What if your window coverings could be more than just an aesthetic addition to your home? What if they could also save you money on your taxes and energy bills, while also potentially adding value to your home? That's what we explore with our guests, Kelly and Nic from Columbia Blinds and Shutters of Michigan. They take us on their journey from how their business started in Missouri to their recent venture in Michigan, and share why their personalized approach to window treatments sets them apart in their industry.
You're going to love hearing about their dedication to quality and hands-on approach with clients, from the initial call right through to installation. Kelly and Nic also share some personal insights, including their love for music and their tagline "Shades by day, sunny by night". They open up about the challenges they've overcome, and how their business enables them to have the flexibility they desire. And as a bonus, they enlighten us about a lesser-known benefit of certain window treatments - they qualify for tax rebates. Be prepared to rethink everything you thought you knew about window treatments as Kelly and Nic bring a fresh perspective to this often overlooked home improvement.
What if your window coverings could be more than just an aesthetic addition to your home? What if they could also save you money on your taxes and energy bills, while also potentially adding value to your home? That's what we explore with our guests, Kelly and Nic from Columbia Blinds and Shutters of Michigan. They take us on their journey from how their business started in Missouri to their recent venture in Michigan, and share why their personalized approach to window treatments sets them apart in their industry.
You're going to love hearing about their dedication to quality and hands-on approach with clients, from the initial call right through to installation. Kelly and Nic also share some personal insights, including their love for music and their tagline "Shades by day, sunny by night". They open up about the challenges they've overcome, and how their business enables them to have the flexibility they desire. And as a bonus, they enlighten us about a lesser-known benefit of certain window treatments - they qualify for tax rebates. Be prepared to rethink everything you thought you knew about window treatments as Kelly and Nic bring a fresh perspective to this often overlooked home improvement.
Speaker 1:
This is the Good Neighbor podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Lisa Swiftney. Lisa Swiftney, Hi everyone and welcome to episode 90 of the Good Neighbor podcast. Today we have Kelly and Nick with Columbia Blinds and Shudders of Michigan. How are you guys doing today?
Speaker 2:
Doing wonderful. Thank you so much for letting us be on your podcast.
Speaker 3:
Yeah, excited to be here.
Speaker 1:
Oh great, I'm excited to learn more about you guys. So let's first start off by telling our listeners about your business. What do you guys do?
Speaker 2:
So Columbia Blinds and Shudders, we do custom shutters, roller shades, just any kind of window treatment in homes and businesses, and we have been serving the Rochester, lake, oryan, oxford area since March of this year. So we are a new business to the area and we are proud members of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Oxford Chamber of Commerce. And you know we've just been enjoying getting to know all the other business owners and, of course, meeting you, and you know we thank you so much for letting us come on to your podcast so people can get to know us.
Speaker 1:
Oh, this is great. Tell our listeners about our journey. You're a brand new business, so how did you get started?
Speaker 2:
Well, actually Columbia Blinds and Shudders started in 2006 in Columbia Missouri. My parents actually started the business, and so I've been around the blind and shutter business for a very long time, and recently my sister has stepped in to help with their branch down in Columbia Missouri, which is where we get the name Columbia Blinds and Shudders, and I have started my branch up here in Michigan.
Speaker 1:
That is an amazing journey, so can you tell us of any myths or misconceptions that you hear about in your industry? Lots.
Speaker 2:
Yeah there is quite a few, I think. One thing that people think is that window coverings are expensive and that they are not necessary. I think is one of the biggest myths that we run across. In fact, window treatments are quite beneficial to your home, to the heating and cooling of a home, and when you spend the money to add something like custom shutters, it really can improve the value of your home.
Speaker 1:
That is very good to know. So when you guys aren't working on your business, what do you guys like to do for fun?
Speaker 3:
Blues, blues and more blues, jazz and blues. Yeah, we like to play music. That's what we like to do. See our, our tagline here. This is a fabulous, fabulous player. Our tagline is Shades by day, sunny by night. She is also sunny blue, so she's she's a singer and that's what we do. Yeah we make, we make lots of music.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it will have to do another podcast with you guys to talk about that as well. Yes, so can you describe one hardship or a life challenge that you guys rose above and can now say, because of that challenge, that you are better for it and or stronger?
