From the filed FDD — automated extraction, check the source
2026 FDD
SBA-eligible · directory code S8203 since 2025
Wonderly Lights
Holiday & outdoor lighting · parent company: not identified
Wonderly Lights designs and installs professional holiday and architectural lighting on homes and commercial buildings, handling the hanging, maintenance and end-of-season takedown. A franchisee runs a seasonal service business, selling lighting packages and sending install crews to customers' properties rather than operating a store.
Wonderly Lights went from 15 → 43 units over 2022–2025 — too small a starting base for a meaningful percentage per its FDD Item 20.
New to franchising? Start here
A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.
Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. Most numbers on this page come from that document; others come from federal SBA loan records and labor and census data, each labelled with its source:
- Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
- Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
- Item 20 — how many locations opened, transferred and left the system, the main basis for our verdict, which rates how strong the disclosed record is, or says when the system is too new, the filing too old, or the disclosure too thin to judge.
Our rating · opinion
Too new to judge
42 franchised units over 4 disclosed years of Item 20 is too little history for a rating — a young system's record hasn't had time to show how units perform over a full loan term. Judge the disclosures, not a rating.
Exit rate · fiscal 2025
7.7%
vs 7.4% median across 82 comparable systems (home services)
Cost to open
$83K–$125K
Item 7 total investment range
SBA loan losses
Too few to rate
0 seasoned resolved loans; 30 needed
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Data as of 2026-10-29. Figures come from Wonderly Lights's public FDD filings (latest: MN 2026, extracted 2026-07-30) and SBA FOIA loan records (through FY2026), extracted by us and possibly containing errors. The rating is our opinion, not investment, legal, or tax advice. Franchisor or owner and see something wrong? Report a correction — we review every request.
What each source says
FDD record · SBA loans · model · auditor
The Item 20 record is too short or too small to rate; the loan record and model are context, not a verdict.
FDD record · Item 20
Too little history
Units went from 15 to 43 (2022–2025); exit rate 7.7% (fiscal 2025) vs 7.4% median.
SBA loans · vs same-year loans
Too few seasoned loans
0 resolved loans approved by FY2020; 30 needed.
Modeled risk
Not scored
Too little evidence for the model.
Auditor opinion · Item 21
Clean opinion
Unqualified audit, 2026 FDD. Says nothing about franchisee results.
Behind the verdict
the record, factor by factor · Item 20
latest consecutive years · Item 20 Table 1
terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3
transfers vs. base · Table 3
actual vs. projected openings · Table 5
Item 19 disclosure + completeness · shown, not counted in the verdict
Systemwide units
2022–2025
Survival record
FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year
In fiscal 2025, 3 of 39 franchised outlets left the system — an exit rate of 7.7% (fiscal 2025), vs a 7.4% median across 82 comparable systems (home services). An exit is not a failure: this counts terminations, non-renewals and "ceased — other reasons" as reported, and excludes transfers to new owners.
Show the outlet tables ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Status (FTC) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 0 | 15 | 32 | 40 |
| Opened | 14 | 17 | 9 | 6 |
| Transfers | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Terminations | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Non-renewals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Outlets at end | 15 | 32 | 40 | 43 |
| Net change | +15 | +17 | +8 | +3 |
The franchisor's own finances
FDD ITEM 21 · AUDITED STATEMENTS · 2026 FDD
Eide Bailly LLP gave an unmodified (clean) opinion on the statements in the 2026 FDD; revenue rose 88% from FY2023 to FY2025 and it reported a net loss in every year shown (FY2023–FY2025).
This is the company selling the franchise, not any franchisee. A clean opinion means the statements are fairly presented — not that the business is healthy.
Audit opinion
Unmodified (clean) opinion
Eide Bailly LLP
Revenue · FY2025
$351K
extracted · not cross-checked
Net income · FY2025
−$743K
extracted · not cross-checked
Where FY2025 revenue came from
88% royalties
initial-fee share not extracted
Show the statement figures ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Fiscal year | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | $187Kextracted · not cross-checked | $335Kextracted · not cross-checked | $351Kextracted · not cross-checked |
| Royalty revenue | $177Kextracted · not cross-checked | $323Kextracted · not cross-checked | $307Kextracted · not cross-checked |
| Net income (loss) | −$886Kextracted · not cross-checked | −$800Kextracted · not cross-checked | −$743Kextracted · not cross-checked |
The lender's view
SBA 7(a)/504 loan outcomes · compared with franchise loans of the same years
Banks have made 1 SBA-backed loans to Wonderly Lights franchisees since 2025. Only 0 of its loans approved by FY2020 have resolved — fewer than the 30 we need to compare it fairly with other franchise loans, so we don't rate it.
All-time, 0 of 0 resolved loans charged off (—). That raw figure mixes every approval year since 2025 — loans made in 2006–08 failed at several times the rate of loans made in 2010–13 across all franchises — so it is shown as evidence, not as the score. 100% of the brand's loans have not resolved yet.
—
0 seasoned resolved · 30 needed
—
0 of 0 resolved, every approval year
—
charged-off $ ÷ approved $, defaulted loans
$150,000
what recent franchisees borrowed
—
shown with 10+ defaults
—
distinct banks lending
Charge-off rate by loan approval year (%) · dashed line = all franchise loans that year
SOURCE: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA LOAN DATA (DATA.SBA.GOV), FY1991–PRESENT · MATCHED TO WONDERLY LIGHTS BY SBA FRANCHISE NAME/CODE · RESOLVED = CHARGED-OFF + PAID-IN-FULL · EXPECTED = SAME-YEAR RATE ACROSS ALL SBA FRANCHISE LOANS, LOANS ≥ ~6 YEARS OLD
What it costs — and what it drags
FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty
Buying in means a $29,500 franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $83K–$125K (Item 7). The franchisor publishes an earnings claim (Item 19) — read its methodology closely.
