Sue Bowler: The Balloon Expert

Earlier this week, I was given the honour of taking part in the Q Corner Convention as part of the Design Panel discussion group alongside Tope Abulude, Cam Woody and Aleks and Nelly Hernández.  The first question we were asked as a group was "Which of the Principles and Elements of Design is the most important to a creation and why?"  This got me to thinking... how many balloon artists actually consider the basic principles and elements of design when making their decor? Is this something that many of us naturally do, or should it be considered more frequently? So, let me put this to you in a different way - have you ever made a design or decor that does not look right, and while you know something is not quite right, you can't quite put your finger on it? Knowing the basics can prevent this from happening!   So what are the Principles and Elements of Design? Creating the 'perfect' design is not something that just happens, at least not for most of us anyway! ...

Keeping your customers informed and giving them information on how they can enjoy their balloons responsibly is essential for all in the balloon industry, especially customers and balloon professionals.  Sharing this information can be done in several ways: Care Cards A care card highlights the importance of enjoying balloons responsibly to best protect the environment. These are perfect add-on to give to your clients with their balloon purchase. Cards such as these highlight the following messages: DON'T LET GO Please don't release helium-filled balloons outdoors - helium balloons should always be secured to a weight. Always dispose of balloons responsibly. Balloons are a much-loved product that brings joy and helps us celebrate the special moments in life. As a responsible balloon business, we want to protect our environment from any unnecessary litter. We have therefore made the decision not to support the release of any balloons into the envir...

It can take a very long time to learn and build up knowledge in any area. Experiencing those "light-bulb" moments is very much part of the learning curve, I know well from my own personal experiences; like when I was decorating for an event and the 5" balloons inside a 3' helium-filled balloon unexplainably started popping... I had to find out why! Today, I would like to share some "tips & tricks" that will help you when working with balloons!  Let's start with the popping 5" balloon story! Mixing Gases I am not sure is this is a tip or trick, but it is certainly something that we all need to know!  Helium, or Balloon Gas is lighter than air, and air molecules are much bigger than helium molecules. Each of these gases react differently inside balloons.  Helium inside a latex balloon moves around and gradually escapes (diffuses) over a period of time through the natural pore of the balloon. That is why the average floating time of an 11" he...

Are you ready for Mother's Day? Contrary to popular belief, Mother's Day is celebrated on various dates around the world. However, with less than two weeks until we celebrate Mother's Day in the UK, it's important that we spend this time ramping up our social media activity to ensure maximum sales!  Firstly, have you updated your Business Facebook Page cover? A Facebook cover is the equivalent to a shop window for a business page. Online shoppers look at it for a second and make a decision whether to stay on the page or not. Moreover, it can also work as a small landing page, a call-to-action visual and an event announcement. You can easily make your own Facebook covers using Canva: I made the one above and it took me about 5 minutes. If you would like to learn how, watch the 7 minute video below. If you don't feel confident enough to create your own, Qualatex has impressive ready-made covers available for anyone to use! Simply visit the  Marketing Materials  se...