Speaker 2:
You know, I actually think we are. For me personally, I think I'm just starting to rise out of that difficult situation in Right for COVID. I went through a divorce and, as a single mom with four children, I really had to figure out what I was gonna do to help take care of my family, to support myself, to support my music career, and I think starting this business Columbia Blinds and Shudders has given me the freedom to, you know, set my own schedule, to be involved with my kids and To be able to make money. So being a small business owner has really given me that freedom and flexibility. And you know, new businesses, it always takes a few years before you're you know, before you see the light at the end of the tunnel, and so I'm just kind of. I'm still in the early stages of Building my business, building my brand, but there's a lot of hope on the horizon for for myself personally and for Columbia Blinds and Shudders of Michigan.
Speaker 1:
That is great. So getting back to your business a little bit here. What is one thing that you wish our listeners knew about your business?
Speaker 3:
One thing, well, hmm, there's, there's so many things, all right, so all right. So most urgent Okay, most urgent is the tax benefit that's available for certain forms of window treatments being added to your home. So if you purchase, say, for example, a honeycomb or a certain type of shades, they qualify for tax rebates.
Speaker 1:
Oh.
Speaker 3:
Yes, and you can get up to $3,200 back for home improvements made to make your home more efficient. So that's proof right there that window coverings are important because windows leak. When I say leak doesn't mean that they leak air necessarily, but what I mean by that is you get the temperature differential that's radiated by the glass. So certain forms of window treatments are eligible for tax rebates. So there's one thing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, and I think specifically for Columbia Blinds and Shudders, because we are a home-based business, because the owner is working the business. Nick is my installation partner. You have a team of dedicated people that if you ever have a problem you're not having to call some hotline to get a representative or whatever. When you call Columbia Blinds and Shudders in Michigan, you're calling our home and if you ever had a problem with a product or whatever, you're just going to call me and say hey, kelly, you know that blind you put up or whatever and we're going to take care of it for you.
Speaker 2:
You have somebody on your side that you call directly if there's a problem with anything.
Speaker 3:
We'll deal with the manufacturer directly.
Speaker 2:
We do all the hassle work for you. You just call us.
Speaker 3:
And I'm going to throw one more thing in we never charge for coming out and measuring. We never charge for installation, nope, okay. So you're buying the product and we represent the manufacturer. So we represent Norman and Alta and we'll deal with the manufacturer on all issues.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and I mean I think a lot of people will say you know we don't sell a product we don't like kind of thing. But for me it goes beyond that. I don't like to sell a product that I don't believe in and that I don't like the quality of it and that stuff, even from the manufacturer that we do sell the line, sometimes we don't offer the full line because we don't think it's the quality is good enough for our home or for our customers. So sometimes people will ask well, what about this kind of shade or that kind of shade? And you know we'll let you know if what, where the flaws are in it.
Speaker 2:
You know we don't want you wasting your money. We think window treatments should. You know they. They need to be thought of carefully. They are an investment in your home and we don't want people wasting their money buying the first thing that they can get their hands on and putting them up in their house and stuff they really need to think about what's going on in the house and for all the different rooms. So we want to be the person to help walk you through, you know, the best product for your home or office space Right, that sounds great.
Speaker 1:
So honest, you have integrity. So now our listeners are intrigued, so they want to learn more. How can they contact you and schedule an appointment?
Speaker 2:
Yeah Well, for people who love being on Facebook, you can go over to Columbia Blinds and Shudders of Michigan. You can find us there. You can also go to our website. If you want to go to our website, it's wwwmichiganblindshudderscom. And you can also call us right here at home 248-460-1599. And that's our, our home office line, so you can give us a call there.
Speaker 1:
Great. So, kelly and Nick, thank you so much for being a guest today on our Good Neighbor podcast.
Speaker 2:
Thank you so much, Lisa, for having us on.
Speaker 3:
Thank you, Lisa.
Speaker 1:
Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast, Rochester. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, Go to GNPRochestercom. We'll see you next time.