Starting a Balloon Business - Part 2

So you have decided to start a balloon business and you are not really sure how to go about it?

In part 1. Starting a Balloon Business  I walked you through;

• Choosing a business name - not as easy as you think! 
• Legal requirements and other items that you need to know and do.
• How much you should charge - the hardest question of them all! 

In this second part we will look at;

• Tools of the Trade
• Helium
• Marketing 
• Training 
• Balloons and the Environment

Tools of the Trade

Every industry, especially the balloon industry, has their Tools of the Trade. Deciding on what equipment your trade will need can be a bit of a minefield - should you spend a few pounds on a hand pump versus spending hundreds of pounds on an automatic air inflator!

I suppose you should consider if a tailor for example could work without a sewing machine or a builder without all their power tools? 

When you choose to create your air-filled decor with a hand pump, it will certainly require many hours of work, versus the time requirements of a  good electric inflator, with which you can create something very beautiful in a fraction of the time - remember "time is money".

There are many 'Tools of the Trade', and to help you through some of them, I will reference a number of blog posts that I have written that will help you in your decisions.

1. A Sticky Situation - which glue is best for you and your balloons.

There are many different adhesives that work with balloons. Each glue or tape types works differently and are good for different purposes. This post will guide you through the most regularly used glues and tapes used by balloon professionals.

2. Electric Air-Inflators - Which Electric Air-Inflator is Best For You and Your Business

It's essential to your balloon business to have some kind of air-inflators - the question is, which one? The answer is both!
Owning a hand-pump should be a given for your balloon business, as it is an essential tool in any balloon artists toolbox. However, having an electric balloon inflator in addition to a hand-pump will enable a significant increase in the amount of decor work that you can do.

3. Digital Balloon Equipment - Will Investing in a Digital Balloon Inflator Help You to Grow Your Balloon Business?

So why should you go one-step further and invest in a top of the range digital balloon inflator? Check out this post to see what is available and why they are so necessary!

If you attend a training course or balloon event make sure you get the opportunity to try out as much of the equipment as you can so that you get a good idea of what you like, and don't hesitate to ask others what their favourite equipment is and why! 

Helium

Helium is an inert gas. Meaning it will not react with any other elements; therefore it is impossible to cause a fire or to burn. It is also colourless, odourless and tasteless.

Balloon Gas

Balloon gas is often use in the balloon industry. It is a mix of helium and air. The mix is approximately 98% helium and 2% air, and is a recycled product that can no longer be used for medical and other professional uses.

There are a number of different helium (balloon gas) suppliers in the UK and many others worldwide.

• BOC/Linde
• Air Products

If you are planning to use helium, you should establish who your helium supplier is before you invest in any helium inflation equipment, as each cylinder type has different fittings. As with all gases, the cylinder that the helium is contained in is under very high pressure, so it is imperative that the correct balloon filling equipment is used for the type of cylinders that you are using, and it should never be altered or tampered with.

In the UK setting up a helium account with a balloon wholesaler can often be less expensive than hiring directly from the actual helium companies, as the wholesaler can benefit from discounts that are generally pass onto their customers. 

Helium Safety

• Always use a trolley when moving or transporting balloon gas cylinders. A trolley will also act as a support stand when inflating during on-site decorating jobs.
• Always secure cylinders. In case you cannot secure them upright, simply use them lying down on the ground and prevent them from rolling.
• When transporting or moving cylinders, always make sure that you remove the balloon filling kit, and that the cylinder is well secured so that it cannot move at all.
• Helium is a non-flammable gas. If the tank is punctured or knocked over, the gas can escape with such force that the tank can be propelled at a very high speed.
• Although balloon gas is not poisonous, it I can cause you to asphyxiate.  if it's inhaled too deeply, it can be fatal. A similar thing can happen if a cylinder is fully opened in a non-ventilated room.

Marketing

Marketing takes on many guises in business. Having a good website and having at least one business social media channel is vital for any business. 

I have written many posts on social media and the different platforms that businesses use. You don't need to be an expert, but it certainly helps to do some research to ensure that you get the best that you can from each of these platforms! Here are links to two of my posts that you might find useful.

1. Instagram, are You Using it to Grow Your Balloon Business?

2. Why We Should Social Media to Promote Our Balloon Business

There are many more helpful posts on the blog, use the search option on the blog page to find more! 

