Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Little Rock, Arkansas

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Little Rock, Arkansas. Professional and institutional relationship density was a leading positive mechanism. Healthcare-overlap labor competition was a leading operating constraint.

What “best” means in this ranking“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page. It does not estimate earnings or determine which franchise is best for a particular candidate.
Analysis by Thomas Jepsen, MSc Model: 0.9.0
View the ranking See the local evidence
14Concepts evaluated
26Sources used
19Primary sources
27Local metrics

Evaluation set

Why these concepts were evaluated

This is not a ranking of every franchise that may be offered in the city.

14Concepts assessed

Concepts were included when enough operating-model information existed to assign a provisional local-sensitivity profile. Unresolved inputs reduce confidence or remain conditional rather than automatically excluding a concept.

A brand’s participation in our referral network does not add points or change its position.

City-level conclusions

What stood out in our assessment

Highest category average (limited comparison)Restoration

70.6 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorReferral ecosystem

0.8 points average among 8 affected concepts

Largest negative factorLabor and staffing friction

0.4 points average reduction among 14 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankJan-Pro International

Tested rank range spans 9 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Little Rock, Arkansas

City Wide, ActionCOACH, and HomeSmiles produced the highest modeled local-alignment scores in the evaluated set. Professional and institutional relationship density was the strongest positive scored mechanism among 8 exposed concepts, adding 0.8 points on average. One important asymmetry was that the same local condition supported healthcare institutional service demand while also creating healthcare-overlap labor competition. City Wide was especially relationship-sensitive: removing healthcare institutional service demand moved it from #1 to #2 in the full model rerun. These scores describe local operating alignment, not expected returns or overall franchise quality; the offered territory and franchise economics still require separate diligence.

How this differs from a directory: the model does not award points for brand popularity, advertising placement, or referral compensation. It tests how documented local conditions interact with each concept’s operating requirements.

Best franchise opportunities assessed

Top 10 local-alignment scores from 14 concepts assessed

“Best” refers to modeled local operating alignment among the concepts assessed—not expected earnings, franchise-system quality, or candidate fit.

Rankings use full-precision scores.Displayed values use one decimal place. Identical displayed scores can therefore have different ranks, and close results should be treated as effectively similar.
RankFranchiseAlignment and tierLargest advantageLargest constraintEvidence confidence
1City WideFacility managementInvestment: $229,729–$410,730
72.4Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment
+1.5 ptsTarget-market demand -0.3 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
2ActionCOACHBusiness coachingInvestment: $71,668–$303,513
71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+1.0 ptsReferral ecosystem -0.1 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
3HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800
71.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsReferral ecosystem -0.5 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
4Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500
70.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+1.1 ptsTarget-market demand -0.5 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
5FASTSIGNSSigns and graphicsInvestment: $231,226–$386,285
70.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsTarget-market demand -0.2 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
6Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900
70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.8 ptsReferral ecosystem -0.6 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
7ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer serviceInvestment: $266,250–$570,500
70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.7 ptsReferral ecosystem -0.3 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
8PuroCleanRestorationInvestment: $54,575–$262,145
70.5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.8 ptsReferral ecosystem -0.5 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
9Mr. RooterPlumbingInvestment: $152,900–$298,675
70.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.3 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.3 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
10Mister Sparky ElectricElectrical
69.9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.3 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.4 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Conditions that changed the analysis

What mattered most in Little Rock, Arkansas

01

Healthcare and academic-medical professional density expands the local referral base

This relationship affected 8 concepts and added 0.8 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Healthcare practitioners and technical employment and concentration: employment: 32,180; employment share percent: 9; location quotient: 1.42; mean hourly wage usd: 45.1 structured metric. [5] [9]

02

Supplied metro research estimated a 37.4-year median housing age, while current LRWRA programs document ongoing replacement of aging sewer lines in Little Rock.

