If you have seen those big, colorful birthday or graduation signs covering someone's front yard and wondered who puts them there, there is usually a local yard card business behind them. And if you have ever thought about starting a small business of your own, learning how to start a yard card business may be worth considering.
In short: a yard card business buys professional outdoor signs once, then rents the same inventory out for birthdays, graduations, and other celebrations, handling delivery, setup, and pickup for each booking.
A yard card business is fairly simple to understand. You purchase the signs once, rent them to customers for celebrations, set them up, take them down, and then use the same inventory again for future rentals.
You do not need a storefront or a huge amount of equipment to get started. Many yard card businesses begin from home as a part-time side business and build their inventory as bookings grow.
If you are completely new to yard carding, this guide will walk you through what you need, what it costs, how rentals work, how to price them, and how to find your first customers.
What Is a Yard Card Business?
A yard card business rents large outdoor signs that are arranged in a customer's yard to create a personalized display.
You have probably seen displays that say things like:
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA
- CONGRATS GRAD
- WELCOME HOME
- HAPPY 50TH
- IT'S A BOY
- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
The letters and numbers are combined with decorative signs, usually called yard card flair. These can include balloons, stars, cakes, sports, hobbies, graduation caps, baby designs, holiday pieces and hundreds of other themes.
Most professional yard cards are printed on Coroplast, which is a lightweight corrugated plastic material that works well for outdoor signs. Metal stakes slide into the flutes of the Coroplast so each piece can stand securely in the ground.
Unlike selling a sign to a customer, you are renting your inventory.
That distinction matters.
A set of letters might appear in dozens or even hundreds of different displays over its lifetime. The same HAPPY BIRTHDAY letters you use for a five-year-old this weekend could become part of a completely different display for a 50th birthday next weekend.
That reusable inventory is the foundation of the business.
Why Start a Yard Card Business as a Side Business?
One reason people are attracted to yard carding is that you can start relatively small.
You do not need to lease a building. You do not need employees when you are starting. You do not need expensive machinery because you are purchasing finished yard card signs from a supplier.
You mainly need enough inventory to create your first displays and somewhere to store it.
The schedule can also work well around another job or family responsibilities. Many installations happen in the evening before an event or early in the morning, with pickup taking place after the celebration.
There are also plenty of reasons for people to order throughout the year.
Birthdays happen every day. Then you have graduations, anniversaries, baby showers, new babies, retirements, school events, sports accomplishments, holidays and other milestones.
A customer who rents a birthday display this year may call you again for another family member, a graduation or another celebration.
And you do not need to live in a huge city.
Your potential customer base is local. A smaller town may have fewer potential customers, but it may also have fewer yard card businesses competing for them. A larger city gives you a bigger customer base but may have more competition.
Before starting, search for yard card rentals and birthday yard signs in your area. See who is already operating, what they offer and what they charge.
What Do You Need to Start a Yard Card Business?
You do not need every yard card design available before taking your first booking.
You do need enough versatile inventory to create a professional-looking display.
Letters and Numbers
Your alphabet, number and symbol sets will become some of the most-used pieces you own.
Start with at least one good large full alphabet set. Larger letters make your message easier to see from the street and give your displays the size customers expect.
As your business grows, add more colors, sizes and styles.
Having multiple alphabet sets also becomes important once you start booking several displays on the same day. You cannot spell two names with the same letter if that letter is already sitting in someone else's yard.
Yard Card Flair
Flair gives each display personality.
Start with pieces you can use repeatedly. Balloons, stars, hearts, streamers, cakes and other general celebration designs can work with many different customers.
Then slowly add themed flair based on what people in your market request.
Sports, graduation, baby, school, hobbies, holidays and popular birthday themes are all areas you can build into later.
Yard Stakes
Your signs need stakes.
Buy enough stakes for a complete display plus extras. Stakes can get bent, lost or left behind, so having backups will save you a lot of frustration.
Storage Space
Yard cards take up space.
You may be able to start with part of a garage, spare room or storage area. As your inventory grows, you will need a better organization system.
The important part is being able to quickly find the letters, numbers and flair you need before an installation.
A Vehicle
You need a reliable way to transport your signs and stakes.
You do not necessarily need a truck or large commercial vehicle. Your exact needs will depend on the size of your inventory, how you organize it and how many installations you complete at once.
A Phone and a Simple Booking System
Do not make this complicated when you are starting.
