Winter Income

[Chuck Smith]

I know quite a few grounds maint. companies that put up christmas lights and decorations to make extra $$ in the winter. The people around here in the ritzy neighborhoods "compete" with each other. If one gets 1,000 lights, the neighbor get 2,000 lights. You can really rake it in putting up lights. People want the lights, but are to lazy to put them up and take them down. In fact, one town in particular has quite a few houses really done up, that's Montclair, NJ.

I saw one done up for Halloween a few years back in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. I "stole" this idea from there.

<img src="http://www.***********************.com/images/punkinman.jpg">

Kinda like a snowman made out of pumpkins. The kids all love it. Decorations are gtting to be a big thing for most holidays around here. Everyone puts up "banners" (flags), scarecrows, and a ton of christmas lights.
Could be a good source of income. I know most large companies that have riegonal offices like to put up mega decorations. Any one here put up decorations as a service?

~Chuck

[AB Lawn Care]

That pumpkin man is cute,untill some little punks bash his head in on a dark nite :-0

[Chuck Smith]

You may not be able to tell in the pic, but this one is on a window box, 7' off the ground. It's the living room picture window. No decorations are 100% safe. A few years back, some punks were driving around stealing scare crows, and any other lawn decorations they could grab.

One of them tried to grab my scarecrow, but only got 10' with it, before it got ripped out of his hands. I didn't just drive it into the ground like most scarecrows. I drove it into the ground, screwed a thin chain to the bottom of it, and screwed a chain around the lamp post. Basically it was tethered with an old dog leash ;)
I knew some punk would try to grab it. He was lucky my truck was blocked by another car in the driveway, or I would have caught him. I drove around an hour looking for that punk. Why you ask? Well, not because I really cared that much about the scarecrow, but because that punk came on MY lawn, and tried to steal something that was MINE.

~Chuck

[John Allin]

I dunno.... I bet if I threw a rock from the street I could hit that pumpkin head first shot - and not break the window....

Think anybody should try ??

[BRL]

I don't live too, too far from Chuck. I'll drive up there late one night & let you know how I do John. If I'm alive to tell you about it. ;) I bet my kids would like to see that in the front yard but I'm too lazy to make one. So maybe I'll take his instead of trying to hit it with a rock.

[Chuck Smith]

Sure go on up and bring plenty of rocks, LOL. Like I said, I saw it 2 years ago, and made it <B>then</B>. I don't live in that house anymore :( Guess I forgot to mention the pic is from 1998. Oops!
Now I live in a condo, and we can't put up any decorations!
Ask Digger about how great condo associations are!

~Chuck

[Chuck Smith]

Oh, BRL, if you want to stop by the house anyway, my "little" brother you met at the BBQ still lives there ;)

~Chuck

[BRL]

Well in that case, John, you go there and throw rocks, I won't have any of that. I might be a lazy dumb a##, but I'm not insane!

[n y snow pros]

Chuck i am a big guy and there are few people that make me look and feel small and your brother was one of them.I gotta tell ya i dont think i would want to throw a rock or anything else for that matter at your brothers house,THAT GUY IS BIG!
John P

[John Allin]

OK.... on second thought......

[plowking35]

He isnt that big, I mean you might confuse him with the house, but it isnt like he deals with inner city projects all day, and patrols them for a living. Oh yeah he does do that, never mind.
Dino

[jimsmowin]

I STARTED OUT DOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATING LAST YEAR. ITS WOORKING SLOWLY GOT MORE CALLS THIS YEAR SO FAR.SOME SUPPLIES ARE HARD TO FIND. LIKE OUTDOOR TIMMERS THIS EARLY IN SEASON. SO FAR SO GOOD.

[JCurtis]

Jimsmowin,

Try going to the electrical supply shops, they should be able to get you outdoor timers.

[GeoffDiamond]

Try Graybar, i go there for tons of eletrical stuff. If they don't have it, or can't get it, no one can. However all there stuff is high quality, in your application you may not want to spend the extra bucks. Check Home Depot, when they get timmers in maybe buy a ton of them, because HD is cheaper than Graybar. Plus your nearest Gray Bar dealer my be a trip, mine is 90 + or - mins away.

Geoff

[steveair]

hello,

I got pretty involved into that Christmas Decor franchise the other year as a idea for a business.

Til this day, the dam salesman still calls me about once a month to see if I'm ready to join or not. (thank goodness for caller ID).

It seems like a good idea though. I'm still keeping it on the backburner as a idea. I started doing some research on my own, but didn't get real far. The Christmas Decor wants a nice hunk of $ upfront, then you have to pay royalties for like ever to them. I've gotten info on light suppliers, but have never looked much deeper than that.

One of my ideas was to find somebody doing the christmas decor, steal all there ideas, then start my own company and not pay all that money to them for nothing.

steveair.

[Snow Pro]

Franchises cost a lot of $ but their success rates are much higher than those companies that try it on yheir own. A lot of what franchisers teach franchisees we already know, being entrnpreneurs already. I'm sure you could succeed on your own.

[jimsmowin]

thank you for the tips. i will not pay christmas decor any money, i don't mind paying for quality equipment or for some support, those people are greedy in my book. i'm still looking, so far [all american christmas] has been very helpful. thanks again JIM THEIR WEB SITE: http://www.AACHRISTMAS.COM