The outdoor billboard industry offers the potential to earn a substantial monthly income as well as build huge capital in a billboard group. Four of the Forbes 400 made the list from earnings in the billboard industry, including one billionaire: John Kluge. Even Ted Turner made his first fortune in the outdoor billboard industry. But how can the average person get into the billboard industry with little to no capital? Fortunately, there are several ways.
Flipping billboard leases
The real way to break into the “zero down” industry is to get land leases and permits to build billboards, and then sell them to other billboard companies. This has been standard industry practice for decades. A decent billboard land permit and lease will net $15,000-$30,000, with a lesser location worth around $5,000 and a fantastic location netting $100,000 or more.
There is only about $100 worth of tools needed to change billboard leases. The big investment is your time to learn how to do it. There are courses available online that can show you the techniques and strategies needed to locate and negotiate advertising land leases.
Purchase of abandoned billboard structures
Many old wooden billboards lie abandoned along major highways and byways, mostly in areas outside of major cities. These signs were often built for certain restaurants or other chains that no longer exist, such as many Stuckey’s franchises. Although these signs are not used, often the permits are still in full force and effect. Often times, you can sign a new land lease with the property owner and purchase the abandoned structure from its former owner. In most cases, the sign needs few significant repairs to return to service. You can often buy these sign structures for $1,000 or so, and the profits are huge.
Construction of new wooden billboard structures.
There are opportunities in many markets to build old-fashioned wooden billboards on highways and main roads. These signs are inexpensive to build ($4,000-$8,000 total cost) and rent for about $2,000 per year per side. After expenses, they get about $3,000 per year. This is a level of return of around 50% per year or more. While this may not seem significant right away, if you have twenty or thirty posters, making $60,000 to $90,000 per year, it sure is. Keep in mind that these types of signs are rented annually, so you only need to be involved in running the sign once a year.
Conclusion
There are several different options for getting into the outdoor billboard business with little to no capital. The industry is not just expensive and steel monopoly structures. There are attack strategies to suit all budgets, and the opportunities are limitless. Shouldn’t you check your options?
