The Bright Balloon

In this episode, Poppy of Balloon Charm tells us about how she's fulfilling her entrepreneurial spirit with balloons after retiring from the military. How she's built her portfolio, where she went for training and what has grown her business... we get to hear about it all!

She shares how she felt it was so important to take advantage of the professional development opportunities afforded to her through serving and gives awesome tips for anyone who did or is currently serving.

Then we talk a little bit about how she's utilized The Pumpkin Plan to identify the sweet spot of her business, and we actually end up discovering an even more unique approach that she might be able to lean into!

Poppy is such a treat - I know you'll feel energized after hearing our conversation.

And in the UGlu Hotline we have a question about... UGlu Dashes!

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In this Throwback Thursday episode we are checking in with Erin from @youngandwildballoonco and since her last episode, she has experienced insane growth! You are going to feel so inspired when you hear about the strides she's made in her business!

Listen to Erin's episode about hiring here!

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

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We all have those situations from time to time where we forget an installation tool on the job, or we misunderstand the setup location. But in today's episode, I'm sharing some of my top balloon horror stories that were kind of nightmare situations.

First, I'll take you through what happened when I missed a job entirely! There were a number of things that went wrong in this case but mainly, I learned that when I work outside of 17hats for my bookings things are more likely to get mixed up. I also had to remember some advice I heard at FLOAT years ago... that sometimes all you can do is try to make it right, and then move on.

Thankfully, in this case, the story does have a happy ending and you'll hear what changes I've made since this experience.

My next story, unfortunately, does not have a happy ending and it still haunts me. Normally I feel like I can identify my high-maintenance clients right away but I missed this one... and of course it was a bride. She had me working with a color scheme I would have never recommended and after I completed the installation I got a call from the venue manager to let me know that the bride hated the balloons so much they took the garlands down!

I got some great advice for this situation as I waited for this horrific call the next morning... except that I actually ended up seeing the bride instead! I'll tell you about my conversation with her and how I was sure to connect with the venue manager to maintain a good reputation with them. But unfortunately, this situation didn't end after these conversations. Listen in to hear about the email I got, what I did to craft a reply I was super proud of and what I'm going to be sure to do with wedding jobs in the future.

I hope you find this episode comforting, perhaps relatable and maybe even a little bit funny. Looking forward, just know that horror stories are bound to happen the longer you're in business, so you might as well consider them a right of passage, do your best to make it right and move on.

And from the UGlu Hotline we get a cool tip about connecting greenery to your balloons!

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I first connected with Shelby at the Glow Retreat I hosted this past summer and after learning about some of the extra things she needs to factor into her pricing and availability due to being a single parent, I knew I wanted to bring her on the show to elaborate on the perspective. Even if you're not a single parent, some of these thought processes will definitely still apply to anyone with young kids!

We talk about the level of scheduling detail needed to make sure everything is in order for her to get out to her jobs (or travel for conventions, etc.). Then we get to talking about her booking policies and how she's developed a way for her to know exactly what each item costs to make so that she can work up from there to set her minimums.

Shelby and I also talked about how the Profit First cash management system has helped each of us understand what's truly available to spend and how to be sure we're taking care of ourselves financially. She shares what her next big goal is and what kind of impact it would make on her situation.

Being a single parent can certainly not be an easy thing, but it seems to be a serendipitous way to actually enforce policies! In the end, this conversation re-opened my eyes to how everyone's situation is different and there just isn't any point in playing the comparison game. We're all business owners, but we're also all people with other things going on in our lives!

And from the UGlu Hotline this week, there's a question about the amount of detail to include on invoices. Just the full amount? Broken down by item? And how do I price add-ons like foils, greenery, etc.? Listen in for my approach!

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Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

@sunnydayeventco

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What an honor to have an interview with one of the major manufacturers for you this week! Allison of Tuftex comes on the show to tell us how she got into the balloon industry, how they make theirs, what's next for the company AND she answers a few of your questions submitted through Instagram!

You probably won't expect what type of career she transitioned from before owning and operating Tuftex. She tells us all about the learning curve she experienced and how they shifted from serving mainly helium, corporate needs to serving balloon decor businesses.

We recall the FLOAT convention where they introduced their first collection of natural colors, and she tells us about how they shifted their model entirely when the color game started to change. I found these business stories and decisions so fascinating!

Then when we get to the listener questions, we hear about the Tuftex Experience, a new color portfolio coming out next year, how they come up with (and actually create) colors and what she believes are their best colors.

Allison is so honorable and humble in what she and Tuftex do for our industry. Not only do they provide us with gorgeous colors for our work, but you'll hear about several other events they're supporting as well. Thanks, Allison!

