I. Industry Risk Analysis

(1) Policy Risk

The blackout curtain industry currently faces the risk of stricter supervision during the policy implementation stage. Environmental protection regulations have been raising the standards for printing and dyeing wastewater discharge and VOCs control year by year. The increasing frequency of surprise inspections has led to a sharp increase in equipment renovation and operation costs. During the policy evaluation stage, the blackout rate may be linked to energy consumption, which will promote the upgrading of industry technical standards. There is pressure to forcibly eliminate existing low – end production capacity. Local governments are tightening the access approval for high – energy – consuming textile projects during the industrial adjustment period. Regional production restriction policies are likely to cause supply chain fluctuations. Entrepreneurs need to be vigilant about the risk of out – of – control compliance investment due to the shortening of the policy window period.

(2) Economic Risk

Amid economic cycle fluctuations, the blackout curtain industry is under double pressure due to the slump in the real estate market and consumption downgrading. During the economic downturn, the demand for residential decoration and commercial space construction has shrunk, resulting in fewer orders and a decline in inventory turnover. Consumers’ reduction of non – essential spending has weakened the premium ability of mid – and high – end blackout curtain products, intensifying the risk of price wars. At the same time, the fluctuations in the global supply chain have pushed up the costs of raw materials such as polyester and coating agents, further squeezing the profit margins of enterprises. Entrepreneurs need to maintain a dynamic balance between capacity expansion and cash – flow management.

(3) Social Risk

The blackout curtain industry currently faces the risk of a generational gap in consumption concepts. Middle – aged and elderly users prefer cost – effective products with basic functions, while the younger Generation Z tends to favor personalized, environmentally friendly materials and intelligent designs. If entrepreneurs continue to use traditional product thinking, they will lose the incremental market because they cannot meet the aesthetic and functional needs of the younger generation. Meanwhile, the industry is under pressure from environmental protection policies. Young consumers are more averse to non – degradable chemical fiber materials. If the industry cannot quickly upgrade its environmental protection processes, it will trigger a brand trust crisis. The differentiation of generational communication channels has led to a mismatch between the traditional distributor model and the online decision – making path of young consumers, further increasing the difficulty of market penetration.

(4) Legal Risk

Entrepreneurs entering the blackout curtain industry need to be vigilant about multiple legal risks. In the production process, they must comply with environmental protection regulations. For example, exceeding the emission standard of volatile organic compounds may result in administrative penalties. If products fail to meet mandatory national standards such as flame retardancy and non – toxicity, they will bear quality liability and recall risks. Infringement of design or functional patents may lead to intellectual property disputes. Irregular advertising language (such as exaggerating the sun – protection effect) in e – commerce sales may easily constitute false advertising. Foreign trade enterprises need to deal with overseas chemical regulatory barriers such as the EU REACH. Violations will lead to order losses. Omissions in contract terms (such as payment terms and return policies) in offline channels may cause commercial disputes.

II. Entrepreneurship Guide

(1) Suggestions on Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Currently, entrepreneurial opportunities in the blackout curtain industry are concentrated in the fields of functional innovation and scenario segmentation. To meet the intelligent needs of modern home, hotel, and office scenarios, develop blackout fabrics that can integrate functions such as light – sensing adjustment, temperature control, or antibacterial properties. Take advantage of the environmental protection policy dividends to launch products made of degradable plant – based materials to seize the green building materials market. Combine with the curtain customization service provider model to provide blackout rate grading and selection options for developers of refined – decorated houses and operators of homestays. Seize the opportunity of cross – border e – commerce and promote DIY transformation plans for blackout curtains (such as for projection screens and photographic darkrooms) through social media platforms like TikTok to meet the specific needs of the overseas home entertainment market.

(2) Suggestions on Entrepreneurial Resources

When integrating supply chain resources, give priority to signing long – term agreements with high – quality blackout coating material suppliers to lock in prices. At the same time, take advantage of the regional industrial cluster to share production equipment and reduce fixed asset investment. Connect with European and American home furnishing product buyers through cross – border e – commerce platforms to establish B – end distribution channels. Open stores on wholesale platforms like 1688 to reach small and medium – sized curtain manufacturers. Apply for the “Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative” small and medium – sized enterprise certification to obtain tax breaks and technological transformation subsidies. Participate in the formulation of group standards for blackout fabrics in conjunction with industry associations to enhance industry discourse power. Build a flexible production management system to quickly respond to small – batch customized orders. Obtain environmental protection test reports through third – party quality inspection agency certifications to enhance the product’s premium ability.

(3) Suggestions on Entrepreneurial Teams

The entrepreneurial team in the blackout curtain industry should focus on functional complementarity. Give priority to recruiting talents with textile technology, e – commerce operation, and home furnishing industry channel resources. The founder should have both a technical background and supply – chain management experience. It is recommended to set up a full – time product manager to be responsible for new material testing and the transformation of customer needs. Team members should regularly participate in curtain exhibitions and on – site inspections of home improvement enterprises. In particular, at least one team member should master international certification standards for flame retardancy and blackout rate. Establish a dual – track decision – making mechanism of “factory masters + e – commerce operators”, and use equity incentives to retain printing and dyeing technical backbones with more than 3 years of industry experience. In the start – up period, avoid over – emphasizing a highly educated team. Focus on recruiting channel developers with practical experience in the fabric wholesale market. Hold weekly competitor analysis meetings to enhance the team’s market sensitivity.

(4) Suggestions on Entrepreneurial Risks

It is recommended to lock in upstream raw material suppliers first and sign flexible price agreements to hedge against the price fluctuation risk of polyester fibers. Establish a multi – dimensional market early – warning mechanism. Monitor changes in regional consumption preferences through real – time sales data on e – commerce platforms and dynamically adjust the product structure. Adopt an order – based production model. Predict the off – peak and peak seasons of the hotel engineering and home improvement markets quarterly and control the finished product inventory to maintain a 15 – day turnover. Establish a three – level quality control process for core indicators such as blackout rate and flame retardancy, and keep samples of each batch of products for future reference. Develop a differentiated product line, such as high – value – added products like antibacterial blackout curtains for mothers and babies and photocatalyst self – cleaning fabrics, to avoid getting caught in low – price and homogeneous competition.