Running a Party Balloon Business

Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a fun part-time business that lets you express your creativity while helping others celebrate, consider running a party balloon business. Balloons are used for all kinds of occasions from birthday parties and baby showers to high school proms and New Year’s Eve parties. If you can set your business apart from the competition, this can be one of the more popular part-time business ideas available. The start-up investment needed for this business is minimal. All you need are some supplies and a large enough room to work in and temporarily store inflated balloons. You could offer simple latex and mylar balloon bunches but your business will be more successful if you can make more elaborate balloon creations. Similar to a candy or cookie bouquet business, the more unique your arrangements are, the more customers you will attract. You can find plenty of online tutorials that will show you how to create distinctive bouquets and displays. Before you try to sell any of your items, you need to practice and take pictures of your creations. Build a website or portfolio featuring these pictures so your customers can see exactly what you can do. It’s a good idea to have a few standard items in your catalog but also be able to customize products to meet specific needs of your customers. Once you have a good-sized portfolio of photos, you’ll need to attract some customers. Contact real estate agents who will use balloons for open houses and car dealerships who use balloons to advertise sales. Talk to area event planners whose clients need balloons for various party events. Place flyers around town in libraries, coffee shops, toy stores, baby stores, party stores, grocery stores, etc. Be sure you have plenty of supplies such as balloons, streamers, wooden or plastic sticks, a glue gun and a helium tank. This business can easily be operated part-time but expect to be busier on the weekends since that’s when most people have their parties. When demand increases, hiring an assistant to help with balloon transport will free you up to work on more balloon projects.

A Day in the Life of a Party Balloon Business Owner:

Your day will begin by working on balloon orders that need to be delivered that day. When working with latex balloons and helium, you can’t work too far in advance of your delivery date and time. If you have other elements to your balloon bouquets, you can get those ready a few days in advance, then blow up and attach the balloons a few hours before you’re set to deliver the finished product. You will drive your creations to the venue or you can hire a courier service to make deliveries. If you prefer, you can ask customers to pick up the items. You will spend any time you’re not working with balloons working on marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals needing elaborate and unique balloon creations for their parties.

What You Need to Start:

• Experience working with balloons
• Area large enough to work with multiple inflated balloons
• Helium tank
• Balloon supplies – balloons, streamers, hot glue, baskets, boxes, etc.
• Method of transporting your balloon creations
• Portfolio or website
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The demand for party balloons will always be high.
• Offering something different from the competition will bring in more customers.
• You are likely to get repeat and referral business from your customers.
• The start-up investment required is minimal.
• You can easily run this business part-time.

The Bad:

• Competition is high; you’ll need to set yourself apart to do well.
• It can take some time to become very skilled working with balloons.

Resources:

• International Balloon Association
• National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers (UK)
• Wikipedia on Balloons

About The Author

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