Older-stock context and documented sewer-line replacement support plumbing, inspection, and repair demand, but they do not prove that every property retains original plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or foundation systems. The strongest current public mechanism is sewer and service-line renewal, so broad synchronized-replacement claims are not applied. [14] [15] [1] [17]

03

asset-light-b2b

This operating-model cluster separated from the broader set because its exposure to local support and constraints differed. The strongest positive factor was referral ecosystem, while the main constraint was labor and staffing friction. [9] [6] [5] [4] [7] [8]

Evidence behind the city mechanisms

Large healthcare institutions support account demand while competing for overlapping frontline and support roles3 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 3 sources
  • Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 2022: 8,440,092,000 USD [4]
  • Education and health services payroll employment in June 2026: 67,700 jobs [6]
  • Healthcare practitioners and technical employment and concentration: employment: 32,180; employment share percent: 9; location quotient: 1.42; mean hourly wage usd: 45.1 structured metric [5]
Healthcare institutional service demandTarget-market demand
Healthcare-overlap labor competitionLabor and staffing friction
Healthcare and academic-medical professional density expands the local referral base1 modeled effect
Professional and institutional relationship densityReferral ecosystem
Downtown, River Market, and Arkansas Children’s-area curb and parking controls can constrain vehicle-based service access1 modeled effect
Route and curb productivity pressureTransportation, routing, and parking

Compare all assessed concepts

Local impact by franchise concept

14 concepts shown. Expand a concept to see the score-changing factors and their modeled drivers; the full audit ledger stays collapsed.

#1Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.4

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730

Increase +1.5 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.3 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+1.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #1 → #2
+1.5 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+1.2 pts
+1.2 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement+2.42 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.5
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+1.2
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score72.42
Published local-market alignment72.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +1.5 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#2
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513

Increase +1.0 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.1 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+1.0 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #2 → #4
+1.0 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Net local movement+1.14 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.2
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionEffect below the publication threshold
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+1.0
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.14
Published local-market alignment71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +1.0 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#5
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.0

HomeSmiles

Property maintenance services · Home-based mobile property-maintenance franchise using equipped service vans and technician crews to deliver bundled…

Initial investment: $148,110–$201,800

Increase +0.9 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.5 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #3 → #5
+0.9 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.6 pts
+0.6 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement+0.98 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.6
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.5
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.9
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.98
Published local-market alignment71.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#6
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.8

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500

Increase +1.1 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.5 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+1.1 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #4 → #11
+1.1 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.84 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.1
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.5
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.3
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.84
Published local-market alignment70.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +1.1 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#11
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.8

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285

Increase +0.6 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.2 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #5 → #7
+0.6 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.5 pts
+0.5 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.2 pts
-0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.84 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
2 images
Public company data assessed
3 sources
YouTube video 1YouTube video 2YouTube video 3
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.6
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.2
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.5
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.84
Published local-market alignment70.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#7
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900

Increase +0.8 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.6 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #6 → #10
+0.8 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.6 pts
-0.6 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.70 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.2
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.2
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.6
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.8
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.70
Published local-market alignment70.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#10
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500

Increase +0.7 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.3 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #7
+0.7 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Transportation, routing, and parkingRoute and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmedNot scored
Net local movement+0.66 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.7
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.66
Published local-market alignment70.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#8
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.5

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145

Increase +0.8 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.5 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Professional and institutional relationship density Evidence+0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #8 → #12
+0.8 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.54 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.2
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.5
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.8
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.54
Published local-market alignment70.5

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#12
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.0

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675

Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.3 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #9
-0.3 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Transportation, routing, and parkingRoute and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmedNot scored
Net local movement-0.01 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.99
Published local-market alignment70.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.3 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#10
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.9

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.4 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #10 → #11
-0.4 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.08 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.4
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.92
Published local-market alignment69.9

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#8–#11
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.9

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Home inspection · mobile property inspection service

Initial investment: $102,690–$134,290

Increase +0.1 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.2 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #11 → #12
-0.2 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.1 pts
Net local movement-0.10 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
2 sources
YouTube video 1YouTube video 2
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.1
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.2
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.90
Published local-market alignment69.9

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.2 pts
Tested rank range
#9–#12
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.7

Aire Serv

HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance · Manager-led mobile HVAC installation, repair, maintenance, and emergency service business using skilled technicians…

Initial investment: $113,308–$271,708

Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.6 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #12 → #10
-0.6 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.25 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
YouTube video 1
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.6
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.75
Published local-market alignment69.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#10–#14
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

Tiger Adjusters

Public insurance adjusting · Home-based, referral-led public insurance adjusting business combining local property inspections with…

Initial investment: $43,050–$159,500

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -0.4 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #13
-0.4 pts
Net local movement-0.39 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
YouTube video 1
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.4
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.61
Published local-market alignment69.6

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#12–#13
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

Initial investment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -0.4 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Healthcare-overlap labor competition Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #14
-0.4 pts
Net local movement-0.40 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.4
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.60
Published local-market alignment69.6

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Limited
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#13–#14

Worked score example

How we calculated City Wide

This example uses the same ledger shown for every concept and must reconcile exactly to the published score.

