Organic balloon garlands are trendy in the United States for any special occasion such as a baby shower, bridal shower, or birthday party. A mini balloon arch brings a pop of color and creates a fabulous looking setup.
I particularly love a 6 ft balloon garland because it’s the perfect size for a balloon designer who wants to focus on curbside pickup, flat rate services, holiday merchandise, and amazing customer service.
When I worked as a balloon designer the biggest costs of doing business involved transit times, time of delivery, extreme temperatures, custom products, and getting complete details from the clients. Let’s look at each of these costs- and discuss how a 6 foot balloon garland that the client picks up mitigates issues.
Transit times
When booking beautiful balloon garlands that are created specifically for pickup purposes, you completely remove transit times from the equation. Clients are saving loads of time because they don’t have to work with uninflated balloons to create a DIY kit from scratch, but as a balloon artist you benefit from this product, too.
Time of delivery
When working as a balloon artist your time of delivery can be a bit hard to nail down. You have to load the vehicle like a clown car, pack your command hooks and installation kit, create the garland 1-2 business days before the event, and send a reminder of your time slots on your delivery date to the client. Pickup garlands create clear pickup times and make transport of the balloon arch the customer’s responsibility.
Extreme temperatures
Extremely hot weather (I’m located in the south, so I can speak much for extreme cold) affects balloon arches very negatively. On the days of your event, you’ll want a balloon garland to be the center of attraction. unfortunately, extreme temperatures can sometimes complicate what the optimal location for your garland is. While you might want your event primarily outside, extreme heat can wreak havoc on latex balloons.
Custom products
I spent the majority of my time as a balloon artist determining with my clients what their ideal balloon colors are and adding that perfect touch on each garland. While you can still offer custom 6-foot balloon garlands, you can also create products with really clear item details with a few optional complimentary add-on. I loved creating holiday grab and go mini garlands as seasonal clearance items. This expanded my customer base for potential clients that weren’t quite ready to book a custom order, and my regulars loved the option as well.
Getting complete details from the client for their 6 ft balloon garland:
By far, the biggest time suck as a balloon artist is confirming where the balloons will be placed and ensuring that the space is prepped and ready for said balloons. I cannot tell you how many times I found myself clearing tables, moving furniture, or otherwise preparing an area for a client.
Eventually, I created an email series to prepare my clients using Honeybook.
Selling grab-and-go mini garlands not only places the installation and transport as the carrier’s responsibility but also removes a lot of unspoken stressors for a balloon artist.
What you’ll want to share with your clients regarding a 6 ft balloon garland they’re picking up:
- package size information (for instance, if the client purchased add-on foil balloons the total package can increase quickly)
- how to ensure the safe arrival of your items: move the balloons in an empty car, confirm that the expected arrival date is before the actual event date
- Information on how to safely store balloon garlands: in a cool, dark room with minimal debris and NO sharp objects.
- how to properly hang the balloon garlands
- how to place or arrange large balloons and foil balloons for picture-perfect backdrops
Want to order your own custom DIY balloon garland kit? Send us details about your event, colors needed, etc. and we will create a special package just for you!
