How to Start a Christmas Lights Installation Business

Many people and businesses enjoy having decorations during the holiday season. Not everyone, however, likes decorating or is physically able to. Christmas lights installation businesses provide holiday decorating services for individuals and businesses who want or need assistance with the put-up and take-down of lights and other decorations.

Learn how to start your own Christmas Lights Installation Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services.

Start a christmas lights installation business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Christmas Lights Installation Business
  2. Form your Christmas Lights Installation Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Christmas Lights Installation Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Christmas Lights Installation Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Christmas Lights Installation Business
  7. Get Christmas Lights Installation Business Insurance
  8. Define your Christmas Lights Installation Business Brand
  9. Create your Christmas Lights Installation Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your christmas lights installation business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Christmas Lights Installation Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state's business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your christmas lights installation business?

Business Name Generator

What are the costs involved in opening a christmas lights installation business?

The startup expenses involved in opening a Christmas lights installation business include:

  • a vehicle for transporting crews and lights to customers’ sites
  • ladders for installing lights
  • commercial-grade lights
  • insurance

Because a Christmas lights installation business is usually started to complement another seasonal business, most business owners who get into this line of work already have a vehicle, ladders and insurance from their other business. For instance, a painter or landscaper likely already has the equipment and insurance they need.

Some business owners may be tempted to purchase inexpensive lights to save money starting out, but this strategy often backfires. Cheap lights are more likely to break than commercial-grade ones, and the labor costs of replacing lights that break often exceed any savings the less expensive lights offer.

Instead of purchasing low-quality, inexpensive lights, businesses should invest in a few samples of high-grade lights. Representatives can use these samples to show customers what the lights look like, and then customers’ initial payments can be used to actually purchase the lights that will be used in displays.

Finally, some business owners may want to invest in a franchise. Opening a Shine holiday lighting franchise costs between $10,000 and $15,000. While franchises can offer some nice benefits, business owners don’t have to start their business as a franchise. Many open independent businesses that are successful.

What are the ongoing expenses for a christmas lights installation business?

The ongoing expenses for a Christmas lights installation business include storage costs for lights during the year, employees’ salaries and equipment costs. Storage costs are typically factored into customers’ quotes. Employees’ salaries and equipment costs are normally covered by another seasonal business during the rest of the year.

Who is the target market?

While most Christmas lights installation businesses have lots of residential customers, a business’ ideal customer is another business. Businesses frequently are willing to spend more on displays than individuals are able to, and most businesses don’t have employees to install lights for them. Lots of individual homeowners prefer install their own lights, making individual homeowners a less reliable source of regular business.

How does a christmas lights installation business make money?

A Christmas lights installation business makes money by charging customers for to install, service and take down decorative lights during the holiday season. Most customers are given individual quotes based on the size and complexity of their display.

How much can you charge customers?

The average cost of a Christmas light installation is $1,500, but some jobs run as high as $15,000 or $20,000. Many businesses don’t take on displays for less than $500 or $1,000.

How much profit can a christmas lights installation business make?

A Christmas lights installation business can bring in $50,000 or possibly $100,000, according to Stephen Lisk of Stephen Lisk Landscape Management in New Jersey. This is in addition to any revenue earned by another seasonal business.

How can you make your business more profitable?

A Christmas light installation business can generate more revenue by offering decorative lighting services at other times of the year. Some individuals may be willing to pay for Halloween decorating, and many people will hire a professional service for weddings or other special events.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your christmas lights installation business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services. You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

  • Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
  • Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a Christmas lights installation business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

For information about local licenses and permits:

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Services Contract

In businesses where services are provided on an extended basis, a services contract is often put in place outlining terms and conditions of service. You may wish to require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement clarifies client expectations and minimizes risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, and service level expectations. Here is an example of one such services agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your christmas lights installation business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Certificate of Occupancy

A Christmas lights installation business can be run out of a large storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

  • If you plan to lease a storefront:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a Christmas lights installation business.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued. 
  • If you plan to purchase or build a storefront:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for you business’ location to ensure your Christmas lights installation business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Christmas Lights Installation Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Christmas Lights Installation Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a christmas lights installation business

Since most Christmas lights installation business owners have established seasonal businesses, they already have a market to advertise decorating services to. Business owners can inform their current customers of the new services they’re offering, and some may sign on for holiday decorating. Berns says 70 percent of his holiday decorating customers were first landscaping customers he served.