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.5
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parkingDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+1.2
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score72.42
Published local-market alignment72.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Starting pointThe operating-model baseline shown in the first ledger row.
InteractionsAny interaction or gate is included in the relevant contribution or calibration row.
Confidence treatmentEvidence confidence is disclosed separately unless the model definition explicitly applies a calibration adjustment.
RoundingFull-precision contributions are summed before the final displayed score is rounded to one decimal place; whole-number results are shown without a trailing decimal.

Factor impact

Which local conditions changed scores or rankings?

We neutralized one factor at a time, recalculated every score, and then measured both absolute score movement and changes in rank order.

Observed model effectMixed or model dependent

Target-market demand

We tested how much of the city’s theoretical customer and business demand remained usable after operating friction.

Why concepts react differently

We applied a measurable adjustment to 6 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 9 concepts changed position. Jan-Pro International moved from #4 to #11, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted6 of 14
Average among affected+0.7 pts
Average across all concepts+0.3 pts
Concepts changing rank9

Concepts helped most

City WideFacility management
+1.5 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+1.1 pts
FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics
+0.6 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.6 pts
Rainbow International RestorationRestoration
+0.2 pts
Measured but not differentiating in this concept set
  • Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
  • Transportation, routing, and parkingNo material score adjustment
  • Real estate and site feasibilityNo material score adjustment
  • Sales and customer acquisitionNo material score adjustment
  • Territory qualityNo material score adjustment
  • Regulatory and operating frictionNo material score adjustment

Rank stability

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

The line shows the best and worst rank reached when one factor was removed from every concept. A narrow range indicates a more stable position.

#1 City WideStable · tested #1–#2
#2 ActionCOACHHighly sensitive · tested #1–#5
#3 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #2–#6
#4 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #2–#11
#5 FASTSIGNSHighly sensitive · tested #3–#7
#6 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #4–#10
#7 ZOOM DRAINHighly sensitive · tested #3–#8
#8 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #4–#12
#9 Mr. RooterHighly sensitive · tested #6–#10
#10 Mister Sparky ElectricModerately sensitive · tested #8–#11
#11 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsModerately sensitive · tested #9–#12
#12 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #10–#14
#13 Tiger AdjustersStable · tested #12–#13
#14 Workout AnytimeStable · tested #13–#14

Neutralizing a factor removes it from every concept. A concept can move down even when its own score improves because competitors may benefit more.

Original factor comparison

How each factor affected the highest-rated franchise concepts

The graph includes the top 14 concepts by local-alignment score. Only nonzero score contributions are plotted. A factor is removed when every displayed concept received 0.0 points from it. Hover or focus a concept name to highlight all of its remaining data points.

