Holiday lighting info

[Neil_Asheville]

Good morning. A landscaper friend of mine and I got to talking about holiday lighting as a seasonal service. I've heard mention of franchises built around this? I see a forum here but not much on info. I'd like to hear from anyone good, bad, or considering it themselves for this coming season. My friend and I share a good number of high-end customers. He's established himself very well and payrolls 15. I see more bushes and trees with the white lights, not roofs or gutters. This would be a premium service to the right client, priced as such. We're not talking icicle strands and plastic Santa's on the roof. That's more of a Tennessee thang! LOL Fife.

Feel free to call anytime.

Cheers,
/neil

[newlook]

Neil,

Though we don't do the holiday lighting service we are very aware that it can bring in very good residual income. A company out here does not only do X-mas but they also get the Halloween market also.

I would say it is worth your time to look into.

[TNT Pressure Washing]

How would you advertise this service? Word of mouth?

[PressurePros]

Marketing this service would probably be pretty expensive. I never knew you could hire someone to do this type of service. I would say most people (at least in this area) also have no idea it exists.

[Paul Kassander]

I tried that one year about 15 years ago and didn't really get any response. If you have a regular customer that you deal with consistantly they may be interested, or commercial accounts.

Most of the people around here use their landscapers because they can get all the pine boughs etc. cheaper and deal with that type of stuff regularly. I guess it really depends on your market.

[Beth n Rod]

Do you really think those are elves in the bucket trucks putting up lights, and holiday flags at shopping centers nation wide?

Bah Humbug! It's service companies who found a niche and marketed to property managers....

Beth

[racechaser]

Originally Posted by Paul Kassander

I tried that one year about 15 years ago and didn't really get any response.

15 years ago everybody (but the rich) cut their own grass too. Like Beth said it's all about service industries now.

Scott

[racechaser]

BTW somebody here does it already. Landscaping biz in off season.

Scott

[Bayousbest]

What do you charge for this service? I assume you would have to go back after the holiday to take everything down.

[CarolinaProWash]

There's a post on another bbs about installing Christmas lights in trees - using guttering & duct tape (can't wait to try that out) They charge $1.00 a foot to install, .75 to remove.

Celeste

[Don M.]

There is a pest control company in St. Louis doing this. They were on a local talk show. They said the first time a customer calls them to hang lights its (are you sitting down) 3G's. The do a professional layout and drawing, and you have to buy the lights from them. They claim they have 75 homeowners that hire them.

[Bayousbest]

Originally Posted by Don M.

There is a pest control company in St. Louis doing this. They were on a local talk show. They said the first time a customer calls them to hang lights its (are you sitting down) 3G's. The do a professional layout and drawing, and you have to buy the lights from them. They claim they have 75 homeowners that hire them.

WOW!! Thats a lot of money to make during the off season. Who is paying for this service? people with more money than they know what to do with, Older people that cant get on ladders? It has always been a family thing for us to do the lights every year.

[Scott Stone]

I have an acquaintance that has a company that does all of the shopping centers in Arizona. From October to February he has over 100 employees installing lights, servicing them and taking them down. In the summber he still has 20 employees on staff.
He does make a living doing it. He also is part owner in a couple of other companies, as well, but the holiday lights business is what made him able to invest significant amounts of money with other businesses.

[jkevin]

hello all from wi alot of helpful info here. going to be starting pw biz. here real soon. but as to the xmas lights that is a good way to make some money providing you have the right equip. such and most imprtant a boom truck. i help[ a landscaper this last season 06 he made out great has around 250 customers. not to many everyday ppl like me and others but high end cust.here the prices run a little high with led lights 25 buck a stringwith waarenty 5 yrs i believe.travel to 3 diff states but most here in wi.i remember one guy bought 2300 dollars worth of lights just a tip of the iceburg. then he keeps the lights we put them up and took them down at the end. after that price is about one third of original price. avg cutomer is about 500 profit not to bad for one job sometimes get several done in one day
kevin

[CleanPortland]

If interested in getting in to the holiday lighting business let me know. I might be able to give some helpfull information. I started 3 years ago and rapidly turned it in to my largest business.