Friday, June 28, 2013

How can we 'jazz up' our quotes?

      
In the past few weeks I have decorated two birthday parties, one to celebrate a 21st Birthday and the other an almost 'surprise' 50th birthday! 



I do not decorate very often any more, not because I don't want to, but it is not so easy when you have other commitments and cannot guarantee being available... but I was delighted to have the opportunity to go through the whole process once again from consultation to completion. 


It's funny because when I teach a class these days I try to include a small section covering 'selling techniques', as I feel this is such a vital part of our business, so this was my opportunity to put my words in to practice!



Both of the customer enquiries came via a telephone call, both informed me that they were on a budget and that they did not want to spend too much.



Firstly, I wanted to know a little about the person who's birthday it was, was there a theme, where was the party being held, favourite colours, anything and everything that could help me to decide what type of decor to propose.



One client wanted to meet up and discuss the party in greater detail, the other client was more than happy for me to send some ideas over the internet.



But not once did I ask them what their budget was!


Monday, June 24, 2013

Clik-Clik Balloon Bond saved the day! - This is a top tip for all balloon decorators!

Last week I was thrilled to be a guest instructor working with Robbie Furman in Ireland for the first stop of his UK & Ireland BAPIA Tour.

Qualatex balloons
Mr & Mrs Zebra Design created by Sue Bowler CBA using Qualatex Balloons,  Premium Balloon Accessories  and Clik Clik Balloon Bond
My allotted  time slot was after lunch, which was great as it gave me a few hours to play & prep working with some exciting products that had been supplied by the tours very generous sponsors before my demonstration! 

After unpacking all my Qualatex balloons that I had selected to use for my demonstration it suddenly dawned on me that I did not have a heat sealer for the 9" & 14" Microfoil™ balloons that I was using in my designs... now that was a very big problem as I was using these in all but one of my designs, and therefore I needed to find a solution.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Do you pin... are you a pinner... Is Pinterest good for business?




Wow, this is my 100th blog! I have enjoyed writing each and everyone of them! Some have been more challenging than others with a fair amount of research required, like this one on Pinterest! 
It is really interesting when I have talked to people about Pinterest, a lot of us really do not understand how it works or more importantly, how it can work for them?

So, here it goes, lets see if I can unravel the mystery behind Pinterest!

What is
In Pinterest's own words, 'it's a tool for collecting and organising things that you love'... a 'virtual pinboard', a place to 'pin' all the things that you like and want to look at again!

For me, it's a place to gather inspiration, check out trends, see what new and hot, to show off my own work, to collect work that I like... the list is endless, but needless to say, I love it and oh yes, I forgot to say, it's pretty addictive too!

In fact Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites that we should all be aware of!

There is a 'pinning 101', the very basics on how it works and how to get started, so if this is all new to you I recommend that you take a quick visit here! just click this link PINTEREST 


Pinterest language

A Pin - an image added to Pinterest.

A Pinboard - a set of theme-based pins.

Pinning - the act of visually sharing content.

Repin - reposting someone else's pin.

Pin It Button - button that can be placed on websites to facilitate sharing on pinterest. pins added using the pin It button link back to the site they came from.

Pinner - the person who does the sharing.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Animal Magic - some great balloon designs with an animal theme!

Jolly GIraffe by Sue Bowler CBA
This Giraffe stands  6' Tall! 

Having a Jungle or Safari party theme is very popular for all ages, my first encounter of a Safari theme party was at IBAC 15 in 2001, which was the first time that I taught at IBAC having been a competitor for the previous 2 IBACs! 

I was given the task of designing animal trophy heads for the Hunters Lodge for the Thursday night Costume Party, which I have detailed a little later in this blog.


The IBAC Jungle Party was designed by Glenna Kipp, CBA. Glenna and her amazing team transformed the ballroom into a magnificent jungle! I have just looked back at Balloon Images April/May/June 2002 and reminded myself of all the fun designs that were created from Sky Broom Tree's, Monkey Tree's, Safari Falls and Palm Tree Paradise... just to name a few! 





Friday, May 24, 2013

You do not need to be cheaper to win customers, but you do need to be smarter!



I often read Facebook posts or have discussions with delegates on training courses about how to be competitive when pricing their goods and services, especially when those around you are selling the same balloons as you but cheaper than you do? 

It can be very frustrating when you have calculated your selling price (I recommend using the Job Cost method as taught in the QBN program or on some Qualatex Courses) and find that your price is greater than those around you. 

I do not agree with starting price wars or even suggest that you lower your prices to be cheaper, this is never a smart move, but I do have a few idea’s that you might like to try out?

Friday, May 17, 2013

'Balloon-Pops' - cute and simple air-filled balloon designs.


'Balloon Pop's©' - it's all in the name!