Factor impact among the highest-rated franchise conceptsDiverging dot plot showing nonzero factor score contributions for the top 14 concepts. Zero-point concept-factor pairs are omitted, and factors with no nonzero contributions are excluded.+1.5+0.80.0-0.8-1.5
Target-market demand
#1 City Wide · Target-market demand · +1.5 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Target-market demand · +0.2 pts2#3 HomeSmiles · Target-market demand · +0.6 pts3#4 Jan-Pro International · Target-market demand · +1.1 pts4#5 FASTSIGNS · Target-market demand · +0.6 pts5#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Target-market demand · +0.2 pts6
Property replacement-cycle demand
#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.2 pts6#7 ZOOM DRAIN · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts7#8 PuroClean · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.2 pts8#9 Mr. Rooter · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts9#10 Mister Sparky Electric · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts10#11 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.1 pts11#12 Aire Serv · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts12
Labor and staffing friction
#1 City Wide · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Labor and staffing friction · -0.1 pts2#3 HomeSmiles · Labor and staffing friction · -0.5 pts3#4 Jan-Pro International · Labor and staffing friction · -0.5 pts4#5 FASTSIGNS · Labor and staffing friction · -0.2 pts5#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Labor and staffing friction · -0.6 pts6#7 ZOOM DRAIN · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts7#8 PuroClean · Labor and staffing friction · -0.5 pts8#9 Mr. Rooter · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts9#10 Mister Sparky Electric · Labor and staffing friction · -0.4 pts10#11 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Labor and staffing friction · -0.2 pts11#12 Aire Serv · Labor and staffing friction · -0.6 pts12#13 Tiger Adjusters · Labor and staffing friction · -0.4 pts13#14 Workout Anytime · Labor and staffing friction · -0.4 pts14
Referral ecosystem
#1 City Wide · Referral ecosystem · +1.2 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Referral ecosystem · +1.0 pts2#3 HomeSmiles · Referral ecosystem · +0.9 pts3#4 Jan-Pro International · Referral ecosystem · +0.3 pts4#5 FASTSIGNS · Referral ecosystem · +0.5 pts5#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Referral ecosystem · +0.8 pts6#7 ZOOM DRAIN · Referral ecosystem · +0.7 pts7#8 PuroClean · Referral ecosystem · +0.8 pts8
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [4] [6] [5] [7] [8] [9] [10] [1] [3]Property replacement-cycle demand: [1] [4] [14] [15] [17] [18] [26]Competitive environment: [25] [3] [4]Labor and staffing friction: [5] [6] [8] [7] [9] [1] [2]Transportation, routing, and parking: [4] [10] [11] [12] [3]Real estate and site feasibility: [13] [1] [3]Sales and customer acquisition: [25] [3] [7] [9]Referral ecosystem: [5] [7] [8] [9]Territory quality: [12] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [10] [13] [3]Regulatory and operating friction: [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [16] [18] [2] [3] [24]
View the chart data as a table
ConceptTarget-market demandProperty replacement-cycle demandLabor and staffing frictionReferral ecosystem
#1 City Wide+1.5 pts—-0.3 pts+1.2 pts
#2 ActionCOACH+0.2 pts—-0.1 pts+1.0 pts
#3 HomeSmiles+0.6 pts—-0.5 pts+0.9 pts
#4 Jan-Pro International+1.1 pts—-0.5 pts+0.3 pts
#5 FASTSIGNS+0.6 pts—-0.2 pts+0.5 pts
#6 Rainbow International Restoration+0.2 pts+0.2 pts-0.6 pts+0.8 pts
#7 ZOOM DRAIN—+0.3 pts-0.3 pts+0.7 pts
#8 PuroClean—+0.2 pts-0.5 pts+0.8 pts
#9 Mr. Rooter—+0.3 pts-0.3 pts—
#10 Mister Sparky Electric—+0.3 pts-0.4 pts—
#11 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors—+0.1 pts-0.2 pts—
#12 Aire Serv—+0.3 pts-0.6 pts—
#13 Tiger Adjusters——-0.4 pts—
#14 Workout Anytime——-0.4 pts—

Interpretation

How to interpret the result

City Wide, ActionCOACH, HomeSmiles led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from referral ecosystem while remaining less exposed to labor and staffing friction. The same city condition can help one operating model and constrain another, so score differences should be read through each concept's factor pattern rather than as a universal franchise-quality verdict. The ordering is most assumption-sensitive for ActionCOACH, HomeSmiles, Jan-Pro International; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Little Rock, Arkansas

Category summaries are shown only when at least two concepts qualified. Two-concept comparisons are explicitly labeled as limited.

Limited two-concept comparison

Best Restoration franchise opportunities we assessed in Little Rock, Arkansas

70.6

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 70.5 to 70.7. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 70.7. Referral ecosystem added 0.8 points on average among the affected concepts. Labor and staffing friction reduced the exposed concepts by 0.6 points on average.

Interpret cautiously: A 0.2-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.

Concepts compared
2
Score range
70.5–70.7
Category average
70.6
Rainbow International Restoration70.7
PuroClean70.5

Metric registry

The 27 local metrics behind this analysis

The registry shows each public metric’s raw value, period, geography, source, and its actual role in the compiled analysis.

