For the first time, all three franchise brands of Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) came together for one spectacular International Convention in Orlando, Florida, the week of January 7. Budget Blinds®, Tailored Living® and Concrete Craft® franchise owners, Home Office support teams, and vendors came together to celebrate the previous year and gear up for the new year. This year was a family affair, with all brands united to take the new year by storm!

The International Convention celebrates success and sets the course for going forward in the new year

From opening night to the gala awards dinner, it was non-stop, high-powered interaction with everything focused on the Convention theme for 2019 — IGNITE!

  • Presentations
  • Vendor Showcase
  • New product introduction
  • Break-out training sessions
  • Networking
  • Awards
  • Parties

Celebrating success

2018 was, indeed, a very good year and Shirin Behzadi, CEO of Home Franchise Concepts, welcomed everyone with a comprehensive recap of 2018 and an exciting vision to IGNITE the coming year. All three brands showed exponential growth in 2018, making it a milestone year for HFC, the largest franchise company in the home-improvement space.

  • Budget Blinds is the largest retail company of custom window coverings in North America, with 865 franchise owners and 1,250 territories.
  • Tailored Living is the largest whole home organization franchise system, with 97 franchise owners and 200 territories.
  • Concrete Craft is the only decorative coating franchise system with the backing of a large, international company, with 44 franchise owners and 65 territories.
  • HFC brands are in over 60,000 homes per week, in 11,000 cities.
  • Combined product sales for 2018 hit $700 million.
  • A new addition to the franchise family of brands was introduced, AdvantaClean®, newly onboard for 2019.

Shirin shared an important core value that drives growth and assures continued success in 2019 and beyond:

“We are a company grounded in caring. We show we care by meeting the needs of each individual customer and delivering solutions that provide the best designs, products and personalized service to fit any home-improvement budget while delivering an exceptional customer service experience every time. Imagine the day whenever a consumer thinks of anything home-related, they think of our family of brands. That is our vision, to become the go-to trusted brand.”

The excitement is contagious, setting everyone on the path to renewed commitment and success in their business

Learn, share and network

Conventions are an important part of staying connected with the brand, Home Office, and fellow franchise business owners. Attendance is optional but highly recommended for each franchise business owner and their key employees.

  • General Sessions and Educational Breakout Sessions cover every aspect of business, including selling, installations, product knowledge, marketing, technology, and best business practices.
  • A Vendor Showcase gets you up-close-and-personal with the vendors you trust, to preview new products and have any questions answered.
  • Take advantage of special Convention discounts on sample books and other exclusive offers from vendors.

Ongoing training is the hallmark of a growing business and, with HFC, training, and education never stop

There is a wealth of information disseminated at Convention and it’s not all in the classrooms. Networking with franchisees from across the country is priceless, to learn from others how they handle the same situations you deal with every day and to share from your own experiences to help someone else. The days are focused and full, with a balance of work and relaxation to maximize the learning potential for every attendee.

Networking with other franchisees is an important part of Convention, forming friendships and connections throughout the franchise family

Awards and accolades

Everyone loves a winner and receiving acknowledgment for one’s achievements is exciting. During Convention, awards are given to spotlight those who excel, as well as to encourage others: “If they can do that, I can too!” Awards were presented for notable accomplishments:

  • Franchisee of the Year
  • Top 20
  • Rookie of the Year
  • Brand Ambassador
  • Most-Improved
  • The Million Dollar Club

This year’s Million Dollar Club was the largest ever, with 161 franchisees reaching at least $1 Million in sales, representing 16% of the entire franchise family. It’s an awe-inspiring accomplishment with a special recognition dinner for the winners and an exclusive reward trip later in the year. Women franchise owners accounted for 10% of the Million Dollar Club with 16 women-owned businesses.

The Million Dollar Club includes qualified winners from Budget Blinds, Tailored Living and Concrete Craft

Where franchisees come out to play

Every Convention has a themed party, complete with costumes and high spirits. This year was Alice In Wonderland, and wonderful it was! Evil Red Queens, virtuous White Queens and Mad Hatters galore kicked up their heels, dined, and danced the night away before settling down to a seriously productive 2019.

Down the rabbit hole for an evening of fun as your favorite Wonderland character

The fun and informative International Convention is just one of the ways that HFC supports and empowers its franchise owners. If you are an entrepreneur looking to ignite your career with a franchise business that will provide a solid opportunity and exceptional support, go online to Home Franchise Concepts or call 1-800-420-5374 to learn more about the advantages of franchising with HFC. See whether Budget Blinds, Tailored Living or Concrete Craft is a fit for you and join the franchise family that is going places. And we’ll be looking for you at convention next year!