My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

Neighborhood Christmas Light Installation Service

For: Busy homeowners who want Christmas lights but lack time/skill to install

Buildability

The Problem

Homeowners want beautiful Christmas light displays but lack time, skill, or willingness to climb ladders and install lights themselves

The Solution

Door-to-door sales offering full Christmas light installation, maintenance, and removal service with professional equipment and expertise

Why Now?

Increasing household income, time scarcity, safety concerns about ladder use, and social media driving desire for impressive displays

Build MVP in 7 Days

Day 1

Create simple door-to-door sales script and pricing sheet

Day 2

Buy basic equipment (lights, extension cords, ladder)

Day 3

Design simple contract and payment system

Day 4

Target 20-30 houses in one affluent neighborhood

Day 5

Execute installations with small crew or solo

Day 6

Collect payments and customer feedback

Day 7

Document process for scaling

How to Validate

Knock on 50 doors in affluent neighborhood and track conversion rate

Offer pre-booking discount to gauge real demand

Ask neighbors who say no what service they would pay for

Calculate true cost of materials, labor, and time per house

Test different pricing levels across neighborhoods

Revenue Model

One-time installation fees ($1000-2000 per house) with optional annual maintenance contracts

Competitive Moat

Local relationships, reputation, seasonal timing creates natural barriers to late entrants

Risks to Consider

Weather-dependent installation windowsInsurance and liability for working on homesCompetition from established landscaping companiesSeasonal cash flow challenges during off-months

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Tactic

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Tactic

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Framework

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Framework

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