feel good about what you do, any one of the HFC brands lets you help people with home improvement solutions that enrich their lives. Call 1-800-420-5374 today to talk to one of our Franchise Support Specialists or go online to Home Franchise Concepts and see what franchising with HFC is all about. Check out all three concepts– Concrete Craft, The Tailored Closet and Budget Blinds–to see which one may be the right fit for you.

If you are a veteran, click here to learn how HFC supports Veterans becoming franchise business owners by offering substantial fee discounts.

Budget Blinds offers more information on window covering safety:  National Window Cord Safety and Child Safety Protection Month Tips