4 Secrets to Running a Successful Holiday Lighting Business

Below you will find 4 secrets that have taken me years to discover... why I believe you need to know them... and how you can quickly copy my exact formula for success in the holiday lighting business. The best part is there's nothing for you to figure out if you follow my simple plan.

Secret #1: Get Fast Cash
All savvy business owners know cash flow is the single most important part of their business. Without cash your hands are tied, your options limited and, your opportunities closed. It's like trying to walk with your feet tied together... You haven't got a chance.
Getting fast cash when you first start your business is crucial.

Secret #2: Secure Repeat Business
Cash in the bank is great -- it pays your bills and eliminates your debts. But if you want to build a long term successful holiday lighting business, you need high levels of repeat business. Meaning customers who come back year after year. Most successful business owners know that it is easier to cheaper and easier to retain an old customer than to find a new one.

Secret #3: Distinguish Yourself From The Competition
This secret is missed by so many people, yet, it's the most obvious one of all!
The simple fact is, well known companies with solid reputations get paid more money... are most often referred to others... and have virtually no competition. Look around your town at the most successful well known companies. Don't believe for one second they accidentally fell into the role... in nearly every case these companies had a very deliberate plan. Why? Because they knew it would earn them more money! The good news is, it doesn't take anywhere near as long to brand your company as most people think.

Secret #4: Create a Real Business
Making money isn't as hard as many people would have you believe - it's not easy, but once you know how to do it, the process is fairly straightforward. However don't kid yourself...
If your business is NOT built on a solid foundation then it is only a matter of time before you lose it all (happened to me, not once but twice!). I don't mean to sound harsh... but it's the truth. If you don't have real customers... if you don't have business assets... if you're at the mercy of your competition... then you could wake up one day to find your entire business wiped out.

As you can see, these secrets ARE simple...but honestly... how many are YOU using?

When you follow these 4 secrets -- You will generate fast cash almost immediately. You will turn your customers in to fanatical repeat buyers. Your holiday lighting business will standout light years ahead of the competition. You will have a real business that puts you in control of your financial future.
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What is the Easiest Way to Cash in on the Holiday Decoration Business

Right around this time of year many people look forward to increasing their income by $30-$40,000. How do they do this? They have their own holiday decoration business. What would it take to create this kind of income in three months?

Many holiday lighting decoration specialists have been doing this for years as a part-time business. They have a regular number of projects that they do every year and they get so many referrals that they are guaranteed a healthy income even in January.

Quite often, seasonal business owners such as landscapers, roofers, and even painters transition to Christmas light decoration. They often get their contracts from their existing pool of customers. Many of these business owners can realize $2-$3000 income in a single day from their holiday decoration business.

What does it take to put together a holiday lighting and decoration business? If you have an existing client base that you work with from year to year, you might have a willing market. Many new Christmas lighting specialists will contact their friends, families and neighbors with flyers announcing a discounted special as a means of introducing the new business.

Once you've started your first project, be sure to put up a sign while working that promotes your business as you work. You should have your website and your business information so that people in the neighborhood can contact you. Be sure to get permission from your client of course. Since you're giving them a discount for the project, there shouldn't be much of an objection to you promoting yourself as you work.

Take photos of the finished project for promotional purposes. Get a testimonial from your new satisfied client and place that on the website as well along with a picture of the home or business. Once you do have your first job and testimonial, place those on another flyer and get out there and promote like crazy.

Once you know exactly how to set up your Holiday lighting business, you can be making money in your first week. In order to conduct your business properly, you'll need some guidelines. There are ways to conduct business that will bring you a lot of money and a lot of referrals, if you start out on the wrong foot, you can end up with a lot of headaches. That's why it's important to get started properly with all the right tools and information.
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Try This Simple Plan For Making $20,000 With Holiday Lighting Installation

If you're trying to figure out how you're going to survive financially this coming holiday season, I'll let you know now it doesn't have to be that tough. There are some answers out there and many of them are better than others. I'm going to give an example of how you can turn a small investment in a part-time business into a seasonal cash cow.

Here's a secret for you, the holiday season never stops; even in a depression. Sure, spending might slow down a bit; but the truth is people save all year to enjoy their Christmas. One thing that many people continually enjoy is the festive holiday lighting. The majority of people you know may string their own lights but I'm going to tell you right now that not all of them do.

