Hoarding Booking Management: Avoid Double Bookings

A hoarding is an asset that earns only when it is booked, so the worst mistake is a site that sits empty by accident or is promised to two clients at once. Most outdoor agencies in Nepal still coordinate through phone calls and WhatsApp groups, which works until volume grows. This guide explains how to run hoarding bookings in an organised way.

Start with a clean site inventory

Every site needs one record. Include the location in words a client understands, the municipality and ward, the size, the type (hoarding, unipole, glow sign, wall, bus shelter), whether it is lit, the direction of traffic it faces and a few photos. Add the owner or landlord, the rent, the payment dates and any agreement or permit dates you hold. Having this in a single place means any staff member can answer a client in seconds.

What to record about the landlord

• Name and phone number
• Rent amount and payment schedule
• Agreement start and end dates
• Permit or municipal fee dates you track
• Conditions, such as restrictions on content

The software holds the dates you enter and reminds you before they arrive. Rules and fees differ between municipalities, so confirm requirements with the relevant local office rather than depending on memory.

Use a booking calendar with three states

A simple calendar needs three states: free, held and booked. A hold means you have promised the site for a short period while the client decides, and it should expire automatically. This stops the common problem where a site is blocked for weeks by a client who never confirmed. A booked period needs the client, campaign, start date, end date, rate and the creative that will be displayed.

The key rule is that overlapping dates for the same site are rejected. People forget; a system does not.

From enquiry to display: the booking steps

1. Enquiry. The client names an area, dates and budget.
2. Availability check. You search the calendar for matching sites.
3. Quotation. You send a plan with sites, dates, rates, printing and installation.
4. Hold and approval. You hold the sites and the client approves in writing.
5. Creative and printing. The flex or vinyl is designed, approved and printed.
6. Installation. A team puts it up, and you photograph the live site with date.
7. Display period. You monitor condition, such as damaged flex or lighting failure.
8. Removal and report. After the period you remove or replace the creative and send a proof report.

Proof of display protects both sides

Clients pay for visibility, and they have the right to see it. Photos taken on installation day and at intervals, each with date, are the best protection against a dispute. Attach them to the booking, and send a simple report at the end. For long campaigns, a monthly photo update keeps the client comfortable and makes renewals easier.

Handle maintenance and weather

Wind in the hills and heavy monsoon rain damage flex, and load-shedding can leave a lit board dark in the evening. Record problems as maintenance tickets against the site, with date reported, date fixed and who fixed it. If a board was dark for several days, you can decide on a make-good or credit knowing the facts, rather than arguing from memory.

Pricing a site fairly

A site record should also help you price. Note the monthly rent, the cost of printing and mounting the flex, the cost of lighting and the typical occupancy over the year. From these you can see the minimum rate that keeps a site profitable and decide how much discount you can give for a longer booking. Many agencies discover that one or two sites carry the whole business while a few quietly lose money in months when they sit empty. Without the numbers in one place, those low performers stay invisible.

Seasonal demand

Demand in Nepal rises around Dashain, Tihar, the new year and election periods, and falls in other months. Keep last year's occupancy by Nepali month so you can plan offers for quiet months and avoid discounting in busy ones. A calendar that shows the whole year at a glance makes this obvious.

Renewals are the easy money

Most revenue comes from clients who already trust you. Software can list bookings ending in the next thirty days so your account team contacts those clients first, offers renewal and checks the next dates for the site. Without this list, renewals depend on someone remembering.

Billing and vendor rent

Each booking should create an invoice line and, if the site is rented, a cost to the landlord. Showing both lets you see the margin per site, per client and per month. Billing may include VAT at 13% where applicable, printing, installation and any service charge, and advances should be adjusted. Confirm your exact VAT obligations with your accountant.

Where software helps most

A spreadsheet can store sites, but it cannot block a double booking, remind rent dates or link a site photo to an invoice. Our advertising agency software includes site inventory, a booking calendar, proof of display and vendor dues, configured to your sites. If you manage property as well, our rental property software may suit that side. Message us on WhatsApp at +977 9846280400 to see a demo with your own sites.

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