As with most of 2020, New Years Eve is going to be a little different this year, dependent of course on what country you are in, and the COVID restrictions that you have in place. However, from what I have read in the UK, restaurants and hotels are working hard to create socially distanced ways to ensure that their customers enjoy this annual festivity, even if it is a little different from the usual celebrations!
It is a certainty that people will want to celebrate the end of this turbulent year, even if they plan to stay at home. This means that decor will play a very important role in the occasion. Let's face it, it wouldn't be New Year's Eve without a glittery decoration or two! Adding the festive touch with fabulous 2021 balloons and balloon decor is an absolute must! Not only will balloons add a sense of fun and excitement, they will also be a perfect backdrop for those New Year's Eve pics!
Here are a few design ideas and products that you can offer to your customers!
Gold Bottle Design by Sue Bowler
"Let the Bubbles Flow" with this creative design using the Qualatex™ Golden Bubbly Wine Bottle and Gold Confetti Dots Decor Bubble - complimented with Chrome™ Gold Balloons!
Don't forget that both the bottle and Bubble Balloons are perfect for personalising, which will add greater value to the design.
Tinsel Fringe Curtains with Organic Garlands
These "curtains" of tinsel totally transform a wall. Even better, adding an organic balloon garland and takes it to a whole new level! It makes the perfect New Years Eve photo backdrop!
Elegant New Years Centrepiece by Sue Bowler
How about an elegant centrepiece design? Adding beautiful paper fans in a centrepiece really compliments the "New Year Black & Gold Fans" Microfoil™ balloon.
Is it really New Year's without the obligatory hats and headbands? These beautiful hairbands were created by Cam Woody and Eve Antonello. These were part of their Happy Hour class when they showed a range of designs using the Qualatex Animal print balloons, but they work really well for New Year's too, as do the other designs featured in the video below!
Beautiful Balloon Hairbands by Eve Antonello and Cam Woody
Hello 2020 New Year Party Arch
Wave goodbye to 2020 and say "Hello" to a New Year with this simple yet show-stopping party arch! QuickLink™ balloons make this arch quick to construct while creating elegant decor for any New Year's Eve party! Whether celebrating at home or in a large venue, you can adapt the size to suit your occasion. They are so great for photo opportunities, or to frame a buffet table or dance floor. Get ready to party the night away with balloons!
Designer name: Louise Hedges, CBA, Pioneer® Europe Ltd, UK
Helium-Filled Ceiling Balloons
Make New Years Eve even more special with a ceiling filled with beautiful latex balloons - make sure to tell your customers not to release them!
And finally, bring a little sparkle to the party with beautiful Confetti-Filled Balloons!Learn how to make these confetti-filled Deco Bubbles with Tina Giunta of Shivoo Balloons in Melbourne, Australia.
There will definitely be a demand for New Year's decor and Party Accessories this year! Make sure that you show your customers all the fabulous products and decor ideas that you have... early marketing will be essential to capture those sales, we don't want them going to one of the big online companies when we can offer them something better!
Christmas this year will be very different for many, both in our businesses and in our personal lives!
This year has certainly not been what anyone could have imagined. With parties and events cancelled in most countries around the world, the usual Christmas and New Years trade seems completely wiped out, however, that does not mean that all is lost!
This year has definitely seen a greater demand in both balloons and balloon decor for private and home events. It is very well known that during recessions there has always been a greater demand for balloons, and that has once again been proven this year with many companies, wholesalers and manufacturers reporting bumper sales.
So how do you prepare your business for Christmas 2020?
COVID has had a significant and immediate effect on consumer behaviour;
Consumers have started to prepare and shop earlier than usual.
Many consumers are turning to online shopping for the first time.
More people are "searching" for local businesses.
A large percentage of customers have no intention of spending less at Christmas than they did last year.
Consumers are trying out businesses they have never previously purchased from.