How to keep customers coming back

A Christmas lights installation business can keep customers returning by selling lights to customers. Once lights are sold to customers, they’re more likely to work with the same business year after year. They’ve already made an initial investment, and switching to another holiday decorating business would probably require another large upfront purchase of lights.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Many Christmas lights installation businesses are started by painters, landscapers and other contractors who have a slow period around the holidays. The holiday decorating season is extremely short, lasting only a few months at the most, so it’s difficult to run a stand-alone Christmas lights installation business that offers no other services during the rest of the year. Such a business, however, is a potentially lucrative sideline business that can complement other seasonal businesses, such as exterior painting and landscaping.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

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What happens during a typical day at a christmas lights installation business?

The daily activities of a Christmas lights installation business revolve around the holiday decorating season. The season for actually displaying lights usually runs from Thanksgiving through the first week of January. The work involved extends beyond both these dates, though:

  • Leading up to the season, representatives help customers design their displays and crews test lights to make sure they’re working properly.
  • Through November and the first week of December, crews install light displays.
  • From Thanksgiving through the first week of January, crews service any lights that break or go out.
  • After the first week of January, crews take down lights and put them in storage.

Because there are only a few weeks to get as many light displays up as possible, Jim Berns of Michigan-based Berns Landscaping Services, Inc. recommends starting to put displays up soon after Halloween. Displays can be installed but not turned on. When customers want them turned on, a technician can come and set the timerswhich takes much less time than putting in an entire display. This helps businesses serve as many customers as possible in the week or two after Thanksgiving, which is when most customers want to start turning on their lights.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful christmas lights installation business?

While putting up holiday lighting might seem like a simple process, installers need to know how the lights they’re putting up will impact the circuits the lights are on. For example, they need to know:

  • how many lights a circuit can maintain
  • why different types of LEDs can’t be used on the same circuit
  • when it’s necessary to use a silicone connector

Many holiday lighting manufacturers and suppliers offer classes that cover information like this, and all installers should be signed up for such a class. For more advanced training, business owners can pursue one of the certifications offered by the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals.

Business owners also need to know how to manage and grow their Christmas lights installation business. For this, typical business skills such as business management, financial planning, and customer service skills will all be required.

What is the growth potential for a christmas lights installation business?

Most Christmas lights installation businesses start out small, serving just a local area. Several, however, grow to have franchises throughout a region or across the country. For example, Christmas Decor is a national business that works with local decorators in 48 different states. One decorator the company works with is the Christmas Decor of NJ by Triple R Lighting.

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Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a christmas lights installation business?

Before starting a Christmas lights installation business, business owners should carefully calculate how many customers they can realistically service. As a business grows, Christmas Designers notes, it can be tempting to take on more customers than the business can reasonably handle. Overextending a business can be disastrous, as upset customers are apt to leave reviews that tarnish a business’ reputation and hamper future growth. Controlled growth offers more long-term potential for success.

Business owners should also contact a tree service company in their area before officially opening. Some customers may have trees that are too tall for a Christmas lights installation business to put lights on, but this work could be outsourced to a tree service company that’s equipped to work on tall trees. The Christmas lighting installation business could still do the rest of the work, and it may even make a commission on the outsourced tree decorating.

How and when to build a team

Businesses only have a few weeks to install holiday lights, so it’s important to have a crew of employees ready to do installations as soon as a business opens. Most business owners already have a crew of employees available from their other seasonal business.

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