Starting a Christmas light installation business is the best choice I've made in quite a long time. A few years ago I had been laid off from my job (where I had worked for 8 years) at the beginning of October. I had no income and our savings would run out just before Christmas. Saying I was desperate is an understatement.
About a week after being laid off from my job we were over visiting my cousin. After dinner we started talking and I explained our current situation to him. He said I shouldn't worry because he had the perfect opportunity for me. I've always been a little jealous of him because he only works a couple months out of the year. His business was installing Christmas lights and he said he was going to show me how to start one for myself.
Although a little bit skeptical I listened to him because I knew he made a lot of money and I was in no position to turn down help. My cousin said it wouldn't cost me hardly anything to start and he would front me the money.
To start out you should get a map out and figure out where the expensive homes are. Draw blocks around these areas because you'll be handing out fliers here first (as they will usually have larger jobs). Next you'll need to get about 500 fliers printed up. Always go full color on a heavy matte paper as it looks very professional. If you aren't very good at designing you can get the printing company to do it for you relatively cheaply.
Now that you have your fliers you need to distribute them to the neighborhoods you picked out. When I started I did it myself although you can pay the post office to do it for you. Once your fliers are out it's simply a waiting game.
When you start to get calls schedule an appointment for a consultation with your potential client. Make sure you do your best to work around their schedule. During the consultation you should bring a binder of pictures (which can be found online) to show them various types of displays. Always try and get a 30 40% deposit during the consultation to cement the deal.
Once you have your clients it's simply a matter of putting the lights up how they want them. If you need tools you can use the deposit money (which is what keeps startup costs so low) to buy them.
Always make sure your client is happy. Most of them will be happy the way things are, but you'll get the odd one that you need to fiddle with the display to please them. For the amount of money you're making it's well worth it. To your Christmas lighting business success!