How to change your life with a few billboards
You drive by billboards every day and never think much of them other than to read the ads. But did you know that those same billboards could drastically improve your life? Well they can. Just a few billboards, if you own them, can significantly change your life for the better. And it’s not as hard to do as you think.
How billboards work
Billboards are a very easy business model. You lease the right to build and operate the sign from the land owner. You build the sign. You rent the advertising space and, after paying a few bills, you keep the difference. The “difference” can range from a few thousand dollars a year to more than $100,000 per sign.
It’s a business model that’s been around for over 100 years and has created two of the Forbes 400, Artie Moreno and John Kluge, as well as being the foundation of Ted Turner’s empire.
Opportunities still abound
Even though most of the great locations in major cities have been filled, there is still significant opportunity in the industry. Every time a property is rezoned or a road is built, there are new billboards. And they are everywhere once you get out of the big city. And even in the heart of the city, there are underperforming signs you can buy.
One of the best opportunities right now is small wooden billboards in small and medium markets. You can build them for $4,000 to $8,000, and they generate a cash flow of around $3,000 per year each. If you had just four of these signs, you would have an extra $1,000 per month in your pocket. Ten would give you $30,000 in additional cash flow. There are some people who have 100 signs or more, generating more than $300,000 in cash flow per year.
It is not expensive to enter the business.
The total cost of the tools needed to be in the billboard business is less than $100. It is a game of strategy, not of who has the largest checking account. It is also a business in which the large public companies have no advantage over the individual. There are no issues of scale or barrier to entry. In fact, often the small one has a clear advantage over the big company, since the small one can move faster in negotiations and can bond better with the landowner.
It doesn’t take time away from your day job or your family.
Billboard business is something that can be done easily in the evenings and on weekends. And even then, it’s not all that time intensive. When you build a sign, you do it once in your lifetime. And when you rent the ad space on a sign, you only do it once a year. It’s a business that revolves around thinking and strategy, and not a lot of time in the field. Many people run their billboard empire for a couple of hours a week.
But it can be your day job.
Many people have turned their hobby of billboards into a career. That option is always open to you, if that’s what you want to do. Additionally, the skills you learn in your billboard business can enable you to find a career with a large billboard company. There are three publicly traded billboard companies in the US: Lamar, CBS, and Clear Channel, as well as a host of large independent companies.
and it’s so much fun
One of the benefits of the billboard business is that it is very enjoyable and rewarding. It’s a true win/win deal where everyone involved is happy. You help advertisers sell their products and services while helping landowners maximize revenue from their properties. It’s never boring, and it mostly involves getting out of the office and working in the field. There are no unhappy moments, no stress and no worries.
conclusion
Outdoor billboard business is a fantastic use of your time. Your free time, properly focused, can reap huge financial and satisfaction rewards through billboards. Just a handful of these things can dramatically change your life for the better. And it opens a whole host of doors that you may never have considered. Don’t just keep driving near billboards, think twice. You’ll be glad you did.