Screen Doors Basics
Start your business as a screen door seller, supplier or maker armed with knowledge
If you plan to start your own company building, selling and/or installing screen doors, first learn about screen doors basics and your competition to make sure you're offering consumers an in-demand quality product. Screen door suppliers offer screen doors to meet the needs of just about any home or business, so you should get familiar with all the options.As a screen door supplier, seller or maker, you can target homes and businesses in need of security screen doors, retractable screen doors, sliding screen doors, old-fashioned wooden screen doors and screen doors for garages. While the garage screen door business remains small, it's definitely a market to exploit. Consider the following as you begin your research:
1. Warranties vary widely among screen door makers and providers, ranging from 30 days to life time, so earn customer trust with the best warranty policy you can afford.
2. Opt for charcoal-colored screens on your doors, and avoid screens of other colors since they tend to look dirty when used outdoors.
3. Avoid hidden costs with your screen doors by letting customers know the quoted price includes/doesn't include the door, installation, inspection, screen, threshold, lockset, delivery, weather stripping and any other service or material needed.
Learn about your competition's screen doors
You might decide to manufacture or sell custom security screen doors for homes and businesses. Retractable screen doors, growing in popularity during the last several years, present another possibility. Many screen door suppliers and manufacturers also deal with window screens and/or storm doors, so keep that in mind as you develop your complete product line.
Try: Local or chain home improvement stores carry basic screen door styles and could make for tough competition, but some smaller companies, like Columbus Aluminum Screen & Door also prefer focusing on simple screen doors and sliding screen doors. Others, like Garage Door Screens, specialize in one type of screen door. This particular screen door manufacturer/seller offers standard and custom garage door screens for self-installation. Southeast Retractable Systems focuses on retractable screen doors with a patented system ensuring doors retract fully without slamming or trapping fingers. Security screen door manufacturer Titan offers customers a traditional or laser-cut security screen door.
Identify services/guarantees of other screen door makers and suppliers
Before you set policies regarding services/warranties/guarantees, find out what your competitors are doing. You'll find some are successful without adding any extras, while others go out of their way to meet or exceed customer expectations.
Try: Old Goats doesn't accept returns for any custom designed wooden screen door, but does allow returns for standard doors. Vendors, not the screen door maker, handle hardware warranties. In addition to creating different types of screen doors (sliding, swinging and roll-away), the California Screen Door Company designer/creator of its Everlast1000 Sliding Screen Door System promises screen doors custom made and professionally fitted for each customer, free home delivery and installation (within local service areas) and free shipping/handling for customers located outside its service areas. The company also pledges to buy back a sliding screen door, no questions asked, from any unsatisfied customer.
Add installation instructions for screen doors to your company website
Many screen door sellers and manufacturers include dealer training or customer instructions for installation on their websites. While you might offer installation as a service, consider adding instructions on your website to assist those preferring to save on installation costs or customers who live outside your local area.
Try: Secret Screen offers step-by-step instructions with links to pictures and drawings for installing its screen doors that pull down from a small housing above eye level. Peekaview Screens offers measurement instructions and links to installation instructions for their different doors.
- Possibilities for adding screen doors to small businesses, warehouses and manufacturing facilities abound, so consider creating/distributing a promotional flyer illustrating creative ways to enhance those companies with screen doors.
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