How many of us name our designs? Sure we sell 'Bouquets of Balloons' or 'Balloon Arrangements' even balloons on a ribbon & weight, but do you name each of your designs?

Balloon-Pop's© by Sue Bowler  
I recently did a little 'snooping' around the internet and viewed a variety of websites. I started with the floral market and checked out a selection of companies, the results were very interesting. Some the florists named each of their beautiful creations, making it really easy to identify and order, some simply gave their designs a number (a bit boring) and others no name or description at all, which made me wonder if I found an arrangement on their website that I really liked how would I go about asking for it?
I then looked at other retail businesses, let's take IKEA, they name everything that they sell! Many of us use the 'NOT' lamp for example and without having a name, how easy would it be for us to identify the lamp when we visit the store... probably not easy at all? Perfumes all have names as do cars... there really has to be something in giving  a product or design a name!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

A sticky situation...which glue is best for you and your balloons? Updated October 2016


When it comes to sticking balloons and other materials, there are many different adhesives to choose from, but which is the best glue or adhesive tape for the job?

Latex to Latex
What could be more perfect than a rubber adhesive?  A latex-based glue! In the U.S, Elmer's® make a rubber cement that works perfectly — it dries fast and makes a strong bond. When I first wrote this post in 2013, it was not easy to find Elmer’s in Europe, but today it is readily available in a number of different stores.

Advice from Robbie Furman, CBA, when using rubber cement.

“So you are going to use rubber cement in your design?  Well, there is a lot to know about rubber cement before you get started.  
Always use acid-free and wrinkle free - The best that I have found is Elmer’s. It is the one in the orange jar.  
Letting your glue get thicker - I recommend when you first buy your rubber cement, you open up the jar and leave the lid/brush off for a day. This will thicken the rubber cement up, but it will not dry it out. Rubber cement is very liquid when you first buy it, and if you spill the jar, the rubber cement will come pouring out and making a big mess. Having it thicker will help to avoid these problems. (Keep the brush in a cup of water whilst doing this process so it doesn’t dry out.)

Static electricity - When you are using rubber cement, keep in mind that any dripping rubber cement will form into tiny thin strands. Often our balloons contain a little static electricity and this will attract the dripping rubber cement, and without you realising you start to get it all over your balloons. When you go to touch the balloon, you will leave thumb prints and make a big mess.  Keep your balloons far enough away from the jar to avoid this problem.  

Constant use of rubber cement - If you have to continuously use the rubber cement, the trick is to NOT put the brush back into the jar, but leave it sitting up on the table.  This will avoid the time it takes to keep wiping off the excess rubber cement. When you need to use the rubber cement again, just dip the brush a little into the bottle and this will save you time.

Gluing a small area - When you need to add a dab or a little bit of rubber cement to a balloon, the trick is not to swipe the brush over the area you need to glue, but swipe the balloon over the brush.  This will give you more control of how much glue goes onto the balloon and will give you more control of the area to be glued.
I hope that these tips help you in your work!" 

Balloonfully yours,
Robbie.





Another adhesive that works extremely well for securing latex to latex is 
Click-Click™ Balloon Bond®.
This is a two-sided adhesive that is perfect for connecting latex balloons and other materials to balloons.

In 2013 (when this post was first posted)  this tape was very new and its benefits had not been truly realised. However, today it is very much a tape that professionals keep in their tool boxes. 

Luc Bertrand, CBA, of Waw Balloons in Vichte, Belgium.
“I mainly use Balloon Bond for latex to latex balloons, but it works very well for securing foil/foil and latex/foil details. Balloon Bond may need some practice to use, but once mastered, it is a perfect glue for adding details and elegant as a bonus, as it is barely visible.”




For more information regarding Balloon Bond, check out my post Balloon Bond Saved the Day! http://theverybestballoonblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/clik-clik-balloon-bond-saved-day-this.html#


Foil to Foil


"Stretchy Balloon Tape is my number one tape by far. I use it a lot! It is the only sure connection for foil balloons without putting any stress on them. When using stretchy tape I take one side of the backing tape off and reposition across in the middle, I then take away the other half of the backing tape. I then position the stretchy tape on the two foil balloons that I am connecting. The repositioned backing tape now shows the distance that will be taken between the two foil balloons. Now turn the balloons around, take away the backing tape and an additional piece of stretchy tape on top. This gives a result of two foil balloons with only a few millimetres between only using the double stretchy tape. The tape kind of ‘melts together.’ I find that this is the best way to make very strong connection points onto foil, Bubble, and latex balloons. The fact that it is stretchy or elastic makes it a stronger connection as it can shrink, grow, and move with the balloon construction. In short, 
Stretchy Balloon Tape is a must in my tool box.” Best regards Luc!






