There is something simply enchanting about Unicorns and Fairies! It is such a magical theme when it comes to creating decor! This magical idea is perfect for birthdays, new baby celebrations and baby showers too!
I am not traditionally a lover of outside decor, primarily because of all the problems that you can incur when putting balloons outside, (I will revisit this later in my post.) However, there are also many benefits when creating a fairy theme party outside! It's all about setting the scene and outdoor space that will allow us the opportunity to find the perfect setting!
Sculptured Balloon Number by Sue Bowler, CBA.
During the pandemic I created decor for my Granddaughters 5th birthday, due to COVID restrictions, we had to have an outside party, and to be honest it was absolutely perfect as the extra space allowed me to be a little more creative.
Unicorn Column by Sue Bowler
Garden Decor by Sue Bowler
If you would like to learn how to make the Air-Filled freestanding Unicorn Design, and other simple balloon ideas to use outside, check out the video below.
So what are the factors to remember when working with balloons outside?
You need to be aware that:
Balloons will swell and expand in the heat.
Darker balloon colours will absorb heat and pop faster.
Balloons will oxidise (go misty and cloudy) and lose their clarity.
To combat these issues, follow these rules:
Firstly, use quality balloons such as Qualatex®; quality makes a huge difference.
Use much larger balloons than required.
Work with 16¨ latex balloons rather than 11¨, and under-inflated them. A 16¨ balloon should not be inflated to greater than 12¨. This will allow the balloons to expand with the heat. If using 11¨ balloons, do not inflate them to any bigger than 7.5¨. Always fully inflate balloons to their maximum size and then deflate until you reach the desired size. NOTE: Just under-inflating a balloon will make little difference. The idea is to stretch the balloon to its limit and then let it down to size. This will make the balloon more durable and less likely to pop in the heat.
Use light-coloured balloons and avoid using dark colours. Use accent elements such as ribbons to introduce the darker colours into the decor.
Plan for the balloons to oxidise. This is not a bad thing, it merely changes the visual texture of the balloon. Explain in advance to your clients that the balloons will look more “velvety” and acquire a rich, matte finish.
Use white balloons as much as possible; they reflect the sun and fade less.
When working with framework and poles, ensure that you cover these in white duct tape or wrap with white modelling balloons. This will help to keep the framework and poles from getting too hot.
If working with helium-filled balloons, keep in mind that extreme heat speeds up the balloon diffusion process. So, in high temperatures, helium will escape much faster than normal, drastically reducing float time. If you can find a way to provide shade for the balloons, it can slow the process.
Do not use water to cool down balloons. As the water dries on the latex, it becomes slightly sticky. The balloons can stick together, causing them to pop as they expand in the heat or move with the wind.
Use Qualatex Bubbles™️ and Deco Bubbles whenever possible as they can withstand the sun, rain, and wind, making them much more reliable for outdoor decor.
Summer time is the perfect opportunity to create some fabulous outdoor party décor and further inspire your customers with fun and exciting ideas! If you are struggling for good photos, why not set a party in your own garden? This will give you the opportunity to practise, and get some great photographs... that's exactly what I did!
Being creative is fun, but working out how much to sell our work for is not quite so exciting!
I have written a number of blog posts on this subject, but with many new people joining the world of balloons, I felt that this was a good time to revisit this topic!
I regularly see posts on Facebook asking for help with pricing and I know from my own experience that understanding how to cost your work is probably one of the more difficult aspects of running a balloon business. However, it is one of the most fundamental things you need to have at least a basic understanding of before you set up any business. Get it right the first time, and you’re well on your way to having a successful business. Get it wrong and you’ll either not make enough money to survive or you’ll be too expensive for your customers.
If an item is readily available at a variety of outlets, such as a carton of milk or a weighted helium -filled 18” foil balloon, then it will have a ‘market’ price. However, if it is a bespoke balloon sculpture, event decor, or even an elaborate arrangement, then pricing is not so straightforward.
Take your time to absorb this post, as it is full of important and helpful information, especially to first-timers!I have shared two great pricing tools that will help you with your pricing calculations, however, you still need to understand how to work out the different costs that you will need to include So please read through or watch the video's that I have attached to this post as each will also help greatly!
So how do we price our work?
Remember, the price that you charge may be VERY different from the price that anotherballoon company would charge and you will understand why very soon.
There is one simple rule to remember when pricing - make sure that you make money!
To be able to calculate a selling price we need to know the following things:
How much our materials cost including helium (balloon gas), accessories and add-ons
How much we need to charge per hour
How much does it cost us to run our business (in other words, what is the overhead?)
