Helium (Balloon Gas) and Helium Safety.

Balloon Gas

We often talk about using helium to inflate balloons that we want to float. However, in the UK. (I am unsure about other countries) we mostly use a product known as Balloon Gas. Balloon Gas is a re-cycled product that derives from helium that has been re-captured after being used for other purposes and is no longer suitable to be used in medical or science applications. This re-cycled helium would be wasted if not re-used in balloons.

It is often speculated that helium is wasted when used for balloons.

​The simple answer is no – it is not a waste. As cylinders of pure helium are filled, the escaped gas mixes with air and is captured and compressed into cylinders as balloon gas. Some manufacturers capture this helium when filling MRI scanners.

​Manufacturers have stated that this wasted helium is considered a ‘recycled product’ as it would have been lost to the environment had it not been captured and re-purposed. If the balloon market demand declined, manufacturers would have to re-evaluate other markets and consider the possibilities of re-liquefying it. Re-liquefying is currently considered uneconomical from the locations of where the filling application take place.

Let’s not forget that the balloon market is only one application and makes up less than 10% of the worldwide helium market, there are several other applications that also use helium.

Helium Facts

Helium is an inert gas, and is the second lightest element next to hydrogen. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless. INERT means it will not react to any other elements, therefore it is impossible to cause a fire or to burn. However, it is very important to know that helium is an asphyxiant, and therefore inhaling helium can cause serious harm that could result in fatality, so it is definitely not safe to inhale helium!

Is there a safer alternative to helium? This is a definite no! 

Helium Safety Tips

• To avoid muscle strain and injury, use correct lifting techniques. Larger cylinders should not be lifted manually due to their weight. Cylinder trolleys should always be used.
• NEVER drag a cylinder along the ground. 
• When transporting a cylinder by car or van, make sure that the vehicle is well ventilated and that the cylinder is very well secured.
• Ensure that cylinders are stored in well-ventilated areas, away from direct heat.
• When inflating a balloon, always point the balloon and inflator away from you, and close the cylinder valve after use. Some professional balloon artists will wear protective eyewear when inflating balloons. Always offer staff protective eyewear when inflating balloons.
• Always secure a cylinder to a secure support in an upright position when in use, as cylinders can cause serious injury if they fall over or roll on to you.
• Do not attempt to catch a falling cylinder; move out of the way.
• Keep cylinders away from children at all times.
• The valve on high-pressure balloon gas cylinders should never be opened unless the appropriate filling kit is attached.
• Always use the correct inflation equipment designed especially for inflating balloon and the cylinder type that you are working with and NEVER repair, alter or change equipment as this can result in serious accidents, remember you are working with gas under very high pressure.
• Slowly open the cylinder valve by turning it in an anti-clockwise direction.  Listen for any obvious leaks. If there is a leak, turn off the valve, release any excess gas in the filling kit and check you have fitted the filling kit correctly.
• Remove the filling kit if moving the cylinder any distance or ceasing use.  Before removing the filling kit, turn off the cylinder valve and release the pressure in the kit.

How long does helium last inside a latex balloon?

Balloons look fantastic when they are filled with helium, majestically floating in the air,  but it does require some thought when using them for events. Since latex is porous, helium begins to seep out from the surface of the balloon the moment the balloon is filled. How long the helium lasts inside the balloon depends on the size of the balloon. An 11" latex balloon will typically float for up to 18 hours, but will only look good for around 12 hours. It is recommended to inflate latex balloons with helium as close to the time of the event as possible to ensure that they look their best throughout the event.

To make latex balloons float for longer they can be treated with HI-FLOAT. ULTRA HI-FLOAT is a patented liquid solution that dries inside latex helium-filled balloons to form a coating that helps hold in the helium. A single squirt inside the balloon keeps it floating longer – up to 25 times longer! The chart below will give you the average floating time for different size latex balloons. Please be aware that not all latex balloons are of the same quality, and therefore I always recommend that you use Qualatex balloons.

Will latex balloons still float if you mix helium and air together?

