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 wondered which model is best for your Christmas lighting business, this episode will help you think through the decision and determine which approach aligns best with your goals.

• The difference between leasing and selling Christmas lights
• Why some companies choose to sell their lights
• Why other companies lease and maintain ownership
• Customer retention and renewal considerations
• Storage and inventory management
• Service calls, warranties, and callbacks
• Pricing challenges and customer expectations
• Repurposing inventory when customers cancel
• The hidden costs of both business models
• Choosing the right model for your company

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Podcast: Your Lighting Business on Apple Podcasts

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, content creation, and getting customer materials ready for the season ahead, this episode is a real-world look at what happens behind the scenes long before the first Christmas lights go up.

If you've ever wondered what successful Christmas lighting companies are doing during the slow season, this episode is for you.

• Lessons learned from taking time away from the business
• Following up on residential renewals
• Commercial contract follow-up and unsigned agreements
• Organizing wreaths, garland, bows, and inventory
• Throwing away damaged or outdated product
• Preparing customer tubs for the upcoming season
• Creating tubs for new customers
• Product maintenance and repairs
• Content creation and batching marketing materials
• Why the off-season is where successful Christmas seasons begin

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Podcast: Your Lighting Business on Apple Podcasts

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 starts holding business owners back. From underpricing jobs and weak systems to burnout and poor customer communication, we break down some of the biggest reasons Christmas light companies struggle to grow.

Whether you're just getting started or you've been stuck at the same level for years, this episode will help you identify what's holding your business back and what steps you can take to start building a real company.

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Podcast: Your Lighting Business on Apple Podcasts

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 installer should be doing after takedown season ends if they want to stay more organized, reduce stress, and build a more profitable lighting business long-term.

I talk about following up with customers, organizing inventory and decor while everything is still fresh, and how smart companies start preparing for next season way earlier than most people realize. I also share some thoughts on greenery, bows, damaged product, customer retention, landscape lighting, and staying busy year-round after Christmas season ends.

If you’re in the Christmas lighting industry and want smoother seasons, better systems, and less chaos moving forward, this episode should help you out.

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🎙 Related Episodes

How I Started My Christmas Lighting Business From Scratch

3 Things I’d Do Differently Starting a Christmas Light Business

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 on residential installs, chase larger commercial properties, or try to balance both, this episode will help you better understand the advantages, challenges, and long-term opportunities that come with each model.

📲 Connect with Cory Adams:

TikTok: Your Christmas Lighting Business Facebook Group

Podcast: Your Lighting Business on Apple Podcasts

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, how leadership naturally develops as companies grow, and why trying to keep everybody on the exact same level can actually create more chaos instead of less.

Whether you’re running one crew or multiple teams, this episode will help you build a smoother, more organized business with clearer expectations for everyone involved.

TikTok: Your Lighting Business YouTube

Facebook Group: Your Christmas Lighting Business Facebook Group

Podcast: Your Lighting Business on Apple Podcasts

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 growing my lighting business.

Topics covered: • Pricing Christmas light jobs for profit • Why most installers undercharge early on • Building systems and staying organized • Customer communication and scheduling • Avoiding chaos during busy season • Staying busy year-round with landscape lighting • Growing a profitable lighting business

If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another lighting contractor or business owner.

📲 Connect with Cory Adams:

TikTok: @c0ry.adams TikTok

Instagram: @c0ryadams Instagram

YouTube: Your Lighting Business YouTube

Facebook Group: Your Christmas Lighting Business Facebook Group

Thanks for listening to Your Christmas Lighting Business.

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 business, and what building a lighting company from the ground up actually looked like.

Topics covered: • Starting a Christmas light business • Moving to Florida and rebuilding from scratch • Pricing mistakes and undercharging • Marketing and finding customers • Building systems and staying organized • Staying busy year-round with lighting services

If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another lighting contractor or business owner.

📲 Connect with Cory Adams:

TikTok: @c0ry.adams TikTok

Instagram: @c0ryadams Instagram

YouTube: Your Lighting Business YouTube

Facebook Group: Your Christmas Lighting Business Facebook Group

Thanks for listening to Your Christmas Lighting Business.