If you are a fan of our blog, you’ll love our NEW YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NicheInvestments.
We are very excited to launch the channel and hope that you’ll check it out!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mobile Home Resort Now Equipped with Solar Energy
I read this exciting article from Kate Kaemerle on www.tucsoncitizen.com.
Stockbridge Energy Group and Cal Energy Group announced today the completion of a 630 kilowatt, single-axis tracker, ground-mounted photovoltaic system at Plaza Del Sol Mobile Home Resort, which is home to over 600 families. This solar array is expected to offset approximately 20 percent of the mobile home resort’s annual energy use.
“The photovoltaic solar array at Plaza Del Sol will help our mobile home resort lower our operating costs, which is very significant in the current state of our economy,” stated Jerry Norman, managing partner of Plaza Del Sol. “More importantly, this system shows Plaza Del Sol’s commitment to going green and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The solar array at Plaza Del Sol is the largest residentially-zoned solar system in the state of Arizona. This is the first large-scale project installed in a residential area under new zoning regulations set forth by the City of Tucson. “It was a great opportunity to work with the City of Tucson,” said Cal Energy Group Vice President of Operations, Blake Webster. “The city officials have been very helpful throughout this entire process.”
Plaza Del Sol has been awarded performance based incentives from Tucson Electric Power, which will be paid out over the course of 15-years. “Plaza Del Sol is setting a great example of what other mobile home parks in Arizona should be doing — taking advantage of financial incentives and increasing their bottom line with solar,” said Cal Energy Group President, John Calvert. ”In addition to the great incentive program they have in place, Tucson Electric Power has a great staff that proved to be a huge help on this project.”
The benefits of this solar installation extend beyond Plaza Del Sol. Stockbridge Energy Group worked closely with Pima Community College in developing an on-the-job training program for students enrolled in their Solar Technologies program. ”It was a great opportunity for local students to get some hands-on experience,” commented Stockbridge Energy Group president, T.J. Stockbridge. “It has been very satisfying to work on a project that has had such a positive impact on so many people.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on May 26, 2011 at 10:00AM at the Plaza Del Sol Mobile Home Resort: 1655 W. Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713.
What do you think? Could you do this in your community?
Stockbridge Energy Group and Cal Energy Group announced today the completion of a 630 kilowatt, single-axis tracker, ground-mounted photovoltaic system at Plaza Del Sol Mobile Home Resort, which is home to over 600 families. This solar array is expected to offset approximately 20 percent of the mobile home resort’s annual energy use.
“The photovoltaic solar array at Plaza Del Sol will help our mobile home resort lower our operating costs, which is very significant in the current state of our economy,” stated Jerry Norman, managing partner of Plaza Del Sol. “More importantly, this system shows Plaza Del Sol’s commitment to going green and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The solar array at Plaza Del Sol is the largest residentially-zoned solar system in the state of Arizona. This is the first large-scale project installed in a residential area under new zoning regulations set forth by the City of Tucson. “It was a great opportunity to work with the City of Tucson,” said Cal Energy Group Vice President of Operations, Blake Webster. “The city officials have been very helpful throughout this entire process.”
Plaza Del Sol has been awarded performance based incentives from Tucson Electric Power, which will be paid out over the course of 15-years. “Plaza Del Sol is setting a great example of what other mobile home parks in Arizona should be doing — taking advantage of financial incentives and increasing their bottom line with solar,” said Cal Energy Group President, John Calvert. ”In addition to the great incentive program they have in place, Tucson Electric Power has a great staff that proved to be a huge help on this project.”
The benefits of this solar installation extend beyond Plaza Del Sol. Stockbridge Energy Group worked closely with Pima Community College in developing an on-the-job training program for students enrolled in their Solar Technologies program. ”It was a great opportunity for local students to get some hands-on experience,” commented Stockbridge Energy Group president, T.J. Stockbridge. “It has been very satisfying to work on a project that has had such a positive impact on so many people.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on May 26, 2011 at 10:00AM at the Plaza Del Sol Mobile Home Resort: 1655 W. Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713.
