What's the best way to get started in offering lighting? I am interested in expanding my services and this type of service seems like it would be a good add on. Thanks.
Talk with clients you have done past landscapes for. Up sell them, usually work well about 12-18 months after your intial install. Work your customer base.
Research the product and local sources. Most likely whoever sells the lighting also offers seminars in installing and selling lighting. You can do it without the education, but you will do it better and more profitably with the know how. Check more than one source, the variety is staggering. Buy a transformer and some different types of fixtures for your own home and play with them. The different fixtures, lamp wattages and beam spreads and installation methods. I have had excellent success with the Cast system and use their products and fixtures, also fixtures from other manufacturers adapted to the Cast system. http://www.cast-lighting.com/ Frog Lights sells a wide variety of specialized and unusual fixtures. Kirk
Great idea !! Lighting is very easy to do. You do not need a huge crew to do it and it is very profitable. As stated above you need to have a basic understanding of how to install and the effect that each light has. To offer this , use coupon mailers or better yet most areas have magazines such as dinning out or some home improvement magazine. These should be tuned to higher income people upscale types. If you give me a call I would be please to help you in any way that I could. We also have a great line of merchandise at prices that put the profit in your pocket. I am leaving soon for another purchasing trip to Asia, and upon my return I will be featuring specific special merchandise linked to this website. We also just received a huge amount of new designs really super merchandise. Frog Lights has cast bronze lights now at much lower prices than the other company. Why pay more for the same thing???? We are changing our web site but it is not ready yet. In the near future we will feature educational information also. Our staff is more than happy to assist you !
The best thing to do is, learn how to do it right!!! You NEED to know how to calculate and USE voltage drop. When using line voltage, a loss of a couple of volts is nothing to worry about, but if you start out with 12 volts and you loose 2 volts, you don't have enough voltage to operate a lamp properly. I balance all of my lamps to 10.8 - 11.8 volts. If you can learn how to do this, use the very best equipment and stand behind your work (no matter what), you will be on your way.
