Pump The Brakes!

This forum has been great!

Can we quickly cover the very basics, need to have my ducks in a row. I have two great potential locations I am eager to approach. Here is what I know!

Approach landowner, gain permission.

apply for permits

build sign

find advertisers

That all makes sense, but what are the steps before all this?

Do I need to apply for an LLC/sole proprietorship, become a legit business?
Go ahead and get liability insurance or wait until the sign is being built, before I ever approach any landowners?

I want to do first things first and try to refrain from back tracking to much.
I am brand new to this industry and am excited to get the ball rolling.

Can you please tell me what steps you took and why?

Thanks for any feedback!

I agree, I’m trying to start out also and am wondering if I need to file for the insurance now or wait?

I think you have to have a land agreement and get the permit before you can build but I don’t understand
how you can get the permit before building. How do they know what to judge? I hear getting the permits takes months.

Good luck and let me know how its going for you

Been in the business for quite a years. Faced all this while we opened up our business. For any kind of help, feel free to call us or visit our website: Advertising Solution in New York

Update: So I registered as an llc business with my state. Cost around $50.00 to become a legal business and I was able to do it online, took about 30 minutes. I then created a new business email address and ordered business cards with my company name and contact info.

Step 2: I am assuming I am ready to reach out to land owners. Aka: start mailing letters or door knocking. When I find a landowner who would like to do business I will then come to term agreements on our lease. after that I will have to get permits from state & city before any building can begin.

Next build the sign. Now in my mind would be a good time to begin a liability insurance policy since I will have a physical structure that could potentially be a hazard. Advertise my contact info in many forms to attract advertisers.

Come to terms and sign a contract with the business looking to advertise on my billboard. Have vinyl cover designed and printed. install vinyl on board. At this time I will have a separate business bank account set up.

I would love to hear feedback from successful billboard entrepreneurs, I am starting in rural areas and will be focusing on wooden and abandoned boards. If I am forgetting any major points or would need to change up the order of anything please reply.

Thanks

When it comes to content, do you design the content yourself or get the customer to give what they want on the billboard? I’m just curious… I getting to this stage and am not sure what to do

When it comes to content I will not be doing any design work, the company wanting to advertise will have to provide me with what they want up there. The other option (most likely the best) would be to have the vinyl company design something. I would advise to have the business pay for the design and you pay to have it installed.