Alyce Hem’s Jim’s Blinds business started in October and has already reached a major milestone: $1 million in sales. After doing nearly $100,000 in its first month, the multi-franchise operation has continued to grow through a combination of industry experience, customer service, strong business structure, and a growing team.
Watch the video above, or keep reading for the full Q&A.
How Did Alyce Reach $1 Million in Sales With Jim’s Blinds?
Alyce Hem’s Jim’s Blinds business reached $1 million in sales after starting in October last year. She describes the result as a major milestone for the team and says they are planning to celebrate together in a couple of weeks.
The early numbers were strong as well. Alyce says the business did nearly $100,000 in its first month, which gave the team confidence in the progress they were making. She does not claim that the same result will apply to every franchise. Her comments describe what happened in her own business.
That distinction matters for anyone researching franchise ownership. Alyce’s story shows the structure and work behind one fast-growing operation rather than presenting a guaranteed outcome. Prospective franchisees can also review information about owning a Jim’s franchise before deciding whether the model suits them.
How Many Jim’s Blinds Franchises Does Alyce Operate?
Alyce says the business is locally based in Seaford and covers five franchises across Mornington, South Yarra, Furniture Gully, Yarra Valley and Warrigal.
Running across several areas means the business needs more than one person handling sales, administration and installations. Alyce describes it as a multi-franchise operation with a team around her rather than a one-person business.
She also brings previous industry experience. Before this business, Alyce says she worked with the manufacturer of outdoor blinds. That background gave her familiarity with the product category before moving into the Jim’s brand and system.
What Does It Take to Run Multiple Jim’s Blinds Franchises?
Alyce runs most of the day-to-day business, supported by a casual administrator, three sales representatives and contractors. Two of the representatives work full-time and one works part-time, while contractors handle installs, check measures and related work.
The administrator helps manage leads, customer communication and installation bookings. This gives Alyce support across the parts of the customer journey that can become difficult to manage as volume grows.
Alyce also leans on her dad as a business mentor. She says he is “really big in business”, so they pick his brain to put a good business structure in place and keep growing from there.
What Products and Services Does Jim’s Blinds Offer?
The business offers outdoor blinds, awnings, roof solutions and internal blinds. Alyce sums up the range simply: “Basically anything you think blind, we do.”
At the time of the interview, she says roller blinds and sheers are probably the biggest products for the business. That gives customers options across both indoor and outdoor applications rather than limiting the service to one product type.
Customers who want to understand the wider service offering can also read the Jim’s Blinds, Shutters & Awnings customer Q&A, which covers common questions about blinds, shutters, awnings, quotes, warranties and payment options.
What Happens During a Jim’s Blinds Consultation?
A typical customer consultation takes around two hours. Alyce says the team comes out, goes through the available products and materials, completes the measurement, and aims to provide the quote on the day.
More complicated or larger jobs can take longer. In those cases, the team tells the customer that the quote will come through in one or two days rather than rushing the process.
Once the customer accepts the quote, they pay the deposit and the business moves into the next steps. Alyce’s description shows a clear sequence: consultation, product discussion, measure, quote, deposit, and then installation preparation.
Why Is Customer Service So Important to Alyce’s Business?
Alyce believes strong customer service comes from communication, regular updates, quality service, and being the expert the customer can rely on. She puts particular emphasis on staying in contact throughout the job rather than disappearing once the quote has been accepted.
For a growing business, that service discipline matters because more leads, quotes and installations create more chances for communication to slip. Alyce’s team structure gives her administrative support for leads, customer messages and installation bookings while she manages the wider day-to-day operation.
She says the Jim’s brand and its focus on customer service were major reasons the business appealed to her. People considering the wider franchise model can also read about how Jim’s Group helps franchisees with training, support and business systems.
What Warranty and Payment Options Does Jim’s Blinds Offer?
Alyce says the Jim’s guarantee backs customers, while most products her business sells have a 10-year warranty. She also says Jim’s runs a pay plan that can give customers more flexibility with how they pay.
On the payment options, Alyce says, “I think it’s four-, six-, nine-, 12-month pay plans,” so customers should confirm the exact plan available when they receive a quote.
This gives customers several points to discuss before committing: the product warranty, the Jim’s guarantee, the payment arrangement, and the scope of the installation. Keeping those details clear at quote stage helps customers understand what they are buying and how the process will work.
What Training Did Alyce Receive Before Starting With Jim’s Blinds?
Alyce says she loved the training and thought it was fantastic. One of the biggest positives for her was hearing other people’s experiences and seeing how passionate they were.
That training sat alongside her own previous experience with an outdoor blinds manufacturer. She entered the business with product knowledge, then added the Jim’s training and the advice she gets from her dad as a mentor.
For prospective owners who want to see what the broader onboarding process looks like, the Jim’s Group franchise training page explains the training available to new franchisees.
What’s Next for Alyce’s Jim’s Blinds Business?
Alyce wants to keep moving forward, get bigger, strengthen the business in the market, and enjoy the process. Reaching $1 million in sales is a milestone, but she presents it as a point to celebrate before continuing to grow.
The business already has a structure around sales, administration, quoting, and installation. Alyce’s focus now is to keep building on that foundation rather than treating the milestone as the finish line.
For customers, Alyce says the next step is simple: call the 131 number or go online to make an enquiry. To request a free quote or learn more about Jim’s Group franchise opportunities, call 131 546 or visit Jim’s Group online.