Increase Christmas lights installer productivity (and your profits!)
In the holiday lights business, technician productivity is directly tied to your bottom line. The faster and more efficiently your crews work, the more profitable each job becomes. If you want to maximize revenue and reduce wasted time this season, here are four proven ways to boost technician productivity (and your profits).
1. Pre-Clipping and Pre-Bulbing
Ever tried to screw in a bulb with frozen fingers? If you’ve been in the field, you know the struggle. Pre-bulbing and pre-clipping can cut installation time by as much as 50%.
Here’s why: if technicians arrive on-site and all they need to do is hang lights and wire power, jobs get done faster. Bulbing and clipping on the job slows down production and eats into profits.
The best part? Pre-clipping and bulbing can be done:
During a team meeting
At home while watching TV
By hiring teens at minimum wage (they can bulb/clip 300+ feet per hour)
⚠️ Pro Tip: Don’t cut your wire ahead of time—only cut it on-site to avoid waste and mistakes.
2. Excellent Training Systems
Many owners make the mistake of throwing new hires straight into jobs during the busy season. Without structured training, technicians are left to “figure it out” on their own—slowing down your installs and costing you money.
With a clear training system, you can get technicians up to speed quickly and ensure they’re producing at $250 per person per hour before working independently. Holiday lights installation isn’t complicated—training shouldn’t take more than a week if you have the right outline and systems in place.
If your technicians aren’t hitting the productivity benchmarks, look first at your training process. Are you setting them up for success?
3. Incentives and Budget System
Motivation matters. An incentive system can transform technician performance when they know that faster, quality work leads to bigger paychecks.
The most effective system is a budget-based bonus structure:
You set the expected time for each job
If the crew finishes within that time, they get a bonus
If they finish early, they get an even bigger bonus
If they go over, no bonus
This creates urgency, ownership, and accountability—and when designed right, it can increase productivity by up to 50%.
4. Join Holiday Lights Academy
Why reinvent the wheel? Holiday Lights Academy provides:
25+ written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Step-by-step coaching to launch or scale your business
Compensation and incentive guides to keep technicians motivated
Members consistently see 65%+ profit margins and generate anywhere from $100K–$1M+ in their first year. Established businesses often grow 1.5x–3x year-over-year using our proven systems.
Don’t let your competitors get ahead this season—leverage the tools, training, and systems that will make your business the most efficient and profitable in your market.
Ready to Take Your Holiday Lights Business to the Next Level?
With the right systems, planning, and expert guidance, you can streamline your takedowns, boost profits, and scale your seasonal business faster.
📞 Book a free discovery call with Holiday Lights Academy today to learn how our proven strategies can help you maximize efficiency and revenue this season!