How much profit do we want to make
Material Costs
Material Costs should includes all the components that you have used in the design or decor that you have made. This includes balloons, balloon gas, accessories, etc. It is a good idea to create a cost sheet with unit cost prices for every single items you use, even down to the little glue dots you may use!
How much should you charge for your time?
Calculating an hourly rate for a self-employed person is not easy. Many people begin by looking at the hourly rates of people that are employed. However, the rate for a self-employed person cannot be equated in ANY WAY to the hourly rate of an employee, and here's why.
An employee (someone who is employed) will in most cases be compensated for some or all of the following
Holiday/Vacation time
Sick leave
Work breaks
Obtaining quotes for a customer
Paid even when they have no work to do
Is provided with a place to work
Is provided with equipment, computers and all office supplies
Employer contributes towards a pension
Employer covers all the bills (heating, telephone, internet)
As a self employed person you will not get paid for any of the above and in addition:
You need to pay for premises - unless you work from home
You need to pay for business equipment (e.g. computers)
You need to pay for insurances (e.g. public liability)
You need to sort your own pension
You need to pay all the bills
You need to do your own marketing
You need to pay accountancy fees
In the world of being employed by a company there’s a simple formula to calculating out an hourly rate: Take the annual salary, divide it by 2 and remove 3 zeros.
For example; If someone is earning £20,000 a year, they are roughly earning £10 per hour. If they earn £25 per hour, they roughly earn £50,000 a year.
If you want to make £20,000 per year from self employment you will need to charge more than £10 per hour. Remember, the rate that you pay yourself needs to include the time that you spend visiting clients, doing admin, sick days and holiday allowance... plus other expenses.
Check out these Self-Employed Day Rate Calculators to help you to determine how much you should be charging. I am sure that there are similar calculators that reflect employment rates in different countries. Check them both as they work slightly differently.
While overhead costs are not directly linked to profit generation, they are still necessary as they provide critical support for the profit-making activities. The overhead costs depend on the nature of the business. For example, a retailer’s overhead costs will be widely different from someone who works from home.
Some examples of overhead costs are:
Rent
Utilities (water, electricity)
Insurance
Office supplies
Advertising expenses
Accounting and legal expenses
Salaries and wages
Depreciation
Government fees and licenses
Property taxes
Overhead costs can include fixed monthly and annual expenses such as rent, salaries and insurance or variable costs such as advertising expenses that can vary month-on-month based on the level of business activity.
How do you calculate your overhead rate/percentage
To calculate the overhead rate, divide the total monthly overhead costs of the business in a month by its monthly sales. Multiply this number by 100 to get your overhead rate.
For example, say your business had £1,000 in overhead costs in a month and £5,000 in sales.
Overhead Rate = Overhead Costs ➗ Sales
The overhead rate is £1,000 ➗ £5,000 = .2 or 20%
This means that the business spends twenty pence on overheads for every pound that it makes.
Profit
Making a profit is vitally important for the growth of your business.
The term Gross Profit is the Overhead % and Net Profit % added together
The term Net Profit is a company's profit after all of its expenses have been deducted from revenues.
What net profit margin should a UK small business aspire to make in the UK?
A good margin will vary considerably by industry and size of business, but as a general rule of thumb, a 10% net profit margin is considered average, a 15% - 20% margin is good and a 5% margin is low.
In the balloon industry we generally use a Job Cost Form. The job cost form is a manual tool that will help you to calculate a selling price.
Here is an example of a Job Cost Form that I completed for a design that I made some time ago.
Now for the good news! There are now two Interactive Pricing Tools that I am aware of. These tools were created and shared by two UK Balloon Wholesalers. With both of these tools, you can easily work out the prices you should be charging for a product, service or decorating job. You will need to input materials, quantities and costs and then a total cost will be calculated for you. Adding in labour and other expenses, you can accurately come up with a direct cost for your job. From this figure, the tool then works out a selling price for you based on your desired level of profit and assumed overheads.
This tool also gives you the option to manually price your designs using the Manual Pricing Tool – This is a printout version of the interactive pricing tool so that you can write in details and work costs out yourself. A bit more difficult, but definitely worth doing - this is the same as the one that I used above when costing the Pedestal Bouquet.
There is also a Formula for Manual Pricing – This is a little guide on how to work out costs and selling prices. The numbers correspond to the boxes on the Manual Pricing Tool.
And to help you with your helium pricing, there is a Helium Calculation Sheet – This sheet is to work out your helium costs. All you need to do here is enter in what you have paid for your cylinder and the rental charges (if applicable), and the sheet will do the rest of the work for you. You can then transfer these costs into the Interactive Pricing Tool or Manual Pricing Tool.
