Outdoor Lighting PerspectivesFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchise requires a total initial investment of $127K – $214K, including a $60K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $783K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 23.5% charge-off rate across 34 loans[1]. Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $127K – $214K
- 38th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $783K
- 16th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 128
- 42nd pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 23.5%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business Services avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 4.6x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
23.5% of SBA loans charged off across 34 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 128 to 102 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
101% cash-on-cash return. Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $127K – $214K including a $60K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $783K/year (median $592K), with an estimated 101% cash-on-cash return.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 55/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 23.5% across 34 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 25.5% CAGR over 3 years with 128 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Outdoor Lighting Perspectives Franchisor, LLC
- Parent company
- Empower Brands Franchising, LLC
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2426 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, VA 23060
- Auditor
- Smith+Howard PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $49.5M
- vs $79.5M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate outdoor lighting design and installation businesses serving residential and commercial properties. Day-to-day activities include conducting on-site consultations, designing custom lighting systems, managing installation crews, handling customer relationships, and performing maintenance service calls. The business model emphasizes recurring revenue through maintenance contracts and repeat client relationships.
- CEO
- Scott Zide
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 35
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $20K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $48K | $135K |
| Total initial investment | $127K | $214K |
Source: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$117K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
62%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
19 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $127K – $214K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 7% of Gross Revenue or $1,100/mo (rate reduces…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 1.0 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $783K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $592K
- Avg net income
- $173K
- Cash-on-cash
- 101.3%
- Based on Net Income / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 69 units
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $69K→$3.1M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 3 / 5 · above
Compared against 360 Business Services brands
Revenue is 4.6x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Business Services averages
How Outdoor Lighting Perspectives Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 128
- Opened
- 19
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 0.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +16.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +25.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 28 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 34
- Loan volume
- $8.4M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 23.5%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 50.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 20
- Defaults
- 8
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Outdoor Lighting Perspectives's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 15-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 23.5% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Moderate-to-caution profile: solid unit economics and growth offset by absence of financial disclosures, litigation precedent, and structural royalty concerns that warrant detailed franchisee validation.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith+Howard PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 55 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHNo Item 19 financial performance representations ('Going Concern: False') limits ability to validate claimed $182,551 average net income
- 02HIGHLitigation history shows trademark/contract enforcement issues suggesting potential franchisor-franchisee relationship strain
- 03MINORRoyalty structure complexity (7% or $1,100/mo minimum) may create cash flow pressure for units below $157,143 in monthly revenue
- 04MINORStrong YoY growth (16.4%) masks unit quality concerns—rapid expansion can indicate recruitment-focused model rather than unit profitability focus
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($59,500) relative to startup range floor ($127,000) represents 47% sunk cost before operations begin
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Zip Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 57 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 31 hrs
- POS system
- ServiceMinder
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ServiceMinder
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
65 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchise?
The total investment to open a Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchise ranges from $127K – $214K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $783K. The median is $592K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Outdoor Lighting Perspectives's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives has a charge-off rate of 23.5% across 34 loans, meaning 23.5% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives has 128 total units in the United States, including 128 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 19 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Outdoor Lighting Perspectives a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Outdoor Lighting Perspectives as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 55 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.
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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.