I'm an incredibly busy guy. I'm also not that fond of manual labor. I calculated what I make a month against what I would lose in the event of an accident; say, falling from my roof. I'll tell you right now I can pick up the phone and make an appointment and have a local guy come out and do a much better job. My wife and kids will be happy, I will be happy and a few hundred dollars later my installer will be happy as well.

Here is a plan for you to think about if you want to bring your family some holiday cheer this year.
Let's say you worked solidly for eight weeks with only one installation package valued at a measly $300.

You canvassed your town, placed ads in the local papers and called all the stores in the area. You started conducting estimates early and found that you could sell 50% of them. Remember, you're looking at a basic installation of only $300. Many people spend more than that when trying to install Christmas lighting themselves.

At that price, you start scheduling two jobs a day in advance. If you take the time to learn how to do this right, this simple basic package could land you $20,000 before the holidays are over.
If you take the time to study the commercial Christmas light installation business you will understand more clearly why this industry brings in over $200 million a year. You can have a piece of that cash flow if you're willing to follow a smart strategic plan.
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Start Cashing in on Christmas Holiday Lighting Business Now

You may be sitting around wondering how you're going to afford those Christmas gifts this holiday season. Although last year, store purchases were down, the Christmas lighting business was as strong as ever. What I mean is, people may be frugal about buying luxury items, but they still want to enjoy the holiday spirit.

Part of that holiday spirit is the tradition of decorating and lighting. You may be saying to yourself "but don't people decorate their own trees and their own rooms?" Ask any photographer if their business is hurt by cell phone cameras. The market for well produced Christmas holiday lighting is strong because many affluent people take pride in their homes.

Many prefer to leave the job to an expert for several reasons. Safety is a very big issue when it comes to outdoor Christmas holiday lighting. If you can provide the level of professionalism that will ensure an outstanding Christmas lighting experience, clients will not have to concern themselves with climbing onto a roof.

Let's face it, some people would love to have the ability to layout, design and implement a great Christmas lighting scheme but lack the skill, tools, time and materials. When looking at your local market, don't neglect the seniors. They may have been putting Christmas lights up forever but now are not in the best shape to do what they envision. This is where you can come in and fill the gap.
There are quite a few overlooked markets that you can tap into once you have a few testimonials and samples under your belt. Residential homes can be a staple for your business but don't forget commercial opportunities as well.

In order to conduct this business properly you'll want to invest in the right training. The right tools and the kind of marketing will get you up and running with profits in your bank account starting with your first job. There are people who try to transition into Christmas lighting decorating without being fully aware of the pitfalls that may occur. This can be a disaster.

In order to avoid making the classic errors in this unique business, you need to study experienced players in the field. This means taking the time to learn from the experts. Find out what the proper methods of running the Christmas lighting business are to make the most money with the least amount of headaches.
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The Truth About Holiday Lighting Franchises

If you're thinking of starting your own holiday lighting business, it is very likely that you've seen ads which offering to let you buy into a holiday lighting franchise. To many people, these franchise offers sound quite tempting. After all, if you purchase a business that is already established, you don't have to go through the hardships that you would face from starting a business from scratch.

However, before you make the decision to purchase a Christmas light installation franchise, please read this article in its entirety, it will only take a minute or two and you need to see below the surface of these offers. It must first be noted that purchasing a franchise will require a great deal of money.
In most cases, the purchase of a holiday lighting business franchise will start at about $25,000, and can be as high as $100,000. Remember, this money can never be refunded once the business is purchased.

Now, when attempting to sell you their business, most franchise owners will tell you that it will come with a territory that is protected, a well known brand, and a high end website. These are the main perks associated with these franchises and they hype them up a lot.

First off, when it comes to territory, they will only give you one that is within your zip code, meaning that you are only allowed to sell and market your services within your own zip code. If you want to move beyond this area, you will have to purchase additional territories (zip codes) from the parent company.

As far as a well known brand goes, most people can't think of prominent holiday lighting franchise off the top of their head. Remember, Christmas light installation is very much a 'local' service and is very different is different from brands like Coke, Subway or McDonalds, the brand name just isn't there.

As far as a website goes, you can get a fully custom, high end sales website built and hosted for about $2,000 or less, but the franchisors will tell you that they are giving you a ten or twenty thousand dollar website. The reality is you will get a web "page" that is customized for you, that is attached to the main corporate website.

