How to Push Past Growth Plateaus in Your Outdoor Lighting Business

By Patrick Harders, LC

If your outdoor lighting business hasn’t hit a plateau yet, it probably will. Your growth will stall and your marketing stops working. That trade partner you relied on suddenly quits. It’s not a matter of if these things happen, but when. But the good news is you’re not alone; you can break through.

I’ve been in landscape lighting for 26 years. I’ve built companies from the ground up, scaled them through major milestones, and hit plenty of roadblocks along the way. I’ve felt every single stage of growth from zero to $300k, to $600k, to $1M and beyond. And with each level, the rules of the game changed.

Here’s what I’ve learned and what might be holding you back.

4 Reasons, and What You Can Do About It

You’re Doing Too Much.

You offer outdoor lighting, holiday lighting, irrigation, mosquito control, hardscapes, and now you’re wondering why your installs are a mess and service calls take forever.

>> Simplify your offerings. Specialize.
The more areas you try to work in, the harder it is to grow. Pick a lane and dominate it.

You’re Not Investing in People.

I’ve been guilty of this: hiring the wrong people, undertraining them, or not letting go of control. Eventually, that backfires.

>> Hire right and train constantly to build leaders.
Your business will only grow as far as your team can carry it.

You’re Underpricing Yourself.

In the beginning, you might be able to get away with cheap prices. But once you have overhead (rent, staff, marketing) your pricing will have to evolve.

>> Price for profitability, not survival.
If you want to scale, you need to charge enough to fund that growth.

You’re Building Alone.

Too many emerging professionals try to figure it all out alone. They skip events, avoid groups, and miss the chance to learn from others who’ve already solved the problems they’re facing.

>> Tap into the community.
Whether it’s our Landscape Lighting Legends Facebook group, trade shows, or our manufacturer roundtables, connection is a shortcut to growth. Learn from people who've already been where you're trying to go.

Ready to get unstuck?  

Hear more field tested insights in the video below, practical strategies for pushing through your next business plateau.