What do you think? Could you do this in your community?
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
How to Keep RV's Coming Back
There are over 8,000,000 RV owners in the U.S. And they all have to stay somewhere. But that’s no excuse for not treating every single one as though they are the most important customer in the world. That kind of attitude will propel you to the top of the pile in RV park owners – and reward you with outstanding occupancy and cash flow.
So how do you earn lifetime RV park customers?
Over-Deliver
It’s not enough that your customer should be pleased. You want them to be so excited about their experience that they tell all their friends! If you think about it, there are only a few things you have to do to over-deliver in an RV park:
• Have an attractive entry. It sets the first impression in the customer’s mind, and validates their idea to stay at your RV park all the others out there. There is no excuse not to have decent landscaping and an attractive sign. And the grass should always be manicured and edged.
• Greet your customer with a smile and a warm, sincere “welcome”. These folks are paying your mortgage, and they sure deserve more than a cold “what do you want?” This ties in to their first impression of their experience.
• Freely dispense travel advice. They are new to the area, and need a laundry list of things to do. And you need to know the times of operation and all the other information a concierge at a hotel can provide. It does not hurt to have a map and flyers to all the attractions handy that they can take with them. Isn’t that what you’d want?
• Check on them again after they’ve connected their utilities and settled in. Make sure everything is going O.K. It only takes a couple minutes, but they really appreciate the customer service – the same as when the restaurant manager checks on your during your dinner.
When There Is A Problem – Solve It
Studies have shown that a customer who is unhappy and then made happy is more loyal than one that never had a problem in the first place. This means that it is extremely important to solve every customer issue immediately and to their satisfaction.
Remember that the alternative to a happy customer is a walking billboard of negative feedback on your RV park. If you want to be successful, having an unhappy customer is just not an option.
So how do you earn lifetime RV park customers?
Over-Deliver
It’s not enough that your customer should be pleased. You want them to be so excited about their experience that they tell all their friends! If you think about it, there are only a few things you have to do to over-deliver in an RV park:
• Have an attractive entry. It sets the first impression in the customer’s mind, and validates their idea to stay at your RV park all the others out there. There is no excuse not to have decent landscaping and an attractive sign. And the grass should always be manicured and edged.
• Greet your customer with a smile and a warm, sincere “welcome”. These folks are paying your mortgage, and they sure deserve more than a cold “what do you want?” This ties in to their first impression of their experience.
• Freely dispense travel advice. They are new to the area, and need a laundry list of things to do. And you need to know the times of operation and all the other information a concierge at a hotel can provide. It does not hurt to have a map and flyers to all the attractions handy that they can take with them. Isn’t that what you’d want?
• Check on them again after they’ve connected their utilities and settled in. Make sure everything is going O.K. It only takes a couple minutes, but they really appreciate the customer service – the same as when the restaurant manager checks on your during your dinner.
When There Is A Problem – Solve It
Studies have shown that a customer who is unhappy and then made happy is more loyal than one that never had a problem in the first place. This means that it is extremely important to solve every customer issue immediately and to their satisfaction.
Remember that the alternative to a happy customer is a walking billboard of negative feedback on your RV park. If you want to be successful, having an unhappy customer is just not an option.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Make the Best of Bad Visibility
Sure, everyone has a billboard face with poor visibility. Maybe you built the sign for the great visibility of the other side, or maybe it was a great read at one time, but there is at least one bad advertising face in every portfolio. So what do you do to maximize that one clunker?
Here are some ideas:
· If the problem is blockage – try to fix it. As long as a tree is on private property, you have the right to ask the neighbor if you can trim or remove it. It never hurts to ask. You may offer them cash or some other concession if they will allow you to do so. Even if a tree is on highway right-of-way, it still never hurts to ask. You’d be amazed how many trees and other vegetation obstructions have been removed legally by just asking the proper authority. If the problem is blockage from a man-made obstacle, such as a flag or someone’s business sign – again, it’s the right step to ask if the obstruction can be moved or removed. One of my best billboard deals of all time was buying a vacant sign in downtown Dallas from a big company for next to nothing, because it had a terrible blockage from a “parking” sign right in the middle of it. Apparently, they had never bothered to ask the “parking” sign owner if it could be moved. I immediately got the green light from the owner, without a penny of compensation, just to be a good neighbor. I lowered the sign to where it did not block the billboard at all, yet did not damage to the effectiveness of the “parking” sign either.