When you begin to take all these things into consideration, it becomes easy to see why paying $25,000 or $100,000 for a holiday lighting franchise is ridiculous, and if you do it, you will regret it.
The reality is that the start up costs for a Christmas light installation business are so low that it just doesn't make sense to buy a business, when you can simply start your own, especially now that there are proven home study courses out there that will guide you through the whole process for a fraction of the cost.
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Looking To Make Christmas Cash This Year? Let Me Show You How

Looking to make Christmas cash this year? Christmas lighting installation businesses can do just that. This multi-billion dollar industry has flown well below the radar for many decades. There are companies making over $1 million each season just from putting a lot of pretty lights around homes and businesses.

Learn from the experts before you get started.

I can't overstate this enough; learn how to do this the right way from the beginning and you will profit tremendously. There is very little time before the season starts, so get online find a reputable trainer or mentor who actually does holiday lighting installation for living. They will save you many headaches and make you a lot of money.

Work on your own home or that of a friend for experience.

However, everything you learned to practical application on your home. Get the tools and the lighting and learn by doing. If your living space is not appropriate, find a friend who has a home and is linked decorated for free this holiday season.

Offer a killer discount for the first five sign-ups.

This business costs very little to start up although it can pay you a six-figure salary in no time flat. It all starts with the first few set of houses so invest in your customers and give them a nice discount for jumping in early. Remember, they trust you to do a great job even though you're new at this.
Get your marketing done early.

Remember the season starts earlier every year. Don't wait until Halloween to order your supplies and market your business; just close your window of opportunity and drastically reduced your own profits.

Take many pictures.

Every home that you decorate should be photographed. Handout permission slips along with the bill. Get a website and a photo album and place the pictures on both.
Don't leave a job without an endorsement.

Never leave a satisfied customer without an endorsement. When you ask them how they feel about the job and they describe it in positive detail, ask them if you can quote them on that. Take out your voice recorder and have them repeat their statement.

Get some referrals from your existing customers.

Once you're done send him a thank-you card. If you're not already booked up for the season, call them up and ask them if they know their neighbor.

There is absolutely no doubt that this business can make you a lot of money if you do it right. Take the time to learn from the best in the holiday lighting business. Take the guesswork out of getting started and move up on the fast track to bringing in a lot of Christmas cash.
 
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How to Make $10,000 a Month Cashing in on Christmas Light Installation

If you have a strong desire to secure more money for your family over the coming holidays, pay close attention. You see, many people proudly display their Christmas lights every year but hold a secret they don't usually share with their neighbors. If you are like me, quite often during the holiday season when driving the family around you'll go to those neighborhoods where the light show is spectacular. I discovered their secret years ago at a party.

A prominent doctor had a Christmas party in his home in an exclusive part of town. While enjoying the festivities my wife and I took a walk through the neighborhood and gazed at all the gorgeous Christmas lighting. We got back and commented to our host how beautiful the lighting was on all the streets in the area and he commented that several of the companies that come out each year compete unofficially against each other for the best lighting display.

When I remarked why his neighbors would hire someone to do the lighting for them, he looked at me as if I had three heads on my shoulder. My wife later commented that there was no way any of the people in this neighborhood making half a million a year would risk going up on their roof for the sake of Christmas lighting and decorations. Many of his neighbors would not think twice about spending $3,000 or $4,000 to get the job done properly.

That's when I understood why there is over $200 million a year spent on professional Christmas lighting installation. The truth is, if someone is busy, stressed out, or just plain tired, they don't want the headache of putting up Christmas lighting if they can hire someone to do it for a few hundred dollars. If they have a huge home, that makes matters even worse but the job even more lucrative.
So, if you thought that every one of your neighbors actually do put up their own Christmas lighting, you would be in for a pleasant surprise. The more affluent the areas, the less likely it will be that they're putting up their own Christmas light display.

If you want to make $10,000 a month during the holiday season I suggest you take a close look at becoming a commercial Christmas lights installer. The market is definitely out there for that service and growing more each year.
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Finally An At Home Business That Brings In Christmas Cash

If you're self-employed and you have been trying to figure out how to increase your income around wintertime, I want you to give this some serious consideration. If you've ever driven around town from late October to the end of December, you've seen many Christmas lights. Some of the most amazing displays aren't done by your neighbors or the local business owner. Folks have been paying from a few hundred dollars up to as much as several thousand dollars for holiday lighting displays.
There are people making a great income from this at home business. You would have to learn on the job how to operate. You're going need to be familiar with the following:

