In my opinion, there is not enough that can be said about Mike, there just isn't.
When I started about 4 years ago, I called the big three, Christmas Decor, Brite Ideas and at the time HBL now Holidynamics. Mike called me back almost immediately. Over the next few weeks, if I didn't have him on the phone at minimum of 30 hours, it wasn't one minute. When I went to Omaha that year and was finally able to put a face with the name and voice, it was like I had known him for years. to this day, even with everything that they had going on last year, I can still reach out to hm and he will get back to me within a reasonable amount of time.
As for the training. the class that HBL or HD puts on is definitely packed with info. You start out with the typical meet and greet, then diner the first night - we flew in from NY. The next day the classes start. The info, my goodness. They will cover everything from product familiarization and repair right through marketing. There is a field portion hands on where you will go out and actually do estimates on homes that are lit and unlit. Chad will give examples and show you how to wrap bushes, hints at getting power where needed etc. When we were there, God was it hot. We were still out there though, getting it done. I for one, couldn't get the estimating figured out to save my life, I was so disgusted at one point, I started to feel like I had wasted my time and money. Mike was right there with the encouragement though. I finally figured it out. The packet Mike mentioned will have alot of info in it. It will also have cheat sheets for installation, amperage draw, general rules of thumbs etc.
The class I went through for me, didn't really get into the marketing all that well. But truth be told, I have always had a difficult time with marketing. I am struggling with it today still. The biggest bang for the buck and you have seen it probably 100 times if you have read the previous posts, lawn signs. Dave preaches them, and they work!! I have also done the chamber of commerce, direct mail, radio, flyer inserts, my trucks are lettered - with the exception of the bucket truck which WILL one way or the other happen this year, the one trailer I use is lettered etc.
The most important aspect of this business, you do not want to be the guy who hangs lights. DO NOT use Walmart type stuff. You have to separate yourself from the guys who do that. You will need to get aligned with suppliers, HD, CD, BI, Holiday Light Source etc. You need to know that when you run into a situation that one supplier is out of xyz product, you can match it with another one. There are some things that are proprietary, light links, and mixed noble foliage are a couple examples and they are HD exclusively.
Tools and equipment, I could go on and on. A few ladders some wire cutters will get you started. Get an appliance amp meter, this will allow you to ensure you are not over drawing the circuit.
In short, to actually run this type of business, and do it professionally, you have to spend time. There is alot that goes into it, the background, researching new product, planning, training etc. With reading and rereading these posts you will gain more and more information each time. Then routinely check this site. As you can see, it dies down right after the season with the exception of a few posts here and there. The end of July it will start to pick up. Last season it was a little quiet so to speak compared to years before, but the info offered is second to none.
Best of luck!!!