It's a shady business, but somebody's got to do it. And there's room for more across the country, too. That's why SKYShades announced today that it's actively seeking franchise partners across the states to market and distribute its shade products.

Specializing in design, engineering and installation of high-tech, high quality shade fabric structures for anything from playgrounds to homes and restaurants to car washes, the Longwood company is looking for companies and entrepreneurs who want to get involved in the tension membrane industry.

"We have identified a potential $1 billion opportunity in the United States alone for tension membrane/shade installations over the next six to eight years," said Greg Norman, co-owner and director of the company. "And we will furnish our franchises with unique technical and marketing skills to capture a sizable portion of this growth market."

To assure customers and companies that SKYShades is up to date on specific requirements for architects and clients, it has invested more than $10 million in assembling technical executives, as well as obtaining accreditation by the American Institute of Architects to conduct education seminars for registered architects.