Yes! It is possible to mix air with helium to save on your helium costs. However, you need to be aware that adding air into the helium will make the balloons heavier and reduce the floating time and liftability of the balloons (this means that a balloon cannot lift the same weight as a balloon that is filled with helium only.) Personally, I would only recommend using this technique if you are working with balloons 16" and larger, and also if you only require them for a shorter length of time. You cannot use a 60/40 mix of helium and air with foil balloons.

Conwin makes a range of 60/40 inflators. For more information visit https://www.conwinonline.com/shop/60-40-helium-air-inflator/

I hope that this information has helped you. It is always good to know a little bit more so that you are always informed and have responses available to give to customers who may have their concerns regarding the use of helium in balloons.

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @Suebowler

Top Tips when working with Helium-Filled Latex Balloons

Whether they are featured in an arrangement or tied to a single strand of ribbon, few things inspire more joy than a helium-filled latex balloon! To give your customers the most value, here are four essential tips on keeping your balloons—and profits—afloat.

1. Storage

The first step to ensure long float times for latex balloons is proper storage. Qualatex® latex balloons are 100% biodegradable, and so temperature and light have a major effect on the quality of latex balloons. Because of this it’s important to protect them from the elements until they need to be inflated. 

Many balloon stores use storage jars to contain and display latex balloons. 

 If using clear jars ensure that they are kept out of direct sunlight.

Avoid exposing your balloons to extreme heat and cold. Storing your uninflated balloons at moderate temperatures will maximise their lifespan. If stored properly, an uninflated latex balloon has a shelf life of approximately one year. Light also contributes to the degradation of latex balloons. Store your uninflated balloons in airtight, opaque containers for optimal protection. Not only does this protect your balloons against light, it allows you to clearly label and organise your product.

Sunlight will also cause your balloons to quickly lose their shine, so be sure to work away from windows when inflating latex balloons. Both heat and light contribute to the process of oxidation, which creates a cloudy appearance on the outside of latex balloons. While this is a natural step in the process of a balloon’s biodegradation, the effects of oxidation can be minimised by covering balloons with a plastic bag, especially if they will be exposed for a long period of time or if decor is done in advance. 

Latex balloons can also be protected with Balloon Shine™or Hi-Shine when they are applied to the exterior of an inflated balloon. Both of these products help prevent oxidation and add long-lasting sparkle to your decor. Balloon Shine is applied with a glove and wiped over the surface of the balloon, whereas Hi-Shine is applied using a spray. 

2. Inflate and Regulate

By inflating latex balloons correctly, you will maximise float times and provide customers with a more aesthetically pleasing product. When inflating a round latex balloon. It is important to fill it until a teardrop shape is achieved.

•Overinflating balloons adds stress and opens the pores of the latex so helium escapes faster. •Underinflating balloons reduces their float time because there is less helium to lift the balloon’s weight.

•The use of a sizing template, such as the Qualatex ProSizer Templates, is helpful for inflating balloons fully and uniformly. 

3. Be Wary of Weather

Proper storage and inflation are only half the battle. A standard 11" Qualatex latex balloo inflated with helium floats between 18 to 24 hours. However, even properly inflated balloons can have different flying times depending on weather and altitude. Heat causes helium to expand, and cold causes it to contract. Expect balloons to expand when moved from an air-conditioned room into a warmer environment. Likewise, helium-filled balloons may appear half-full and not float when moved into much cooler temperatures. When moving balloons from a cool environment to a warmer one, a general rule is to slightly underinflate the balloons. After moving them to warmer conditions, balloons will typically expand back to their ideal size. Air becomes lighter as elevation increases, so the amount of lift you can expect from helium-filled balloons will be reduced. Because of this, larger balloons are recommended when inflating for higher elevations. Conduct your own tests in different circumstances and altitudes to determine typical float times. 

4. Maximise Floating Time

So what is HI-FLOAT?

HI-FLOAT® balloon treatment is a solution of a plastic material dissolved in water. It forms a coating inside latex balloons that greatly reduces the helium or air loss. 

