My Balloon Business is not as busy as I like What can I do?

When I started my balloon business in 2003, I was excited to “be my own boss”. But other than that was not really sure what I had gotten myself into. At that time there was Balloon hq to see other peoples photos and read some articles about balloons but no Facebook, no YOU Tube videos etc. Lately I have heard many people on forums say:

I’m Home based and don’t know what to do to get business

I don’t have money to pay for training

I have a store and not as busy as I want to be

I’m not sure what to do next

Can I really make a living from Balloons?

HERE is the bottom line….INVEST YOU MUST INVEST in your business. My friends who own Two Men and a Truck, Chick Fil A etc. they had to INVEST big bucks to start their companies running. But they knew the investment would pay off in the long run with a lot of Time, Money and Hard work!

My college Degree is in Recreation and Leisure studies….after college I taught Team and confidence building at an Outdoor Education facility working with teens and Corporate groups. This Photo is of my Daughter on a climbing wall a couple years ago. I have picked this image as many People have a fear of Heights…or see a wall like this and think WHAT PATH DO I TAKE, WHAT HAPPENS IF I FALL?

Following are some tips to help you Choose your Route in your Business. Your Safety line is your training – it can be BalloonCoach.com, conventions or other training available in our industry. Face your FEARS, Make a Plan…and CLIMB!

INVEST WHAT?? I don’t have any money…

Neither did I!

At first I invested my Time.

• I read every article I could get my hands on.
• I went to the Local Chamber, the Small Business Administration.
• Now days there is SCORE.
• FIND resources in your town for Small business owners.
• Go to every training and network event you can.
• Join a business association to network with business owners in your town. People buy from people they Know, Like and Trust.
• To Create income….THIS BUSINESS IS NOT ABOUT being the Best and most Talented Balloon Artist in the World! The people I know who make the MOST PROFIT In our industry make Classic decor in HIGH VOLUME for a Good price to make their $$$!
• Yes you can make lovely pieces and create income IF you charge for your Time At a high rate and value your training and skill Check out this blog and free mini webinar

CREATE WAYS to pay for Education

• I put my first classes and travel expenses on credit cards and then paid it off with the money I earned from what I learned in class. I called, networked and worked hard to increase my client base!
• Work a flexible job for extra money! One year early on I worked part time at Toy’s R Us during Christmas holidays to make money for Christmas presents for my daughter, and help pay the bills over the holidays when I did not have enough seasonal clients.
• Increase the pricing of your decor and put money right in the bank for education fund
• Invest $25 a month on auto pay for Balloon Boss Pro class! This is a statement from one of our Members Bobbie McAvoy, Amazing Balloon Decor, Ware, Massachusetts that she posted on a Facebook Forum with a post about Jill Shortreeds Class for Dec 15, 2015 You guys can’t afford to miss these webinars. I first took one of Jill‘s classes at FLOAT, then Qualatex did a seminar with her near Boston and I made the 2 hour drive to take that class. I would have driven 8 hours to learn more from her. This time I only have to go as far as my computer, can’t wait to see what she shares this week. Oh and I heard prizes will be given out. I don’t want to be greedy but you can’t win if you don’t sign up……
  I have signed up in the past
  for David Mahoney’s, Tommy & Scott’s class and last months Chris Potts. Money well spent on my balloon education and I won a FREE balloon drop last month. Value was way more than the webinar cost!!!!
  Any questions? PM me and I can hopefully answer them, but don’t ask me what I learned because I paid for these webinars and it is the one thing I will NOT share. You want to know what you missed, sign up for the class, busy that night, that’s easy pay for the webinar and watch it at your convience.
• Invest in an upcoming Local or International Convention some are listed here Upcoming events
• ASK your friends and family for the GIFT of your education for the Holidays, Birthday etc.

My business did not Grow overnight. I had many LEAN months not knowing if I would be able to pay the electric bill. My husband is a teacher in Florida…Middle of the state not a High pay area. SO with my balloon business making “extra money” was not my goal. I had Quit my full time job, we had a 3 year old daughter and I had to generate income to pay our family bills.

I HAD MOTIVATION to make money as it was make this work or go back to working in “the corporate world” that I did not enjoy. I had been in social work and was feed up with the Paper work and Red tape that would not allow me to get the services to my clients that they needed. Then I worked as a Salesman for Geico insurance in a Large Call Center — I was asked to go into the Management Program due to my background as a manager in my past jobs. I amazed the people in the room when I said, no thank you, my goal is to run my own Decor business and have GEICO Hire me to decorate for them (that Dream did come true about 10 years into my business)

I WORK over 8 hours a day, typical is 12 – 15 With Events, quotes, client follow up, Online promotions. Sometimes not sleeping for 2 days during busy season. Being a Balloon Decor Business owner is not all glam…you either work long hours yourself or you pay other people to work with you based on your income goals. Now if you only need an extra $500 a month then your hours will not be that much. But if you are trying to replace a full time income with balloons YOU WILL WORK more hours than you did in an 8- 5 job! Just being honest with you.

BalloonCoach.com was founded for YOU…to be a Catalyst for our Industry to provide Online training to help fill in the Gaps between local and international hands on training. To let you hear from others who are Creating and have Created INCOME from their Balloon Businesses. We have an exciting line up of instructors and topics for 2016 I’m so excited!!!!

BEING your own boss and a full time Business owner is NOT for everyone. IF you have a Full time Career that makes great money – good Benefits and you love Balloons – there is NOTHING WRONG in working Balloons on a Part Time bases as EXTRA income working on evenings and weekends. AT THE SAME TIME…you still need TRAINING and need to CHARGE just like if you were working your Business as a Full time income.

WHY??? to help grow our industry. IF YOU sell yourself Short…and only charge $5 or $10 an hour for your work in balloons “because you love it” and don’t need the money. THEN HOW are customers going to take Full time Balloon Professionals Serious when they have to charge more to cover their Insurance, Staff and overhead of Vehicles etc? And why shouldn’t you charge well for your wonderful designs??

NOT SURE If you are a Hobby or a Business yet with balloons, or not sure what steps you need to take to be a full business – check this out.

WHAT will your Business look like in 2016?? Write it down!

DO YOU NEED SUPPORT???

The think I enjoy most about BalloonCoach.com is being a Coach! Hearing YOUR Goals and helping you achieve them. I’ve Been in your shoes…I know the frustrations. Check out our Packages Give yourself the gift of investing in your business Questions email Joette@ballooncoach.com or message me on facebook Joette Meyers Giardina

I was blessed to work hard in an industry I love and figure out a way to make my income grow and increase my client base. You can have the same success and reach even Greater Heights if you are willing to invest in your business EVERY DAY and work hard!

Looking forward to an amazing 2016 for the Balloon Industry!

Your Partner in Success,

Joette Giardina, CBA

Mentor. Motivator. Speaker.

Take Your Business to New Heights!

For more support and ongoing training go to BalloonCoach.com