HAYS COUNTY, Texas — A small business in Hays County is showing a big presence in the community with large yard signs that are meant to bring joy to those who maybe can’t celebrate surrounded by family and friends during this time of social distancing.

• The original Card My Yard started in Austin in 2014
• Company expanded throughout the nation
• The signs can be put up quietly at night

The original Card My Yard started in Austin in 2014 and has since expanded into more than 75 franchises across 20 states. Right now, the company is seeing an uptick in rentals due to the coronavirus unfortunately cancelling many in-person gatherings. There are franchises all over Texas, including ones serving New Braunfels, Round Rock and Boerne.

Card My Yard Buda-Kyle franchise co-owners Krissy Spruill and Mercedes Ojeda say on a typical week, they would put up five or six yard signs — now they're up to five or six a night.

"We're thankful because our other businesses are completely tanking," Spruill said. "I mean completely gone under. And so for us, it's just a huge blessing. We’re just so grateful that we still at least have this rolling right now."

The pair used to be able to put yard signs up while kids were at school, to surprise them once they got home. Now, with school out, Spruill and Ojeda are having to become "sign ninjas" at night and early morning to ensure no one sees them at work.

"Mercedes got us headlamps and at first I was like, ‘no way we're not wearing that.’ But you have to have them on, I mean it is like pitch black outside," Spruill said. "And then the whole goal is obviously to not be seen, so we usually park a little bit away and we're real quiet, we don't talk the whole time, we already have the full setup down and ready on what we're going to do and we've pretty much got it down to a science at this point. And we just very quickly get it done as fast as we can, straighten everything and hop in the car and drive out."

Spruill and Ojeda run the franchise in the zip codes for San Marcos, Kyle, Buda, Driftwood and Manchaca. They say right now, they're trying to make it a point to cross-advertise on social media for small businesses in the area, and even donate signs for a day.

"We try to make an effort to do a donation of signs periodically, as much as we can. I mean sometimes we're sold out and we can’t, but as much as we can we'll go. We went and set one up at a local automotive store up the street. And it's just encouraging words, that one says 'choose joy,'" Spruill said.

For Buda parents Jessie and Cody Clayton, there's nothing quite like having to break the news to your kid that a birthday party can't happen.

"Honestly, [Joey] was very upset. He's very upset. We've had a couple, maybe two emotional nights of, you know, just not understanding. And he's like I just want my friends to come over and celebrate," Jessie Clayton said. "And so we really wanted to do something special, not just let the day go by."

The Claytons knew of the Card My Yard signs because of a connection to Spruill and Ojeda, and thought it would be the perfect way to make sure Joey was still celebrated. The family threw a drive-by parade and had a large "Happy 10th Birthday Joey" sign front and center.

"He really wanted to see his friends and so I thought having maybe a big sign in the yard and a parade of friends coming by, we could at least see their faces and wave at them," Jessie Clayton said.

"He's pretty resilient, I think he gets that we can't get together like we normally would," Cody Clayton said. "[He's] so special to us, we just wanted him to have something to show him that we love him and that his friends love him and that even though we can't get together in person, we can still have his friends come by and wave and say hi to him."

Needless to say, Joey approved of the big display.

"I was surprised. I didn't really expect that," Joey Clayton said. "I thought it would be like a little sign. When my mom said come see the sign, and I saw that I was like what? It was big. That was amazing."

Card My Yard Buda-Kyle recently set up a sign saying "You Are Strong, We Love You" for a terminal brain cancer patient in the Plum Creek neighborhood who is finished with radiation. The patient, Jimmy, was welcomed by a parade of people and the sign from his family and friends all showing support.

"Right now, everybody's sad. We're just trying to do our part I guess to spread some joy," Spruill said.

"We're just feeling for everyone in the community, especially small businesses. I definitely liked a pledge I saw recently that said after this is over, they're only going to shop local, eat local, buy local for one year after this. And I’m in 100 percent," Ojeda said. "We gotta get everybody back on track."

If you'd like to see if there's a Card My Yard franchise in your zip code, visit cardmyyard.com.