And from the UGlu Hotline this week, I share a tip that was given to me about knot lamps!

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@tuftexballoons | Tuftex Events

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Although I know that talking about policies and fees kind of sounds like a drag, I think it's so helpful to discuss them because they are important parts of our businesses that often get neglected and can sometimes even set us up to lose money if we don't put them in place. So in this episode, I'm sharing what you've all shared with me about your delivery, weather, booking and cancellation policies so that you can either find some to put in place or take comfort knowing that your policies and fees are in good order.

Policies are so top of mind for me right now as I'm incorporating a virtual assistant to help me with my bookings. I don't want to make her second-guess her work due to any wishy-washy language. I also don't want to cause any sticker-shock for my customers when they move from my website to an invoice.

So first, I cover delivery policies and fees (and my transformation from being afraid of charging them to total comfort and confidence in charging them). The feedback I got from the Instagram polls essentially showed three different structures for our industry's delivery fees: flat rate, per mile or built into the price. I have a favorite that I share, plus I touch on a cool mileage resource you may want to consider!

Next is what seemed to be the juiciest one - the installation fee. I share how I decipher between installation vs. delivery, and what the average installation fee is for those who charge it. I've also got a cool 17hats trick that helps me perfectly and easily charge my installation fee when necessary.

Then I cover outdoor fees and why I think they require a lot of confidence in your outdoor installation skills. This type of fee then spills into weather-related policies... which spills into cancellation policies. Hopefully these aren't needed often, but they're sure nice to have when you need them!

Some more policies to consider: booking policies, change policies, special installation fees and of course, strike policies and fees! I share how I handle each of them and some more input I received from you all.

What an interesting project this was! Thanks to all who participated and I'd love to hear your takeaways!

Plus in the UGlu Hotline, we've got a question about getting into big box stores and I share why you might be better off focusing on finding the headquarters instead. I also have an insight as to what corporate clients seem to love most when ordering balloons.

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Ep. 159 - Precision Pricing | Emily of Utah Balloon Creations | Balloon Calculators

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In our first "Throwback Thursday" epiosde I'm cating up with Extra Betty! Since our first interview, Extra Betty has moved to a new shop with four times the space, started offering a new rental option, The Betty Bubble, and launched a T-Shirt line! Elizabeth and Adam are honest and candid as we catch up on all things Extra Betty!

Purchase a graphic Tee here

Listen to the first Extra Betty episode here

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

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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In this episode I'm chatting with my insurance agent Erin about important stuff like liability, vehicle, health insurance and more. You'll even hear my gasp as I realized how underinsured I was! This interview was a total wake up call.

Contact Erin here: [email protected]

Erin walks us through some considerations for home-based, warehouse and retail businesses... and what to focus on first (hint: liability insurance!). She tells us how coverages can layer on top of one another into one policy so you're not managing several smaller policies at once.

I ask her to walk me through what it would look like if a customer ever filed a claim against my business. Who contacts whose insurance, what happens if I'm a sole proprietor, etc. and her answer was very eye-opening. Then, we move on to talk about what insurance looks like with employees vs. contractors, and how often policies should be updated.

There is SO MUCH to learn in this episode, but it is not meant to scare you! Please listen in to learn about how to protect yourself and your business, and contact Erin if you need help.

And in the UGlu Hotline, we get an awesome tip about securing your Hi-Float container!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

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Contact Erin from Country Financial

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This interview with Alissa of Party Lane is SO exciting! I have been talking to people about this conversation since we recorded it and can't stop thinking about ways to establish more partnerships in my business. Seriously - don't miss this one, because Alissa shares how she kind of cracked the code on venue and vendor partnerships!

Before we get to that conversation, though, we also chat about business vehicle ownership, delegating tasks and how rentals have substantially changed her business. She even gives some recommendations for the best kind of rentals to consider adding to your business that factor in trends and storage space.

Then when we start talking about the venue relationships, she blows my mind with how she has venues selling balloon packages for her! She takes us through how she got to this point of trust with her venues, how it logistically works and what types of venues have been most open to these types of relationships. I am so inspired by these ideas and can almost guarantee it'll give you some ideas, too!

Also from the UGlu Hotline this week comes a question about partnerships, and Alissa's interview addresses so many of those questions. I will, however, add that you should avoid any kind of "trades'' as much as you can. These situations where money doesn't exchange hands have a tendency to get muddy quickly.

Let me know... will you be reaching out to any venues in your area after hearing this interview?!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

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

Ep. 156 - Diversifying your business | Lori of Foto Vibe

Party Lane website | @nwiparty

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