72 min · 30 video lectures · quizzes · assignments · workbook
About this course
Most people who try holiday light installation fail not because the market is bad — it is great — but because they never build the systems that let them handle more than a handful of jobs before everything falls apart. They underprice their first season, lose track of whose lights are in which bin, and walk away with nothing to show for two months of ladder work. This course fixes that.
Why it pays for itself:
It is built around the Holiday Light Installation Operations Kit, a six-sheet workbook designed to run every stage of your business from the first quote through the final takedown in January.
You will learn not just how to use the kit but why each number matters, what to say to property owners, and how to build a business that earns real money in a compressed season — then grows year over year.
We cover the full operator lifecycle: configuring your labor rate and margin, pricing rooflines and pathway packages using the Lighting Estimate Calculator, building a property schedule that survives a busy November, controlling inventory so you never run short of strands mid-week, reading your Income and Expenses summary to understand what each season actually earned you, and locking in renewal agreements so next October you start with a full book instead of starting from zero.
This is an operator-to-operator conversation.
No motivational filler, no vague advice about 'building a brand.' Every lecture ends with a specific action in the kit.
By the end of the course you will have a configured workbook, a pricing structure you can defend, a scheduling system that handles 30-plus properties, and a renewal process that compounds your revenue each year.
The Holiday Light Installation Operations Kit is included.
You need Google Sheets or Excel and a willingness to do the work.
The market is seasonal, the margins are strong, and the repeat rate is one of the best in any service business.
Let's get your operation built.
What you'll learn
You'll be able to price any roofline or property package in under 60 seconds using the Lighting Estimate Calculator
You'll be able to build a complete install and takedown schedule that tracks every property, storage bin, and removal date
You'll be able to control strand, stake, cord, and timer inventory so equipment is never lost or double-assigned
You'll be able to close residential and commercial clients using a repeatable quoting and onboarding process
You'll be able to read your Income and Expenses tab to calculate true season profit and identify cost leaks
You'll be able to set up a renewal system that converts first-year clients into multi-year accounts
You'll be able to structure your pricing, packaging, and crew assignments to scale beyond solo operation
You'll be able to run a complete season — from first quote in October to final takedown in January — entirely inside the kit
Course curriculum
Section 1: Welcome and Kit Setup
Welcome: What This Course Builds and How to Use It
Kit Orientation: Six Sheets, One Operating System
Business Configuration: Labor Rate, Currency, and Your First Inputs
The Season Calendar: Planning Your October-to-January Operation
Insurance, Liability, and What You Need Before Your First Job
Section 2: Pricing and Estimating: Quote Every Job in 60 Seconds
The Lighting Estimate Calculator: How It Works and Why It Is Built This Way
Measuring Properties and Scoping the Job Before You Quote
Pricing Strategy: Market Rates, Margin, and When to Charge More
Building Service Packages: Good, Better, Best for Holiday Lighting
From Quote to Booking: Getting the Deposit and Locking the Date
Section 3: Winning and Onboarding Clients
Where to Find Your First 10 Clients: Neighborhoods, Referrals, and Digital
The Site Visit and Quote Presentation: Turning Prospects into Clients
Client Onboarding: What to Confirm Before Every Install Day
Scheduling Crews and Assigning Jobs in the Install Schedule
Launch Week: Running Your First Five Jobs Without Mistakes
Section 4: Field Operations: Running Clean Installs and Takedowns
Inventory Control: Never Show Up Short on Strands
Install Day Process: From Truck Unload to Client Sign-Off
Equipment Storage and Bin Labeling: Getting Lights Back to the Right Client
Takedown Operations: Running January Efficiently and Getting Paid
Quality Standards and Ladder Safety: Running a Professional Operation
Section 5: Money, Bookkeeping, and Profit
Setting Up Income and Expenses: Every Dollar In, Every Dollar Out
Reading the Job Tracker Revenue Board: What Your Season Is Worth
True Profit: What You Actually Made After All Costs
Invoicing and Collections: Getting Paid Without Chasing
Season Review: Reading Your Numbers and Planning Next Year's Budget
Section 6: Recurring Revenue and Scaling
The Renewal System: Turning One-Time Clients into Multi-Year Accounts
Annual Price Increases and Upsell Opportunities at Renewal
Adding Crew: When and How to Hire Your First Helper
Commercial Accounts: HOAs, Retail, and Office Parks