How to Start a Holiday Decorator Business

A holiday decorator business is one that allows you to go to homes, stores, and buildings to decorate the inside and outside for the holidays. This business allows you to bring a festive feeling to a specific location. This is a seasonal business, and while you can decorate for any holiday, you may find the most business around Christmas. You can also decorate for special events like weddings and birthdays. Continue reading to learn how to start your own holiday decorator business and find out if it is right for you.

Learn how to start your own Holiday Decorator Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

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Start a Holiday Decorator Business by following these 10 steps:

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

We have put together this simple guide to starting your Holiday Decorator 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 very important. Read our detailed guide on how to name your business. We recommend checking if the business name you choose is available as a web domain and securing it early so no one else can take it.

Want some help naming your Holiday Decorator Business?

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What are the costs involved in opening a Holiday Decorator Business?

The initial costs for a holiday decorating business are fairly low. On the low end, your costs may be around $1,500. On the high end, your costs could be over $30,000, but events this expensive tend to be rare. You can start this business out of your home, and all you need is decorations, tools, and some advertising.

What are the ongoing expenses for a Holiday Decorator Business?

You will have ongoing costs associated with a holiday decorator business, such as storage space. You will need storage for all of the decorations and tools you need for decorating. You also have the cost of your employees and any equipment that you might need. Additionally, you need to pay for business insurance.

Who is the target market?

Your target market is going to include a wide range of people. First, of course, you are going to get residential customers, but do not forget about businesses. Businesses are often in a position to spend more money than an individual on decorations.

How does a Holiday Decorator Business make money?

You make money with holiday decorating by charging for your decorating services. You create a menu of options that you provide and charge for those services. For example, you can charge for individual items and then offer packages.

How much can you charge customers?

It is possible for you to charge around $1,000 depending on the type of job you are performing. For example, if you are doing extensive decorating, you may end up charging more than $10,000.

How much profit can a Holiday Decorator Business make?

Depending on how many employees you have on your team and how many spaces you decorate, you can be highly profitable in a short period of time. It really is possible for you to earn anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000 depending on how big the decorating jobs are that you are completing.

How can you make your business more profitable?

One of the key ways to make your holiday decorator business more profitable is to expand to every possible holiday for decorations. Christmas is the first one that comes to mind, but Halloween is another key holiday for decorations. You should consider ways to expand to other holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Easter. In addition, you can expand to other events, such as weddings, birthdays, and graduations.

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 Holiday Decorator 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.

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.

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 Holiday Decorator Business

The best way to promote your holiday decorator business is through friends and family. Decorate your own home and decorate theirs too. If you know business owners, see if you can decorate their businesses. Then you can leave business cards and flyers with them. When someone hires a decorator, they want to see examples of the work you can do.

How to keep customers coming back

The best way to attract customers is to show off your skills. You have to continue to do an excellent and creative design job to encourage customers to want to continue to use your services.

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?

The ideal person for a holiday decorator business is someone that has a large amount of passion for events and the holidays. This business takes a large amount of dedication and effort. This business is intended for someone that is creative, handy with tools, and has a love of presentation.

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 Holiday Decorator Business?

A typical day for a holiday decorator involves organizing the work you have for the day. You must know your jobs in advance and make sure you have the proper decorations and tools. You should organize all the items you need for each job and then go decorate. You also may need to handle the administrative side by making sure you are paid for the work you do.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful Holiday Decorator Business?

While you do not need specialized training to be a holiday decorator, you do need creativity. Unfortunately, there is no official training, but having experience decorating is a plus.

What is the growth potential for a Holiday Decorator Business?

There is a good amount of growth potential for a holiday decorator. You can choose how much you want your business to grow. However, you will likely grow fastest by word of mouth.

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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 Holiday Decorator Business?

The competition can be fierce for this type of business, so it is advisable that you understand the market and know where the demand is. This will help you start off on the right foot.

How and when to build a team

You may only have a few weeks to put up holiday decorations, so you probably want a set of employees to help decorate. Due to the seasonal work, you want to do as much work as you can in a short amount of time. Therefore, it is a good idea to build a team as soon as possible.

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