· If the problem is the angle of the billboard face to the highway – try to increase it. Many a billboard has gone from a dog sign to a winner by significantly increasing the angle of the “V” – the angle of the sign face in relation to the road. For example, a back-to-back sign , depending on the orientation of the highway, be virtually unreadable. However, with a sharp angle aimed at the traffic, that same read takes on a new life. If the law allows you to, it is possible to increase the V of the sign without a lot of construction – but be sure it’s legal to do so. In some markets, the ordinance allows such a trick since you are not increasing the size, height, or lighting of the ad face, just the angle (which is normally not even in the ordinance). If you have not built the sign yet, then put a big V on it from day one.
· If the problem is the height of the billboard face over an obstruction that cannot be changed, such as a roof line of a neighboring building, see if you can build a smaller sign or a taller sign. Many times, a billboard owner does not realize that he can actually build the sign higher than he thinks. Often, this is due to a lack of understanding as to where the height of the sign is measured from. Sometimes, you are given some extra feet in height if the sign begins on land below the grade of the highway. Another thing to check is if there is a different configuration that eliminates the blockage. For example, instead of a 14’ x 48’, maybe you should build a 10’6” x 36’? You’ll pick up almost 4’ of additional clearance. A clearly visible 10’6” x 36’ is worth a whole lot more money than a badly blocked 14’ x 48’.
· If there is no way to fix the visibility issue, then try and improve what you’ve got to sell. Paint the empty face day-glow yellow and put your phone number in huge black letters, the full height of the sign face. Or put some “rhinestones” on it so that the face glimmers in the light. If someone should rent the sign, then make sure their ad copy if only a few HUGE words, and paint it in obnoxious colors to get your attention.
· Use this sign for public service messages or put in a barter program. Sometimes, when people are not paying cash, they are more tolerant of a bad sign than others.
As I’ve said many times, I’ve never met a sign I couldn’t rent. Even if your sign is the worst one in the world there is, at some price, someone who will rent it. At least demand is always strong, even when your visibility isn’t. Never give up, and often something goes your way. Remember the ugly duckling that becomes a swan. Well, you may not get a swan, but you could get a pricey chicken. You just don’t want a turkey!
Here are some ideas:
· If the problem is blockage – try to fix it. As long as a tree is on private property, you have the right to ask the neighbor if you can trim or remove it. It never hurts to ask. You may offer them cash or some other concession if they will allow you to do so. Even if a tree is on highway right-of-way, it still never hurts to ask. You’d be amazed how many trees and other vegetation obstructions have been removed legally by just asking the proper authority. If the problem is blockage from a man-made obstacle, such as a flag or someone’s business sign – again, it’s the right step to ask if the obstruction can be moved or removed. One of my best billboard deals of all time was buying a vacant sign in downtown Dallas from a big company for next to nothing, because it had a terrible blockage from a “parking” sign right in the middle of it. Apparently, they had never bothered to ask the “parking” sign owner if it could be moved. I immediately got the green light from the owner, without a penny of compensation, just to be a good neighbor. I lowered the sign to where it did not block the billboard at all, yet did not damage to the effectiveness of the “parking” sign either.
· If the problem is the angle of the billboard face to the highway – try to increase it. Many a billboard has gone from a dog sign to a winner by significantly increasing the angle of the “V” – the angle of the sign face in relation to the road. For example, a back-to-back sign , depending on the orientation of the highway, be virtually unreadable. However, with a sharp angle aimed at the traffic, that same read takes on a new life. If the law allows you to, it is possible to increase the V of the sign without a lot of construction – but be sure it’s legal to do so. In some markets, the ordinance allows such a trick since you are not increasing the size, height, or lighting of the ad face, just the angle (which is normally not even in the ordinance). If you have not built the sign yet, then put a big V on it from day one.
