Launching a business can be one of the most exciting and challenging things you will ever do. So why would any of us start our balloon businesses, and if we had hindsight what would we do differently?
There are many reason why someone might choose to start running a balloon business:
It is a natural extension to a business that you already run.
It's a hot trend on social media and you want a slice of the action.
You want to be your own boss and balloons are the right fit!
You can work from home and fit a balloon business around your family life.
And probably about 101 other reasons...
Something that I always say to anyone starting out in the balloon industry is: "It is fantastic if you are a creative person, but don't forget that you have to be able to run a business too!"
The reason I started my balloon business over 30 years ago was because I wanted to find a business that I could run from home, that could fit around my young family and work with a product that was non-perishable (not food or flowers which have a very limited shelf life.) I had never run a business before, but I was creative and felt confident that running a business would not be that difficult 😉
I did not have big aspirations when I started, it seemed that every new design and technique was a huge challenge and posed a massive learning curve - complete trial and error, which was actually not such a bad way to learn! Training opportunities were sparse and social media was nonexistent! My balloon business grew slowly and organically over those first four years. The biggest problem that I experienced during that period was that I was not familiar with the "business side" of being a business owner, and knew very little about pricing, which was a complete guessing game for a number of years! I also found working on my own and from home very lonely! Not having anyone to share my bad or good experiences with or being able to talk through a problem or creative challenge! I could have easily thrown in the towel after 4 years. I had made very little money and was floundering badly. For me, the QBN program was my life & business saver, and from the moment I embarked in the program, my businesses moved forward and started to become profitable and more successful!
As a training instructor, I have met hundreds of people who have started balloon businesses just like I did. Some survive and go on to grow successful businesses, while others fall away by the wayside after only a few short years.
Why does anyone start their own business, let alone choose to build a business around balloons!?
I recently asked followers on my Instagram and Facebook page "What Inspired You To Start Your Balloons Business?" and had such a great response that I thought that I would share some of them with you today. Maybe you can relate to some of them!
I think that my ballooning journey is probably quite similar to many others. My path into the big wide ballooning world started after I had my first daughter (who is now 33!!) After being a stay at home mum for a few months, I found myself looking for "something" to do. My criteria was to find an opportunity that would allow me to work from home, work around family time and with a product that would not perish, unlike flowers or food. I did not have a huge amount of money to invest in my venture, so 'finding' balloons was perfect as it ticked so many boxes, and being a little bit artistic helped too!
It took me a number of years before my ballooning career truly took off (excuse the pun.) There was little or no training available at that time, no Youtube or internet for that matter! For four years I merely ambled along, not really knowing how to run a business or how to cost my designs, I was in fact losing money! My turning point was the QBN program (Qualatex Balloon Network) which truly helped me to really get my business off the ground. Without that, I think that I would have quit, which I see happening a lot in this industry!
Here are more inspiring stories:
Rhonda Young - The STL Balloon Lady" I hired a balloon company to deliver a String of Pearls Arch for a wedding reception. Those guys put that arch up so fast! It was beautiful! The guests enjoyed dancing and taking pictures under it! It wasn’t too expensive and I got all the credit for thinking of it. I later found this floral/balloon wholesale store in my neighborhood and a lady named Sue would give me pointers on what to do. One day Sue gave me a duffel bag FULL OF the Images publications. I mean a whole lot! She had them chronologically organized and said she was waiting on the right person to give them to. I stopped at the store, bought me some chips and a Pepsi came home and laid on the couch and went through each and every one of those Images books. That was over 20 years ago!"
I could not agree more with Rhonda's comments regarding Balloon IMAGES! These where such an important resource for me, especially in my earlier days and continued to inspire me throughout my career! I still have every copy and refer back to them today!
One of the perks of a QBN membership is access to "members only" content in Balloon Images, the number one balloon decor magazine in the industry.
While Balloon Images is now available digitally, you will find PDF copies of print versions from Jan/Feb/Mar 2015 to Oct/Nov/Dec 2018 below.
"In 1976 I was a journalist for a local newspaper when I fell ill and had to recoup for a few weeks. I helped turn the showroom of our family owned paper bag manufacturing and disposable paper goods wholesale business into a retail 'party shop' selling novelties, steamers, serviettes, and limited partyware to schools, restaurants and the public. At that time, we had to purchase our limited range (10 colours) of balloons in 2,000 lots, and count them down into bags of 10 & 25. In the early 80s we started buying from the local manufacturer Sanbrook and then came Qualatex with their amazing range and education.
With the introduction of instruction sheets, conventions and the Australian association BASA, the sharing of creative ideas was running rampant and I found myself hooked on the creative possibilities of balloon art.