View all local metrics
MetricRaw valuePeriodGeographyRole in analysisSource
Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025206,427peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasContext only [4]
Population change from the April 2020 estimates base to July 20251.9percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasContext only [4]
Estimated households in the 2020-2024 period87,858householdsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasContext only [4]
Owner-occupied housing unit rate53.5percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasContext only [4]
Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 20228,440,092,000USDJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasSupports modeled relationship [4]
Mean travel time to work18.5minutesJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receiptsLittle Rock, ArkansasContext only [4]
Education and health services payroll employment in June 202667,700jobsJune 2026 preliminary labor force and payroll employment; extracted August 7, 2026Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSASupports modeled relationship [6]
Unemployment rate in June 20264.1percentJune 2026 preliminary labor force and payroll employment; extracted August 7, 2026Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSAContext only [6]
Mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 202527.88USD per hourMay 2025Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSAContext only [5]
Healthcare practitioners and technical employment and concentrationemployment: 32,180; employment share percent: 9; location quotient: 1.42; mean hourly wage usd: 45.1structured metricMay 2025Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSAUsed in scoring [5]
Selected service and operations mean hourly wagesfood preparation and serving: 14.72; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance: 16.41; office and administrative support: 21.54; installation maintenance and repair: 27.23; transportation and material moving: 21.62USD per hour by occupation groupMay 2025Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSAContext only [5]
UAMS institutional scale relevant to Little Rockemployees approximate: 12,000; physicians approximate: 1,200; students: 3,553; medical residents and fellows: 1,030; hospital beds: 559; outpatient visits fy2025: 500,671structured metricWage change effective April 12, 2026UAMS, main campus in Little Rock with statewide operationsUsed in scoring [8] [7]
UAMS minimum wage and affected overlapping rolesminimum wage usd per hour: 16; effective date: 2026-04-12; affected employees approximate: 1,800; affected positions count: 75; role examples: instrument technicians, housekeepers, cooks, call center operators, parking ambassadors, access coordinators, customer service associates; occupational overlap confidence: high; affected franchise labor attributes: frontline hourly labor, technical labor, administrative labor; limitations: Employer-specific floor; does not establish a citywide statutory wage or universal trade shortage.structured metricWage change effective April 12, 2026UAMS employment system anchored in Little RockSupports modeled relationship [8] [5]
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Little Rock campus scalephysicians more than: 505; residents: 200; support staff: 4,400; beds: 336; city blocks: 36; floor area sqft more than: 2,000,000structured metricCurrent organizational facts accessed August 2026Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little RockUsed in scoring [9]
Predominant city-to-city commuting pattern is inward toward Little Rocktop nine flows inbound to little rock: 8; largest flow: residence: North Little Rock, workplace: Little Rock, commuters: 13,630; little rock to north little rock: 8,105structured metricCTPP 2017-2021 commuting flowsCentral Arkansas with Little Rock as primary employment centerContext only [10]
Average daily vehicle miles traveled per person37.4miles per person per dayFHWA 2022 daily vehicle-miles per capita reported in current long-range transportation planLittle Rock Urbanized AreaConditional relationship [11]
Parking enforcement footprint and regulated supplyenforcement area sq miles approximate: 1; metered spaces: 1,400; regulated spaces: 520; has loading zones: yes; has no parking zones: yesstructured metricCurrent parking rules and enforcement footprint accessed August 2026Downtown Little Rock, River Market, and Arkansas Children’s areaConditional relationship [12]
Central Arkansas flex-space vacancy and availability commentaryflex vacancy percent: 8.79; prior quarter percent: 8.65; industrial vacancy percent: 5.5; retail vacancy percent: 3.73; market comment: Smaller spaces were being vacated as tenants moved up; report described room for new entrants.structured metricQ1 2026Central Arkansas commercial real estate marketContext only [13]
LRWRA private sewer service line replacement reimbursement programprogram start: 2013-01-02; maximum reimbursement usd: 2,500; eligible customer type: domestic Little Rock customers; covered work: total sewer service line replacementstructured metricProgram effective since January 2, 2013; current terms accessed August 2026Little Rock domestic LRWRA customersUsed in scoring [14]
LRWRA Project RENEW is a multi-year citywide sewer renewal programgeographic extent: City of Little Rock; project type: multi-year sewer pipeline renewal; condition basis: aging and defective pipelinesstructured metricCurrent multi-year citywide sewer renewal program accessed August 2026Little Rock, ArkansasUsed in scoring [15]
2026 LRWRA collection-system inspection, repair, and capacity worklarge diameter sewer main contract not to exceed usd: 2,422,005; collection system analysis contract not to exceed usd: 259,990USD2026 Capital Improvement ProgramLittle Rock Water Reclamation Authority collection systemUsed in scoring [17]
LRWRA commercial kitchen FOG compliance programcovered customer: commercial kitchens; requirements summary: FOG disposal and best-practice compliance; enforcement note: noncompliance can result in finesstructured metricCurrent commercial-kitchen compliance guidance accessed August 2026Commercial kitchens served by LRWRAContext only [16]
LRWRA sanitary-sewer overflow compliance historysierra club action year: 2,000; settlement year: 2,001; cao year: 2,006; program: SECAP long-term capital improvement programstructured metricHistorical SSO litigation, 2001 settlement, SECAP, and 2006 CAO through closure-report submissionLittle Rock Water Reclamation Authority collection systemContext only [18]
Capitol Zoning District has state-administered development controls in the Capitol and Mansion areasdistrict areas: Capitol Area, Mansion Area; authority: Capitol Zoning District Commission; master plan status: codified rules and master planstructured metricCurrent codified rules accessed August 2026Capitol Zoning District, Little RockConditional relationship [19]
A 2026 restaurant application in the Capitol Zoning District required design and variance reviewproject: Little Caesars restaurant; review: Certificate of Appropriateness; variances: setback, pavement requirement, sign; additional review: Conditional Use permitstructured metricApril 2026 development applicationCapitol Zoning District, Little RockConditional relationship [20]
River Market Design Overlay District maintains a separate design-review application and 2026 hearing calendarapplication body: River Market Design Review Committee; review type: improvements within design overlay district; calendar year: 2,026structured metricCurrent form still linked by city planning resources; ordinance-based district reviewRiver Market Design Overlay District, Little RockConditional relationship [22] [23] [21]
Official Heights Landscape Design Overlay guidance is explicitly residential in scopescope: residential; interior work routine repairs exempt: yesstructured metricHeights Landscape Design Overlay District guidance accessed August 2026Heights Landscape Design Overlay District, Little RockConditional relationship [24]