To open (Item 7)
$83K–$125K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$29,500
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
7%
of sales, ongoing
Starts at the Item 19 median of $140K from Wonderly Lights’ latest FDD. Read which units built that figure, then check it with current and former owners.
Royalty you'd pay / yr
$10K
7% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$98K
royalties alone, excl. ad fund
This estimate is computed by software from the brand's public filings and any inputs you enter. No CPA prepared it for you and no assurance is provided on it. Actual results will differ, and the differences may be material.
This is not profit. It covers what the FDD fixes: what you put in, and the royalty you owe on sales. Your take-home depends on labor, vehicles, supplies, insurance, and the months to breakeven, none of which the FDD fixes for your unit (some Item 19s include cost data — read it).
Build a real pro-forma for Wonderly Lights with a buyer-paid CPAHow the earnings claim is built
FDD ITEM 19 · BASIS · 2026 FDD
This filing makes an Item 19 earnings claim; we have not yet read how it is built. Open Item 19 and check which units it covers, which it leaves out, and whether it shows costs.
Show the basis ↓Hide the evidence ↑
Public records
Bankruptcy, closure & federal court records · coverage is selective · dockets are not scored
We have no verified public-record signals published for Wonderly Lights. This is not evidence that no events exist. Check PACER, the FDD's Item 3 (litigation) and Item 4 (bankruptcy), and recent news yourself.
8 questions to ask a Wonderly Lights franchisee
Built from this brand's own disclosures · take it to your validation calls
The franchisor will give you a list of owners to call. Most buyers ask whether they like it. These questions come from what Wonderly Lights has disclosed. Each one carries the number it came from, so you can check the answer against the record.
- 01
Wonderly Lights’ own Item 20 shows 3 of 39 franchised outlets left the system in fiscal 2025 — about 7.7%. Do you know any of those owners, and do you know why they left?
A franchisor will call these “transitions.” An owner three doors down usually knows whether they sold at a profit or handed the keys back.
FDD Item 20 · FY2025
- 02
Item 7 puts the cost to open at $83K–$125K, yet the average recent SBA loan to Wonderly Lights franchisees was $150K — above the whole range. What did those loans pay for: new units, resales, real estate, several units at once? And what did you actually spend to open, all in?
A loan above the disclosed range can mean buyers routinely overspend Item 7, or that SBA money in this system funds resales, property or multi-unit deals. The filing doesn't say which; an owner can.
FDD Item 7 vs SBA approvals FY2020+
- 03
You pay 7.0% royalty on gross sales, plus the ad fund, before any of your own costs. On your actual revenue last year, what did you take home as the owner — not revenue, take-home?
Royalty is charged on sales, not profit. This is the number the brochure never shows and the one your life actually runs on.
FDD Item 6
- 04
Wonderly Lights makes an earnings claim in Item 19. Does your unit look like that number — and do you know which units they included to build it?
Item 19 is legal to build from a flattering subset. Ask whether they excluded new units, closed units, or company stores.
FDD Item 19 · 2026
- 05
How many months did it take to cover your own costs, and how much cash did you burn getting there?
Ramp-to-breakeven working capital is the most underestimated line in any franchise purchase, and the most common reason otherwise-good units fail.
Not disclosed in any FDD — ask an owner
- 06
What does the franchisor charge for that you didn't expect — required tech fees, mandatory remodels, approved-supplier pricing?
Required spending appears across Items 6, 8 and 11 rather than in one place, so buyers routinely miss the total.
FDD Items 6, 8, 11
- 07
If your agreement came up for renewal tomorrow at current terms, would you sign again?
The single most predictive question you can ask. A hesitation is the answer.
Ask every owner you speak to
- 08
Who else should I call — including someone who left?
The franchisor's list is curated by definition. Former franchisees are where the unflattering truth lives, and current owners usually know how to reach them.
Ask every owner you speak to
Want this as a checklist you can take to the calls?
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A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing Wonderly Lights’ numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
This page is what buyers see before they call you for validation. If the record above is wrong — or right in a way the numbers can't show — say so. Franchisors: send corrections with the page reference and we will review them against the filing and update or annotate the page. Corrections are checked against the filings; nothing you write is published with your name unless you agree to it.
Wonderly Lights franchise questions, answered from the filings
How many Wonderly Lights franchised outlets left the system last year?
In Wonderly Lights's latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2025), 3 of 39 franchised outlets left the system — an exit rate of 7.7% — compared with a 7.4% median across 82 comparable systems (home services) tracked here. That counts terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons" as the franchisor reported them; it excludes transfers to new owners. The FDD does not say why each outlet left, and an exit is not the same as a failure.
How much does a Wonderly Lights franchise cost?
Per Wonderly Lights's 2026 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $29,500 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $83K–$125K (Item 7).
What royalty does Wonderly Lights charge?
Wonderly Lights charges an ongoing royalty of 7.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.
Does Wonderly Lights disclose earnings (Item 19)?
Yes — Wonderly Lights makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $140K. Read it closely: franchisors choose which units and which metrics to include.