Today’s Window Fashions Honored at Kathy Ireland Dealer Reward Program in Cancun
Mark Barone President
Jon Schmidt TWF Owner MN
Jeff Wellen TWF Owner MN
Kasie and Dave Harvey TWF Owners WA
Jerry Radcliffe TWF Owner NC
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Kathy Ireland, CEO and Chief Designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide delivered the keynote address at a 2007 Dealer Reward Program hosted recently by custom window covering supplier Kathy Ireland Home by Alta at the Paradisus Resort Hotel in Cancun, Mexico. Top performing retail partners from across the U.S. attended the five-day program, designed to reward dealers for their business success.
“The KI Home by Alta Event in Cancun was extraordinary and exciting. We discussed ways to serve today’s consumers,” said Kathy.
The program also highlighted the launch of Kathy Ireland Home by Alta’s new Vertical Blind and Contemporary Roman Shades programs. Another program highlight was the introduction of Radio Frequency (RF) motorization, no available on several window treatment options. With this technology, window treatments can be operated with the touch of a button from up to 100 feet away. Also previewed were new Roller Shade patterns coming in late 2007, including a new environmentally-friendly screen shade style that’s PVC-free.
As a top performing retail partners, several Today's Window Fashions franchisees were awarded a trip to the conference and had the opportunity to meet Kathy and discuss their success.
Today's Window Fashions is a complete shop at home franchise offering the full collection of Kathy Ireland Home by Alta custom window fashions including cordless honeycomb shades, window shadings, wood and faux wood blinds, roller shades, roman shades, woven woods, aluminum, vertical blinds, vertical sheers and Plantation Shutters. They can be reached www.TodaysBlinds.com or 1-877-99TODAY.
Mike Faughn TWF Owner CA
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8/27/07 - Today's Window Fashions was chosen to provide window covering services for the television show Extreme Makeover Home Edition!
 Duo franchise window fashions - 1/12/07
By: SHANNON WINGARD - For the North County Times
BONSALL ---- After spending years selling items such as window blinds and shutters and working with countless nationwide businesses, Mark Barone had an ambitious business idea ---- to create a window-coverings franchise before opening his first store.
The longtime Fallbrook resident said that Today's Window Fashions, which he established in 1999, specializes in selling a variety of blinds, verticals, shades and shutters. The first franchise opened in 2000 in the Midwest, and now 32 franchises operate in 15 states. Barone's own store recently relocated from Fallbrook to Bonsall.
He and co-owner Armand Gagnon manage the corporate office for Today's Window Fashions, a company that allows franchise owners to work from home. It also benefits customers because demonstrations take place within their homes, and include a mobile display with eight samples of products.
"It's that mobile showroom idea that gives the customers an idea of what it will look like in their home," Barone said.
The corporate office, located at Barone's own store at 5256 S. Mission Road, is where new franchise owners train and corporate policy is set.
Barone said franchise owners pay an initial investment fee as well as an annual 4 percent royalty to use the company's name.
For the fee, Barone said the franchise owners receive the company's promotional materials, training and working samples, including functioning blinds and shutters, from the corporate office.
Among the products demonstrated are vinyl, faux wood and motorized blinds made by such national companies as Alta, Horizons and Hunter Douglas. The samples, which include blinds that are controlled by a radio frequency, help people to visualize how the products will appear.
He said he believes that owning a franchise appeals to people because it allows them to set their own schedules. They also have no inventory or receivables since they demonstrate the products in customers' homes, and then have the items sent directly from the retailers.
He said company also has a Web site at www.todaysblinds.com where people can also buy the products, and sells its own brand of window fashions.
Barone said he believes the hands-on approach of the owners is essential to the business' success.
"We really give full-time support to franchises," he said. "It's a good feeling to help them to be successful."
Barone understands that need to want to be successful. He briefly owned a window-blind store in Carson City, Nev., and then spent years working in sales for the national retailer, Hunter Douglas. Now, Barone's stores are distributing the products he once sold.
Since part of his job at Hunter Douglas was teaching people the basics of window-fashion sales, he said "a light bulb went off" that he had the experience necessary to open his own company.
He said he initially teamed up with his father, Norm Barone, to open the first store under the name of Factory Discount Blinds in 1998. After having the company's name trademarked and getting approval for franchise status, it became Today's Window Fashions in 1999. While the company operates under that name, it also holds trademarks for three others, including Today's Blinds.
He said he used the word "Today's" in each of the trademarked names to symbolize that the products "are always current."
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