Are you any different from your competition - Do you have a USP (Unique Selling Point) that sets you apart?

With so many balloon businesses offering the same types of products and services, you can only win over your competition if your products or services offers something that theirs does not. Chances are, your competitors are in the same marketplace as you are, so it is important that what you are selling has certain features that cannot be easily found elsewhere.

This factor is known as a selling point, or a USP. Essentially, a USP is a summary of features that makes your business unique and valuable to your target market. It tells your target customers that your company offers more value compared to other balloon businesses. It is not just about appearing different from the rest, it is about offering something of value that consumers will not find from other balloon businesses.

It is our mission to find a compelling reason for someone to order balloons and decor from you rather than someone else.

The low price guarantee is a USP that many larger businesses use to entice customers. Here in the UK, we have a large retail chain of department stores who use the motto "Never Knowingly Undersold" - This means that this store will never knowingly sell identical products that are of a higher price or worse value for money than those offered by other retailers. This USP has been a huge part of their marketing for many years, and it certainly works! But is offering lower prices a good USP for a small business? 

Remember, price is never the only reason people buy. If your competition is beating you on pricing because they are larger or undercharging, you have to find another sales feature that addresses the customer's needs and then build your sales and promotional efforts around that feature.

 

Focus on a niche - something that you specialise in.

Focus on what you can do to be different, as attempting to be known for everything will only lead to not being known for anything at all. And remember, it’s not just your product that can be the differentiating factor, it could be your location i.e. there are no other competing businesses in that area, or it could be the incredible customer care and service that you offer!

There is no need to take ‘unique’ too literally. Simply being perceived as the brand that focuses on a specific thing can work wonders, even if your competitors are doing it as well (but maybe don’t shout about it).

It is perfectly OK to have more than one USP!

Personalisation is a fantastic service to offer and can be a great USP! 

"All our personalised balloons are beautifully handcrafted to order."

Be the creative, small business that cares! Telling customers that you are a small business and that you care is a great USP! There has been a lot of support towards small and local businesses during the pandemic. #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal and #shoplocal are three extremely popular and well-used hashtags on Social Media. Pointing out that you are a small business and that you care is a positive USP that will mean something positive to your potential customers.  

No company is born with a USP or differentiating factor. You must create, nurture, and propagate it if you want to reap the benefits.  

Your USPs need to be in front of the customer at every possible opportunity. For example, they can (and usually should) be included in: brochures, adverts, press releases, direct mail letters, letterheads, corporate Christmas cards, invoices, catalogues, on the walls in customer areas, and in as many other places as possible.

And finally, remember that you cannot please all the people all of the time - your USP may attract some customers and not others, but that's life, and maybe they are not the customers or clients that you are actually looking to work with! 

Frank Jeschke of Ballonmeister in Hückeswagen, Germany, recently expanded his ever-growing business and opened a new, bigger balloon store in his home town. He opened his first store in 2017, but with his growing business, he felt that this was the perfect time to expand! I asked Frank what his business USP is. He said:

"The secret of our success is a combination of important features.

We are creative and offer hundreds designs for all occasions, for every taste and in every price segment.

Our good selling designs work with uncountable combinations of foils and latex. Following the principles of design, every day we sell something new. We don't stop working on our skills and technics to develop new ideas.

We customise many balloons with individual enhancements in every style and colour.

Our product range of balloons is as high as possible. Our customers can find foil balloons covering every occasion and topics. We offer latex balloons in every size and in all colours. The quality of our materials is really important to make our works as durable as possible. Last but not least is professionalism, which is a main factor in our business. Our customer's knows that we are the specialists for balloon decorations and balloon gifts. That is the reason that the catchment area of our shop is big."

www.ballonmeister.de 

So what is your USP, and have you applied it to your business ethics?

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

What Inspires us to take part in a Balloon Competition?

Happy Birthday Bear by
Sue Bowler, CBA

I have always enjoyed entering competitions! There's a lot of reasons why, but I do know that without doubt I love the challenge! Competition is definitely something I very much enjoyed doing both at the start of and throughout my balloon career, and to be honest I believe it very much helped to define me as the balloon artist that I am today! 

I remember my first competition vividly! I attended a Qualatex balloon convention in Paris in 1996 - known then as the European Balloon Symposium (EBS). I decided that if I was going to travel to Paris to attend a training event, that I should push myself a little more and enter a competition or two as well! I actually entered three competitions!  I had an amazing time working on a large sculpture of a desert island with a palm tree, a skeleton and a treasure chest! I also made a centrepiece and a delivery design too! Sadly, I don't have any photos of these designs, as it was pre-digital and I lost the prints. I remember having a ton of fun and laughing a lot, and it was there that I met some amazing ballooning friends, who I am still in contact with today. Most of all, I learned so much! I was under no illusion that I would win anything, but I had a feeling that it would be a good start to my ballooning journey! 

One year later I went to IBAC, International Balloon Art Convention in Chicago. I entered three competitions once again, and this time I won first place in the centrepiece competition with the Happy Birthday Bear, which is shown on the left. This truly was a defining moment in my career, especially as it opened doors and led to many exciting opportunities! 

