Few, if any, franchising opportunities can say they are in the business of spreading holiday cheer; but Grand Illuminations most certainly can. This emerging brand just completed its first successful holiday season with 15 franchise locations open in 11 states throughout the central and eastern United States.
The Grand Illuminations concept focuses quite literally around just that: grandly illuminating homes and businesses during the holiday season. Envision less Griswold family home, more Hallmark Channel holiday landscape. Grand Illuminations offers full-service holiday design and installation services, ranging from home and shrubbery lighting to garland and wreaths. The service comes complete with a complimentary custom design, estimate, professional exterior installation of premium light and greenery product, as well as end-of-season removal and storage, allowing customers to enjoy the season safely and without lifting a finger.
This is the newest concept from Buzz Franchise Brands, designed to meet growing consumer demand. Based on numbers released by Polaris Market Research, the Christmas decoration market shines bright as Rudolf’s nose, with a $5.52 billion valuation and expectations of hitting over the $7 billion market by 2030.
“We have really hit on a product/service combination consumers want and need,” says President of Grand Illuminations, Brian Garrison. “I think, especially since the pandemic, we all rely on the holidays to bring us happiness. People are celebrating more than ever before and want the exterior of their homes to reflect their holiday spirit, but many folks just don’t have the time, patience, or skills to do it. That’s where we come in.”
Leaving the decorating to the professionals is a smart (and safe) idea. Seasonal decorating can be dangerous for homeowners who only play ‘elf’ once a year, hanging lights on their homes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports about 200 decorating-related incidents occur each day during the holiday season, and Safer America, which studies these trends, concludes that about 18,000 people get hurt decking the halls during the holidays, as a result of falling off ladders, or sustaining other injuries such as cuts, shocks, or sprained ankles.
“Our crews are well-trained to do the job safely, efficiently, and beautifully,” says Garrison. “When Grand Illuminations lights up a home or business for the holidays, it has that curb appeal that garners the oohs and aahs from neighbors driving by.”
Not only does the Grand Illuminations model include comprehensive training for franchise owners on how to successfully operate and scale their exclusive territory, but it also includes hands-on training for owners and their crews on how to design, install, and store decorations for customers.
“Face it, having someone take care of decorating your home for the holidays takes the bah-humbug out of the equation,” adds Garrison. “This is a premium service. First, we work with the client to create a gorgeous decorating design. Then we install, using only the highest-quality, commercial-grade LED lights, which are energy-efficient and eco-friendly. Here’s the best part, we take down the decorations when the season is over, and we store them. These are leased decorations that we store in a climate-controlled space, unlike a hot dusty attic, basement, or garage. So it truly is a joyous and hassle-free experience.”
Define Seasonal
Certainly, the bread and butter of this franchise brand is Christmas holiday decorating. However, “seasonal” incorporates many wintertime holidays and celebrations. Some franchise locations have seen expansion possibilities to include Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, Ramadan and even Valentine’s Day. Take Grand Illuminations franchise owners Scott and Kathy Franasiak, for example. They own the Western New York territory, which plays host to a large demographic of Buffalo Bills fans. They are preparing for the start of the NFL season to light their community in ‘Bills Mafia’ blue, red and white to celebrate their favorite team. Unique lighting opportunities such as these are among the many expansion prospects for this franchise concept.
These ranging opportunities prove why franchising with Grand Illuminations is an attractive winter-season investment. The majority of the current 15 Grand Illuminations franchise owners also own a complementary seasonal business that operates during the spring and summer. By adding Grand Illuminations to their portfolio, not only can they offer additional employment to their crews, but they no longer experience a large period of revenue drop-off during the winter.
Franchise owners can utilize business ownership as a full-time job, a side business complementing a corporate career, or simply a passive investment operating with a general manager at the helm. While the profit potential for a company that operates only a few months out of the year is certainly enticing, there is one common denominator that resonates across the board for Grand Illuminations franchise owners.
“I had no idea how rewarding this would be for me and my crews,” says Ryan Morton, franchise owner of Grand Illuminations of Asheville/Greenville. “There have been times when we finish lighting a house, and we get to see the family’s reaction. Seeing the happiness on their faces, and sometimes tears, makes it all worth it. That’s when I realize I’m not just providing a great service in my community, I’m making the holidays brighter for families.”
Franchise owners looking to extend their revenue generation beyond the traditional winter holiday season and throughout the calendar year will have the opportunity to expand their service options as the brand evolves, offering commercial business owners and homeowners elegant and timeless exterior permanent lighting solutions to enhance their landscape appeal.
Regardless of the business’ decision to operate seasonally or year-round, the common goal of the brand remains the same: spreading joy with the magic of exterior lighting.
#Trending
So, what’s the favorite festive look on homes that lifts everyone’s holiday spirits? Trey Powell, owner of Grand Illuminations of the South Carolina Midlands, says while sometimes trends can be regional, a timeless Christmas look can’t be beat with “the glow of the classic white lights, greenery, wreaths with red bows — that’s always popular. We are starting to see some of the candy cane look, and some businesses like to use company colors to light up their building. But honestly, this is just a magical experience, we’ve yet to encounter a Scrooge!”
Grand Illuminations franchise owners come from an array of backgrounds. This is an ideal franchise opportunity for family ownership, partners, or multi-brand franchise owners. The necessary qualifications? You must enjoy providing exceptional customer service, a premium product, and be passionate about spreading holiday cheer.