How to use the ranking

What the model can and cannot establish

  • Scores measure local operating alignment, not expected financial performance or franchise-system quality.
  • Citywide evidence may not describe the exact site or territory ultimately offered.
  • Conditional effects are shown for diligence but do not change the published score until their applicability is established.

Methodology

How the local-alignment ranking is calculated

01

Measure the city

Collect reusable local metrics with source, period, geography, and confidence fields.

02

Profile each operating model

Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.

03

Apply scoreable effects

Score only effects that apply without an unresolved site, territory, customer, or project gate.

04

Preserve conditional effects

Keep location- or territory-dependent issues visible for diligence without automatically changing the score.

05

Test rank sensitivity

Remove one factor at a time from every concept and rerank using full-precision scores.

06

Generate public output

Create the ranking, factor-status ledger, visuals, metric registry, and automated quality report from the same data.

How the common baseline becomes a city-specific score

Every concept starts from the same 70.0 reference point, so differences come only from modeled local interactions. In this city, City Wide reached 72.42 after target-market demand +1.5 pts, referral ecosystem +1.2 pts, and labor and staffing friction -0.3 pts. The current model caps total local movement at ±18.0 points. The score is not a percentage, probability, or estimate of investment quality.

Precision and materiality

Calculations use full-precision values. Published scores and factor contributions display one decimal place, while ranks use full precision. Effects smaller than 0.1 points are identified as below the publication threshold rather than presented as a meaningful zero.

Score tiers

Tier 1 · Strongest modeled alignment80.0–100.0
Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.0–<80.0
Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment64.0–<72.0
Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment0.0–<64.0

How factor rows are classified

Positive local adjustmentNegative local adjustmentMeasured; no meaningful local adjustmentEffect below the publication thresholdNot applicable to this operating modelDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating conditionNot included in the score
What “best” means here

“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page.

Model 0.9.0 · Compiler 0.15.1-franchise-image-filter · Report generated August 19, 2026 (site timezone)

Model governance

How this report is calculated and corrected

Calculation controls

Model designer
Thomas Jepsen

No concept’s final score is manually raised or lowered after calculation. Before this template is activated, the report is reviewed for source scope, classification, arithmetic, unsupported claims, duplication, and readability.

Model history

  1. Model 0.9.0-calibration · August 19, 2026Added compiler-derived decision intelligence and observation usage mapping., Changed factor sensitivity and channel counterfactuals to full model reruns., Added data-dependent city content signals while preserving legacy public report fields., and Added model-owned semantic compatibility gates and backward-compatible channel-level evidence attribution.

Corrections policy

Corrected source, geography, or operating-profile evidence triggers a full compiler rerun so every dependent score and visual is recalculated.

Source registry

Evidence represented in this report

Each source identifies its period, scope, and the local metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is not presented as independently accessible evidence.

