How Christmas Decor Has Been Bringing Holiday Cheer to Spencer for Over 24 Years

In 1998, Arnie Arsenault was looking for a way to supplement his family landscaping business and keep his employees working year round. It was then that he discovered Christmas Decor*, the 300-plus unit strong holiday decorating franchise. 

Seeing the brand as the perfect fit, Arsenault decided to buy the franchise. Since then, the business has only continued to grow. Not only that, but it has allowed Arsenault to provide full-time work for his staff members, something he always wanted to do. Today, the business is entering its third generation of family ownership, with Arsenault’s sons already beginning to take the lead. 

1851 Franchise spoke to Arsenault about his franchising journey with Christmas Decor.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Arsenault: My parents started a landscaping business that I have been working for since I was 13. My father unexpectedly passed, and I fell into running this business. However, landscaping tends to stop in the Northeast in the winter, and I found that it was becoming more difficult to keep staff year round. I started looking into holiday decorating as something to fill that void. I found Christmas Decor in a magazine and decided to pursue it in 1998. At a conference in Boston, I met with Christmas Decor founder Blake Smith. He was able to paint a picture of what the business would look like and I felt that it was a great fit, so we purchased a franchise. After that, we continued to grow the business. This business allowed us to offer full-time work for our staff members. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Arsenault: One of my customers in the landscaping business was a McDonald’s franchisee. After talking to him, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get into something where I was paying royalty fees, marketing fees, etc. But in talking to him, and another friend who was a Subway franchisee, I asked the question, “Would you do it again?” and the answer was always yes. I learned that buying a franchise with a proven system in place is a great opportunity. And Christmas Decor matched up with what I was looking for perfectly. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Arsenault: What sold me was my first meeting with Blake Smith and the amount of time he took to talk with me. I clearly remember that he had people waiting at his booth, but he still made sure to take the time to speak with me and answer any questions. Training was a big part of it too and having systems in place that we could follow. 

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Arsenault: We have set it up as a division of its own. My younger son, Alex, runs this division. I have three divisional managers. I want to operate each segment as if they were their own business. I want to continue to grow Christmas Decor as a standalone business. It's a year-round opportunity for us. We aren't spending every day doing it, but we’re always planning ahead.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Arsenault: I’m still amazed at how, when my parents started this business, they probably never envisioned getting it to where it is today. We are now supporting a staff of over 30 people and around 25 families. That is really encouraging for me. It's a blessing to know that we can do this, and we will continue to open up more doors for people to grow with us in their careers. We have had some employees who have come through us who wanted to start their own business. We brought them in and taught them how to do that. 

We’re also a family-owned and operated business. My two sons are now looking to come in and be my succession plan, and own and operate going forward. To be able to pass that torch on and keep it going is almost unheard of, so that is a great part of it.  

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Arsenault: Do your homework. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Before you sign, ask all the questions you can think of. Don't be afraid to talk with other business owners from other brands too. I didn't have as much concern when I bought my second franchise. It was easier for me to sign the documents. Owning a franchise can be a great thing as long as you are willing to do the hard work. It's much easier to follow a system than to do it on your own. 

About Christmas Decor 

Founded in 1986 by Blake Smith, Christmas Decor has become the leading holiday decorating brand in the U.S. and Canada. Originally created as an off-season supplement to the landscaping business, the Texas-based franchise now brings holiday cheer to over 300 communities across North America, ultimately creating jobs for 3,000-plus seasonal workers that might otherwise be unemployed. Backed by a strong business model and double-digit revenue increase year-over-year for the last 11 years, Christmas Decor is looking to grow in markets across the U.S. and Canada. For more information on Christmas Decor, please visit christmasdecor.net/franchise.

About The Decor Group

The Decor Group launched in 1996 out of Lubbock, Texas and has grown to international success in the Holiday Decorating and Landscape Lighting space. The Decor Group is composed of four uniquely positioned entities, including Christmas Decor Inc., NiteTime Decor, Barcana and PermaLites365. The Decor Group, along with its national network of franchised service providers, is dedicated to providing premium quality products and committed to constant and never-ending improvement in everything they do every day. Visit thedecorgroup.com for more information.