How to Transition from Lawn Care to a Christmas Light Business

When the busy lawn care season ends, it’s time to figure out what you’re going to do next. For many lawn care businesses, they choose to transition into a Christmas Light Business.

There are many benefits to transitioning from lawn care to a Christmas light business:

• Keep your favorite employees year round
• Maintain a healthy profit throughout the year
• Convert your Christmas light clients into lawn care clients (and vice versa)

The benefits of turning your lawn care business into a Christmas light business are endless.

In this article, we’ll talk about the essential steps every lawn care business needs to take before transitioning into Christmas light installation.

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1. Adjust Your Lawn Care Business Insurance Coverage

While your lawn care business likely (or should) already has insurance, your Christmas light business might not be covered under your current policy.

Since there are additional risks involved in the Christmas light installation process, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to update your policy to cover yourself.

Before you start working, check with your lawn care business insurance provider to ensure your Christmas light business is covered. Then, adjust your policy to ensure coverage.

2. Set the Right Expectations With a Contract

From the start, it’s important to set the right expectations by instituting a Christmas light contract with your clients.

By making your clients sign a Christmas light contract, you’ll be able to protect your business as well as ensure positive client relations.

As you create your Christmas light contract, these are a few things to consider:

1. List all of the terms, materials, services, and labor you’re providing
2. State the contract price (though, subject to change)
3. Give a completion timeframe
4. State how payments will be made (e.g. autopay via software)
5. Cover all of your legal bases (e.g. following laws, contract changes, etc.)

While this is a quick list to help get you started, you can include additional information as needed. Also, don’t forget to have this contract reviewed by a legal professional or lawyer.

3. Find a Reputable Christmas Light Supplier

In order to ensure a seamless supply of Christmas lights, you need to find a reputable Christmas light supplier.

When you have a reputable Christmas light supplier, you’ll have the confidence you need to smoothly run your business:

• Always have reliable, working lights
• Know how many lights to order every time
• Get a Christmas light sample kit to show to prospects

Plus, for ease of operations, many Christmas light business owners choose to rent out their lights so they can ensure it’s properly stored and maintained from year-to-year.

4. Equip Yourself With Christmas Light Tools

Even though Christmas light installation requires only a few tools, it’s important you equip yourself with what you need.

Take a look at a few must-have Christmas light tools:

• Stapler
• Wire cutters
• Fall protection
• Assorted zip ties and electrical tape
• Aluminum ladder with stand-off arms and levelers
• Collapsible painting pole with a hook attachment at the end
• Fabric tool belt with big pockets (holds your light clips and cutters)

Now, here are a few optional Christmas light tools:

• Clamp meter (for troubleshooting)
• Korker cleats and roof jacks (for cedar shake roofs)
• Cones and caution tape (if you work in public places)
• Portable power unit (for if the client doesn’t leave the power on for you)

Also, if you’re considering a bucket truck, it’s likely not a good idea when you’re first starting out.

Even though it speeds up install times and is useful to have, it’s not necessarily essential in the beginning.

Since bucket trucks involve large upfront costs and require expensive maintenance, it’s a good idea to rent self-propelled man lifts in the beginning.

Then, if you continue regularly booking installation jobs that require you frequently renting lifts, you can start thinking about buying a bucket truck.

5. Use Your Lawn Care Clients for Your Christmas Light Business

Since you already have an established lawn care client base, the best strategy for getting Christmas light clients is to convert your lawn care clients.

After all, your clients already love your lawn care services, so you’re likely to easily convert them into clients for your Christmas light business.

Before the holiday season begins, start by sending out your Christmas light flyers and door hangers to your existing clients - and maybe even the neighboring houses.

In addition, it’s always a great idea to send out an email and a text as a reminder to your clients that you’re offering Christmas light installation services.

By the way, did you know you can easily send automated emails and texts using Service Autopilot?

Once you’ve converted a few of your favorite lawn care clients into Christmas light clients, then you can provide them with a referral offer in order to clone more clients like them.

Keep in mind, the new Christmas light clients you acquire might become your new lawn care clients too!

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Easily Transition from Lawn Care to a Christmas Light Business

Now, you have everything you need to easily transition from lawn care to a Christmas light business.

Use these essential steps to help you accomplish things like:

• Protect your business with insurance
• Use a contract to solidify mutual expectations
• Find the right supplier to help get your started
• Equip yourself with the right Christmas light tools
• Keep your lawn care clients year round (and win some new ones)

Take advantage of these top strategies to help you simultaneously grow your lawn care business and Christmas light business today!

Related: How to Make Money With Christmas Light Installation

Originally published July 29, 2021 1:00 PM