FirstLight Home Care Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $151K – $256K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.5M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 63 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FirstLight Home Care is an in-home care franchise providing non-medical personal care and companionship for seniors and other adults. Franchisees run an agency recruiting and scheduling caregivers and managing client care in a protected territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FirstLight Home Care franchise requires a total initial investment of $151K – $256K, including a $52K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average revenue per territory was $1.5M. This franchisor reports Item 19 per territory rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $151K – $256K
- 85th pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- $1.5M
- Per territory, not per outlet
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Senior Care
- Units
- 284
- 88th pct Senior Care
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Senior Care median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $151K – $256K including a $52K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage revenue per territory of $1.5M/year (median $1.2M). Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 100/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +46 franchised outlets in the latest year (52 opened, 6 closed); 38 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 39.9% CAGR over 3 years with 284 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- FirstLight HomeCare Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Cornerstone Franchise Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Cornerstone Franchise Group, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- none
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- CEO/President
- Glee McAnanly
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7870 East Kemper Road, Suite 400, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
- Auditor
- Douglas Corey & Associates, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $22.5M
- vs $19.4M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Cornerstone Franchise Finance
- and shares our pr
- Surv Franchisor
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
1 other brand on this site name Cornerstone Franchise Group, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- SurvB
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Glee McAnanly
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2009
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 37
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 49% above the typical senior care franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $52K | $52K | |
| Training Feenot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Travel and Training Expensesnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Business Premisesnot refundable | $900 | $4K | |
| Start-Up Supplies and Inventorynot refundable | $300 | $900 | |
| Employment Screeningnot refundable | $300 | $1K | |
| Equipment, Signage, Graphicsnot refundable | $250 | $2K | |
| Marketing, Advertising and Promotionsnot refundable | $5K | $9K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| Other Paid Expensesnot refundable | $6K | $8K | |
| Business Permits, Licenses and Feesnot refundable | $200 | $9K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $8K | $18K | |
| Computer Equipmentnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds: 3 to 6 Monthsnot refundable | $66K | $129K | |
| Total initial investment | $151K | $256K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $151K – $256K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $66K – $129K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $52K – $52K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $195 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $300 – $900 |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 45% above the senior care norm.
Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for FirstLight Home Care until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$301K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one FirstLight Home Care unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
- Avg gross sales
- $1.5M
- Per territory, per year — not per outlet
- Median gross sales
- $1.2M
- Per territory, not per outlet
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Revenue by cohort (months in operation)
- Sample size
- 194 territories
- vs category median 22 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $152K→$11.3MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 59 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 79 Senior Care brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
The average territory generates $1.5M/year in gross sales. Median is $1.2M — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% (near the Senior Care median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 39.9% CAGR over 3 years across 284 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Senior Care medians
How FirstLight Home Care Compares
Per territory, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Senior Care brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 284
- Opened
- 52
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 6
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +39.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +39.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 9
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 38
- 0.13 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 60
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 4.4%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 97.9%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 3.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 37 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
37
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 63
- Loan volume
- $13.9M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 63 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 63 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 63 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- 12.5%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 22
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 8.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 6216
- Jobs supported
- 1,864
- 14.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 18%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Vintage analysis
FirstLight Home Care charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing FirstLight Home Care franchisees
Showing 3 of 22 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
FirstLight presents moderate-to-cautionary risk due to undisclosed profitability metrics, ambiguous royalty terms, and rapid growth that lacks corresponding financial transparency.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Douglas Corey & Associates, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Consolidated financial statements of parent/guarantor Cornerstone Franchise Brands, LLC (FirstLight HomeCare Franchising, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary). FY2025 total income $22,517,882 comprised of franchise fees $1,011,923, royalty fees net $16,842,256, marketing fees $3,235,853, technology/other franchise services $1,284,247, and conference sponsorships/attendance $143,603. Total liabilities derived as total assets minus member's equity ($12,272,823 - $741,693).
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 100 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — unable to verify actual profitability despite $1.55M average revenue claims
- 02MINORRoyalty structure includes undefined 'Minimum Performance Standard' threshold that could trigger higher payments regardless of actual gross revenue
- 03MEDNo litigation disclosed but home care industry faces inherent regulatory and liability risks (caregiver background checks, client safety, wage/labor compliance)
- 04MINOR19.3% YoY unit growth may indicate aggressive recruitment masking underlying franchisee satisfaction or retention issues
- 05MEDInitial investment range ($151K-$256K) is substantial with no disclosed net income baseline to evaluate ROI timeline
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 200,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Cincinnati, OH (AAA) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | OH |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 62 hrs
- Training location
- FirstLight Home Care home office, Cincinnati, OH; plus phone/web conference and franchisee location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
257 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FirstLight Home Care franchise?
The total investment to open a FirstLight Home Care franchise ranges from $151K – $256K, with an initial franchise fee of $52K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do FirstLight Home Care franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the FirstLight Home Care FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.5M. The median is $1.2M. Important context: Averaged per territory, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns FirstLight Home Care?
FirstLight Home Care is franchised by FirstLight HomeCare Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is Cornerstone Franchise Brands, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Cornerstone Franchise Group, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the FirstLight Home Care FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the FirstLight Home Care FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is FirstLight Home Care's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for FirstLight Home Care (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many FirstLight Home Care franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FirstLight Home Care has 284 total units in the United States, including 284 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 52 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FirstLight Home Care a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FirstLight Home Care as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 100 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.