With ULTRA HI-FLOAT, latex balloons can be prepared a day ahead of time, and balloon bouquets will float for several days.

Helium-filled latex balloons float 25 times longer on average with ULTRA HI-FLOAT, and air-filled latex balloons maintain full size for over one month with ULTRA HI-FLOAT.

HI-FLOAT is very safe. It is non-toxic, non-irritating, noncorrosive, nonflammable and biodegradable. It is similar to the glue on the back of postage stamps.

Average Floating times with and without HI-FLOAT

Float Times                      Helium Only                 Helium and Hi-FLOAT

11” / 28 cm latex                    1 Day                                 1- 4 weeks

16” / 41 cm latex                    1 ½ Days                         3 - 7 weeks

36” / 90 cm latex                    3 - 5 Days                         6 - 20 weeks

It's easy to see why a professional decorator would use HI-Float in all their helium-filled latex balloons!

Follow these balloon care tips, and you will greatly increase the performance of your Qualatex balloons as well as your customers satisfaction!

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Customer Complaints - One of the Hardest Jobs to Deal with.

Receiving complaints or any kind of negative feedback never feels great. However, this kind of feedback can be a good opportunity to differentiate your business from others who may not be as efficient as you are when dealing with complaints.

When a customer complains, it is normal to want to react in a defensive manner as it is very easy for us to take any complaints to heart!

I suppose what we need to remember is that 1) we cannot please everyone all of the time, and 2) that balloons are destructible: they can pop, go down or be affected by the elements very easily.

Complaints happen and you will get them!

The perfect outcome for a complaint is that it goes away quickly and quietly, and without turning into a bad review online. You occasionally might have your suspicions that the customer has done something to damage the balloons, or maybe they expected the balloons to last longer. It is important to put that all aside and make it your goal to resolve the problem quickly, and definitely not to prove that you are right and that they are wrong.

Take time to listen and show empathy.

By listening to your customer, you can more easily empathise with their situation. This is also a good opportunity to ask questions and to gather any additional information you need to be able to offer a suitable solution. 

Decide on your complaints policy now.

It is so much easier to make a decision on how you are going to deal with complaints when you are not in the middle of all the drama that tends to follow a complaint. 

Some businesses offer a no-questions asked, time-limited replacement guarantee.

"If you have any problems with your order in the first 24 hours, we will replace it free."

Many companies have a Complaints Policy Statement that they display on their website:

If you have a complaint about our products or service please contact us as soon as possible so we can put into action a fair, confidential and effective complaint procedure. 

We endeavour to respond to all complaints within 1 working day and resolve complaints within 3-4 working days.

Refunds, partial refunds or an exchange will be given if the product is proved to be faulty or damaged and will be issued at the discretion of management 

         
This is your opportunity to decide on what your policy is and how you want to apply it. Take a look at what other businesses have done to see what their policies are and decide what would work best for you and your business.

Offer a Solution

Once you have identified the reason for the complaint, it is important to offer a solution as quickly as possible. You have listened to the customer and as much as you may not feel that the problem was your fault,  it is essential to avoid challenging them or allowing your personal emotions getting in the way, as this won't help you in your efforts to resolve the problem. 

Apply a solution: this could mean a full refund, a replacement or a credit for a future order, all depending on your complaints/refund policy. Make sure that your customer is happy with the solution and that the problem has been resolved otherwise you will still end up with an unhappy customer. 

Offer an Apology

Let them know you're sorry they were inconvenienced, disappointed or upset, then also thank them for giving you the chance to work it out with them. For many customers, this sincere effort goes a long way. 

Care Cards and Balloon Fact Sheets

I recommend supplying a Care Card or How to Care for your Balloons Fact Sheets, with every order. By giving customers information on how to look after balloons, this can often resolve and definitely defuse many complaint situations. There are many reasons why a customer might complain, here are just a few examples.

Complaint 1: It's a very hot day and a customer puts the balloons into a very hot car,  by the time they got home, the balloons have all popped - "My balloons were all faulty, they all popped!" 