  1. 1
    Utility Delta Market Audit: Structural Inefficiencies and Asymmetric CRE OpportunitiesInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Research compiled through February 24, 2026
    Scope
    Little Rock, Arkansas section within multi-city docket
    Locator
    Little Rock section; housing, commuting, CRE, and UAMS claims
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  2. 2
    Structural Capital Friction and Municipal Extraction Mechanisms: A Forensic Audit of Ten U.S. JurisdictionsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Research compiled through February 20, 2026
    Scope
    Little Rock, Arkansas section within multi-city docket
    Locator
    Little Rock commercial-prototype section; LRWRA, fees, and labor discussion
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  3. 3
    Franchise data - remake - des.csvInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Supplied neighborhood records current to cited source set
    Scope
    Little Rock neighborhoods: The Heights, Downtown, River Market, SoMa, Midtown, Chenal Valley
    Locator
    Six Little Rock rows covering regulatory barriers, demand generators, and operational frictions
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  4. 4
    QuickFacts: Little Rock city, Arkansas

    Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from the April 2020 estimates base to July 2025, Estimated households in the 2020-2024 period, Owner-occupied housing unit rate, and Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 2022

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Data period
    July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 economic sales/receipts
    Scope
    Little Rock city, Arkansas
    Locator
    Population, households, housing, economy, commute, income and land-area table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  5. 5
    Occupational Employment and Wages in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway — May 2025

    Used for: Mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 2025, Healthcare practitioners and technical employment and concentration, Selected service and operations mean hourly wages, and UAMS minimum wage and affected overlapping roles

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Published
    August 4, 2026
    Data period
    May 2025
    Scope
    Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area
    Locator
    Table A major occupational groups and Table 1 healthcare occupations
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  6. 6
    Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Economy at a Glance

    Used for: Education and health services payroll employment in June 2026 and Unemployment rate in June 2026

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Data period
    June 2026 preliminary labor force and payroll employment; extracted August 7, 2026
    Scope
    Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area
    Locator
    Labor force, unemployment, and industry employment series
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  7. 7
    Fast Facts

    Used for: UAMS institutional scale relevant to Little Rock

    Publisher
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Data period
    Fast Facts July 2026; Fall 2025 enrollment; FY2024/FY2025 patient-care measures
    Scope
    UAMS with main campus in Little Rock and statewide operations
    Locator
    Education, patient care, physician, research, and facility scale
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  8. 8
    UAMS Raising Its Minimum Wage to $16 an Hour

    Used for: UAMS institutional scale relevant to Little Rock and UAMS minimum wage and affected overlapping roles

    Publisher
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    Published
    March 26, 2026
    Data period
    Wage change effective April 12, 2026
    Scope
    UAMS employment system anchored in Little Rock with statewide operations
    Locator
    Wage change, affected employee count, role examples, and employer scale
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  9. 9
    About Us

    Used for: Arkansas Children’s Hospital Little Rock campus scale

    Publisher
    Arkansas Children’s
    Data period
    Current organizational facts accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock
    Locator
    Physician, resident, support-staff, bed, campus, and floor-area counts
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  10. 10
    Commuting Flows

    Used for: Predominant city-to-city commuting pattern is inward toward Little Rock

    Publisher
    Metroplan
    Published
    September 4, 2025
    Data period
    CTPP 2017-2021 commuting flows
    Scope
    Central Arkansas with city-to-city flows centered on Little Rock
    Locator
    Narrative and Top 15 City-to-City Commuting Flows table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  11. 11
    MTP Chapter 2: Central Arkansas Snapshot

    Used for: Average daily vehicle miles traveled per person

    Publisher
    Metroplan
    Data period
    FHWA 2022 daily vehicle-miles per capita reported in current long-range transportation plan
    Scope
    Little Rock Urbanized Area / Central Arkansas
    Locator
    Vehicle travel and delay context
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  12. 12
    Parking Enforcement

    Used for: Parking enforcement footprint and regulated supply

    Publisher
    City of Little Rock Public Works
    Data period
    Current parking rules and enforcement footprint accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Downtown Little Rock, River Market, and area around Arkansas Children’s Hospital
    Locator
    Parking enforcement footprint, metered/regulated space counts, loading and no-parking zones
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  13. 13
    26Q1 Central Arkansas Market Report

    Used for: Central Arkansas flex-space vacancy and availability commentary

    Publisher
    Colliers
    Published
    April 29, 2026
    Data period
    Q1 2026
    Scope
    Central Arkansas commercial real estate market
    Locator
    Office, industrial, flex, retail vacancy and leasing commentary
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  14. 14
    Sewer Service Line Replacement Program

    Used for: LRWRA private sewer service line replacement reimbursement program

    Publisher
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
    Data period
    Program effective since January 2, 2013; current terms accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Eligible domestic customers in Little Rock
    Locator
    Program eligibility and reimbursement up to $2,500 for total private sewer-service-line replacement
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  15. 15
    Project RENEW