It is apparent from looking at balloon-related Facebook Groups that many balloon companies have already started their Christmas campaigns.
The annual 'Return of the Elf' sees many balloon companies inundated with orders for their impending arrival on the 1st of December! Side note: the term 'Elf on the Shelf' is a registered trademark and if you use these words in your marketing, you are very likely to encounter problems; many businesses have had their social media accounts disabled and often completely lost because of their use of trademarked names in their marketing, and 'Elf on the Shelf' is no exception. It is always worth checking first before using official names within hashtags! I have written a post on this topic - How to Avoid having your Instagram Account Disabled, or worse, Lost Forever!
Balloon & Party Stores
I am sure that many have already started to install their seasonal displays, NEVER underestimate the power of a great display.
How fabulous is this display by Trish Robertson of Barossa Helium Balloons and Party Supplies in Tanunda, South Australia. Trish was inspired to re-create Luc Bertrand's beautiful QuickLinks Santa Mural which has taken centre-stage in her window!
Trish said; "I look at my window as real estate, just like shelving in stores is real estate. But the window is the most important real estate because it can decide if someone comes in or not. The other thing I don't do is fill it. I keep it simple so it jumps out.
Trish also leaves her lights on in her store allowing her window displays to keep on working even when the store is closed!
Design Ideas
Offering new and appealing designs will help you to attract customers and also set you apart from your competition, so taking the time to do a little research and learning will definitely help!
Have you been joining Cam Woody and Eve Antonello for Happy Hour every Tuesday? This weekly Facebook live show covers different themes each week and has some truly fabulous ideas! Just in case you missed their Christmas session, I have added a link below! If you want to catch up on past classes, simply visit Mr Q's Facebook Page and select a video, they are all available to watch!
Santa’s Little Helper - This delightful elf brings magic and cheer to any holiday gathering. Designer name: Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA.
The Joy of Christmas - Share the sentiments of the season with this beautiful display.
Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA.
There has never been a more important time to reach and inspire your customers with your social media posts.
As I have already mentioned, many more people are buying online - the convenience of online shopping has always been a huge benefit, but more importantly, the ability to order any product from the safety of your own home is highly valued during these tumultuous times. People are also trying out companies that they have never bought from before, and also seeking to buy from local and small businesses.
Being creative and consistent with your posts will pay off greatly, and maybe just a little paid (local) advertising would be a benefit too - have you ever tried Facebook or Instagram advertising? For very little cost you can promote one of your posts - this can help you to reach more customers. It is very easy to do, you set your own parameters and budget, I would strongly recommend that you try it out. Be sure to check out your insights to see the effectiveness your posts, and hopefully you will also see a growth in new followers, as well as more enquires and sales too!
Firstly, decide on what you want to promote and sell. This is dependent on what type of balloon business you have. There are those with stores, others who work purely with mail order, and balloon companies that can offer both collection or delivery services. Be careful not to overwhelm your customers with too many items, be selective and creative - anything and everything personalised is extremely popular, so maybe show a range of balloons and products that you have personalised. Leading on from the Elf in a balloon craze, has anyone ever thought to do a 'Letter from Santa' balloon? Just search 'Letter from Santa' and you will see some lovely ideas that could easily be adapted to balloons or could be sold along with a beautifully personalised balloon!
Qualatex have a fabulous range of ready-made social media posts that are freely available for anyone to use as part of their marketing campaign. These are available in a range of languages, or kept blank to allow you to tailor them specifically to your own business. Here are a few examples; some of the posts are animated, which is great as videos often attract more attention. If you start to ramp up your posting schedule, you might be very grateful to have some additional ready-to-go posts.
Our social media posts should get people into the Christmas and holiday spirit, they should be engaging and should create the desire to place orders. Make sure that you use stories as well as posts as stories have many easy-to-use features that encourage audience engagement — from one click polls to instant emoji slider stickers. Stories are also an opportunity to keep your business in front of your followers.