Complaint 2: The customer places all the helium-filled latex balloons on the ceiling in their home and some of them pop! "My balloons were faulty, they popped when I got home!"

Complaint 3: The customer places her balloons outside "All my balloons went dull and cloudy, they are not what I asked for!"

These are very simple and basic complaints, however, if you inform the customer in advance that these things might occur, then you can prevent that complaint ever occurring.

Here are some different things that you can list on your fact sheet and also alert customers to certain situations when they purchase balloons from you... if you feel it's relevant at that time (like the weather) it is worth actually mentioning it to the customer before they leave your shop or store.

1. Balloons and Temperature: Please don't leave balloons in a hot car - helium expands in the heat and this could cause your balloons to pop! We recommend that you use air conditioning in your vehicle when transporting balloons on a hot day. If your balloons get rained on and start to droop, don't worry – they'll float again when dry. When helium-filled balloons are taken into the cold, they will temporarily deflate and will re-inflate again when warm. 

2. Balloons - Child and Pet Precautions: Balloons are not a toy. Uninflated or burst balloons can present a choking hazard and should never be left with children under the age of eight without supervision. Store balloons away from pets to ensure that they cannot get themselves tangled with balloon ribbons or accidentally ingest popped balloons or their decorative contents such as confetti, feathers, or other materials. If a balloon pops, clear away any broken balloons and any decorative contents immediately.

3. Balloons and the Environment: At the end of a balloon's life, cut the end of the balloon with scissors to remove any air or balloon gas, then dispose of it in the bin. NEVER release balloons into the environment. ALL released balloons become litter. They can get caught up in trees or power lines. Remember - Don't Let Go & Pin It and Bin It 😊

4. Balloons and Allergies: Most balloons are made of natural rubber latex and may cause allergies. Please look out for symptoms in case of allergies and seek immediate help.

5. Inhalation of helium: Inhaling helium can be dangerous and it is not recommended. It can deprive your body of oxygen and can result in a fatality.

6. Balloons and Ceilings: Lights, paint textures, irregular surfaces and even static can all pop balloons. If you are planning on placing your balloons on a ceiling, ensure that you test it first.

7. Latex balloons and Oxidization: Clear balloons become cloudy quickly when exposed to heat and sunshine. Coloured balloons will take on a velvety, matte appearance.

8. Balloons can Pop: While we use the highest quality balloons and take every precaution necessary with your balloons to ensure they last through your event, once the balloons leave our door or we have left the venue, they are out of our control.

As a business owner we need to be a master of all trades: designer, sales person, the writer of quotes and proposals, accounts manager and the one who responds to emails and messages, as well as social media expert! One of the hardest jobs is to deal with complaints! 

I hope this helps any of you who are not really sure how to deal with complaints.

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Balloons and the Environment - How do you communicate Environment-Friendly practices to your customers?

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 environment. We encourage our customers to support this position and not undertake or endorse balloon releases of any kind. 

INFLATE SAFELY

To remove the risk of injury, always use a balloon pump and NEVER inhale helium.

SUPERVISE CHILDREN UNDER 8

Uninflated or burst balloons can present a choking hazard - please supervise small children at all times.

BE LATEX ALLERGY AWARE

Balloons made of natural rubber latex may cause a reaction in those with latex allergies. Look out for symptoms and seek help if required.

ALWAYS DISPOSE OF BALLOONS RESPONSIBLY

Remember when you've finished with a balloon, simply snip the end of the balloons with scissors before placing in a suitable bin. 

Pioneer Europe, in conjunction with the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC), has developed a collection of environmental marketing materials that we can use freely within our businesses to educate consumers to enjoy balloons responsibly, promoting the message: "Don't let go."

There are five downloadable flyers that you can use:

Posters - these can be displayed in your shops and stores.

Leaflets - Gives even more information than the Care Card

Carecards - see above

Weight Labels - Weight Stickers will stick on the underside of many commonly used balloon weights.

These are available in 24 different languages. Click on the appropriate language and it will take you directly to the link.

