Entrepreneur creates franchise community that earns BRL 4 million promoting mild bulbs

Ailton Gomes Duarte owns ledseleds, a network specialized in lighting, which has 18 units in operation. Projection is to triple revenue in 2022

“If have store sofa, window and even a chair, why not have a store just for lamps🇧🇷 It was this question that led the entrepreneur Ailton Gomes Duarte56 years old, to change the focus of his establishment from construction material in the east zone of São Paulo and create the ledseleds. the network of deductibles specializes in lighting and its main product is LED lamps. Last year the company earned BRL 4.8 million, and the projection is to close 2022 with BRL 12 million.

When he lost his job in 2008, Duarte used his savings to open a construction material store. To look for novelties for the product mix, he decided to go to Rua Santa Ifigênia, an electronics shopping center in the center of the city, to observe possible novelties and saw the LED lamps — which were not yet so popular. “I bought some and took them to the store. They were a success.”

Ailton Gomes Duarte, CEO of ledseleds, a network specializing in the sale of lamps and lighting services — Photo: Disclosure

With the continuous good performance of the lamps, Duarte created an e-commerce dedicated to the sale of the product a few years later. “A customer from Mato Grosso, who owns a farm hotel, bought the lamps, liked our service and products and asked: ‘Why don’t you try setting up a store here?’ I realized I had a business that I could scale.”

It was then that he asked himself the question that opens this text and decided to structure a business model focused on light bulbs. To differentiate itself from what already existed on the market, it bet on specialization in LED. Duarte designed the website and provided all the information on what a possible store model would look like. “In 2015, even without any stores open, a call came from an interested party. That was when I negotiated the first unit for Curitiba.”

The investment in the point was around R$ 40,000, and he sought out suppliers that helped him compose a complete mix, with light fixtures and special chandeliers. According to him, in the first quarter, the return was almost R$ 600 thousand.

As the business matured, the entrepreneur started to open new stores. The second came just three months later, also in Curitiba. This partner became Duarte’s partner in 2020, and they opened a distributor in Mooca, in São Paulo, with around five thousand SKUs. In the same year, they joined the Brazilian Franchising Association (ABF) and started expanding.

Today ledseleds has 18 units in operation. The plan is to reach 50 stores in 2023 and 100 in 2024. The initial investment for anyone wanting to become a franchisee starts at R$335,000, which includes inventory, showroom and installation. The payback period is estimated at up to 18 months.

Source: PEGN Magazine