Looking for any info as far as start up cost, deterrents, advantages, etc. Any information is appreciated.
Here are the benefits:
- Low upfront investment (you can build one for $3,000 to $5,000 in most markets)
- Very simple to build – low stress
- Have the highest return on investment of almost any type of billboard
- Very easy to operate – normally no lights or time clocks to fail.
- Great track record – these have been in operation for almost 100 years and still standing in many cases.
- In many markets, they rent for as much as steel signs that cost 10 times more.
Here are the negatives:
- Never capable of renting for “big bucks” – they are not 14’x48’ monopoles nor can they hold LED very well due to weight.
- Many landowners in the city don’t like them because they’re perceived as ugly.
- Many cities ban them because of the “ugly” concept.
- Lack of lights can be a problem with night-time advertisers like hotels and truck stops
- More difficult to hang vinyls on due to lack of internal walks.
As I’ve written many times, if I started all over again, I’d focus on wooden signs in smaller markets.
Frank, I’ve read your book and I you mentioned the minimum daily traffic count you would target is 5000 cars per day (page 6). If you went with really inexpensive wood boards and could get ground leases extremely cheap, would you consider streets with less traffic? I am having a difficult time finding any locations on streets with over 5000 cars and at the same time have found existing boards on streets with around 2500 cars per day.