• Party in holiday lighting
• Mini  lights
• LED battery operated lights
• C7 and C9 bulbs
• Net lights
• LED Christmas lights
• 12 V LED lights
• Rope lights
• Icicle lights
• Illuminated Christmas wreaths
• Illuminated Christmas garlands
• Holiday light controllers
• Light clips and hooks
• Lights stakes
• Rope lights
• Sculpted clips for mini  lights
• Timers for Christmas lights
• Light repair tools
• Color caps
• Blackout cats
• Assorted electrical plugs
• Electrical cord strippers
• Wire cutters
• Assorted clips for grooves, tile, gutters, fences, trees and shrubs

You're going to be learning how to maneuver safely on a ladder, a roof, in, and around trees. I no longer do the installation myself; I have people that do that for me but when you're just starting out you may have to get on the ladder to get the work done. The work itself is fairly easy and simple; once you get started time passes by fairly quickly.

Getting the work relies on your marketing skills but if you take a few courses offered by holiday lighting experts, you'll quickly learn what works in your field and what doesn't. Take many pictures of your finished work in order to promote yourself. Don't forget the testimonials; they go a long way to getting you the next job.

Let's talk a little bit about the money. Depending on your location, you can average anywhere from $500-$1000 a day as a startup. Learn how to market yourself properly and follow one of the online courses and you may be able to double that next year. This business is not rocket science and can be a heck of a lot of fun.
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Cashing In On Christmas- An Off Season Business For Landscapers

Many people in today's economy are living paycheck to paycheck and worried stiff about losing their jobs. Small business owners who cater to the local market are always looking for ways to promote themselves especially during the holidays. One overlooked off season business is bringing the two together in surprising ways. During the holiday season, businesses contract out to have their Christmas lights and decorations done by professionals.

If you've always been used to making great money in your landscaping business you may be looking at a slow winter. Some landscaping companies have noticed this trend and are supplementing their slow winter months with holiday lighting installation. While some businesses will cater to homeowners, others have gravitated to servicing commercial clients exclusively.

Many of the large 3-D light sculptures that have become popular in towns and cities across the country are being picked up by local businesses and shopping malls as a stylish and memorable way to ring in the holiday season. Some of these installations can cost thousands of dollars. One major reason for its appeal among commercial clients is the amount of foot traffic these displays bring.
Some of these displays have become local traditions and the general public expects to gather and see the displays each year. One of these contracts can be worth as much as the average annual salary for a family of four. These installations can take up to a week or more to plan and implement based on several factors; the originality of design, the availability of materials the number of components that are prefabricated versus custom built and labor needed for installation.

There are usually several bids placed for the initial project with several requirements necessary to fulfill the client’s needs. Experienced holiday lighting installers will usually be the ones who bid on these types of projects. They will each make a brief presentation of their work along with a written estimate and a mockup of an original design.

The reason I illustrate this point is to show you that the Christmas light installation business can be incredibly lucrative. Once you get started in this business, you can branch out into wedding reception lighting, and other commercial displays. In the meantime, you can start making an extra $500-$1000 a day, your first year in business.

Why stop making money at the end of the year in your landscaping business when you can double your income in an off season business? There are experts who have been doing this for years who will be happy to show you how to dominate your local market with holiday lighting installation. Get the facts on how this can be done with very little upfront costs and great training.
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Christmas Holiday Lighting Business Can Lead to Big Profits

Let me ask you a simple question; if you could bring in $20-$30,000 in two months every year, would you take the time to learn how to do that? There are many contractors, landscape designers and painters who're currently doing just that with a side business they conduct just three months out of the year.

You may not reach that level right away unless you have the infrastructure already in place but some new Christmas holiday lighting business owners are already seeing $20,000 from last year's business. If you remember, the Christmas holiday season was supposed to be terrible last year.
What we have noticed it is that people want their holiday spirit. You might be thinking that everyone in your neighborhood does their own lights, but you may not be right about that. It may give you an example. I've watched several well-to-do homes in my area lit up bright the Rockefeller Center Plaza on Christmas Eve. Every year our family drives through the neighborhood and enjoyed the light show.

When I first started investigating this business I thought that doing this much work to make a spectacular looking Christmas light display couldn't possibly be a profit making venture. On closer inspection was I ever surprised! Several of my older neighbors no longer install their own lights. One reason above all was safety. They wanted to see many more Christmases!

No one likes the idea of a 70-year-old climbing onto the roof of his house every year to conduct a spectacular Christmas light display. Yet many elderly folks want to have their display that they've been putting up year after year and are willing to pay someone good money to do it.

