Franchise or Independent Lighting Designer?

Last time we talked about choosing the right professional - a landscaper, irrigation installer or lighting designer - for your outdoor lighting project. In the same vein, should you choose a franchise lighting company or go with a standalone or independent lighting design company?

Let’s first understand the nature of most franchise businesses. A franchise is simply a license to sell or operate under a specific name in a specific area, usually with a specific operation policy in place. A franchise embraces uniformity and desires to provide the same product to every customer. Look at fast food chains or automobile oil/lube joints as examples. A franchise lighting company operates much the same way, trying to appeal to a mass audience by offering a basic lighting package created to fit the average home with few alterations within a target price point. Most chain operators have a limited number of fixtures to choose from since they buy from their franchisor. The quality of the fixtures offered may vary – and we encourage anyone considering this expense to be diligent in their research. These franchise companies do take a very short design class along with a sales seminar on how to go about selling their lighting products. This is very elementary training, so if you only want some simple lighting, then this may be enough. Just like any franchise situation (like McDonald’s) where no matter what you order in any location, you are going to get the same thing according to the “franchise” way of doing things. Once again, if you only need a very basic, uncomplicated lighting system, this may be a reasonable choice. The down side is primarily in the design skills, lack of fixture selection and ability to follow-up with high quality trouble-shooting service when necessary.
On the other hand, an independent or privately owned outdoor lighting design firm like NightScenes will seek out a lot of design education to increase art skills and learn about the huge assortment of different lighting products and options on the market. Some of these custom designers are also certified in some way, and may belong to an industry organization, such as the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals, where they obtain even more education and network regularly with other designers.
Since these standalone outdoor lighting designers are not locked into any one fixture supplier, they have a vast choice of lighting fixtures to create any lighting effect that they can imagine. Personally, I use anywhere from 6 to 10 lighting manufacturer products, and have access to many more if I need them. This sort of freedom allows a much more custom approach to each individual lighting project so that ultimately the design and ambience are the products being sold, not just lights in the ground. Self-employed designers also tend to take great pride in their work and extend service warranties on higher quality products and service so the designs continue to operate successfully over a long period of time.
In summary, my most important recommendation is to assess your needs and take some time to research the options for outdoor lighting in your area. If you’re looking for a simple lighting project on a budget, you may find a good fit with a landscaper, irrigation installer or a franchise lighting company. But if you want to really make the most of your own outdoor space at night, and the nighttime personality and atmosphere surrounding your home is important to you, then perhaps an independent professional outdoor lighting design firm or contractor with a full toolbox of fixtures, knowledge and skills will be the better choice to custom design your outdoor spaces to be even more beautiful at night.