Are you Ready for the Corporate Market? Tips for Building a Corporate Client Base as a Small Business Owner
Many Balloon Business Owners start out by offering balloons for birthdays and parties. Over time, we develop our skills and grow in confidence, and now we want take that next step - the corporate market!
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| This stage decor was created by Sue Bowler in collaboration with Ali Welsh of Ali Welsh Events for Christmas corporate event. Each letter stood over 10' tall and was perfect for this DISCO theme party! The room was also filled with one hundred and thirty 3' Silver Confetti Balloons that represented Disco Balls!  |
So what is a corporate client?
The term "corporate client" typically refers to a business or organisation that seeks and purchases goods or services from another business or organisation for the purpose of fulfilling their own business needs. It is easy to think that corporate clients are all huge corporations that typically wouldn't hire a balloon decorator for an event. However, this is untrue, as corporate clients come in all types and sizes and can operate in various industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, and more.
In the context of a small balloon decorating business, a corporate client might be a business that wants to decorate their office or host a corporate event, such as a product launch, trade show, or company party. Building relationships with corporate clients can be beneficial for a small business as they can provide regular and potentially large orders, as well as referrals to other businesses in their network.
My Journey into the Corporate World: When I first dipped my toe into the corporate decor world, my initial projects were designing seasonal window displays for a local jewellery store, and creating wedding displays for a bridal shop. For the latter, I collaborated with the owners and they promoted my services in exchange for the decor I created for their shop displays. This proved to be a successful arrangement, as I received regular bookings from brides. As my confidence and portfolio grew, I secured decorating contracts with the local council, designing for all their events and functions, and even worked for a local brewery who hosted regular events for their pub owners and landlords. My list of corporate clients continued to expand. However, I eventually stopped my decorating business to become an industry instructor. A few years on, an old ballooning friend who had started her own events company offered me many incredible opportunities to create decor for various events for her clients, and these fit perfectly into my teaching schedule. This fruitful partnership lasted for years and once again demonstrated the power of collaboration.
Here are some amazing examples of decor that was created for corporate events.
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| This Car Showroom Decor was created by Chris Adamo, CBA of the Balloon Crew, Sydney, Australia. |
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| These Striking Balloon Arches are by Dianna Glandon, CBA, of Above the Rest Event Designs, Knoxville, TN , USA. |
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| Vodafone Store Decor was created by Chris Adamo, The Balloon Crew, Sydney, Australia |
So how can you find corporate clients to work with?
1. Attend networking events and trade shows to connect with potential clients - Start by searching for "Networking Events near here (your location)" on your preferred search engine. You will be surprised at how many organisations hold these events. The meetings can be held in person or remotely through virtual channels. Choose events that are most relevant to you. The cost is usually minimal, and it's an excellent opportunity to connect with other local businesses while participating in discussions on various topics.
2. Utilise social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to showcase your work and connect with decision-makers in companies. Fact - Linkedin is the most effective B2B marketing tool, it is a lot more powerful than Facebook and Instagram for reaching the people who matter!
If like me, you do not really use Linkedin, here are some tips for using LinkedIn to connect with other businesses:
- Optimise your profile: Before you start connecting with other businesses, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and professional. This will help establish your credibility and make others more likely to accept your connection request.
- Identify relevant businesses: Use LinkedIn's search function to find businesses that are relevant to your industry or niche. You can search for companies using keywords, industry, location, and other criteria.
- Personalise your connection request: When sending a connection request, make sure to personalise it and explain why you want to connect. This can help increase the likelihood of your request being accepted.
- Engage with their content: Once you've connected with other businesses, engage with their content by liking, commenting, and sharing. This can help establish a relationship and increase the chances of them engaging with your content in return.
- Offer value: If you want to establish a deeper connection with other businesses, offer them something of value. This could be sharing an article or resource that you think would be helpful, or offering to introduce them to someone in your network.
- Attend industry events: LinkedIn can also be a great tool for finding industry events. This can be a great way to meet other businesses in person and establish a deeper connection.
3. Offer special promotions or discounts to businesses to entice them to try your services. For example you could approach your local car dealership and recommend decor for their showroom for a seasonal event such as Valentine’s Day or Christmas, and you could give them an introductory discount for using your service. Fact - Always think outside of the box when it comes to ‘finding’ your leads, car dealers often use decor to create interest in their showrooms, think of what other businesses could use your decor to enhance their business and products!
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This car showroom St Patrick's Day Decor was created by Colin & Jeannie Stewart of STEWART's Baskets & Balloons, in Ontario, Canada |
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| This car showroom St Patrick's Day Decor was created by Colin & Jeannie Stewart of STEWART's Baskets & Balloons, in Ontario, Canada |
4. Partner with event planners or other businesses in the event industry to expand your network. Building a good relationship with an Event Planner was probably my greatest tool when growing my corporate work. Event planners and other businesses won’t necessarily find you, you will need to find them! Search on Instagram and Linkedin, follow them, like and share their posts. It could be a local hotel or events venue, not necessarily a person, your aim is to make contact without being a stalker!
5. Create a professional website that highlights your portfolio and services, and make sure it is optimised for search engines.
Here are some tips for creating a professional website that showcases your portfolio and services and is optimised for search engines:
- Choose a clean and modern design that reflects your style and brand.
- Use high-quality images and graphics to showcase your work.
- Clearly list your services and pricing.
- Include client testimonials to build trust and credibility.
- Optimise your website for search engines by using keywords that are relevant to your business and industry.
- Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate.
- Make it easy for potential clients to contact you through a contact form or clear call-to-action buttons.
- Regularly update your website with new content to keep it fresh and engaging.
- Integrate your social media profiles to increase your online presence.
- Consider hiring a professional web designer or developer to ensure that your website is of the highest quality.
6. Attend local business events and seminars to meet potential clients and learn about their needs. - check out and join your local Chamber of Commerce.
7. Send out email newsletters to past clients and potential clients to keep them informed about your business and services. Make sure that you adhere to GDPR rules, you cannot just send out emails to past clients unless you have agreed to be ale to do this. This is generally done through a tick box system in your previous marketing with them.
8. Build relationships with local hotels and event venues to become their go-to balloon decorating business.
9. Collect testimonials and reviews from satisfied clients to use as social proof and to help build your credibility with potential clients - Don’t feel afraid to ask for a testimonial or review from a satisfied customer. If you have a Google profile for your business (Google My Business https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/business/) then you can send a direct link to your customer, making it easy for them to do there and then!
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| https://www.google.com/business/ |
Remember to tailor your approach to each potential client, taking into consideration their specific needs, budget, and industry. With a little bit of effort and persistence, you can find and attract corporate clients for your small balloon decorating business. Develop good research skills, create a strong professional image and a good network, which is essential for growing your corporate market.
And finally...
- Growing a corporate client base can be a time-consuming process, unless you have strong connections from the beginning.
- Remember that every interaction counts, from the way you present yourself to how you communicate with customers.
- Taking steps in the right direction, no matter how small, can help you achieve your goal.
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