You need a way for customers to contact you, choose a date, give you their address and display information, and pay you.
You can begin with a simple website, online form or booking system. As your business grows, you can move into more advanced software for scheduling, customer management, routes and payments.
The important thing is having one organized place for your bookings so nothing gets missed.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Yard Card Business?
You can start small, but you should still expect to spend at least a few hundred dollars putting together a basic setup.
Your biggest initial expense will usually be your signs.
You need letters and numbers, general flair and stakes. You may also have smaller expenses for business registration, insurance, a website or booking system, payment processing, marketing and storage.
This is where yard card starter sets can make things easier.
Instead of trying to figure out every individual sign you should purchase, a starter set bundles many of the basic pieces a new yard card business needs.
You can then add inventory as your business starts bringing in money.
Do not make the mistake of spending thousands of dollars buying every design you like before you know what your local customers actually want.
Build a strong foundation first.
Then let your bookings help tell you what to buy next.
Where Should You Buy Yard Card Supplies?
Your signs represent your business every time you install them.
Buy from a professional yard card supplier that understands the industry and produces signs specifically for outdoor yard card displays.
Professional printing matters.
A cheap sign that quickly fades, scratches or looks dull does not save you money if you have to replace it. Your inventory needs to look good after being rented repeatedly.
Look for professionally printed Coroplast signs with clear graphics, good color and clean cutting.
At Yard Card Planet, our printed yard cards are professionally UV printed on sturdy 4mm Coroplast for outdoor use. We carry alphabet, number and symbol sets, starter sets, yard card flair, themed sets, graduation signs, birthday signs, holiday designs, as well as stakes and other supplies specifically for yard card businesses.
We also know that when you suddenly realize you need something for an upcoming booking, waiting weeks for supplies can be a problem. Most Yard Card Planet orders are delivered within 1 to 2 business days, and we offer flat $15 shipping within the United States.
You do not have to buy everything from one supplier forever. As an independent yard card business owner, you can build your inventory based on your customers, your style and what works for your business.
How to Price Your Yard Card Rentals
Pricing varies by market, but many standard yard card rentals fall somewhere around $95 to $135 for an approximately 24-hour rental. Larger displays, premium packages, additional days, longer phrases and specialty setups can reach $150 or more.
Research your local market before setting your final price.
More importantly, do not look only at what another company charges and automatically price yourself lower.
Your rental price has to cover more than the signs sitting in the yard.
You are also providing:
- Delivery
- Installation
- Pickup
- Your time
- Fuel
- Vehicle expenses
- Payment processing
- Marketing
- Replacement inventory
- Business expenses
Keep your pricing simple when you start.
For example, you might offer one standard package that includes a greeting, name, age and coordinating flair within a defined delivery area.
Then charge additional fees for things such as longer distances, additional rental days, rush orders or larger displays.
Customers should be able to understand what they are buying without reading a complicated pricing chart.
Be sure to check out our article about the science of pricing your yard cards for maximum profit.
Free Yard Card Profit Calculator
Use our free yard card profit calculator to see how your pricing translates into monthly profit. Enter your expected bookings, pricing and costs to see your revenue, expenses and breakeven point.
How to Get Your First Yard Card Customers
Your first customers will probably come from your local community.
Start there.
Facebook and Local Groups
Create a Facebook business page and show people what you do.
Local Facebook groups can also be extremely useful, especially neighborhood groups, parent groups and community pages that allow local business posts.
Do not constantly post advertisements.
Show your work.
A great photo of a birthday display with a simple message saying you now offer yard card rentals in the area can do more for you than a long sales pitch.
If you are starting out, come join our private Facebook group, Yard Card Planet Signs and Supplies. It is a community of yard card business owners where you can ask questions, see what other businesses are doing, and learn from people who are already renting displays every week.
Create a Google Business Profile
You want to appear when someone searches for phrases such as:
- "yard cards near me"
- "birthday yard signs near me"
- "yard card rental"
- "graduation yard sign rental"
A Google Business Profile can help your local company appear when people search for those services.
Ask happy customers to leave reviews as you begin completing installations.
Photograph Every Display
This one is important.
Take good photos of every installation you complete.
Those photos become your social media content, website gallery, advertising material and proof of the quality of your work.
Your first ten installations can give you enough original content to market your business for weeks.