In 1993, we closed our shop and my wife Edelgard and I began a home based business. After 42 years in the Celebration industry. I still love the smell of latex in the morning." Sean O'Kelly of Balloon Decor Australia
Column design by Sean O'Kelly of Balloon Decor, Australia
"After finishing our business management degree and being employed back then, we (my sister and I) thought that it’s high time to open our own business. We thought of many ideas, and balloons business was one of them (as I worked a part-time job for a few months back when I was at college and loved it). Our country had so much trouble going on so it was a bad timing to open any business. I thought to just quit my job for the time being and look for a better one. What happened is that due to the bad situation I couldn’t find a job that fit my requirements SO it was a PUSH factor to open the business and start despite all the troubles. We picked balloons because it was a NEW and ORIGINAL idea in our area, didn't need a big capital to start nor a staff it can only be YOU, and most importantly it’s a PROFITABLE business !!! And here we are … There’s always a positive outcome of any negative situation it just needs courage and never be afraid to take the risk… eventually that’s what defines an entrepreneur." Zahraa Jawad, CBA, of Forever Balloons Boutique in Beirut, Lebanon.
Zahraa with one of her amazing balloon displays!
Pam Pearce, CBA of Balloons and Tunes in Tamworth, UK."Ours is quite a well known story these days; We went to a market and met a stallholder wearing a balloon hat with a six- petal flower on it! My 'hubby' Paul said "I always loved those balloons," me "it's not round, what you on about?"
Paul bought some of those non-round balloons and a Jerry Luffs 'All Wind and Twists' book (there were no professional balloon pumps then, so we found a cheap pump in a small store.) Paul returned to the same market for 6 weeks, then sadly the guy disappeared, never to be seen again. Everyone says he was a guardian angel sent to change our path.
That was over 30 years ago, and balloons completely took over our lives! Twisting, decorating, sculptures and teaching the art. It is a lifestyle we have enjoyed so much.
It would have been nice to say thank you to the man that kick started our career, but even after many attempts to find him through news reports, radio interviews, TV interviews (even a chapter in a local personalities book) he has never come forward.
There has been so many others that we have met on this journey who inspired us in different ways, enhancing what we do, but he was the first!"
Lynda Webb from Bloon Away Boston says that she started her balloon business after being made redundant at the beginning of the pandemic, and was encouraged to start her business by people that she had already done one-off balloon decoration for.
"I dressed the room for my own wedding, including balloons. I new nothing about them then did all my balloons the night before (didn’t know about hi-float) so as you can imagine they were all deflated in the day. Luckily we had time to do them before the reception So I got sooo many compliments on the room dressing I helped family and friends to do their parties in the next few months and the rest is history 12yrs later we love it. It's the best thing we ever did lots of blood sweat and tears along the way though." -Lindsey Bradbury
I think that you would agree that there are many reasons why someone would start running their own business. I know that many businesses set up during the pandemic due to the numbers of companies laying off staff. In the UK alone, more than 400,000 start-ups were formed in 2020 and the increase has also been seen in the US, France, Germany and Japan. Some will survive whist others will fall by the wayside and I am not talking only about balloon businesses! It is suggested that approximately 20% of new businesses fail in the first year.
Last week I posted a blog - 'Can You Create a Full-time Income From Balloons?' by Guest Blogger Sonia Payne. If you are new to running your balloon business and want to ensure that your business survives, I recommend that you read this great post!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
This may seem like an odd topic to talk about, as I expect many of my readers already have established balloon businesses. However, it has been proven that during difficult times, and particularly during recessions, the balloon industry thrives and grows. Even if the party is smaller, people still want to celebrate! This is also a time when people are looking for new business opportunities; so I felt that this would be a good topic to discuss for anyone new to the world of balloons!
Why Balloons?
There are so many reasons why someone might start a balloon business. I started my balloon business when my eldest daughter (now 30) was 6 months old! I wanted to be able to grow my business at a pace that worked for my family and I. I also needed to ensure that I worked with a product that was non-perishable, and balloons ticked all those boxes perfectly! I am not going to pretend that it was easy; it was a very steep learning curve, and 30 years ago support and resources where extremely limited. The biggest challenge in running a balloon business is having the ability and obligation of being the "creative artist" versus being the "business person". This industry is what you could term as an easy access industry, set up costs can be relatively low - and anyone can inflate a balloon... can't they? There are those who "do balloons" as a weekend hobby to supplement their full-time incomes, and those who set up a full-time "ballooning" career (running businesses from shops, warehouses, and even from home.) Often balloons are added to established business, such as florists, greetings card retailers, and event planners. There are many highly successful, and profitable balloon businesses around the world, and on the other hand there are those who come, play around for a short while and then disappear just as quickly as they came.
Setting up your own business
Setting up your own business and becoming self-employed can be one of the biggest and most exciting adventures of your life! Being your own boss will be in the best interest of you and your business.
You will need to decide if you are going to trade as Self Employed or as a Limited Company.
When you are self-employed you literally work for yourself (sole trader or sole proprietor is just another name for a self-employed person.)
