Lil' Angels

About Us

Lil’ Angels Photography was originally formed in the late 1990s from an idea spawned by Jim Palmer, Charles Glass, and Dan Wilmoth (the three original owners). Over the next decade they built the Franchise with the idea of replacing the original “Picture Day” at child daycares and preschools with more of a true portrait experience normally reserved for the professional portrait studio. In 2015 CDK Holdings (owned and managed by Dawn Kimball) acquired majority interest in the company, but has kept true to the vision of the original founders. This vision, along with the hard work and dedication of many Franchisees has built Lil’ Angels into a premiere Child Daycare and Preschool Photography brand with national recognition.

Our Industry

Lil’ Angels is part of the retail photography segment that is typically performed onsite at child daycare centers and preschools across the United States. These centers can be privately owned, corporate, or even affiliated with various institutions such as churches, government installations and universities. Franchisees typically work from home, and perform all photographic services on-site at the centers themselves. Sales of finished prints and print-related gift items are either handled at the center, or in some cases by return order envelope (with a proof of the child’s images), and increasingly online. Unlike many Franchise operations, Lil’ Angels (the Franchisor) derives no royalties from the retail portion of the sale, but rather in the production cost of these items being sold.

Our Opportunity

The ideal Lil’ Angels Franchisee is someone who enjoys working with children, is self-motivated, and realizes that their Franchise’s customer is actually three-fold: The facility owner or manager, the parent(s), and the child being photographed. To be a successful Lil’ Angel requires that all three segments be properly serviced – we are very much a service business. And in photographing children ranging in age from toddler to pre-K, you will be capturing a very formative part of their lives that will change quickly as they grow. This is one reason that retail photography sales are substantially higher when children are very young and growing (in terms of market penetration). We work with the Franchisee to identify and develop the proper territory, then we give them the tools and training to help put it all together and bring it to fruition.

Our Benefits

• No brick and mortar requirements
• Low cost entry into a growing market
• Protected Territory
• All necessary equipment included as part of initial purchase
• Hands-on training, with follow-up field training and on-going online training (knowledge of photography a plus but not a requirement)
• Control over your own schedule

Ready to learn more? Contact Paul Kimball today to schedule an initial phone meeting, and take the first step towards owning your own Franchise. We have prime territories available in many states.