The other Pricing Tool is an App that has been created by Greetings House that you can use on your iPhone and is available from the App store, just search Greetings House. You are able to change the values and currency in the setting easily.
Both of these tools are completely free! I am sure they will become invaluable to your business as they are to mine!
Here are two excellent videos that I believe will also help you to understand pricing a little better. The first one is from Balloon Market with Mark Drury of Qualatex Europe. 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. Please note that this video was filmed in 2017 and prices quoted may differ.
The second video below features Keith Stirman and Dominic Cassidy - The Boys of Q Corner. In this video, they share their extensive knowledge of costing using the Qualatex Job Cost Form. They show how to easily find the minimum sale price of your balloon work, as well as what happens when you discount your work, and how it affects your bottom line. They also demonstrate how to ensure you are pricing for profit and not just turning over money. Remember: Turnover is vanity, Profit is sanity & Cash Flow is reality! For the links that they mention visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXayX0IriPo&t=478s or click HERE
As I stated at the start of this post, pricing is probably one of the hardest parts of running a business, but it's so very important to get it right to ensure that you make a profit. Making a profit is essential for a business to survive.
"Mother to Bee" Design by Cam Woody, CBA, Pioneer Balloon, Wichita, KS, USA.
With an ever-brightening spotlight shining on sustainability, bees have become a symbol for the devastating effects of climate change and it’s impact upon our ecosystems. Consumers’ concern for the declining bee population is a factor as to why there has been an increased popularity of our buzzy friends, and the bee theme, as well as bee-friendly products, have been on the rise.
Sweet as Honey!
Birthday bees just buzzin' by especially for you!
Designer name: Eve Antonello, CBA, Pioneer Balloon Company, Wichita, KS, USA
Qualatex has recently introduced a range of NEW Bee-themed balloons, which can be used for so many kinds of occasions! Over the past few months, I have seen some truly stunning creations using these innovative new designs.
The NEW Qualatex Bee theme balloons, click HERE for a direct link to this page.
I love the work of Hyun-Gu Park (aka Beating), of Party & Balloon Korea in Seoul, South Korea! Beatings designs are always enchanting and appear uncomplicated to the eye, though they are not necessarily simple to make! His Bee Candy Cup topper is super fun and would be perfect for a Bee-themed event!
Beatific Bumble Bee Candy Cup
You can see what all the BUZZ is about with this candy cup.
Designer name: Hyun-Gu Park (aka Beating), Party & Balloon Korea, Seoul, South Korea
Did you see the recent Qualatex Webinar featuring Federico Onida, CBA, of Balloon Express Shop in Cagliari, Italy? During the class, Federico demonstrates a range of designs for Mother's Day, however, all designs can be easily adapted to suit any occasion by simply changing the message balloons! Federico demonstrates a beautiful Bee design that has so many great techniques that you will be able to use multiple times, easily adding value to all your designs! For a direct link to the video's click HERE.
I am very excited to start working on a few of my own "Bee-utiful" designs! Watch this space, I will bee 😁 posting my creations soon!
We all have our own ways of doing things when it comes to working with balloons. We learn in different ways and develop our own technique along the way. Over the past 30 years, I have learned many great techniques and some fabulous tips and tricks that have made my life much easier and my balloon designs look even better. But as I always say, I am still learning, and I love it when I see something exciting and new!
Today, I would like to share with you a few more tips and tricks that may help you develop your own techniques!
Our first trick is from Tina Giunta of Shivoo Balloons in Melbourne, Australia. In the video below, Tina shares her own technique for making 11" confetti-filled balloons. If I am honest, I have always been very wary of making confetti balloons using 11" balloons; however Tina's amazing homemade applicator makes it so very quick and easy!
Every day, I see more and more dećor that incorporate chains of precision bubbles within the design, such as this baby design shown on the right, with the bubbles wrapped around the pole. Adding small details to a design can really increase its value, but the cost to you can be minimal.
Decor Menus - Streamline sales with a decor menu.
Decor menus are a helpful, multi-use tool allows customers to see your most popular and profitable balloon offerings in one place.
Ideal for websites, Decor Menus can also help weed out price shoppers (customers who are looking for the lowest price), leaving you more time to spend with serious clients.
More importantly, a Decor Menu can help to streamline your sales process by letting you feature the designs you want your customers to see. The visual aspect for decor menus cannot be understated. Customers can look at your menus and see the designs they want and the correct name for it. If you take the guesswork out of the buying process, customers can tell you exactly what they want to know, and they will know what they are getting.
