Business View Magazine - Sept 2023

113 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 9 BLOOMIN’ BL INDS pandemic’s state-enforced restrictions compelled many homeowners to seek more home-centered services. The Stuarts adjusted their plans and adapted accordingly, to much success. They added a call center, more management, and staffers, as well as a training team. “We got all the experts in the chairs,” Kris remarks. It’s that level of expertise, combined with strategic plans and roadmaps to rapid success, that’s making for a bright future for Bloomin’ Blinds, as Kris further notes. “In five years,” he predicts, “I think Bloomin’ Blinds is going to be viewed as the respected and knowledgeable authority on the window-covering space. We’re good at knowledge transfer. We’re excellent educators. We do it for our customers. We do it for our franchisees, and we do it for our employees.” With that capability comes responsibility, he adds. To that end, there is not and will not be any question, Kris emphasizes, about Bloomin’ Blinds’ abilities as a retail provider. He adds that high-tech components, including cordless technology for operating blinds, more convenience in home accessories and—very important indeed—child safety will also all be important factors. As in all other types of modern businesses, the mom-and-pop shops in the blinds business will simply go away over time, as Kelsey observes. By attrition, Bloomin’ Blinds and other like entities will inevitably gain prominence and dominance in that market share. “We view ourselves as a service company, not as a sales company,” says Kris. “The heart of service is