My add-on service is anticipating doubled progress from final yr.
This coming weekend, many property homeowners are going through the daunting process of taking down vacation lights. Begin planning now, and also you’ll be able to earn income providing this service your self subsequent yr.
The seasonality of most panorama companies could be a battle for a lot of landscapers. Whereas some provide snow removing throughout the winter months, not each area will get snow—and earnings could be unpredictable because it’s depending on the climate.
However, including panorama and vacation gentle set up companies is an effective way for landscapers to usher in income year-round. Vacation lighting has a excessive revenue margin and is in demand irrespective of the climate. Even during times of financial downturn, folks nonetheless plan on spending throughout the holidays. The vacation lighting trade continues to develop and lots of lighting installers’ companies are rising every year. My lighting enterprise, Dynamic Celebration Lighting, is anticipating doubling our progress from final yr.
I began my landscaping enterprise, Kirk’s Garden Care, nearly twenty years in the past and opened Dynamic Celebration Lighting in July 2021. I began out as an avid vacation house decorator and vacation lighting hobbyist and later discovered a ardour in partnering with sights and vacation gentle reveals in my spare time. Final yr, I made a decision to start out providing my companies to owners to extend revenue and unfold vacation pleasure.
Luckily, there’s a low barrier of entry for landscapers that wish to add vacation lighting as an add-on service because it’s very complementary to the expertise and repair you already provide the remainder of the yr. Beneath are classes I’ve realized that may enable you efficiently develop your companies to incorporate vacation and occasion lighting.
Be taught The Fundamentals
One of many advantages of providing vacation lighting companies is that it’s comparatively straightforward to get began. I’m principally self-taught. Landscapers that supply panorama lighting companies, resembling porch lights or tree uplights, already know the lighting fundamentals. The identical wiring and normal understanding of how LED lighting works overlaps with vacation lighting.
But even when you’ve got lighting data, a terrific first step is for you and your staff to take in-person coaching courses by means of organizations like CLIPA (Christmas Mild Set up Professionals Affiliation). These programs provide hands-on coaching and go over a spread of important matters from the several types of obtainable vacation lighting to pricing fashions.
Networking and becoming a member of on-line teams comprised of trade professionals—or individuals who wish to break into the trade—can be very useful. CLIPA has a Fb group that anybody can be a part of, even when they aren’t a member of the affiliation. There are a few different Fb teams for Christmas gentle installers, resembling Christmas Mild Contractors, the place folks can join with different professionals, get recommendation on tips on how to get began within the trade, and ask questions on tips on how to deal with issues they haven’t encountered earlier than. Individuals can pose their query and take an image of the difficulty they’re going through (resembling a gutter that’s tough to hold lights from due to the gutter guard) and get solutions in minutes of posting. It’s an especially supportive and collaborative neighborhood.
Construct A Workforce
Groundwork, resembling stake lighting or lighting shrubs can simply and safely be completed with one individual. Nevertheless, bigger initiatives, resembling roof lighting and every other lighting that requires a ladder, ought to be completed by a crew for causes of security and effectivity. Dynamic Celebration Lighting runs two or three-people crews for vacation lighting.
Utilizing your present landscaping crew for vacation lighting companies is an efficient technique to preserve staff working year-round. It additionally means you don’t have to fret as a lot about them discovering one other job throughout the Winter and never returning once more within the Spring.
My landscaping crew loves vacation lighting initiatives and appears ahead to all of it yr. Normally solely our greatest staff go on the vacation lighting crew. You’ll be able to even contemplate providing vacation lighting assignments as a reward and motivator.
The Proper Gear
When it comes to stocking up on stock, it relies upon when you select to promote or lease lights to shoppers. In the event you promote lights, you should purchase lights while you e-book the job. In the event you lease lights, it’s worthwhile to refill upfront and have area for storing stock. It’s frequent to gather a 50% deposit upfront when the quote is signed that may be put in the direction of any further gear required by the job.
Anticipate potential shoppers to ask if they’ll provide their very own lights. We don’t set up buyer provided lights since we can not vouch for the standard or working order. We solely cling our commercial-grade LED lights that function a lifelong guarantee for our prospects. Our vacation lights are extra reliable and shine brighter than most obtainable huge field retailer lights.
Present gear like vehicles, minivans, and ladders can clearly be used for lighting companies. However you’ll additionally wish to buy security gear resembling harnesses, roof anchors, roofing footwear, and different roofing security gear. I exploit the Goat Steep Help system and Pitch Hoppers. In the event you’re beginning small, you don’t want some huge cash to get began. Security gear prices a pair hundred {dollars}.