Being a limited company is completely different. A limited company is a separate legal entity; if you have your very own limited company you are generally not regarded as self-employed.
To learn more about setting up a business and the legal requirements that are needed in the UK, visit https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business. Outside of the UK, just do a Google search - setting up a business in ******* (type the country/state name) and this should direct you to the relevant page and information that you will require.
Choosing a Business Name
This is one of the most important things that you will need to do. There are so many things that you will need to do when setting up a new business, but without a business name it will be impossible!
Open a business bank account
Invoice customers
Write terms & conditions
Set up a website and social media business accounts
Order business cards
Open trade accounts
In the world of social media and SEO (search engine optimisation), choosing a name that people are more likely to search for, this will give you a much greater chance of you coming up in search results. So start by thinking about what your customers are likely to be seeking out.
Obviously, having the word balloon somewhere in your business name is important, and if you can include your location too, that would be even better!
Here are a few examples of business names that fit into this criteria:
The Brighton Balloon Company
Brighton Balloon Delights
Creative Balloons Brighton
Choose a functional name
It can be easy to get carried away with being a little too creative with a business name. Ideally you should choose a business name that instantly describes what your business does. Think long term; how will you feel about the name in a few years time when your business is more established?
Use your own name
The great thing about using your own name is that you are very unlikely to find another balloon company with the same name and therefore you will be easier to find on Google search. The downside of using your own name is that it will be very difficult to sell your business in the future, so take that into consideration.
My business name is Balloon Art by Sue Bowler, but my business is mainly directed to the balloon industry and therefore using my name, which is also my brand is very important.
Make up a word!
If you want to be a little more creative with your company name, why not morph two words together to create your own unique name!
Balloontopia
Balloontastic
Ideally, you should come up with a shortlist of around 5-10 business names
before you make your final decision.
Make sure that the business name is not already taken, you can usually check this by doing a simple Google search, or by searching with Companies House, or do a Trademark search.
Check that the domain is available and that you can get your business name as a .com or .co.uk - for UK businesses, and also if it’s available to use for your social media accounts.
Insurance Cover - You may not realise that having insurance cover is important, but in reality all businesses should have it, including home based businesses. There are a number of different insurances that a business should have: Public Liability – insures your business against third party claims for personal injury or property damage. Professional Indemnity – covers your professional advice. Employer's Liability – provides cover for your employees (this is legally required). If you are operating your business from a shop or store you will also require Building and Contents Insurance.
Inform HMRC or your government revenues and customs department - In the UK you need to register with the UK government (HMRC) to tell them that you’re self-employed. Check to see what your legal requirements are in your country.
Find an Accountant - It might be advisable to find an accountant who will tell you what you will need to do to ensure that you fulfil your tax requirements.
Comply with data laws - It’s not just big companies that need to know about General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR. Small businesses also have a legal responsibility to keep personal data safe and provide a clear policy on how that data will be used and why.
Employing Staff - If you are employing staff, there are so many other legal requirements that you will need to abide by. I strongly recommend that you look into all of those too!
How Much Should You Charge?
To know how much to charge for your balloons and decor, you need to know how much you are going to charge for your time, and how much you should allow to cover your overheads (business running costs)... and believe me, even when you work from home, you have overheads. Added to that will be your material costs, helium and delivery charges if applicable.
So the first thing you should do is work out how much you are worth! Deciding on what to charge for your time is not easy, but if you do not charge enough, you will honestly struggle to make enough money to live on.
As great as it is being your own boss, you need to consider all the benefits you won't get when self-employed.
As a self-employed person:
You don’t get paid for holidays
You don’t get paid when you’re off sick
You don’t get paid when you’re having your lunch
You don’t get paid when you’re doing your accounts
You don’t get paid when you’re looking for new work
You don’t get paid when you’re updating your web site
You don’t get paid when there’s no work to do
You need to pay for premises
You need to pay for business equipment (e.g. computers)
You need to pay for insurances (e.g. public liability)
I have found the Small Business Toolbox to be an amazing reference whilst writing this post. Andy MacLellan goes into a great deal of detail about how much you should be charging to survive, and it makes for a very interesting read! I am also going to point you in the direction of a couple of blogs that I wrote regarding pricing your work. You will often hear people talking about Job Cost Forms. This is a pricing system that Pioneer Balloon Company used as part of the Qualatex Balloon Network (QBN) program. I learned to price using this form and will still refer to it today to ensure that I am earning a fair price for my work and that I make a profit!
I am also including this BMTV video, which features Mark Drury of Qualatex. Mark has helped countless balloon businesses work out the correct costings for their decorations and has given a lot of people the confidence to price correctly.
This video has some great reviews and I am sure that it will help you too!
In Part 2 of Starting a Balloon Business, we will look at the following:
*To assist my writing of this post, I have referenced Small Business Toolbox that is packed with some great information for anyone starting up their own business.