· If the problem is the height of the billboard face over an obstruction that cannot be changed, such as a roof line of a neighboring building, see if you can build a smaller sign or a taller sign. Many times, a billboard owner does not realize that he can actually build the sign higher than he thinks. Often, this is due to a lack of understanding as to where the height of the sign is measured from. Sometimes, you are given some extra feet in height if the sign begins on land below the grade of the highway. Another thing to check is if there is a different configuration that eliminates the blockage. For example, instead of a 14’ x 48’, maybe you should build a 10’6” x 36’? You’ll pick up almost 4’ of additional clearance. A clearly visible 10’6” x 36’ is worth a whole lot more money than a badly blocked 14’ x 48’.
· If there is no way to fix the visibility issue, then try and improve what you’ve got to sell. Paint the empty face day-glow yellow and put your phone number in huge black letters, the full height of the sign face. Or put some “rhinestones” on it so that the face glimmers in the light. If someone should rent the sign, then make sure their ad copy if only a few HUGE words, and paint it in obnoxious colors to get your attention.
· Use this sign for public service messages or put in a barter program. Sometimes, when people are not paying cash, they are more tolerant of a bad sign than others.
As I’ve said many times, I’ve never met a sign I couldn’t rent. Even if your sign is the worst one in the world there is, at some price, someone who will rent it. At least demand is always strong, even when your visibility isn’t. Never give up, and often something goes your way. Remember the ugly duckling that becomes a swan. Well, you may not get a swan, but you could get a pricey chicken. You just don’t want a turkey!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Find a Billboard Location in Hours
It is very intimidating to look for your first billboard location. You feel like you don’t know what you are doing, and that you can’t possibly compete with the big companies. There is a simple exercise to cure you of these feelings, and start you on the road to building your own billboard company.
When Sam Walton built Walmart, he started outside of the big cities, and later worked his way in. That way he didn’t face as stiff of competition when he got started. You need to follow his example. You need to get out of the big city and into the countryside to find your first billboard locations.
So how do you begin? Take a map of the city you are located in (assuming you live in a city; if not, then get a map of the nearest big city), and take a highlighter and color the highways leading in and out of town. Now, pick the general direction of growth in that city (north, south, etc.), defined as where there is the majority of new construction, home development, etc.). Your next step is to drive out one of the highways that run in that direction, and keep going until you see the billboards start to die out. You have now reached the limits of the universe for billboards, which makes for fertile territory for you.
You need to find the first legal billboard location available in this new territory – the first location since the string of billboards dies out. Why did the signs die out? Probably because there was not a whole lot of demand for the ad faces, and the big companies figure if they ever want a new location, there should be plenty available. However, this is a very good place to start your billboard career.
How can you make a billboard like this work when the big companies don’t want it. Several reasons:
*
You have far less overhead (like zero)
*
You will rent the advertising space for less, since you have no corporate rules to worry about.
*
You can build the sign for less if you really work it.
*
You will put in 150% effort because it is your first sign
The safest way to approach a sign like this is to get the practice of obtaining a groundlease and permit, and then try and pre-lease the advertising space. That way, if you are unsuccessful in finding advertisers, you can just terminate the lease and not have to build it. Or you can try and sell it to another company (it won’t bring a lot, so don’t get too high expectations). Make sure that your groundlease allows you to cancel the lease in the event that you can’t rent the advertising space – just in case.
Once you have gained your confidence and learned from a couple of these type of billboards, you will be much more confident to attack the ones closer in to the city center.
So if you are having trouble getting started in finding billboard locations, go to the far reaches of the metroplex, and you can find plenty of product to start you on your way. Even if you don’t build that first sign, you will learn several lessons along the way.
If the thought of earning money in the billboard business excites you, you are in luck! We are holding a Billboard Bootcamp in St. Louis, Missouri, August 13th and 14th. For more information, contact Frank Rolfe at (573) 535- 0206 or at frank.rolfe@gmail.com.