Have you thought about running a competition? Competitions help to build community. When a contest is run effectively it is a great way to build a strong following, and it canincentivise people to follow you. It helps to build brand awareness. It will help you to increase your subscribers, increase engagement and of course increase sales too!
I hope that this has given you some food for thought, a few ideas and maybe a little inspiration!
I will always remember seeing someone's first reaction to a display of Jewel Tone double-stuffed with Chrome Balloons - the colours created by this combo are rich and vibrant, with an almost glass-like appearance! The most exciting thing about creating custom coloured balloons via double-stuffing is that the options are endless!
I suppose that we have been doing this for as long as I can remember, however before it was only used as a last resort - the extra cost and time factor was a determining factor.
I love colour and love creating custom colours. Probably one of my favourite custom combination is the Jewel Tone balloons double-stuffed with Chrome balloon colours. I'm also a little infatuated with all the stunning pastel colours that you can create.
Shimmering Emerald Stars
Be the envy of party decorators everywhere with this "star-studded," gorgeously green Column!
Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA.
To create these fabulous colours, Eve used Jewel Lime and Jewel Teal with Chrome Silver inside.
Pastel colours are extremely popular and I loved having the opportunity to design and make a beautiful balloon and flower wall for a client.
To create these colours I used "Chalky" & "Warm" pastels.
Chalky pastels are created by stuffing vibrant colours inside Qualatex White latex. Using the double-stuffing method, these balloons take on a matte appearance that creates a unique look, similar to chalk on a blackboard.
For warmer pastel shades, stuff balloons into colours with warm tones like Ivory Silk, Pink, and Blush. The double-stuffing provides an extra dimension that simply cannot be achieved with a single balloon.
These Instagram posts from Mañeca Balloons, in New York, USA are simply fabulous! Not only are they showing their beautiful decor, they are also showing that they are using custom coloured balloons.
Boho Safari Theme Baby Shower 🦒 Mañeca Balloons, in New York, USA.
Beautiful Organic Garland by Mañeca Balloons, in New York, USA.
For quick reference, Qualatex has created a range of custom colour charts which feature common colour combos that we can share with our clients when searching for the right colours. To see all the charts and in full size click HERE
Did you know that there is now a Facebook Group that is dedicated to Custom Balloon Colours - "A group to share and discuss balloon colours - this is existing, or custom colours. A group for any skill level or enthusiast. Share your amazing designs with the colour combos you used!"
Below is a great video with Zoe Adam-Jones of Jaz Trading in Queensland, Australia. Zoe recorded it for Q Corner, and in it she explains how she created a fabulous range of pastel custom coloured balloons for a Hot Air Balloon design that she taught in one of her classes... How beautiful it was! I also recommend that you check out Zoe's business - Jaz Trading's Pinterest account too, as it too is packed with inspiring ideas and inspiration!
And finally, don't forget to check out the great article on the Qualatex website - Hot Trend: Custom Pastel Colors that features beautiful custom colour decor by Sarah Courtney of Belle Balloons in Melbourne, Australia, Tina Giunta, CBA, of Shivoo Balloons in Melbourne, Australia and Jenny Wang of Bingo Party Studio in China.
This Colour chart was created by Zoe showing one of the hottest colour combinations - Dusk Dreams from a design created by Elari Events.
Flamingo Hat Box Design By Sue Bowler
As much as it's more work and of course more expensive to do, I really love the effect of double-stuffing, not purely based colour but also because it can make the balloons look more solid, often glass-like, and it also makes the balloons last so much longer in a design, which is an absolute bonus when creating long lasting displays.
Thank you to Mañeca Balloons, and Zoe Adam-Jones for sharing their fabulous designs and creativity with the Very Best Balloon Blog!
As contribution to my recent series of posts on Balloon Walls, Chris Adamo has very kindly offered his thoughts, tips and advice.
