'Great opportunities come to those who make the most of small ones.'

You might be wondering why I started this blog with a quotation? So here's a question for you. How many of you look at Balloon Images magazine or balloon related Facebook Groups and see pictures of large scale decor, maybe balloons at big sporting events and think that you could never do anything like that?

So what's stopping you? 

• Confidence
• Experience 
• Contacts

When you start out in any profession the learning curve is huge and balloon artistry is no different. We need to understand the basic techniques and master them, we also need the opportunity to grow our skills through practice and finally we need to grow our portfolio so that we can 'wow' our customers with our work! 

So let's look at a market that you may not have considered and opportunities that can help you to tick these boxes and overcome some of those barriers.

Sport is everywhere! From games and tournaments to post season parties and award banquets and not forgetting theme parties and Bar Mitzvah's. Sport offers us so many fantastic ballooning opportunities, now we need to find ways to capitalise on these opportunities and creating winning decor!

So how do we start?

• Find Inspiration, for some of us finding our inspiration is easier than others, Qualatex offers many opportunities to help us;
• Balloon Images magazine.
• Balloon Ideas.
  
  
  
• Qualatex Business Boosters. Additional marketing resources are also published online in the Qualatex Business Boosters. Plus, QBN Members can access special bonus features on the members-only page of each Business Booster (including instructions for select designs from "Balloon Images"). Check out all of the Business Boosters on the Qualatex Home Page.
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• Create a range of sport theme displays and if you have a store or shop, feature them in your window, especially during relevant sporting activities.

Here are some great sport theme centrepiece designs by Brenda Hatch CBA of Balloon Happy, Arizona, USA.

Centrepiece designs by Brenda Hatch CBA of Balloon Happy, Arizona, USA

 'These fun balloon centerpieces were created for the Chandler’s Special Olympics and Therapeutic Sports Program Annual Sports Banquet. Throughout the year, individuals participate in sports such as golf, bowling, softball, football, swimming, track & field, cheer, and basketball.'

Basketball centrepiece design by Brenda Hatch CBA

• Remember that your website is also your 'store front', a good website with good pictures and links will help you to promote you and your business.

When doing research for this blog post I used search engine to help me find companies that offer 'Balloons for Sporting Events', do you have any related links on your website that would help bring searching customers directly to you? 

• Do you have theme boards on Pinterest? 

If you are new to Pinterest there is a world of inspiration out there! It's a very easy site to work with, simply visit www.pinterest.com and like a search engine just type in relevant key words, I used BALLOONS SPORT THEMES. More importantly start your own boards, these will also help customers to find you. Check out the Qualatex Pinterest boards, Qualatex has 29 different theme boards filled with great design ideas that you can re-pin onto your own boards!

Here is a link to a blog that I wrote about Pinterest. 'Do you Pin, are you a Pinner, is Pinterest good for business?

• Take good pictures; it is very important that you inspire your customers by showing them what you can offer and a good portfolio is the perfect sales tool!

• Look for opportunities; 
• Find out from your local department of parks and recreation when and where local sports events will be held. Ask the person in charge of the event if they would like a free arch or some columns. This will give you the opportunity to get as new picture for your portfolio that you can use to promote this type of work on your website!
• Visit youth organisation websites and search for games and tournaments that will be held in your area.
• Advertise your business in school newsletters. Remind parents that you can create sport themed decor for parties or create sport theme deliveries to celebrate their kids' athletic accomplishments.
• Build relationships with schools to provide decor for their games, dances and other events.
• Create a flier that you can use to promote sport balloons and decor to Sports Bars, Pubs and clubs!
• React to big sporting events! Last year we had many weeks of FIFA World Cup and this year is the turn of the Rugby World Cup along with other high profile sporting events. Take the opportunity to create displays that will attract sports fans maybe a column or an arch that really stands out, you never know what this might lead to?

You might not start out decorating big sporting events, but you can certainly create some fantastic opportunities for your business and as I said at the start of this blog "Great opportunities come to those who make the most of small ones."

Coming soon!

To continue on the theme of decor at sporting events, I have two great new blog posts coming soon featuring David Taylor - Mad Balloons, Sydney, Australia  & David Saker -balloon.co.uk who both share their experiences working at large sporting events!

Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com