When Sam Walton built Walmart, he started outside of the big cities, and later worked his way in. That way he didn’t face as stiff of competition when he got started. You need to follow his example. You need to get out of the big city and into the countryside to find your first billboard locations.
So how do you begin? Take a map of the city you are located in (assuming you live in a city; if not, then get a map of the nearest big city), and take a highlighter and color the highways leading in and out of town. Now, pick the general direction of growth in that city (north, south, etc.), defined as where there is the majority of new construction, home development, etc.). Your next step is to drive out one of the highways that run in that direction, and keep going until you see the billboards start to die out. You have now reached the limits of the universe for billboards, which makes for fertile territory for you.
You need to find the first legal billboard location available in this new territory – the first location since the string of billboards dies out. Why did the signs die out? Probably because there was not a whole lot of demand for the ad faces, and the big companies figure if they ever want a new location, there should be plenty available. However, this is a very good place to start your billboard career.
How can you make a billboard like this work when the big companies don’t want it. Several reasons:
*
You have far less overhead (like zero)
*
You will rent the advertising space for less, since you have no corporate rules to worry about.
*
You can build the sign for less if you really work it.
*
You will put in 150% effort because it is your first sign
The safest way to approach a sign like this is to get the practice of obtaining a groundlease and permit, and then try and pre-lease the advertising space. That way, if you are unsuccessful in finding advertisers, you can just terminate the lease and not have to build it. Or you can try and sell it to another company (it won’t bring a lot, so don’t get too high expectations). Make sure that your groundlease allows you to cancel the lease in the event that you can’t rent the advertising space – just in case.
Once you have gained your confidence and learned from a couple of these type of billboards, you will be much more confident to attack the ones closer in to the city center.
So if you are having trouble getting started in finding billboard locations, go to the far reaches of the metroplex, and you can find plenty of product to start you on your way. Even if you don’t build that first sign, you will learn several lessons along the way.
If the thought of earning money in the billboard business excites you, you are in luck! We are holding a Billboard Bootcamp in St. Louis, Missouri, August 13th and 14th. For more information, contact Frank Rolfe at (573) 535- 0206 or at frank.rolfe@gmail.com.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
How to Build a Billboard
There is a right way and a wrong way to build a billboard. Unfortunately, the punishment for not building the right way can be crushing – from $10,000 to move the sign to total loss of your investment if property damage leads to expensive litigation. Building a billboard the correct way is essential to prospering in the outdoor billboard business.
The first step in building a billboard is to gather all of the relevant information regarding billboard placement. You need to know the front and side setback regulations (both city and state), the exact dimensions of the structure (from the blueprints), and distance that the light fixtures stick out from the catwalks – everything that will determine sign placement.
The next step is to map out, with all this information in hand, exactly where the billboard column should go. When the driller gets there to drill the billboard foundation, the only question he will ask you is where the center of the column will go. You need to map out, well ahead of time and without any pressure, where that center should exactly be. One of the best methods is to buy some wooden stakes and a hammer, and map out where all the corners of the sign will be. This will help you to visualize all of the setbacks and their relation to the real sign.
Once you have figured out exactly where the center of the column should go, give yourself a break and increase the front and side setback by an extra foot or two. I learned this from experience, since you never really know 100% where the property lines are. If there is ever a dispute on the property boundary, you will have to hire a surveyor to find the exact property line, and it may be a foot or so different than where you assumed it is. Even if the property owner tells you with great authority exactly where their property begins, don’t count on it. I once had a land owner show me where the easements and underground pipes on his property were, and then I dug down and hit an 18” water main. The cost to move a billboard is extremely high – around $10,000 or so. However, nobody will ever notice a 2’ additional setback. It’s a simple case of risk vs. reward.
Before you start building the sign make sure that you have removed any obstruction to the sign that it is within your power to do. If you have permission from the neighbor to trim his tree, then trim it before the sign goes in. It always works best to do your trimming and removing before the sign calls a lot of attention to what you are doing. You never know what impact the actual sign may have on the agreeable neighbor – they may change their mind when they see the huge size of the sign they will be staring out forever.
