Sue Bowler: The Balloon Expert

O n this New Year's Eve, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a superb January, a dazzling February, a peaceful March, an anxiety free April, a sensational May, and Joy that keeps going from June to November, and then round off with a fizz-popping December! Thank you all for continuing to support the Very Best Balloon Blog, and for all the lovely messages that I received throughout the year - It is very gratifying to know the blog is helpful and inspiring many of you! I am very much looking forward to writing the Very Best Balloon Blog next year, and would welcome any ideas or suggested topics that you would like me to cover - just drop me a message at  suebowlercba@gmail.com . I would also like to say a huge thank you to some of this year's amazing contributors and guest bloggers! They have all very generously given their time to inspire and help others in the balloon industry! To check out some of their posts, just click on their name! Connie...

Wow, it's Christmas Eve! Where did December go?  Congratulations and hats off to all of you who have waded through this mammoth month of "Elf on the Shelf" balloons, and those endless hours of planning, designing and creating fabulous party and Christmas event decor!  Naughty Elves at the Party House, Bridgend, Wales. To be honest, I did not realise how big the "Elf on the Shelf" craze was until I saw all the posts on Facebook showing many wonderful ready-to-go balloons! One of my favourite posts was from Party House, in Bridgend, Wales showing how naughty their Elves were being dragging a Christmas tree through their party store! Elf design by Kyrstin De Leeuw Kyrstin De Leeuw, CBA of The Balloon Store in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, creates her very own super cute Elf on the Shelf! A few weeks ago I  had the wonderful opportunity to create some magical Christmas decor for the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) c...

2018 started with what can only be described as a revolutionary new latex balloon - Qualatex ®  Chrome™ Balloons! A latex balloon unlike any other with a rich, shiny metallic finish that looks simply stunning!  Over the past year I have seen some fabulous designs and decor created using Chrome balloons. There are so many to choose from, but here are a few of my favourites! Natasha Nordin, CBA of the London Balloon Boutique Natasha Nordin, CBA , of the London Balloon Boutique, London, U.K. used 11" Chrome Gold balloons to create these fabulous balloon covered pillars. I love the precision and metallic ball-bearing effect that this decor creates. Design by Spark's in Beirut, Lebanon. I love this "Chrome" design by Sparks, in Beirut, Lebanon. Chrome balloons turn to "glass" when double-stuffed with a Jewel Tone balloon over the top! I re-named this balloon type as a Jewel-Chrome! Design by Zoe A...

" Pantone’s 2019 Colour of the Year is a peachy orange with a golden undertone. 'Living Coral' is set to inspire optimism, energy and social connection". We often ask what influences a trend, and when it comes to colour there is no doubt that Pantone plays a huge part. Since 2000, Pantone has selected a colour of the year. To determine what that colour will be Pantone combs the globe looking for colour influences. They look to the pop culture, film, popular travel destinations, socio-economic conditions, organic elements, art, fashion, and much more. The Colour of the Year has a great deal of influence on products and purchasing decisions made that year in a variety of industries from fashion, industrial design, product packaging, graphic design, and home goods. So how does this have impact on us in the balloon industry? Our industry is very much influenced by fashion, especially when it comes to weddings, as they impact the choices for bridesma...

M any businesses struggle when it come to pricing, and not just in the balloon industry!  The fear of pricing too high and not getting any business versus pricing too low and never making a profit is an everyday dilemma. In the interest of today's blog, I asked a few of my ballooning friends from around the world to tell me how much they would charge for this style of air-filled design in their country. I chose this design as it uses very few balloons and it's quick and easy to make. Before we start, write down how much you would charge for this design and see how your price compares to others. So how do we know how much to charge? Some of us will "guesstimate," while others will actually work out how much they need to charge to make a profit! Whenever I am pricing a design, I always start by completing a QBN Job Cost Form (shown above). It really helps to make sure that you have covered all your costs and make a profit, too!  For m...