I agree with Luc that Stretchy Balloon Tape is an essential item in a professional’s tool box. A few days ago, I was preparing designs for a class that I was teaching and accidentally pierced an inflated Microfoil
® balloon that I was using in one of my designs with a sharp floral wire! Rather than discard the balloon and replace it with a new one, I placed a tiny piece of Stretchy Balloon Tape over the hole and then re-inflated the balloon—perfect repair and good as new! See picture for the repair, you will need to look at the close-up to see the tape!





Uglu Dashes and Strips (Oasis©)

For me, finding this product was a complete revolution. It is not a product that has been readily available in the U.K., however it is now available from many UK balloon and party wholesalers.  Speak to any balloon professional and they will all tell you that Uglu Dashes and Strips are the best. David Mahoney of Balloons Everyday, in Dallas, TX, U.S.A says, “They stick to almost everything, the dashes are clear so clients won't see the mechanics that much.  The fact that they are pre-cut it makes it simpler to use.”
Anne McGovern, CBA, of Elegant Balloons in Pearl River, NY, U.S.A.  “I prefer to use the Uglu Strips. Firstly, you can cut them to size and into thin strips, which is great for attaching foils.  I find they are even more sticky than the dashes, and never lose the stickiness. Working with the roll is horrible. I found it stuck to the scissor when I cut it, but this does not seem happen with the strips.  Another thing I found out while setting up at an event is that it is very hard to get any glue dots or Uglu to stick to Super Agate balloons! I make sure that I have rubber cement if I am working with Super Agate balloons.”
Tommy DeLorenzo, CBA, of Balloons by Tommy in Chicago, IL, U.S.A. “I like Uglu because it holds very well and is easy to use because it is already in little pieces. We use it to stick all sorts of balloons together as well as to connect Lomey poles to tiles. Balloon Bond is great when you need a larger surface stuck together, just be careful because in cool temperatures it doesn't hold as well.”




Glue Pens are great for personalising balloons. You use them like a regular marker to write names or messages and then sprinkle with glitter to give beautiful results!



Hi-Float®
I don't suppose many people consider Hi-Float to be an adhesive, but it certainly is! I use Hi-Float to coat latex balloons so that I can add glitter to the outside, or you can do the same internally to create some truly great effects!









The 5" Balloons in this design have been “glittered” using the Hi-Float method! I wrote a BLOG on how to make his design:

There are a few adhesives that I have not mentioned in this blog, so I will just touch on them now.










Glue Dots and Balloon Sticky Dots






Works well with latex, Microfoil and Bubble Balloons. Easy to use for quick adhesion of elements, such as this red nose on the Smile Face balloon.









Lomey® Adhesive is a glue that has been designed to securely bond Lomey Design System components such as dishes and poles. It is waterproof and dries clear. I have used it on other plastic dishes and it does work, but it takes a long time to dry. Once it dries, however it’s permanent. Once it's dries, however, it's permanent! I tried it on glass and it did not work.




Low temperature or Cool Melt Glue Guns
You would probably think that glue guns and balloons would not be a good combination, however, low temperature or cool melt glue guns work perfectly well when making designs. They are particularly effective when building  Mosaic Frames for Balloons and also when adding the balloons to the frames. 

Be aware,  even cool glue is very hot, and yes, it can pop a balloon, so you need to be very careful when working with one. The main problem with this type of glue is that it reacts with temperature; if it's cold, the glue sets very hard and brittle, and in the heat it can soften off.








Gorilla Glue™
Earlier this year, I had a job where I needed to secure Lomey poles to floor tiles. I needed to find an adhesive that would glue to two different surfaces and that would be strong. After a little research I found Gorilla Glue.
TOUGH, WATERPROOF, STICKS TO EVERYTHING
The product that started it all. Original Gorilla Glue built a name for itself with its incredible, industrial holding power and versatility. Water activated, it expands into materials to form an incredibly strong bond to virtually anything. As your solution for almost any project or repair, Gorilla Glue is 100% waterproof, weatherproof, you-name-it-proof. It's safe for indoor and outdoor use and strong enough to stand up to intense heat or cold. Sand it, paint it, stain it. Simply stated, it’s the Toughest Glue on Planet Earth.




Pan Glue was something that I only ever used to see in the U.S. It always looked very messy to me, but those who used it would say not! It's a glue that can be used on both latex and foil balloons. It's a strong glue that dries fast, easy to work with, and is not effected by atmospheric changes.
The downsides of pan glue is that it’s difficult to be specific on application, can weaken the seams on foil balloons, and does not dry clear.
Colin Stewart, CBA, of Alliston, ON, Canada has been using this type of glue for many years. In 1997, Colin and his team built these Christmas Bells and he still uses the same method today.






Let me know your favourite adhesive when working with balloons and why you like using it, and I will add it to the blog!

Happy ballooning!

Sue
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler