Start a Holiday Lighting Service
The holiday lighting business is one very in-demand service that pays well and is easy to start. Obviously, the biggest drawback to this venture is the fact that it only lasts for a few months. However, during that time you can easily be busy seven days a week making some decent money.
There is a great demand for this service because it’s not something that is really main-stream. In other words, for those who love to get their homes professionally decorated, it may be a chalenge to find a company that actually does this.
What you’ll find is that many window cleaners will get into the holiday lighting business as soon as it’s too cold to wash windows. It’s almost a natural transition considering the fact that they’ve already got the high ladders and liability insurance – not to mention the experience working at heights.
Why is there a demand?
Christmas lighting is a very big thing for a lot of folks. Unfortunately, there is a limit to what they can do on their own. While some don’t have a knack for decorating, others lack the equipment to get those lights to the peaks of their roof. Still others are not willing to take the risk of climbing a ladder in the middle of winter.
If you want to get into the holiday lighting business, you should have professional ladders, liability insurance, and experience working at heights. It also doesn’t hurt to have a flair for design. People are paying for a professional job so the end result must look better than what they can do themselves.
For most jobs, you will be providing everything including the lights. Therefore, you need to find a professional supplier that can provide you with commercial grade lighting. These are much more heavy-duty than what consumers can buy in stores and are made to be used over and over. Look on the Internet and you can find a supplier that will fit the bill. It doesn’t matter if they’re local are not, everything can be done via the internet and courier.
Expect to pay a lot more for this type of lighting, so work that into the price of the job.
Start advertising in October for bookings in late November and December. An ad in the local paper will usually suffice. In fact, don’t be surprised if you’re turning away people in December because you’re fully booked.
A good rule of thumb is to try and make $30 plus per hour (not including the lights) while you’re on the job. It’s going to take you a while to accurately estimate how long each job is going to take. The only way you’ll get good at this is through experience. Some jobs could take you an entire day, depending upon what the customer wants done. Some will get you to decorate the house, and some will also include trees and landscaping. Every job is going to be different.
When pricing a job, keep in mind that there are two parts – putting the lights up, and taking everything down.
If you are able to fill your schedule, there is no reason why you can’t be working from mid November to mid January. Keep in mind that this could be seven days a week and as many hours as you can work during the day.
So if you don’t mind heights, cold weather, and a busy hectic schedule around the holidays, then perhaps this business is right up your alley.
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