Ask for Referrals
Yard cards are naturally visible.
You install one display and the entire neighborhood can see it.
Parents take pictures. Friends ask where the signs came from. People share the display on social media.
Make sure customers know your business name and make it easy for them to tag or recommend you.
Word of mouth can become one of your strongest sources of new bookings.
How Does a Yard Card Installation Work?
Once you develop a routine, the process is straightforward.
First, the customer books the display and gives you the information you need. That usually includes the event date, address, recipient's name, age if applicable, requested colors or themes and any special interests.
You confirm the booking and collect payment or a deposit according to your policies.
Before the installation, you pull the letters, numbers, stakes and flair you plan to use.
Then you drive to the customer's location and install the display.
Depending on how you run your business, you may set it up the evening before the event or early on the day of the celebration.
The display normally stays up for about 24 hours.
You return the following day, remove everything, check your inventory and bring it back to storage so it is ready for the next rental.
That is the basic business model.
Book. Deliver. Install. Pick up. Rent the inventory again.
Mistakes People Make When They Start a Yard Card Business
You will learn a lot after your first few installations, but there are several beginner mistakes you can avoid from the beginning.
Buying Too Little Inventory
Starting small is smart.
Starting with so little inventory that you cannot create a complete display is not.
You need enough letters, numbers and general flair to make your first installations look professional.
You also need to think about duplicate letters.
If you have one alphabet set and receive two bookings for Saturday, you may discover both customers need the same letters.
Your inventory has to grow along with your booking calendar.
Underpricing Your Rentals
Being the cheapest yard card company in town should not be your goal.
New business owners often forget to calculate their time.
If you spend time answering the customer, preparing the signs, driving to the house, installing the display, driving home, returning the next day, removing everything and putting it back into storage, that booking involves much more work than the installation itself.
Know what the entire job costs you.
Then price accordingly.
Taking Bookings Without Payment or a Deposit
A customer saying, "Yes, I want Saturday," does not necessarily mean you have a confirmed booking.
If you reserve the date and prepare inventory without collecting payment or a deposit, a last-minute cancellation or no-show can leave you with an empty spot that another customer could have booked.
Create a clear payment and cancellation policy from the beginning.
A booking should not be considered confirmed until the customer has completed whatever payment requirement you establish.
Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Yard Card Business
How Much Money Can You Make With a Yard Card Business?
There is no honest answer that applies to everyone.
Your revenue depends on your rental price, number of bookings, local demand, competition, service area, expenses and how much time you put into the business.
The math itself is easy.
If your average rental is $100 and you complete five rentals in a week, that is $500 in gross revenue.
Ten $100 rentals would produce $1,000 in gross revenue.
But gross revenue is not profit.
You still have fuel, inventory, payment processing, marketing, taxes and other business expenses to consider.
Instead of focusing on an income claim, figure out how many monthly rentals you realistically need to reach your personal income goal.
Do I Need a Business License to Start a Yard Card Business?
That depends on where you live.
Business registration, sales tax requirements, home-based business rules, insurance requirements and local sign regulations can vary by state, county and city.
Check with your state and local government before accepting bookings.
You should also look into business liability insurance and make sure you understand any rules affecting temporary signs in the areas you serve.
Do not assume another yard card company's requirements apply to you just because they operate in a nearby city.
What Happens if It Is Windy or the Weather Is Bad?
Weather is part of running an outdoor business.
Coroplast works well for outdoor signage, but severe weather can still create unsafe conditions.
You should have a written weather policy explaining what happens during high winds, thunderstorms, flooding, hurricanes, snow or other conditions that make an installation unsafe.
Never risk your safety or create a dangerous situation just to complete an installation.
Learning proper staking also matters. Different soil conditions can change how easily signs go into the ground and how securely they stay in place.
As you gain experience, checking the weather and ground conditions will simply become another part of preparing for each job.
Ready to Start a Yard Card Business?
You do not need a warehouse full of signs to get started.
You need a good foundation.
Start with quality letters and numbers, versatile flair, plenty of stakes, an organized booking process and enough inventory to create displays you are proud to put your business name behind.
Then get your first displays into yards, take great photos, listen to what customers request and build your inventory from there.
If you are ready to start a yard card business, take a look at the Yard Card Planet Starter Sets.
They are designed to give new yard card businesses the essential signs and supplies they need to start building their inventory and taking their first bookings.