Lil’ Angels Photography Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $41K – $46K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (1)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Lil' Angels Photography is a children's portrait photography franchise that shoots at preschools, daycares, and events. Franchisees run local operations, scheduling shoots, capturing portraits, and selling print and digital packages.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Lil’ Angels Photography franchise requires a total initial investment of $41K – $46K, including a $30K franchise fee. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2025 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - a newer filing may exist
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 scored3 of 3 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $41K – $46K
- 6th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- Flat fee
- Units
- 40
- 50th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $41K – $46K including a $30K franchise fee.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 59/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (2 opened, 4 closed) (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -7.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Lil' Angels, LLC
- Predecessor
- None
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Manager
- Paul Kimball
- Incorporated in
- TN
- HQ
- 550 Industrial Drive SW, Cleveland, Tennessee 37311
- Auditor
- Hood, CPA & Associates
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5M
- vs $1.6M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Paul Kimball
- Headquarters
- TN
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 22
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 78% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $600 | $3K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $11K | $14K |
| Total initial investment | $41K | $46K |
Source: Lil’ Angels Photography 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $41K – $46K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $600 – $3K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- $0.60 per equivalent unit processed (system fee per pictu…
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 10.6%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | $0.60 per equivalent unit of every portrait package; $0.45 goes to Lil' Angels and $0.15 goes to referring franchise owner as commission |
| Technology fee | $10 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 10.6% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Lil’ Angels Photography makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Lil’ Angels Photography 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 annual revenue, royalty rate, ad fund rate, 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.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.6% — above the Education median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -7.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Education medians
How Lil’ Angels Photography Compares
Category median of published Education 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 40
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 95%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -7.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -7.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
37 current owners across 16 states.
- GA 5
- NV 5
- CA 4
- IA 4
- CO 3
- IL 2
- MO 2
- MS 2
- SD 2
- TN 2
- FL 1
- KY 1
- +4 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $25K
- Median loan
- $25K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (1)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 1 loan, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (1)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (1)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
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
Shrinking system with opaque financials, non-standard royalty structure, and fee-heavy model creates meaningful uncertainty around unit economics and profitability potential.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Hood, CPA & Associates
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Audited statements for Lil' Angels LLC (Tennessee LLC), year ended December 31, 2023 (comparative 2022). 2023 Total Revenues of $1,587,404 = Processing income $1,565,899 + Franchise income $21,505. Members' equity is a deficit of ($22,925). Net income $227,413. Auditor's report present but no CPA firm name appears in the extracted text.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 59 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-2.4% YoY) signals system contraction and potential market saturation
- 02MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (avg revenue/net income) prevents accurate ROI modeling and suggests weak performer metrics
- 03MINORUnusual royalty structure ($0.60 per 'equivalent unit') is vague and non-standard; unclear how this translates to actual franchisee costs
- 04MINORSmall unit base (40 locations) limits brand recognition, marketing leverage, and support infrastructure stability
- 05MINOR10-year term is longer than industry standard (5-7 years typical), locking franchisees into potentially unfavorable economics
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.6% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 300,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | TN |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 24 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 45 hrs
- Training location
- CPQ Colorchrome, Inc., Cleveland, Tennessee; field training at business location in territory or CPQ Colorchrome
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
37 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 Lil’ Angels Photography franchise?
The total investment to open a Lil’ Angels Photography franchise ranges from $41K – $46K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Lil’ Angels Photography franchise owners earn?
Lil’ Angels Photography makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Lil’ Angels Photography?
Lil’ Angels Photography is franchised by Lil' Angels, LLC. The FDD names no parent company. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Lil’ Angels Photography 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 Lil’ Angels Photography FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Lil’ Angels Photography's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Lil’ Angels Photography (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 Lil’ Angels Photography franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Lil’ Angels Photography has 40 total units in the United States, including 38 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Lil’ Angels Photography a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Lil’ Angels Photography as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 59 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?
If you represent Lil’ Angels Photography, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.