Bulgarian 

Croatian 

Czech 

Danish 

Dutch 

English 

Estonian 

Finnish

Flemish 

French 

Gaelic 

​​​​​​​German 

Greek 

Hungarian 

Italian 

Latvian

Lithuanian 

Maltese 

Polish 

Portuguese 

Slovakian 

Slovenian 

Spanish 

Swedish

Social Media Posts

Having a variety of posts is important for any business, and sharing environmental posts especially will be a very positive thing to do. It will act as a regular reminder to your customers and followers that you take environmental issues seriously! 

Once again, there are some great pre-made posts that are available from www.qualatex.com, which can be found in the SUSTAINABILITY section on the website. 

Here are a few examples of the types of posts that are available.

Have you ever seen a social media post from EU Partysafe? I would expect not, as unless you know about them, you probably won't be following them... start following them today! EU Partysafe is a consumer-facing page run by the European Balloon & Party Council, a Non-Governmental Organisation that represents all the key players in the balloon & party industry. Their aim is to raise awareness & educate consumers on balloon and party-related  products.

Here are a few examples of posts that EUPartysafe shares, and you could do something similar or even better! Sharing their posts on your business page clearly reinforces the message and will potentially guide your customers to their website, which gives even more consumer information on balloons and the environment as well as other information relating to party products.

EU Party Safe posts are succinct, and always feature important facts paired with an eye-catching photo. Free photo stock can be found on the Qualatex website in the Marketing Material in the Inspiration tab. CANVA has some great photo stock, some of which is free. Using an eye-catching, and appropriate photo will help to attract attention to your posts and hopefully their important messages too! 

Did you know

Latex balloons are plant-based

In fact, they are made from the sap of rubber trees, NOT from plastic as is sometimes reported

Always re-use before you recycle

Remember:

foil balloons are not biodegradable;

flatten and store your foil balloons when possible;

re-use your foil balloons. You may be surprised how good they will look!

Here are a few more important websites that will help you to source balloon-related environmental information and messages that you can use. 

The Balloon Council - http://www.theballooncouncil.org

Pro Environment Balloon Alliance (PEBA) - https://www.peba.com.au

Let us all enjoy the magic of balloons for many more years to come, but we need your help to make this possible! Please help us to promote the responsible use of balloons! 

A huge thank you to EBPC for allowing me to share material from their Facebook page.

Happy and responsible Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Ballooning Tips & Tricks - Learn a Few Tips about Mixing Helium & Air, is Static a Friend or Foe, How to Resolve a Closed Foil Balloon Valve and Much More!

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" helium-filled latex balloon ranges from 18-24 hours, as the helium escapes, the balloon will start to get smaller and eventually fall down.

Air inside a latex balloon lasts much longer, as air molecules are big and it takes a longer period of time to escape from a latex balloon - weeks and months, rather than hours. The balloons will gradually get softer but they stay inflated for a much longer period than a helium-filled balloon.

So when you put 5" balloons inside a larger balloon, it is essential that you use the same gas in both balloons! 

When you put helium-filled balloons inside an air-filled balloon, the helium escapes (diffuses) from the helium-filled balloons and the balloons will go down, the same as they would if they were outside of the larger balloon. Have you ever tried putting helium inside a 5" balloon? It will float for around 2-3 hours before it gently drops down.

When you put air-filled balloons inside a larger helium-filled balloon, a process called 'diffusion' occurs. This is when the helium naturally moves and filters through and into the latex of the smaller balloons, which causes the smaller balloons to expand and eventually pop! This is exactly what happened to me! 

Static - friend or foe? 

Static can definitely be a problem when it comes to balloons! I have heard of balloons randomly popping due to high levels of static in a room.

Static does not like moisture or humidity, and therefore water can be used to reduce the amount of static in a room, a humidifier works well, and a fine water mister spray will help when working on site. Dryer sheets can also reduce static on balloons. Some decorators carry Static Guard with them on balloon jobs, as this can eliminate static and help prevent it from building! 

To prevent static on your balloon ribbon, wet your scissors before using them to curl the ribbon. (Dip the tip of your scissors in water).

