Financially strapped? We can "fix" that.

Let's be frank, the economy is a dumpster fire propped up on sandbags filled with c-4. Inflation is back on the rise, even after the fed claimed it would be declining. Life has become so expensive that Americans are depleting

savings/retirements at the fastest rate in decades. What can you do? Make cuts. Make them anywhere and everywhere that you can. The well-being of Americans lives is far more important to us that selling blinds. Do we need to sell them to survive? Why of course we do. But there are ways that we can help our fellow citizens to get through the tough times, we repair almost anything, except for ready-made blinds. (LOL, just go get another one from Home Depot, for the stock blinds).

DoctorBlind's Blind and Shade stores will repair almost any custom product. Hunter Douglas and Graber are our primary responsibilities, but we will repair all brands, with a slight premium. However, a restring may cost $100 for a 96" wide honeycomb shade, but a new one will cost you several hundred, if not $1000 or more, depending on where you go.

We can repair blinds and shades, replace motors and plugs (in some cases), and provide battery packs, looping cords, carriers for tracks, or even brand new vertical blind tracks for pick, you can order these online here. The point is, don't be so quick to purchase a new product in a difficult economy, we are here to help.

If you are looking for a new product purchase make certain you are getting multiple quotes, don't settle on the first company, whether it is us or anyone else. A competitive market breeds better pricing, but we know price isn't everything though is it? Fly-by-night shops are popping up everywhere, the more building that takes place, the more people "want in" on the money. Choose a company that has a long-standing relationship in the area, often times those companies have ties that run deep to the community. Watch out for companies with ratings that are all bunched up within a small window of time, you can pay for these through many companies today, so reviews that are over several years, in no particular pattern are a better retail option in our opinion.

When choosing your products, make certain that you are being shown all the options for a particular brand. Brands like Hunter Douglas and Graber usually

offer multiple options, at multiple price points, don't be afraid to ask about them. Choosing motorization? Make certain you need it, or it makes sense financially. Often people forget that motorization comes with a price tag of hundreds of dollars per upgrade. The long-term value can be more of a diminishing return in some cases, so choosing a clutch-operated product may not be as fancy, but it stands the test of time when it comes to reliability.

In closing, be smart, be conscious of what's important, and make certain you spend your hard-earned money wisely.

Brian Baker is a member of DoctorBlind's Blind and Shade store team and has been serving the industry for over 25 years. His knowledge of all things related to blinds and shades is substantial and is a respected member of the local community.