    Used for: LRWRA Project RENEW is a multi-year citywide sewer renewal program

    Publisher
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
    Data period
    Current multi-year citywide sewer renewal program accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Little Rock sewer system
    Locator
    Citywide replacement of aging/defective sewer pipelines and program rationale
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  16. 16
    Fats, Oils & Grease

    Used for: LRWRA commercial kitchen FOG compliance program

    Publisher
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
    Data period
    Current commercial-kitchen compliance guidance accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Commercial kitchens served by LRWRA
    Locator
    FOG best practices, compliance expectations, and fines warning
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  17. 17
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Commission Minutes, February 18, 2026

    Used for: 2026 LRWRA collection-system inspection, repair, and capacity work

    Publisher
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
    Published
    February 18, 2026
    Data period
    2026 Capital Improvement Program
    Scope
    LRWRA collection system serving Little Rock
    Locator
    Large Diameter Sewer Main Inspection and Repair and capacity-analysis authorizations
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  18. 18
    LRWRA CAO LIS 06-037 Closure Report

    Used for: LRWRA sanitary-sewer overflow compliance history

    Publisher
    Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality
    Published
    November 21, 2023
    Data period
    Historical SSO litigation, 2001 settlement, SECAP, and 2006 CAO through closure-report submission
    Scope
    Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority collection system
    Locator
    Statement of Problem and compliance history
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  19. 19
    Capitol Zoning District Commission Rules and Master Plan

    Used for: Capitol Zoning District has state-administered development controls in the Capitol and Mansion areas

    Publisher
    Code of Arkansas Rules
    Data period
    Current codified rules accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Capitol Area and Mansion Area, Little Rock
    Locator
    Commission authority, master plan, and district development controls
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  20. 20
    Capitol Zoning District Commission Agenda, April 16, 2026

    Used for: A 2026 restaurant application in the Capitol Zoning District required design and variance review

    Publisher
    Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
    Published
    April 16, 2026
    Data period
    April 2026 development application
    Scope
    Capitol Zoning District, Little Rock
    Locator
    Little Caesars certificate-of-appropriateness item, sign/setback/pavement variances, and conditional-use permit
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  21. 21
    Planning and Development Applications

    Used for: River Market Design Overlay District maintains a separate design-review application and 2026 hearing calendar

    Publisher
    City of Little Rock
    Data period
    Current application processes accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Little Rock with commission- and district-specific processes
    Locator
    Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, City Beautiful, Historic District, and River Market Design Review application pathways
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  22. 22
    River Market Design Review Committee Application

    Used for: River Market Design Overlay District maintains a separate design-review application and 2026 hearing calendar

    Publisher
    City of Little Rock
    Data period
    Current form still linked by city planning resources; ordinance-based district review
    Scope
    River Market Design Overlay District, Little Rock
    Locator
    Application for improvements pursuant to River Market design-overlay ordinance
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  23. 23
    Little Rock River Market Design Review Committee 2026 Calendar

    Used for: River Market Design Overlay District maintains a separate design-review application and 2026 hearing calendar

    Publisher
    City of Little Rock
    Data period
    2026 filing and public-hearing schedule
    Scope
    River Market Design Overlay District, Little Rock
    Locator
    2026 filing deadlines and public-hearing dates
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  24. 24
    Heights Design Overlay District Residential

    Used for: Official Heights Landscape Design Overlay guidance is explicitly residential in scope

    Publisher
    City of Little Rock
    Data period
    Heights Landscape Design Overlay District guidance accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Residential properties within the Heights Landscape Design Overlay District
    Locator
    Residential scope and processing notes
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  25. 25
    County Business Patterns: 2023
    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Published
    June 26, 2025
    Data period
    Calendar year 2023
    Scope
    County, metropolitan, ZIP Code and other CBP geographies by NAICS
    Locator
    Establishments, employment and payroll dataset description
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026
  26. 26
    Expansive Soils in Arkansas
    Publisher
    Arkansas Geological Survey
    Data period
    Current geohazard guidance accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Arkansas; exposure varies by mapped formation and site
    Locator
    Expansive-soil mechanisms and Porters Creek Clay description
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 10, 2026

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Disclaimer and broker disclosure: This analysis is informational and does not constitute financial, legal, accounting, or investment advice. Market-alignment scores do not predict financial performance or business success. Offers are made only through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document. We may receive referral compensation from participating franchisors; compensation is not an input to the scoring model.

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