Static is definitely a friend when making confetti-filled balloons. To make confetti stick to the inside of a balloon you will need to build a little static within the balloon. With air-filled balloons it's easy; simply rub the side of the balloon with your hand, a cloth, or even better, bubble-wrap packaging - this works every time for me! I have also heard that placing balloons inside a plastic bag will help to build the static. When making helium-filled, confetti-filled balloons, you will need to ensure that you add a small amount of air into the balloon, as static cannot build in pure helium! Simply use a hand-pump and add a few pumps of air - not too many as it can make the balloon too heavy and it won't float!

If you would like to learn how to make a confetti-filled Deco Bubble, check out the great video below. 

What should you do if the valve on a foil balloon does not open easily?

When the valve of a foil balloon does not easily open, first be ultra-careful not to damage it. Sometimes these appear to be stuck closed, but with a little help, we can usually open them. The temptation is to try and open the valve using a pencil or straw, but be aware that the valves in foil balloons are very delicate and can be easily damaged. For best results, use something thin and flat such as a folded floristry wire. Hold the valve between two fingers and gently slide in the wire with the folded side. This should go very smoothly without ruining the valve. If you don't have any floristry wire, try a flat beverage stirrer, like the wooden ones supplied in coffee houses. 

Using a floristry wire, bend in half and carefully
insert it into the valve of the foil balloon.

Cold Latex Balloons

Latex balloons last longer when they are stored in a cool and dark environment, as this helps to preserve the balloons shelf life for longer. However, if balloons get too cold, they can become hard to the touch and almost impossible to inflate, like the three balloons on the left. You can easily resolve this by warming up them up! Either put the balloons somewhere warm, like on a radiator, or place them into a tumble dryer for a few minutes - et volia,  your balloons will be back to normal and as good as new! 

Stretched Balloons

Here is another great tip about warming up balloons: when you pre-inflate latex balloons, they becomes stretched and lose their original balloon shape (see below left.) These balloons are still perfectly good, and can be used for your decor and balloon design. However, if you want the balloons to return to their original balloon shape, simply warm them up using either of the techniques above.

Making a balloon round rather than traditional balloon shape.

Some balloon decor styles, such as Balloon Columns and organic décor, look better when made with a rounder shape rather than the traditional balloon 'teardrop' shape. This can be easily achieved by how you inflate the balloons. Check out the video below to see how you can achieve this. If you do not have an electric pump, you can achieve the same results using a hand-pump, following the same principle.

Did you find this post useful? I would love to get some feedback! 

Happy Ballooning Everyone and thank you for reading the Very Best Balloon Blog! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler

Looking at the Brighter Side of a World-Wide Pandemic!

We all know that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on overall health, jobs, businesses and the economy to name just a few. But being the ever-optimist, I personally have found a few positives during this truly unsettled and rollercoaster year.

I thought that this would be a great opportunity to ask a few of my ballooning friends from around the world if they could share one or two positive things that they have been able to bring to their business or business life as a result of the pandemic! 

I will be sharing their stories over a couple of blog posts... Let's start our journey in Italy. Italy was the first European country to become overwhelmed by the pandemic and the first European country to go into a national lockdown! 

Alberto Nava, CBA, of Crazy Balloons in Milan, Italy 

"Let’s be honest here, the pandemic here in Italy, like in the rest of the world, hit us like a rock. And I am talking a mountain sized rock. We are invoicing about 10% of what we invoiced last year. Supply chain of Qualatex balloons has also been compromised because of the pandemic. 

If there’s one thing that this pandemic taught me, it  is that if you can’t adapt your business to a sudden change, you will not survive.

We started doing deliveries, embracing a totally new market for us. Also, we sat down and we decided to offer deliveries using only the balloons we had in stock (luckily we had huge inventory). That’s where creativity came to the rescue to fulfill every request.

We also started “not so virtual parties”.  This is a virtual party with a balloon delivery to the home of the birthday child on the morning of the party to create the mood, a live director during the party and an edited video clip of the party delivered the following week to the birthday child to treasure the memories.