Just because Decor Menus display standardised designs, it does not mean your creativity is limited. In fact, designs on your menu can be shown in conjunction with your project galleries and create multiple variations of decor your customers like.
A huge thank you to David Mahoney from Balloons Everyday in Dallas, Texas, USA., for sharing two of his pricing guides.
If this is something that you are unsure how to make, then you will be pleased to know that Rachel Porter, CBA, of Balloon Clip Art, of Balloon Splendor in Bothell, Washington, USA., has created many templates that you can purchase for a nominal fee from her Etsy shop. There are five different styles to choose from and many variations with each style!
Rachel also has a Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/balloonartclipart. This is a closed group, so you will need to apply to join, you just have to show evidence of your Ballooning Facebook Page or Instagram account to verify that you are an authentic balloon company.
Thank you to Tina Giunta, Q Corner, David Mahoney and Rachel Porter for sharing and contributing to this post!
I just want to start this post off by reiterating how much I gain personally from writing the Very Best Balloon Blog! This post started out in the same way as so many of my posts, where I research and put into words the topics that I feel are most interesting and beneficial to you. Researching for this post in particular has really opened my mind to the many benefits that a company can gain from having a simple tagline!
Whether or not your business name clearly states that you are in the business of balloons and balloon decor, having a tagline offers every company the opportunity to capture the attention of clients through a few simple, yet alluring words!
So what is a tagline?
A tagline is a memorable motto or phrase that’s designed to serve as a permanent expression of your company’s greater purpose and mission, or in simpler terms, a few words that truly express something about you and or what your company can do. Taglines are intended to be long-lasting, instantly recognisable with your brand and have the goal of both attracting customers & remaining top of mind with your existing audience.
As the owner of a small business, you need to look for a catchy and attractive tagline/slogan for your business.
A good slogan or tagline can help to attract immediate attention from potential customers
Just like the logo and name, it is a part of your business identity
It’s an excellent opportunity to make a powerful statement
It makes it easier for clients to remember your company’s name
Here are a few famous and memorable taglines... and there are many!
"The Very Best Balloons" - Qualatex
"Have It Your Way" - Burger King
"Because Your Worth It" - L'Oréal
So why is having a tagline important for your business?
Simply because a tagline or slogan can set you apart from your competition and make your products or service more memorable.
Keep it Simple:
Most tagline's are 3-8 words long,: make sure that you don't try to say too much!
"We Create, You Celebrate"
"Bringing Dreams to Life"
Explain your Offering:
A tagline should explain your product or service to potential customers or capture what it is that makes your business different from your competitors' businesses.
"A Fun Place Worth Remembering"
"Our Business is about Making Memories"
"We're in the Business of Making Memories"
Where do you use your tagline?
Think business cards, email signatures, your website, social media profiles, and any printed marketing material.
How do you create a tagline?
The first thing that you need to do is list all the creative words that you believe represent you, your business and what makes you stand out from your competition. Here are a few to get you started.
Stylish
Creative
Knowledgeable
Fun
Experienced
Friendly
Expert
Memories
Professional
Magical
Memorable
Reliable
It is really important to use words that are positive, upbeat, and empowering.
Now it is time to start playing with some of your words and putting them together to create your perfect tagline! I actually did this with my husband last weekend whilst walking our dog! We both threw different words into the mix that describes the business we wanted a tagline for and spent the duration of our walk creatively putting words together until we found the words that we felt best described our business and what the business can do for our customers!
Here are a few tagline ideas ideas for ballooning that I have come up with since I started writing this post!
Fun is what we do best
We build smiles
The magic of balloons!
We don’t just create balloon decor – we create memories!
Creative solutions for all your ballooning needs
This Towns (insert your town) favourite balloon company!
We love making magical memorable events
Now it's your turn! If you struggle, please feel free to use any that I have suggested or maybe add your own twist to one of them!
I have always enjoyed entering competitions! There's a lot of reasons why, but I do know that without doubt I love the challenge! Competition is definitely something I very much enjoyed doing both at the start of and throughout my balloon career, and to be honest I believe it very much helped to define me as the balloon artist that I am today!
I remember my first competition vividly! I attended a Qualatex balloon convention in Paris in 1996 - known then as the European Balloon Symposium (EBS). I decided that if I was going to travel to Paris to attend a training event, that I should push myself a little more and enter a competition or two as well! I actually entered three competitions! I had an amazing time working on a large sculpture of a desert island with a palm tree, a skeleton and a treasure chest! I also made a centrepiece and a delivery design too! Sadly, I don't have any photos of these designs, as it was pre-digital and I lost the prints. I remember having a ton of fun and laughing a lot, and it was there that I met some amazing ballooning friends, who I am still in contact with today. Most of all, I learned so much! I was under no illusion that I would win anything, but I had a feeling that it would be a good start to my ballooning journey!
