The Bright Balloon

In this interview I'm chatting with Alexis, the founder of Fanfaire, about her new platform aimed to help us sell our balloon decor options by bringing designs to life. It was really exciting to learn about her product and how it came to be!

You'll hear about her background in both tech and balloons, then she'll dive into Fanfaire's digital storefront and how it aims to be an end-to-end solution. She tells us about the color palette available, the level of customization the platform is capable of and what the client communication looks like.

Then we also hear about how businesses control their pricing matrix in the platform and how it's transparent to the customer as they build their order. Finally, we wrap up with what the Fanfaire onboarding process actually looks like and how it can be incorporated into your existing website.

And from the UGlu Hotline, there's a tip for transporting our framework!

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Karin comes on the show to tell us about how she manages her balloon jobs, a large rental inventory and her flight attendant job... that she has no intention of leaving. I've loved Karin's spirit and energy since I met her at Balloon Wonderland, so it was so nice to have her on the show!

Hear how the rental side of her business quickly led to balloons, which quickly grew into a sizable company that she and her partner run alongside their full-time jobs! We'll get to know how she strategically schedules her work, how she actually makes it all happen while spending so much time in the air and what they're planning for the future.

We also get into the nitty gritty about tracking all the rental items, chat about industry events, hear about her Adopt a Grandmother campaign and of course touch on her amazing reels!

Then in the UGlu Hotline, there's a nice tip for utilizing QR codes.

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Let me tell you something... when you have a 5-digit tax bill at the end of the year - even after paying quarterly taxes - that is a really good time to lean on professionals to help you configure your financial setup! Today's guest, Elizabeth from Fiore Accounting & Tax Services, helped me do just that, and then some.

Listen in for the details of:

• all the services their team provides
• what S Corp actually means
• how much I owed after 2022
• how we changed my business to an S Corp election
• the advantages and disadvantages of S Corp
• payroll and Profit First as an S Corp
• who should consider making the switch as well
• how the decision depends on your individual circumstances, and even business goals

I always love having Elizabeth on the show because she explains confusing financial matters so well. She and her team have been such a help to me over the years and I know that even if you're not considering S Corp status you'll get some great financial insights in this episode!

And in the UGlu Hotline, we get a nice tip about blending your clamps and clips in with your decor.

Thank you to PremiumConwin for sponsoring our monthly "throwback" episode!

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Ep. 80 - Profit First Revisited with Elizabeth Fiore

Strategy Call with Elizabeth

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A big thank you to my friend Ashley of Pink Flamingo Party Co. who came on the show for this episode all about the ins and outs of retail. This is something I know almost nothing about, so it was really insightful to get more details about not just retail, but also staffing, training and adding inventory. We will also hear how she fought the proposed balloon ban that happened in her state!

The Pink Flamingo Party Co. started as a luxury retail shop and transitioned into offering DIY kits before also becoming event decorators. Ashley tells us how she finds and selects their stock, manages staff to cover both the store and the installation jobs, then offers some considerations for those thinking about opening their own retail shop.

As we transition into chatting about hiring and the positions she has on her team, you'll hear how it's been a learning experience for her, what kinds of things she makes staffing decisions on and her approach towards non-compete agreements.

Then, don't miss her story about what it was like to have the threat of a balloon ban in her state! You'll hear the specific actions she took and how she made her case to keep the industry alive in her local area.

Plus in the UGlu Hotline, we've got another reminder to build community over competition.

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Today I'm sharing with you a change that I never thought I would make in my business! I'm increasing the number of times I make contact with my customers, and I'll tell you how... what led to this decision... and why I think it's going to change my business.

If you've been listening for a while you know that I am all about efficiency, so the idea of getting on the phone with more customers is a bit unusual for me. However, I'm feeling like bad customer service is almost everywhere you turn lately, so I want to be a refreshing surprise of great customer service when people contact me!

One thing that has hugely helped free up some time and energy to do this is having a virtual assistant handle much of the sales for me. It's amazing, but does have me wanting to make my own connection with the customer before arriving at the event. I'll share with you exactly when and how I'm starting to do this, plus the other unexpected benefits that have come up since implementing these new touch points.

They include:

• a phone call after each new booking
• a text before delivery
• confirming colors before inflation
• a casual call before the event that includes a possible upsell

I'm also modifying a couple of touch points that I already had in place: the thank you after the event and the follow-up to rebook.

Listen in to hear the specifics of what I'm doing and saying, and what inspired me to make these upgrades to my customer experience so that I can stand out by providing unparalleled customer service!

From the UGlu Hotline, we get a tip about how to get quality balloons in a pinch for those last-minute parties.