The 'Lamp' inspired by Tiffany 
by Sue Bowler

I have entered many competitions over the years. Of course, I love to win. However the preparation part is equally important, and it can be very exciting! Working on a competition piece can take many months of designing, planning and practicing. Competing and the work involved has definitely helped me in my everyday designing! It has helped me to better understanding the elements and principles of design, and what makes a design appealing and attractive!

The Lamp by Sue Bowler

The 'Tiffany' Lamp is one of my favourite ever sculpture designs. Large sculptures have always been my nemesis! Most of my fellow competitor friends absolutely love creating large sculptures, but I personally feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of them. However, when I made the lamp, I gave it much more time and preparation than any sculpture before, and that really paid off! I worked with an amazing team of BACI (Balloon Art Convention Italy) delegates, they are all fabulously talented, and generous with their time, and even better, they helped me to realise my dream

Federico Onida, CBA of Balloon Express Shop in Cagliari, Italy can always be found taking part in competitions at ballooning events! Federico's designs are always extremely beautiful, exciting and inspiring! I asked him why he liked to enter competitions and what was his favourite ever competition design.

Federico Onida

Federico said  "I like to enter competitions because I always use my work in competition with myself.

I'll explain. Every day I prepare designs for clients, and in any one, even the simplest, I try to do my best, as if I was doing it for my mother, for my son, for a loved one, for myself.

I always tend to do my best.

My parents taught me that. Always aim to the top, first in school, then in life.

It happens, and often, that reality leads to defeats, falls, and disappointments.

But if you get it wrong and you've done your best, your result won't discourage you anyway.

It will be a new starting point, one more reason to learn and continue or start again.

I think that's why I do love to enter competitions.

The challenge must stimulate you to bring out the best in you.

The path from the dream, to the idea, to the project, to the finished sculpture allows you to discover your abilities and your limits, and discover new paths and new point of views.

The collaboration with the team, whatever your role in it, makes you grow, first as a man, and then as a professional. Whatever results you get.

A tip: your goal doesn't have to be to win.

Your goal must be to give it your all. Only in this way will you win, always!"

George and the Dragon Sculpture by Federico Onida

"My favourite sculpture has to be St. George and the Dragon. A sculpture that at the World Balloon Convention 2010, brought together all the best talents in Italy, each with their own abilities and limits. A team spirit, a desire to create something beautiful. A sculpture, a success, born of friendship, collaboration, creativity, technique, work." 

Another balloon artist whose ballooning skills and designs I am always in awe of is Vadim Shushkanov, CBA of Balloon Toy, Moscow, Russia. I asked Vadim what he feels are the benefits of taking part in balloon competitions. Ha said:

Vadim Shushkanov

"For me, there are two of the most important benefits of balloon contests. First of all, every competition is a great opportunity to create a sculpture you would hardly ever make in different circumstances. Almost all of the balloon competitions in the world relate to art, not business. With no customers with their wishes and requests, you don't need to think if somebody can buy your work and you are completely free to share your thoughts and ideas through balloons. This has to be the best option to feel like a true balloon artist. And secondly, each competition makes you improve your professional skills. If you would like to build an impressive sculpture, you have to solve a lot of problems. You need to search and try many colour combinations, balloon techniques, methods and materials for frames or create something completely new. This sort of experience always rises your professional level and gives a huge background for using in everyday work."

Vadim with his team!

Sadly with the COVID pandemic, and the lack of face to face events worldwide, there has been very few opportunities to enter and take part in competitions in the past year. Hopefully over the coming months, life will begin to return to some sense of normalcy and ballooning events will start to take place once again! Would I recommend for you to attend an event and enter a competition? I absolutely would! Even if it's just in one category, you will gain so much from the experience, and who knows where this might lead you in the future!

To see photographs from past World Balloon Conventions visit the Gallery or click HERE

Take a walk around the competition room at WBC 18! This is a great video taken by Nir Schechter of Nir Balloons in Israel.

 

There is also a fabulous gallery of photographs and videos from past BACI Events! Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for inspiration, or to simply view some of the most incredible ballooning work!

 

Circus by Sue Bowler
I loved making this sculpture! It was vibrant, colourful and simple! 

I consider myself to be extremely lucky! Not only have I entered competitions, I have also attended many events around the world where I have been asked to be a judge. This is a great honour, and I am always in awe and amazed by the creativity and techniques that are shown by the very talented competitors! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Why Competition Can be Beneficial for Business

It can be pretty hard, especially during these challenging times, to really see any benefit to having competition. Many businesses default to disliking their competitors, mostly because their existence takes business away from them. However, it is important that they also appreciate that by having competition, it can be beneficial to their own business...

So what if we didn't have any competition? "Great!" I hear you say, now you have a clear and straightforward path to unchallenged success. However, businesses who don’t have competition should be wary. Rather than being a strength, a lack of competition can become a negative. Lack of competition can breed complacency and inefficiency.