One year later I went to IBAC, International Balloon Art Convention in Chicago. I entered three competitions once again, and this time I won first place in the centrepiece competition with the Happy Birthday Bear, which is shown on the left. This truly was a defining moment in my career, especially as it opened doors and led to many exciting opportunities!
I have entered many competitions over the years. Of course, I love to win. However the preparation part is equally important, and it can be very exciting! Working on a competition piece can take many months of designing, planning and practicing. Competing and the work involved has definitely helped me in my everyday designing! It has helped me to better understanding the elements and principles of design, and what makes a design appealing and attractive!
The 'Tiffany' Lamp is one of my favourite ever sculpture designs. Large sculptures have always been my nemesis! Most of my fellow competitor friends absolutely love creating large sculptures, but I personally feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of them. However, when I made the lamp, I gave it much more time and preparation than any sculpture before, and that really paid off! I worked with an amazing team of BACI (Balloon Art Convention Italy) delegates, they are all fabulously talented, and generous with their time, and even better, they helped me to realise my dream
Federico Onida, CBA of Balloon Express Shop in Cagliari, Italy can always be found taking part in competitions at ballooning events! Federico's designs are always extremely beautiful, exciting and inspiring! I asked him why he liked to enter competitions and what was his favourite ever competition design.
Federico Onida
Federico said "I like to enter competitions because I always use my work in competition with myself.
I'll explain. Every day I prepare designs for clients, and in any one, even the simplest, I try to do my best, as if I was doing it for my mother, for my son, for a loved one, for myself.
I always tend to do my best.
My parents taught me that. Always aim to the top, first in school, then in life.
It happens, and often, that reality leads to defeats, falls, and disappointments.
But if you get it wrong and you've done your best, your result won't discourage you anyway.
It will be a new starting point, one more reason to learn and continue or start again.
I think that's why I do love to enter competitions.
The challenge must stimulate you to bring out the best in you.
The path from the dream, to the idea, to the project, to the finished sculpture allows you to discover your abilities and your limits, and discover new paths and new point of views.
The collaboration with the team, whatever your role in it, makes you grow, first as a man, and then as a professional. Whatever results you get.
A tip: your goal doesn't have to be to win.
Your goal must be to give it your all. Only in this way will you win, always!"
"My favourite sculpture has to be St. George and the Dragon. A sculpture that at the World Balloon Convention 2010, brought together all the best talents in Italy, each with their own abilities and limits. A team spirit, a desire to create something beautiful. A sculpture, a success, born of friendship, collaboration, creativity, technique, work."
Another balloon artist whose ballooning skills and designs I am always in awe of is Vadim Shushkanov, CBA of Balloon Toy, Moscow, Russia. I asked Vadim what he feels are the benefits of taking part in balloon competitions. Ha said:
"For me, there are two of the most important benefits of balloon contests. First of all, every competition is a great opportunity to create a sculpture you would hardly ever make in different circumstances. Almost all of the balloon competitions in the world relate to art, not business. With no customers with their wishes and requests, you don't need to think if somebody can buy your work and you are completely free to share your thoughts and ideas through balloons. This has to be the best option to feel like a true balloon artist.
And secondly, each competition makes you improve your professional skills. If you would like to build an impressive sculpture, you have to solve a lot of problems. You need to search and try many colour combinations, balloon techniques, methods and materials for frames or create something completely new. This sort of experience always rises your professional level and gives a huge background for using in everyday work."
Vadim with his team!
Sadly with the COVID pandemic, and the lack of face to face events worldwide, there has been very few opportunities to enter and take part in competitions in the past year. Hopefully over the coming months, life will begin to return to some sense of normalcy and ballooning events will start to take place once again! Would I recommend for you to attend an event and enter a competition? I absolutely would! Even if it's just in one category, you will gain so much from the experience, and who knows where this might lead you in the future!
There is also a fabulous gallery of photographs and videos from past BACI Events! Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for inspiration, or to simply view some of the most incredible ballooning work!
Circus by Sue Bowler I loved making this sculpture! It was vibrant, colourful and simple!
I consider myself to be extremely lucky! Not only have I entered competitions, I have also attended many events around the world where I have been asked to be a judge. This is a great honour, and I am always in awe and amazed by the creativity and techniques that are shown by the very talented competitors!
