Welcome To Trading Up Consulting, Window Treatment Professionals

After building and running a successful window treatment boutique studio in the Boston area for the last 15 years (http://shadesinplace.com), I've decided to share my knowledge and skills with colleagues and newcomers to the window covering industry. I want to create awareness that window treatment installation can be a very rewarding and lucrative profession for those who are willing to take the time to learn the business the proper way.

Welcome to Trading Up Consulting LLC. We offer installation training and business coaching for people already in the window treatment business, as well as newcomers looking for an edge to succeed.

The Big-Picture Opportunity

The perception of freelance work has shifted dramatically in recent years. Businesses used to see traditional employment relationships as the best indicator of high-quality work, leaving only those who couldn't get "real" jobs to freelance.

Now, though, gigs have become a way of life for a large and growing number of people. Workers like the flexibility that freelance work offers them, and they're willing to take on the responsibilities of running their own businesses to get that flexibility.

Workers have also found that traditional employment no longer offers any guarantee of job security, and many people have sought out gigs by necessity after layoffs or furloughs.

For businesses, hiring freelance contractors is a lot simpler than managing an employment relationship, and it can be a lot cheaper as well. There's considerable risk involved in finding and hiring employees, too. The ability to see how contractors perform on individual projects without any long-term commitment makes gig work a lot safer for companies needing key services.

The window treatment / window covering industry is facing a MASSIVE shortage of qualified professional installers across the country. The industry is desperate and hungry for skilled installers. A common misconception is that there is no real skill required to install window treatments and therefore anyone can put on a tool belt and call themselves "a professional installer". 

It is so much more than simply "putting a couple of screws" in the wall. Installing requires finesse, mathematical skills, excellent communication, customer service abilities to handle pressure and much more. I want to teach you what I know so that you can enter the field with confidence. And as window treatments become more complex with motorization and the ability to tie into home automation systems, the need for skilled installers is even more in demand.

The Skilled Trades Stigma

For those of you that have high school or college age students or know teachers and guidance counselors at schools, please help them understand that “skilled trades” does not necessarily mean HVAC, plumbing, or electrical work.

There are other skilled trade niches that are sorely lacking "new blood" these days. Home automation technicians, home inspectors, and of course, window treatment installers are in short supply nationwide.

Good installers can have a secure career but great installers can virtually write their own paycheck.

Contributed to this blog: James Holloway, Owner & Project Manager at South East Installation Solutions in Greenville, SC - http://www.southeastinstalls.com/