Franchisor Stories
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Wonderly Lights is an outdoor and holiday lighting franchise that provides professional lighting design, installation and maintenance for homes and businesses.
Wonderly Lights helps homeowners and business owners transform their properties with professional outdoor and holiday lighting services. The brand focuses on design, installation and maintenance of lighting that adds beauty, safety and value to properties. Services are available for both residential and commercial clients and can be offered seasonally or year-round.
Wonderly Lights was founded in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as part of Buzz Franchise Brands, a company known for launching and growing successful service franchises such as Pool Scouts* and Home Clean Heroes*. The brand was created to meet the growing demand for professional outdoor and holiday lighting with a focus on safety, convenience and exceptional customer experience.
Mission: To bring joy, beauty, and safety to communities through professional outdoor lighting services.
Vision: To become the leading outdoor lighting brand that brightens homes, businesses, and communities nationwide.
Markets are available nationwide. The brand offers both single and multi-unit territories in nearly all regions of the U.S. that are suitable for outdoor lighting services.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Wonderly Lights franchise ranges from $123,603 to $142,428 for a year round business and $91,007 to $109,832 for a seasonal business. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Year-Round | Seasonal | ||
Min | Max | Min | Max | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $29,500 | $29,500 | $29,500 | $29,500 |
| Mailer Program Setup Fee | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Mailing List Fee | $375 | $375 | $250 | $250 |
| Postcard Fees | $12,900 | $12,900 | $6,450 | $6,450 |
| SEO Fees | $3,600 | $3,600 | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Digital Marketing Fees | $24,000 | $24,000 | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Start-Up Inventory Package | $27,285 | $27,285 | $18,607 | $18,607 |
| Start-Up Equipment Package | $5,447 | $5,447 | $4,448 | $4,448 |
| Trailer | $8,951 | $8,951 | $8,951 | $8,951 |
| Financial Management Training | $200 | $600 | $200 | $600 |
| Initial Training Expenses | $1,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $3,600 | $1,800 | $3,600 |
| Professional Fees | $300 | $1,000 | $300 | $1,000 |
| Licenses & Certifications | $0 | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
| Integrated Business Management Fee | $395 | $1,185 | $395 | $1,185 |
| Chatbot Fee | $500 | $1,500 | $500 | $1,500 |
| Bookkeeping Services | $350 | $1,185 | $350 | $1,185 |
| Computer, Internet Devices, Phones, Software Setup | $0 | $1,800 | $0 | $1,800 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $6,000 | $15,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: The initial franchise fee is $29,500, due upon signing the franchise agreement.
Discounts include:
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, Wonderly Lights franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty Fee | 7% of gross revenue/month |
| Brand Fund Contribution | 2% of gross revenue/month |
| Technology Fee | $200/month |
| Local Advertising Spend | $30,000/year (minimum) |
ROI Potential: According to the 2025 FDD, the 21 residential franchisees operating for the entirety of FY 2024 reported the following revenue:
Quartile | Average | Median | High | Low |
| Top Quartile (5) | $345,258 | $394,746 | $417,502 | $204,272 |
| 2nd Quartile (5) | $139,587 | $127,207 | $180,334 | $112,678 |
| 3rd Quartile (5) | $94,719 | $94,248 | $105,126 | $86,989 |
| 4th Quartile (6) | $44,741 | $48,479 | $73,050 | $15,554 |
| Total (21) | $150,775 | $105,126 | $417,502 | $15,554 |
Franchisees complete a full business and field training program before launch. Training includes operations, customer service, installation methods, marketing and financial management.
Wonderly Lights offers ongoing business coaching, budgeting assistance, hiring guidance and operational optimization. Franchisees also benefit from annual conventions and system-wide calls to share best practices.
Franchisees gain access to app-based lighting control systems, CRM tools and digital business management platforms to streamline daily operations and customer scheduling.
No specific industry experience required. Backgrounds in business, management, or service trades are helpful but not mandatory.
Wonderly Lights can be operated from home and does not require a storefront. Owners can choose a seasonal or year-round business model. Semi-absentee ownership may be possible once operations are established.
The brand may assist in connecting franchisees with third-party financing sources and offers veteran and community hero discounts.
“After so many years of working in a corporate setting, I realized there was nothing I wanted to do more than work for myself. But it was one of those things that I never knew if I had the confidence to pursue. Then, I discovered franchising, which made it easier.
“Not to say you can’t do it by yourself, but it would’ve taken me so much longer if I had to. Why not do it with an experienced team providing support? Why not do it with other owners and a network of people that you can ask questions?
“Now, I don’t have to learn as many hard lessons by myself. They know that their business model works, and they’re helping me operate it successfully.”
- Nora Farhat, Franchise Owner — Detroit, Michigan
“Lighting is not complicated in terms of the actual installation. There are certainly tools that you need to know, so much of it is having the business sense as well, having good people, knowing how to deliver good service, making the service that our customers receive easy for them to elect into. Not overly difficult, but to have the support system in place to make that happen and then go execute it, is key.
“The expertise you get being part of a franchise system is key. You’ve got other business owners that are going through the same issues that you’ve got, and you can pick up a phone, send a text, send an email and have somebody that’s going through the same thing as you… it’s a support system and it’s a resource.”
- Jack Sparks, Franchise Owner — Atlanta, Georgia
The U.S. outdoor lighting market generated roughly $4.46 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to grow to more than $7.1 billion by 2030. Within that broader category, holiday décor represents a fast-growing seasonal segment. The global Christmas lights and decorations market reached an estimated $8.5 billion in 2024.
Wonderly Lights competes with brands like Christmas Decor, Lights by Veterans and We Hang Christmas Lights. Its competitive edge comes from its year-round service model, Buzz Franchise Brands’ support system, and focus on professionalism and sustainability.
Wonderly Lights uses a five-step ownership process:
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