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Lighting Business Shines Bright

By Tim Hager

Brad Kolsky doesn't dream of seeing his name in lights. But, if you want to see your name in lights, he’ll provide you with the right equipment to make it happen.

Brad is the owner of Lights Etc., a rental company that caters to anyone needing stage lights or theatrical equipment. This 14-year-old ‘trep from Rockville, MD does parties, plays, pageants, and just about any event that needs a spotlight.

A Bright Idea
"I was interested in lighting and electricity at a very young age," Brad explains. "Before I had a business, I wanted a fog machine. I just thought they were cool. Then somebody suggested that I could get one and pay for it by renting it out. That's how the business got started."

The first fog machine was soon joined by a set of lights. Then Brad began participating in local plays and asking around the neighborhood for business leads. One of his first customers was a cousin who needed some help with a school play.

"Soon I bought a second fog machine — then a lot of stuff,” Brad says. “I'd go to a local store and buy all their B-stock — returns and demos and broken things — for a small amount of money." At last count, he owns 13 fog and haze machines and about 45 lights that rent from $5 to $70 per day.

Changing Focus
According to Brad, however, the equipment rental side of his company has been slow taking off, so he’s been working on a Website (www.lights-etc.net) and drumming up additional cash flow by selling old lighting equipment to fellow light lovers on online auction sites such as eBay.

I can always make a sale for some amount, but I usually get pretty good bids,” Brad reports. “It's really very easy, because I like the stuff I buy and sell."

Most kids would reinvest some of that cash flow into a Play Station 2 or some other "must have." Not Brad. He uses his profits to buy more merchandise to sell or add to his inventory of rental equipment. “I think I am going to start DJing in the future, so I’m getting the equipment I want," he explains.

Shining Example
Right now Brad’s business takes only a few hours a week, but he'd like to devote more time to making things a little brighter. Growing the rental-side of Lights Etc. is one of his big goals. He'd also like to have a warehouse and hire some staff to help lug the equipment around. That should come as a relief to his current support staff — his mom, dad, and brother.

Above all, Brad has found something he is passionate about and a way to earn money doing what he loves. His one piece of advice for anyone who starts a business is simple — go out and sell, sell, sell!