Now that you have a mastery of the sign’s location, it’s time to get ready for the steel to arrive and the construction to begin. Prior to the arrival of the heavy equipment and some huge pieces of steel, it is important to obtain complete permission and cooperation from the landowner (and tenant) for the dislocation that will occur at his property on the day of construction. You should also make 100% that you have all of the necessary permits and that none have expired. Remember that in some cities, you must commence construction within so many days of the permit issuance, or it terminates. You cannot take the risk of building a sign that has no legal permit. You should also scout out all of the access issues – how will the big trucks get in? Hopefully, your sign erector has already walked the site with you.
Once the sign erector and foundation driller show up, you should never leave the job site. There are many problems that can come up during construction, and you need to be there to help make the choices on how to remedy them. The first potential risk is the possibility of hitting water or rock when drilling the foundation. While the driller should have a solution ready in the event that either should occur, you will have to give on-the-spot approval for the additional cost to fix the problem. Other reasons to stay on-site the entire time is to help resolve any problems with the property owner or neighbors (noise issues, etc.), and to make sure that the exact location you marked for the center of the pole is utilized. I have been on job sites where the driller pulls out the stake and then forgets exactly where it was.
Once the driller is at work, he may get lazy and not drill quite as deep as the plans recommend. This compromises the safety of the sign, as well as throwing off your height limit. Make sure and police that the hole is the correct depth. Even a 6” difference can be a huge problem. Watch him measure the depth, and make sure that he does not cheat.
Once the pole is in the hole, it is time to choose the “V” – the angles of the sign faces in relation to the traffic. This is something you never want to leave up to the installer. It’s not their sign, they will not be saddled with renting the ad space, so they get lazy and don’t do nearly as good as job as you can do yourself. The correct way to choose the “V” angles is from the road it is seen from. It sounds awkward, but you have to normally spot the angles from the middle of the road or highway. I normally use a cell phone to do this as the sign installer cannot hear you from 100 yards away.
When the pole is in the hole and aligned, it is time for the concrete truck. This is the final step that requires your presence. With the concrete, your focus is to make sure that they do not over-fill the hole, or make a big mess on the property. The concrete should stop about 2” from ground level, so that you can put dirt and grass back over the hole. And the biggest mess you can make on the property is a bunch of concrete dumped on the property. Often, just your presence makes the concrete guy more careful.
Once the concrete has been poured, you no longer have to be on-site through the end of the construction process. However, you still have some additional duties to build a sign properly. Make sure that the permit is clearly affixed to the billboard pole, so that the city inspector knows you have one and that you are following it. Also, take some sort of thank-you gift to the landowner or tenant to show your appreciation for letting you tear up their property for a few days. It makes a great first impression.
You should make a lot of money with your first billboard. So it is important that you do not waste any money on having to fix the setback, height, angle, and visibility that you could have easily prevented through informed thinking and attention to detail. Follow these directions, and your billboard should go smoothly and successfully.
If the thought of earning money in the billboard business excites you, you are in luck! We are holding a Billboard Bootcamp in St. Louis, Missouri, August 13th and 14th. For more information, contact Frank Rolfe at (573) 535- 0206 or at frank.rolfe@gmail.com.
The first step in building a billboard is to gather all of the relevant information regarding billboard placement. You need to know the front and side setback regulations (both city and state), the exact dimensions of the structure (from the blueprints), and distance that the light fixtures stick out from the catwalks – everything that will determine sign placement.
The next step is to map out, with all this information in hand, exactly where the billboard column should go. When the driller gets there to drill the billboard foundation, the only question he will ask you is where the center of the column will go. You need to map out, well ahead of time and without any pressure, where that center should exactly be. One of the best methods is to buy some wooden stakes and a hammer, and map out where all the corners of the sign will be. This will help you to visualize all of the setbacks and their relation to the real sign.