Chris Adamo, CBA Balloons Online Balloonpro.co The Balloon Crew, Sydney, Australia
"Balloon walls are as diverse as the balloon industry itself! Whether self-supporting, rigged or floating, we as professional balloon decorators have a huge range of products, techniques, tones and textures to choose from.
If you look at it from your customers perspective, I can guarantee that they do not know of this malleable product type, or that we can offer a huge range of styles versus the one's that they have seen before.
It is up to us to suggest the most appropriate wall style based on the variables, and it is our responsibility to establish what those variables are. Customer service is just that: serving your customers. Selling product is not service, take the time to ask questions and understand everything about your customer's event, then you can suggest the right product.
Some questions are:
Indoors
Helium is possible
Rigged is possible
Outdoors
Most probably framed
Longevity will be an issue
Wind / sunlight / rain?
Size / Purpose / Budget
Low budget or large size = hollow quick link wall?
High budget / premium finish = foils or organic
Theme / Message
This is the fun part! If creating a logo or colour theme, we need to think of what construction method will offer the most useful lines or texture to best emulate that design.
Vertical & horizontal lines = QuickLinks or alternate size pack
Don’t forget the golden ratio (1:1.6 or simplified to 2:3), when designing a wall to fit a specific space, your wall will sit with more of a natural disposition using 1/3 white space and 2/3 wall.
Now we have decided on the style of wall (construction method) and size we need to create a design. Designing your wall at this stage gives you the benefit of formulating an accurate quote, and it gives you a sketch or digital render to help converting your sale.
The online design tool at www.balloonpro.co was created to help streamline this very problem. One can create multiple designs in minutes with a colour matched digital render using Qualatex balloon colour swatches, a stock order list and a production break down."
If the online design tool is new to you, and you would like to know a little more, I recommend that you check out the short video below to see many of the different design functions available.
Chris shares one of his fun wall builds. Here is a bit of behind the scenes from the design and construction of his "Avengers" - Alternate Size Pack balloon wall.
Avengers Balloon Wall by Chris Adamo
In preparation for Christmas, Chris has shared two fabulous design templates that he created on Balloonpro - Balloon Design Tool, you are very welcome to use these.
Santa Face Balloon Wall Mural using QuickLink X-Pattern technique
Christmas Tree Balloon Wall Mural using Duplet Square Pack technique
I am a regular user of Balloon Design Tools! I love how I can work on my designs on my laptop, create a few different options and then send them over to my clients for approval... without even touching a balloon!
You can try out this fabulous tool for 7 days for free. After that, you can sign up with either a monthly (cancel anytime) or annual subscription. Plus, there are many other fabulous free resources as part of your membership!
If you missed my earlier Balloon Wall Posts, simply click on the links below:
Once again, a huge thank you to Chris, who has to be one of the most sharing people in the balloon world! I know I truly appreciate everything that he does for our ballooning community!
Promoting balloons and balloon decor may seem to be the obvious choice of content for your social media page. But when it comes to engaging with your followers, it is important to share a variety of different posts to keep your audience interested and entertained by the things that you are sharing with them.
With only a few days to Halloween, this would be the perfect time to post a daily Halloween idea/suggestion, or a fun Halloween related quote or jokes.
Here are some ideas plus a little text that you can use along with your posts!
"Children love to cook! This is the perfect opportunity to create some fabulous Halloween cakes and cookies - cooking with kids can be fun and enjoyable for both the children and adults. Your children will get the joy of creating fun bakes and the pleasure of eating them too, all while you create lasting memories that your children may treasure forever."
"We know how much children love to play games, so why not organise some fun Halloween themed activities!"
"Get your children crafting and having fun - create crafting stations where they can let their imaginations run wild"
" Don't forget to decorate your homes, both inside and out and create lots of excitement for all the children (and adults) in your neighbourhood"
"Halloween is definitely not cancelled this year, but it
will be a little bit different - let's make it memorable for all the right reasons!"
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.