We requested and received special EU lost funding for completely redoing our website, to be ready when people will be vaccinated and will just want to party....

My new motto is to "never stop creating, even in dark times, light can be found in balloons."

Learn how to create this adorable frame by Alberto Nava - Visit Balloon Images Issue 1 2020

Let's now travel to the other side of the world and ask Chris Adamo, CBA, of The Balloon Crew, Balloons Online, and BalloonPro.co in Sydney, Australia, what positives has he experienced during these difficult times?

"I would say that that a huge positive from this dreadful situation was the time to reflect and re-organise my business and business systems. Looking at the bricks and mortar retail shop we cleared out a huge amount of old stock, knocked down shelving and a giant old light box to make room for new hang cell walls and inviting more light to enter the our retail space. For weeks I felt so happy to work in such a clean and modern (comparatively!) environment. Next came our online store and website, replacing old images and content in the great spring clean of COVID 2020. We had a hard look at what products just didn't seem as profitable as we once thought: we ceased the hiring helium DIY tanks, changed our printing price structure, sold an old van and even updated our methods for the delivery of internal information such as systems and training. None of this would have been possible without two things: time and impetus to change, COVID provided both. We will come out of this leaner and more efficient than we started, and for that I am grateful.

On a personal note... to be honest, one of the most positive things has happened to my personal life, with the newly found time in the absence of the traditional business crazy hamster wheel! LOL.

I would like to share a video that Chris recently recorded with Greg Brown at BMTV where Chris shares some helpful and essential tips and tricks to improve your business' workflow! It is definitely worth watching! 

Many of you will have 'met' Greg Brown as the presenter of BMTV, but Greg also wears another industry hat, as the Director of Total Party Ltd / Balloon Market / Signature Balloons based in Southampton, England. I asked Greg as a wholesaler to the balloon and party industry in the UK how the pandemic has affected his business and the positives he has seen:

"When COVID first hit we thought the worst, and expected sales to be 30% of what they are normally. We thought that weddings, celebrations, corporate events, summer fayres, etc being cancelled would destroy the industry. As we now know, our industry flourished as we were all able to adapt quickly. I think that is one of the great things of being an industry that is made up of mainly small businesses. We can pivot quickly. I think people learned to do new things from putting videos out there helping others to improving their own skills. We have all been forced to do things differently and, arguably, better.

 

From our point of view it has been a challenge and we have really not liked not being able to offer the service we are known for due to the combination of an increase in business and keeping everyone COVID safe. We truly appreciate everyone that has continued to buy from us. However we also have adapted with new shift patterns, new processes on the website, new processes in the warehouse, new ways of filming BMTV, and changes regarding who does what and when. We have also been able to look at new premises that we were looking at before COVID but bigger than we were initially considering. It is very exciting.

 

From the team point of view, I think it is the little things that have made a difference in a positive way:

 

We have taken on a lot more people including casual staff and it has been great to see people getting to know each other and forming new friendships. The ‘Teen Team’ as they are known have also brought a different energy to the warehouse.  

The jokes our customers have started to put on their orders.

Moving the office upstairs and having a better view of outside – the office is brighter!

The extra calories burned climbing the stairs 30 times a day!

The is an appreciation for working in a company that has, thankfully, been doing well during the pandemic. People have not had to worry about redundancies." 

One of Greg’s favourite sayings is “Think health, think safety”! 

Here are some of the team sporting their new hi viz jackets to keep them safe when crossing the courtyard. #besafebeseen

Saying thank you is always very important, how cool are these thank you cards that Balloon Market send out with their orders! 

 

It is amazing how resilient we have become over the past 10 months! Finding solutions, adapting, using new found time to update systems, websites and online offerings has been some of the most obvious and most important changes many companies have made to cope during these difficult months and probably most importantly remaining positive! I love Alberto's motto - "never stop creating, even in dark times light can be found in balloons."

A huge thank you to Alberto, Chris and Greg for giving us a little insight to a few of the positives that have come from such a turbulent year! 

Happy Ballooning! 

Sue

www.suebowler.com

Follow me @suebowler