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This episode is a little different because I'm chatting with someone who works for a balloon company... but not the owner. Heather, who supports Tiffany at the Confetti Castle, comes on the show to give us some tips about keeping your assistants and employees happy while best utilizing their skills.

We'll hear about the range of administrative duties she takes care of on any given day, and how doing some hands-on work first helped her feel comfortable with taking on more responsibility for Confetti Castle.

When we move on to talk about what motivates her as an employee, we chat about the balance and boundaries needed when working with close friends... and how they can shift over time. Then Heather shares the types of things, which aren't necessarily money-related, that keep her happy in her role.

Finally, we get some good tips for exactly how to start with the idea of hiring an assistant, including:

• creating a list of tasks you want to offload
• sharing the list in the interview process
• sharing information and access
• releasing control

I hope this episode helps you gain some clarity and confidence in the idea of hiring some help if you know you need it!

Then in the UGlu Hotline, there's a nice tip for utilizing rubber bands in our installations.

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I recently did a job alongside a lighting and entertainment company who came in with such professional looking equipment that it had me evaluating my own branding. I realized that some things don't take a lot of time, money or energy to update... and I'm sharing those ideas in this episode!

Of course this all starts with having a logo that you love. I was able to edit mine in Canva until it was the way I wanted it, but you can seek out logo designers for help as well. This was a hugely important step as I was getting ready to wrap my van. And I'll say, wrapping my van is and will probably always be the biggest and best branding investment I've made. If you're on the fence about it, I can't recommend it enough!

Other items that I've branded or am now planning to update with my branding include:

• physical things like apparel, my apron, base plates, sand bags, marquees, inflator, extension cords and ladders
• printed things like business cards, custom thank you cards, postcards and bags
• digital things like my email signature, social media profile photos and catalog images

I'm sharing what printing methods I'll be using, the vendors I recommend and more about who inspired me to make these branding upgrades... I'd love to hear which of your business assets you'll be branding next!

And in the UGlu Hotline, we get a nice tip about removing UGlu dots.

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It was such a treat to have 9 other moms on the show for this episode, where we talk about everything from juggling business, kids and in some cases, a separate full-time job; plus partner dynamics and even employing our children!

These moms represented a pretty big range of years in business, number of kids and business plans... I know you'll connect with at least one. Some of the gems that came up were things like:

• hiring child care even if you're working from home
• how to manage business growth when your personal life might not be ready for it
• ways to pay employed children of various ages
• managing the "breadwinner" relationship with your partner
• deciding when it feels right to travel to conventions
• exit strategies
• and the most impactful one for me: swallowing your truth

I hope this conversation helps to give you permission to make some changes or set some boundaries that you've been thinking about, so that you can have the best of both worlds. Thanks so much to all of our guests for sharing their stories!

And in the UGlu Hotline, we're reminded of the benefits of community over competition.

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This week's guest is a friend of mine who helps streamline our businesses, primarily through the platform that sponsors the podcast - 17hats. You're going to hear about the balloon events you may have seen her at in the last few months, plus a huge milestone she's hit in her business since she last came on the podcast!

We also reminisce about how she got started in the balloon community back when we both worked the same full-time job, and you'll hear how she knew it was the place for her to stay. She'll share some ways that you can work with her, what the process looks like and an invitation to get ongoing support in 17hats.

And in the UGlu Hotline, there's a tip for getting your foils to stick together.

Thank you to PremiumConwin for sponsoring our monthly "throwback" episode!

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Ep. 76 - Cool CRM features of 17hats | Nicole of Let Nicole Help

Ep. 59 - Three ways you can stand out | Streamlining your customer experience

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This week I'm sharing what happened on Instagram when I asked business owners with less than 5 years experience to leave a question in the comments, and business owners with more than 5 years experience to drop in an answer. It was such a nice surprise to see how many people participated, and thank you to each and every one who did! There were a ton of great questions and great answers, including:

• what most successful businesses have in common
• getting in front of your own community instead of going viral on social media
• techniques that up-leveled your business and where they were learned
• taking care of your mental health as a business owner
• investing in a van and paying yourself
• if having a website is worth it
• what keeps you from not giving up when everything feels hard
• and so much more!

I just love how this turned out, with people being so open not just with their questions, but with their knowledge and experience, too. There were more comments than I could read in the episode so feel free to find the reel on my Instagram and browse the comments to learn more!

And in the UGlu Hotline, there's a tip for using rubber bands instead of 260s to be a little more cost effective.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

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Ep. 40 - I Bought a Van!!!!

Ep. 153 - Retail dreams | Stephanie of Celebration Creations

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