I’m really excited about this blog going live as it’s been on the agenda for a long time now. I can’t wait to share some of things I’ve learned over the years, which I hope will help you save time and money in your business.

I have been creating balloon decorations for over 12 years now, so blogs written by me are likely to have a decorating bias. Now I don’t profess to know everything about balloon decorating, there are some seriously talented people out there in the industry, but if there is something you’d like me to cover just let me know and I’ll try my best to help. If I don’t know the answer, there’s a good chance I can find out!

So, where do I start on this blogging journey? Well I thought I’d turn back the clock to when I began and share with you my top 3 considerations if you are thinking of offering a balloon decoration service:

1. Insurance

2. Training

3. Invest in equipment

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1. Insurance

The law requires any business to have adequate liability insurance cover, so long before I took on my first job I looked into getting cover. Back in 2002, the best option was to become a member of the trade organisation NABAS (National Association of Balloon Artists & Suppliers). Along with many other benefits of becoming a member, you get: £5-million Public/Products Liability cover and up to £10-million Employers Liability cover. For the price tag, membership was well worth it.

Since then another similar organisation has been set-up: BAPIA (Balloon and Party Industry Alliance). BAPIA offers similar cover and benefits to NABAS so now you can choose which one best suits you.

Of course you can purchase liability cover on its own without becoming a member of a trade organisation, but as I understand it, it will cost you about the same and you don’t get any of the other perks of being a trade member.

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2. Training

It’s true, anyone can inflate some balloons and pull them together into a bunch and sell them. Many people do, although the majority of the time they’ll probably be over-inflated – a big bugbear of mine – but that’s something I’ll come back to in the next point!!

There is however so much more you can do with balloons that set you apart from the ‘over-inflaters’ and allow you to charge more for your creativity, and once you’ve mastered a few designs, your expertise. There’s nothing like training to pick up hints and tips (which often seem obvious afterwards!) from others in the industry whilst hands-on learning with expert guidance is invaluable.

My first training course was NABAS Level 1 held at a wholesalers in The Midlands. Now there are many more opportunities for learning; from online courses to DVDs, from regional classes to big events organised by a variety of independent trainers, manufacturers and wholesalers.

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3. Invest in Equipment

At the end of my first training course, I bought a balloon sizer and it has proved to be one of the best investments I ever made!

A sizer helps you to inflate balloons to a consistent size, which is not only an essential element of a good-looking arch but reduces waste from over-inflating balloons with precious helium.  I am amazed how many people over-inflate balloons so much so that the balloons look like giant lightbulbs!! Owning a balloon sizer will set you apart from the amateurs as you will produce consistently-sized, perfectly-inflated balloons.

My sizer may be a little dilapidated now but it’s still in use today! I have since gone on to purchase other more expensive inflation equipment which I love, but as a starting point you really can’t beat a balloon sizer for being a useful and inexpensive piece of equipment.

I do hope you find this information useful and I look forward to sharing more hints, tips and experiences with you again soon!

Rachel Brown