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What do you need to start a balloon business? First of all, you need the best training to improve both your balloon decorating skills and your business know-how.
Many beginning balloon professionals neglect the business side of things. To help you avoid that mistake, I've put together a list of training resources that will make your balloon business not just fun, but also profitable.
Click on the links below to jump to the section that interests you most, or read the page from top to bottom!
You want to turn your love for balloon decorating into a business you can run from home but don't know where to start? My popular 7-part eCourse "How to Start Your Own Balloon Decorating Business" is just what you need.
First published in 2011, it has constantly evolved over the years. Here's what you get when you sign up for the course:
Sign up for the eCourse now and let me guide you through every step of your balloon business startup process.
There are many ways to market your balloon business, from the good old "word of mouth" to press releases to social media.
In my training video below you'll learn about seven free or low-cost ways for promoting your balloon business.
If no one knows about your services, no one can hire you, right? It's time to spread the word!
NEW: Check out these top tips for starting a balloon business from experienced business owners.
Now that you've taken care of the - admittedly not so exciting - business side of things, you want to delve into the actual doing of balloon decorations.
Many of the common designs you can do with the instructions and tips on balloon-decoration-guide.com. But you might still be looking for more training and step-by-step guides.
The two big players in the balloon business - Qualatex and Conwin – both offer a series of instructional DVDs. I have no personal experience with any of their kits. Considering the reputation of the publishers, it's safe to assume that they are of high quality.
The Balloon Decor Master Series includes...
Unfortunately there are no more distributors in the USA. You can still get it from some companies in Europe.
Price (as of April 2020): About US$ 200 to 300 (depending on the seller)
The Qualatex Training Kits consist of three parts:
Each kit includes a DVD, the Qualatex catalog, online reference material and test. With the first kit, you also get the "Design Basics With Balloons" book.
If you go through all three training units and take the tests, you can display the "Certified Balloon Artist" (CBA) logo on your web site or marketing brochures. Having that certification is valuable when you start a balloon business.
Price (as of April 2020): US$ 99 per kit, or US$ 249 for all three of them.
If you're just starting out with balloon decorating, you may find the online course "Easy to Learn Basic Balloon Decorating for Parties & Events" helpful.
The course includes 23 lectures with a total of 2.5 hours of video. In the first lessons, you'll learn the basics, for example how to correctly fill and tie balloons, how to knot them into pairs and create clusters of 4 balloons.
You'll then learn various designs, both air filled and helium filled. Example designs included in the course are:
The lessons are broken down into short easy to follow videos. Over 700 students are enrolled in the course (at the time of this writing, March 2019), and it has an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5.
Who is this course for? Peter J. Smith, the instructor, writes:
"This balloon decor course is designed for beginners who wish to learn how to create balloon displays for parties and events for themselves without having to hire a professional. No prior knowledge is required. Everything will be explained to you and demonstrated step by step."
Price: $39.99 for lifetime access
Ebay offers a selection of balloon decorating DVDs which can be helpful when you start a balloon business. Sometimes you'll also find the Conwin Master Series for sale there. Browse the selection below for anything of interest to you.
And then there's of course YouTube with a plethora of balloon decorating videos and tutorials. Some are really good; others not so much. These are my favorite channels...
Finally, check out the events calendar at BalloonHQ.com to find balloon decorating classes in your area.
Best of luck with your balloon business start up! I would love to hear about your experiences. Just drop me a comment below.
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