Once you have figured out exactly where the center of the column should go, give yourself a break and increase the front and side setback by an extra foot or two. I learned this from experience, since you never really know 100% where the property lines are. If there is ever a dispute on the property boundary, you will have to hire a surveyor to find the exact property line, and it may be a foot or so different than where you assumed it is. Even if the property owner tells you with great authority exactly where their property begins, don’t count on it. I once had a land owner show me where the easements and underground pipes on his property were, and then I dug down and hit an 18” water main. The cost to move a billboard is extremely high – around $10,000 or so. However, nobody will ever notice a 2’ additional setback. It’s a simple case of risk vs. reward.
Before you start building the sign make sure that you have removed any obstruction to the sign that it is within your power to do. If you have permission from the neighbor to trim his tree, then trim it before the sign goes in. It always works best to do your trimming and removing before the sign calls a lot of attention to what you are doing. You never know what impact the actual sign may have on the agreeable neighbor – they may change their mind when they see the huge size of the sign they will be staring out forever.
Now that you have a mastery of the sign’s location, it’s time to get ready for the steel to arrive and the construction to begin. Prior to the arrival of the heavy equipment and some huge pieces of steel, it is important to obtain complete permission and cooperation from the landowner (and tenant) for the dislocation that will occur at his property on the day of construction. You should also make 100% that you have all of the necessary permits and that none have expired. Remember that in some cities, you must commence construction within so many days of the permit issuance, or it terminates. You cannot take the risk of building a sign that has no legal permit. You should also scout out all of the access issues – how will the big trucks get in? Hopefully, your sign erector has already walked the site with you.
Once the sign erector and foundation driller show up, you should never leave the job site. There are many problems that can come up during construction, and you need to be there to help make the choices on how to remedy them. The first potential risk is the possibility of hitting water or rock when drilling the foundation. While the driller should have a solution ready in the event that either should occur, you will have to give on-the-spot approval for the additional cost to fix the problem. Other reasons to stay on-site the entire time is to help resolve any problems with the property owner or neighbors (noise issues, etc.), and to make sure that the exact location you marked for the center of the pole is utilized. I have been on job sites where the driller pulls out the stake and then forgets exactly where it was.
Once the driller is at work, he may get lazy and not drill quite as deep as the plans recommend. This compromises the safety of the sign, as well as throwing off your height limit. Make sure and police that the hole is the correct depth. Even a 6” difference can be a huge problem. Watch him measure the depth, and make sure that he does not cheat.
Once the pole is in the hole, it is time to choose the “V” – the angles of the sign faces in relation to the traffic. This is something you never want to leave up to the installer. It’s not their sign, they will not be saddled with renting the ad space, so they get lazy and don’t do nearly as good as job as you can do yourself. The correct way to choose the “V” angles is from the road it is seen from. It sounds awkward, but you have to normally spot the angles from the middle of the road or highway. I normally use a cell phone to do this as the sign installer cannot hear you from 100 yards away.
When the pole is in the hole and aligned, it is time for the concrete truck. This is the final step that requires your presence. With the concrete, your focus is to make sure that they do not over-fill the hole, or make a big mess on the property. The concrete should stop about 2” from ground level, so that you can put dirt and grass back over the hole. And the biggest mess you can make on the property is a bunch of concrete dumped on the property. Often, just your presence makes the concrete guy more careful.
Once the concrete has been poured, you no longer have to be on-site through the end of the construction process. However, you still have some additional duties to build a sign properly. Make sure that the permit is clearly affixed to the billboard pole, so that the city inspector knows you have one and that you are following it. Also, take some sort of thank-you gift to the landowner or tenant to show your appreciation for letting you tear up their property for a few days. It makes a great first impression.
You should make a lot of money with your first billboard. So it is important that you do not waste any money on having to fix the setback, height, angle, and visibility that you could have easily prevented through informed thinking and attention to detail. Follow these directions, and your billboard should go smoothly and successfully.
If the thought of earning money in the billboard business excites you, you are in luck! We are holding a Billboard Bootcamp in St. Louis, Missouri, August 13th and 14th. For more information, contact Frank Rolfe at (573) 535- 0206 or at frank.rolfe@gmail.com.
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