Competition raises consumer awareness - I remember when I first set up my business almost 30 years ago. Balloons were relatively new and I was the only balloon company in my town. Within a very short time two more businesses set up - one extremely close to me, and I was devastated! However, the reality was quite the opposite of what I expected! In no time I was busier than ever - why? Because there were now three of us promoting and decorating events with balloons. Therefore when the competition rises, it pushes an idea so much that the idea catches on even quicker and a product becomes more popular. We actually became friends and would often work together.

Today is no different to how competition can boost a business, but it isn't just local competition you have to contend with. Social media has opened many more trading opportunities - for example, there is UK balloon company who constantly advertises their nation-wide balloon delivery service on Facebook and Instagram. Their advertising budget must be significant, but the fact is if it was not bringing them business, they would have likely stopped pretty quickly! However, let's look at the positive; their advertising campaigns are also helping other balloon businesses. If consumers are constantly seeing fabulous balloon delivery ideas on their social media feeds, this definitely has to be a positive. It will bring the idea of balloons and balloon deliveries directly to them and will hopefully inspire them to order balloons for their next celebration or special occasion AND from their local balloon professional! 

What can you do? Having a good social media presence is vital for all businesses. First, decide who your target market is - your social media target audience consists of the people who are most likely to be interested in your products. It is important to build relationships with your local audience - people who live within a close proximity to your business. This can be done through various local Facebook Groups and by using relevant and targeted hashtags. Most local Facebook groups permit local businesses to advertise on a certain day each month, so check each group and make sure that you schedule in your adverts! Local communities are becoming far more pro-active in these recent times supporting their local businesses, so this is a great opportunity to grow and nurture loyalty! 

Have you heard of Nextdoor?  Their statement explains:"Nextdoor connects neighbours to each other — and to everything nearby: Local businesses, services, news updates, recommendations and stuff for sale from the people down the block. Building connections in the real world is a universal human need." Nextdoor is very popular in my neighbourhood and is widely used - see what other marketing opportunities there are to ensure that you are not missing out! 

And don't forget, it's always a good idea to see who your competitors are targeting, and ensure that you are not missing out on other great opportunities!

Competition pushes your business to strive to be the absolute best - 'Balloons' are a little like fashion: it is a trend-led industry. Some of the most recent trends include organics, balloon mosaics, and marquee designs! Who would have ever thought that we would be habitually double-stuffing balloons, or selling air-filled rather than helium-filled decor? Businesses who have the ability to react to these trends will keep ahead of their competitors and in turn will be offering customers the best service and the greatest customer satisfaction. I remember when organic decor first came on to the scene - "it looks messy", "this concept won't last" and "you won't see me doing this" were a few of the comments I remember hearing 😉 Even if we have been in the industry for a significant time we should all ensure that we keep our skills and techniques up-to-date, otherwise we can so easily get left behind! 

What can you do? Never stop learning! It is very easy to stay within your comfort zone and continue to offer the same style of designs that you have been habitually selling. Allocate yourself (and your team) 'play & development' time, which is an opportunity to learn new techniques and design ideas. Qualatex has so many great resources that can help you to learn and develop your skills.

Face-to-face courses and training events are very limited at this time due to the pandemic and all the resulting restrictions, however this does not mean that there are no opportunities to learn.

Earlier this year, at the start of the pandemic, Qualatex, in conjunction with Q Corner, ran a 100% FREE Virtual Balloon Convention. Five Days of continuous classes from some of the industry's top instructors, plus many instructors who have never taught outside of their countries - there is an incredible 76 classes to watch! 

To get you started - here is one of the convention classes taught by the fabulous Federico Onida. This is an excellent class to learn some fabulous new ideas and techniques! 

To find all the other classes click on the link HERE

More recently Qualatex has been offering a series of Webinars called 'What's Hot Right Now'. These were streamed live with the opportunity for a Q&A session with the instructor after each class. These classes are now available to purchase at a very low cost to find out more click on the link HERE

Competition keeps you motivated - To stand out from competition, you always need to be highly motivated. You will become proactive, alert, creative and above all focused. Stop being complacent and always think of better ways to satisfy your customers. 

We can worry so much about competition that we let our businesses be ruled by what others do. Set your own goals and focus on creating obtainable achievements month by month and year after year. When you do so, you become your own greatest competition, and it's up to you if you succeed or fail. 

I think it would be wrong if I did not address the difficulties that businesses experience during economic downturns. When an economy plummets, many small businesses pop up from people who decide to become self-employed instead of unemployed. Economic downturns cause a rise in self-employment and the opportunity for people to try to make money. This can lead to cheap prices and potentially poor work, services and goods. We often see pop-up balloon vendors using cheap imported products that don't comply with local laws or regulations. There is no magical solution in how to handle this situation, however, if I could give you a little advice, deal with this situation in the same way as you would any other competitor. Ensure that your marketing reflects quality products and excellent customer service, focus on your business and ensure that you remain motived and are the best that you can be.

Keep positive and motivated! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler