That is one way of looking at it but here is another. Remember the value of a new customer is not the profit on an oil change or the profit from one set of tires. The average customer spends between $600-$1100 annually according to the data I have read. If a message board helped me gain a new customer once a week at the low end that computes to a potential $31,000 in additional sales and at the high end that is $57,000. A $30K message board would allow me to reduce my advertising costs I suspect by $4K-$5K annually. The results from the increase in business and my reduced advertising costs would lead me to believe that I could pay for a sign in less than 5 years. One local shop reported a 20% increase in business since the addition of a message board. I am located on one of if not the busiest retail strip in our area. I suspect that a message board would be well worth the investment.. The cost of a message board needs to be amortized over the course of its lifetime. The investment becomes paid advertising week after week, month after month, year after year. In a sense a message board is nothing more than prepaid advertising if utilized properly.