Insider talks with lots of out of home company founders.  Here’s some of the best specific advice he’s heard on how to run an out of home company.

John Arnold, Arnold Outdoor:

1. Never build a double stack with a face taller than 8 feet.  It means you only need 1 light fixture.
2. Never build a board more than 100 miles from your house because it will always be the farthest board away which needs the most maintenance.
3. Always build the best board for the money.  You owe it to your employees to keep them safe.
4. Buy your employees safety harnesses with straps which allow them to let themselves down after a fall.

Larry Roberts, Boardworks:

1. Location (as the saying goes) and viewability are probably the most important metrics in determining the value of a sign.
2. Some signs sell themselves but most do not.  Some are almost impossible to rent which creates a resource drain.
3. Work with and not against the folks who issue permits if at all possible.
4. Placement on property matters.   Good real estate paper makes life easier.
5. Wide V structures and bright lights are good.
6. Relationships are long term and important.
7. If at all possible, own the dirt under the sign.

Justin Powell, Huntington Outdoor:

1. Everything costs twice as much as you think.
2. When you’re starting out and young, people are going to kick you. They just will, but things get better. Just stick it out and fight hard.
3. Focus on getting the absolute best locations you can at the beginning. When you have a hundred, you can take a chance and mask a bad one if you have to, but when you start you need to find winners!
4. How do you find winners? I came up with a little system that’s easy to remember and might help you. First, unless it’s a very special case, don’t bother with a location with less than 5,000 a day traffic count. Obviously, more is better. Second, look for what I call “CISD” locations (I always say “KISSED locations”). Here’s what that stands for: you want locations that are either at the end of a Curve, at an Intersection, Slow traffic, or you have Demand from advertisers wanting a billboard at a certain location.

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