Your Christmas Light Business | Systems, Marketing, Pricing, Make Money, Start a Business

Christmas light season has officially started — and the problems didn't waste any time showing up.

In Episode 15, Cory gives a real-time update from inside his Christmas lighting business. All three company vehicles have already broken down, two new hires didn't work out, and two promising new employees have joined the team.

After months of preparing for the season, it's a reminder that no matter how much you plan, running a ...

Do yard signs, door knocking, and truck wraps actually work for a Christmas light business?

In Episode 14, Cory shares his experience with three old-school forms of local advertising that can still produce results. He talks about why yard signs have worked for him but can also make a company look cheap when they're used irresponsibly, why door knocking and door hangers can be effective aro...

How do you get your Christmas light business to show up when customers are searching on Google?

Google has consistently been one of the best forms of advertising for Cory's lighting business. In this episode, Cory breaks down the difference between Google Ads and SEO, why both are important, and how your Google Business Profile and customer reviews can help you stand out in your local mark...

Can social media actually help grow a Christmas light business?

Just a few weeks after recording an episode about his frustrations with social media marketing, Cory gained around 2,000 new followers in just 15 days.

In this episode, Cory gives an honest, off-the-cuff update on what changed. He talks about creating The Office-style content, improving hooks, posting consistently, showing mor...

Social media has changed—and so has the way Christmas light businesses attract customers.

In this episode, Cory shares what's actually working on social media today, what's no longer effective, and the lessons he's learning while building his own Christmas lighting brand. From creating The Office-style videos and testing trending content to the frustrations of chasing views and findi...

What really happens when you step away from your Christmas light business?

In this episode, Cory shares what he learned after taking a week-long vacation away from the business. While getting away with family was refreshing, it also became a real test of the systems, employees, and processes that had been put in place.

From the questions that still came through to the things that worked wi...

Owning a Christmas light business can be one of the most rewarding businesses you'll ever build—but it's also one of the most demanding.

In this episode, Cory gets real about the challenges that don't show up on social media. From slow seasons and hiring struggles to the chaos of peak season, maintaining your health, and balancing family life, this is an honest look at what it's really like behind the scenes.

If you're thinki...

One of the biggest decisions Christmas lighting companies make is whether to lease their lights to customers or sell them outright. While both models can work, they create very different businesses.

In this episode, Cory breaks down the pros and cons of leasing versus selling Christmas lights, including customer retention, pricing, storage, inventory management, callbacks, renewals, and long-term business growth.

If you've ever won...

This episode is a little different.

Instead of covering a specific topic, Cory pulls back the curtain and shares what's been happening inside the business during the month of May and how Paradise Lights is preparing for the upcoming Christmas season.

From family vacation and business lessons learned while being away, to residential renewals, commercial contract follow-ups, inventory organization, warehouse prep, product maintenance...

A lot of successful Christmas light companies start as side hustles. In fact, that's exactly how many business owners get their start. But at some point, if you want premium customers, better employees, higher pricing, and real business growth, you have to stop operating like it's just extra money.

In this episode, Cory talks about the advantages of starting small, why the side hustle model works in the beginning, and where it star...

Ever get done with Christmas light takedowns and wonder what you’re even supposed to focus on next?

Feel like every season turns chaotic because things never fully get organized after Christmas?

Want to stay busier year-round and avoid starting every season behind?

In this episode, I’m breaking down my list of things every Christmas light install...

In this episode, Cory breaks down the real pros and cons of residential vs commercial Christmas lighting based on real-world experience in the industry. From pricing, scheduling chaos, and customer expectations to property managers, callbacks, cash flow, and upsell opportunities, this episode dives into what each side of the business actually looks like behind the scenes.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should focus more ...

If your employees are constantly asking different people the same questions, stepping on each other’s toes, or nobody really seems to know who’s responsible for what — this episode is for you.

In this episode, Cory talks about how adding structure and clear employee titles helped reduce confusion, improve communication, and create more accountability inside his lighting business.

We break down why titles matter, h...

In this episode of Your Christmas Lighting Business, I’m breaking down 3 things I would do completely differently if I was starting or trying to grow a Christmas light business today.

From pricing mistakes and undercharging jobs to building better systems and figuring out how to stay busy year-round, I’m sharing some of the biggest lessons I learned the hard way while gr...

In this first episode of Your Christmas Lighting Business, I’m sharing how I got started in the Christmas lighting industry — from learning the business in Kansas to moving to Florida and starting completely from scratch with no customer base, contacts, or roadmap.

I’ll talk about some of the biggest lessons I learned early on, mistakes I made trying to grow the bu...