There are of course things to consider when starting your Christmas light design and installation business. You'll want to get the best training possible to make the experience for you and your customers the best it can be. You'll need to learn the tricks of:
- lighting design
- display lights
- tools and supplies
- decorating techniques
- proper maintenance
- utilizing manpower
- appropriate marketing techniques
- customer service and business practices

This unique field is not for everyone but if you have the drive and willingness to learn this trade, you can transition your Christmas light decoration business from seasonal to a year-round range of services for your clients. What are you waiting for?
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Landscapers - Cashing In On Christmas Is Now Easier Than Ever

Here’s a profitable home-based business opportunity, which brings in over $1000 a day. You do have to work for a living; this is no envelope stuffing scam but an often-overlooked industry that has been steadily growing year after year for many decades. The holiday lighting industry is a multibillion dollar a year business all over the world. The U.S. season begins around Halloween. Home and business decorations begin to appear and elaborate lighting designs sparkle through the night. Many of those luminescent creations are installed by professionals.

My landscaping business was very lucrative but always came to a screeching halt in the end of fall. Like many other business owners with seasonal operations I now switch to indoor and outdoor lighting design installation. There are a few basic design ideas that you should be aware of as well as electrical installation safety procedures. It's probably best to do what I and many others who got in this business of years ago did; go online and find a good course in running your holiday lighting business.

Some of the basics that you're going to have to learn of consist of how to match the lighting to the style of the home or building. For instance you'll know how to treat a ranch or Victorian a little differently from a multi-story or a basic tract box home. You'll need to learn how to accessorize and add ornamentation that fits within the clients preconceived style and taste.

You're going to have to be familiar with all the different varieties of bulbs for indoor and outdoor decorative lighting installation. You'll need to be familiar with the kinds of fasteners and hangers; how to use and how to splice and customize your cords. Experts have already put together guides to help you learn the ropes.

This year we're going to be installing three-dimensional lighting sculptures as part of our new service. They are more elaborate and more expensive but many residential and commercial clients gain lots of attention from these amazing animated displays. Quite a few of our vendors carry a wide assortment of animated characters in a wireframe mesh complete with lighting already established. Custom designs are also available and of course, we charge more for that service.

If you could make a lot of money with the basic equipment that you have now wouldn’t you want to take a closer look at making it happen? Many landscapers have been beating themselves up every year trying to supplement their income during the off-season. You cannot only supplement your income with a profitable home-based business opportunity, you can take home income that you would make in a year and have yourself a very happy holiday.
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The Christmas Lighting Business --- A Simple Trick To Earn Huge Bucks

In my experience, I would say that most Holiday lighting companies are small (2-4 employees) and only have the ability to handle a limited amount of customers each year.

Once some installation companies establish core clients after their first year, many of them don't even market. Their business comes from previous jobs or referrals from current clients, which usually is made up of neighbors, family and friends.

Each holiday season, you will find that more calls come in than can ever be fulfilled. I have found this to be a very common complaint from Christmas lighting installers: too much business! I can't think of any other industry that has a problem turning down customers!

 During the first week of December, things get really busy any calls start pouring in. I have found myself telling people that I can't leave my house for less than a minimum of $400. Lighting services are in such demand that people are really willing to pay an arm and a leg to have it done.

Growth is the goal and most important aspect to your new business. Be careful though because you don't want it to grow so quickly that you find yourself overwhelmed. This will only lead to a series of problems that will have a negative impact on your business. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Only make commitments that you can keep. Never say you will do something and not follow through. Your reputation is your most valuable asset and you should protect it at all costs.

Take this business one job at a time and don't be afraid to tell a client that you are booked.
 Things tend to get very busy and there is only so much you will be able to handle on your own. It may be hard at first to turn down jobs, but be aware that there is always next year.
 Keep a database of names, numbers, and email addresses. Even if you don't get to them this year, you will be able to contact them earlier in the season next year to ensure that they become a client.

Make sure that you take down as many details as possible about your clients and contacts. Names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, how they found you, job description, and price quote are all important to have in a database. The more organized you keep your business, the more efficient you become and the more profits you make.
 You should have a good handle on your strengths and weaknesses as a worker and a business owner. If you don't, you will soon learn them.

Owning a business will teach you a lot about yourself. By knowing your skills and what you bring to the table, you will be able to take advantage of many opportunities that will make your business as efficient as possible.
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