If you are looking for social media marketing materials, www.Qualatex.com has so many fabulous free posts and images available! 

How about ready made posts; these are great when used as part of a social media schedule. Having a variety of post types is very important to keep followers interested and engaged, as well as attracting new followers too! 

To see the full range of free marketing resources available from Qualatex click HERE

Training

Learning your trade is so very important. I view many 'ballooning' Facebook Groups and see many "how to" and "how much" questions that are posted daily. While there is nothing wrong with asking a few questions, it is sometimes better and more rewarding to work it out for yourself. Learning through trial and error is the best form of training!

Face to Face Training - if you get the opportunity to attend a hands-on beginner's course with a reputable instructor, you will learn more in one day than you could on YouTube in a month! A good beginner's course is designed to teach you everything that you need to know to get you started. Courses like these cover so much more than how to inflate balloons; a typical beginners course will include the demonstration of a range of different techniques, formulas for creating balloon Arches and Garlands, how to form perfect balloon bouquets using the Staggered and Layered techniques, pricing, equipment... and much more! Qualatex has a fabulous beginner's course known as Qualatex Fundamentals - The benchmark Course for the Balloon Professional. To find out where this course is offered, check out the Qualatex Balloon Education Calendar.

There is a Balloon Basics section on the Qualatex website that will give you tips on how to create Basic Balloon Decor, as well as Basic Balloon Tying and gives you Inflation Tips.

Qualatex also has an Events and Training Calendar on the website. Type in your region and it will give you an up-to-date overview of classes, courses, and events in that region. Just FYI, face-to-face training sessions are currently very limited due to Covid-19 and government restrictions. 

The Q Corner Balloon Convention - this is an incredibly valuable free resource. At the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, Qualatex with the help of the 'Boys from Q Corner' Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy, produced an online balloon convention unlike any other. It consisted of over 120 hours of non-stop balloon classes from some of the top instructors in the industry, as well as many new instructors who are rarely seen outside of their country, who I must add, all generously gave their time and creative talents.

To see who the convention instructors are, the classes that they teach and to access all the classes click HERE. The convention was recorded in sessions, each which contained a number of different classes.

I strongly recommend that you download the Class Matrix with class descriptions, instructors, languages and direct links to each class - this is available on the link above.

To give you a little taster, I am including one of the convention session here:

Many industry instructors also have training videos that they have produced and are available to purchase as DVD's or as on-demand video downloads, which are available to view from your laptop, TV or phone at anytime!

I have a few training videos that I have produced in conjunction with Balloon School Pro on Vimeo. Balloon School Pro makes high quality training video's specifically for the balloon industry, with professional instructors that give you as much knowledge and detail as you can get without actually being in the training room with them! This includes overhead cameras, close ups of techniques and supporting information either on screen or by email when you purchase the program. 

There are certainly many opportunities to learn from YouTube, but be very careful! Many of the tutorials are from people who, though their intention are good, are not always teaching the best skills and techniques - be careful not to pick up bad habits! 

Try to learn from the best, and do your research and see whose 'ballooning' style and techniques you like. Follow them on social media - start with the instructors from the Q Corner Convention! 

Balloons and the Environment

This is a very important topic that anyone embarking on a career in balloons should have a good understanding of.

Balloon Releases

Any balloon that is released into the atmosphere will almost certainly create unnecessary litter. To help to protect our environment, NEVER release helium-filled balloons as a balloon professional or as a consumer, and always dispose of balloons, accessories and any packing responsibly. 

Safe Balloon Practices

There are a number of organisations that work very hard to protect the balloon industry, as well as offer useful advice to both the balloon professionals and the consumers.

PEBA - Pro Environment Balloon Association 

PEBAUK - Pro Environment Balloon Association UK

EBPC - European Balloon and Party Council 

Balloon Council 

The Balloons and the Environment guides and social media posts are all available to download, click HERE for a direct link.

I hope that for those of you who have recently started or considered starting a balloon business that you have found the Starting a Balloon Business Part 1 and Part 2 helpful and informative! Starting any business can be challenging, but I hope that I have managed to answer some of the many questions that you have and helped you to understand our industry a little bit better! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me on Instagram @suebowler