Holiday Preparations: Lights

The Retail Florist 

Decorating your shop is a very important part of your holiday preparations.

Chances are, you use mini-lights as part of your decorations, whether they adorn Christmas trees or provide a "twinkling sky" above your window display.

When using mini-lights, keep the following things in mind:

• Buy quality lights. A well-designed light set should last more than one season — as should the individual bulbs. Check with the manufacturer to see what type of guarantee or warranty is offered.
• Check the spacing between bulbs. A space of at least five inches between bulbs provides good overall light coverage and gives you the flexibility to wind your lights around objects such as columns or stairways. The closer the lights are together, the more strands it will take to illuminate a given space.
• Find out if you can add accessories. High-quality lights are designed to standard specifications so that light covers and reflectors can be added. Make sure your lights are of standard size and design.
• Make sure the set protects against failure. Your light sets should be equipped with lamp or light locks, which prevent the entire string from going dark if one bulb burns out.
• Use only the highest quality lights so that your purchase will last for many holiday seasons to come. If you also sell lights to your customers, make sure the brands you carry meet the requirements above. Then, let your customers know you sell only the best products.