The Bright Balloon is a podcast where Sara Meyer shares bright ideas for your balloon business.
We help overwhelmed balloon artists more money, eliminate stress and grow our creative businesses together. Welcome to The Bright Balloon.
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The Bright Balloon is a podcast where Sara Meyer shares bright ideas for your balloon business.
We help overwhelmed balloon artists more money, eliminate stress and grow our creative businesses together. Welcome to The Bright Balloon.
We've all seen it all over Instagram. The creation of custom colors by double-stuffing balloons. But is it the right move for your business?
In this episode, Joette of ballooncoach.com and I discuss the ways that this can actually hurt your business. Is it eating your profit? What happens when a layer pops?
Listen in to hear about some things you should consider before double-stuffing, and some ways to move away from it.
And let us know what you think by commenting on Instagram!
TIMESTAMPS:
07:33 - misconceptions about double-stuffing
14:09 - ways to test your designs
19:09 - ways to shift the conversation away from custom colors
30:53 - where to get more balloon business advice & community
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Inventory System with Custom Color Chart
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This is one of the most unique interviews we've had yet, because Kelly will be sharing with us how she's prepared to run two balloon businesses in two different states!
I really appreciate her transparency about this process and the value she places on the quality of life as a business owner.
We talk about adding staff, adding income streams, dealing with customers on their biggest days, business relationships and more.
I'm also excited that we've already got a follow-up interview scheduled after her move because I cannot wait to hear how it goes for her.
She's graciously offered to help anyone with questions about staffing, etc. if you want to connect with her on Instagram below.
TIMESTAMPS:
5:08 - her balloon business background
8:47 - the growth of her team and business
12:55 - how Poppin' Cleveland will run when she moves to Texas
15:30 - her approach to business competition
21:20 - how she prepared her staff for her move
28:15 - the ranges of customer service experiences
35:18 - getting ahead of the fear of growth
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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This episode is back to the list-style format, where I'll walk you through 10 things you should double-check are listed and available on your website.
Some are more of a nice bonus than others, but are super easy to implement.
I really hope you find this list helpful and that any updates you make will mean more leads, smoother processes and more sales for your business!
And if you discover something you're missing, we've got quite a few episodes and tools listed here in the show notes that can get you started!
TIMESTAMPS:
01:52 - your location (check Instagram, too!)
02:58 - about page
04:41 - a way to collect the info you need from them
06:47 - your booking process
08:14 - Instagram feed
09:25 - localized SEO
11:22 - pricing menus that expedite sales
13:33 - searchable file names for images
16:19 - suggested venues and vendors
19:10 - pop-up
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Laser Focused Sales with Pricing Guides
Ep. 67 - Coming up in local search | Jeff from Asset Lab
Ep. 83 - All about Grab & Go Garlands
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It is so, so easy to fall into the trap of over serving by providing more balloons than your customer actually paid for. But the thing is, I think it's risky!
In this episode, I'll share with you 5 reasons why I think it's risky, plus 5 things you can do instead to over serve... and they won't take tons of money out of your pocket.
I'd love to hear if you're doing any of them already, or which ones you're going to start implementing first!
TIMESTAMPS:
03:25 - 5 reasons over serving with product is risky
10:04 - clear communication
13:11 - be present
19:42 - help out in a pinch
22:55 - celebrate your customers and share big events
27:04 - send a thank you
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Fool Proof Formula for Gorgeous Garlands
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I really wasn't sure what to expect for my first experience of a Big Balloon Build, and wow, I'll admit... working on such a massive crew was pretty challenging at times since I am so used to working on my own!
But Bee was sure to keep the end goal in mind throughout the build, which helped her bring a calm presence that was much needed.
In this interview Bee and I chat about what it's like to be involved in such a massive project, and the incredible benefits of participating.
Plus, there's an exciting announcement at the end, too!
TIMESTAMPS:
07:06 - Bee's balloon business background
12:03 - what The Big Balloon Build is (pics)
15:40 - her Big Balloon Build experience abroad
20:18 - getting in the right headspace for working with a large crew
27:47 - how to get involved
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Ep. 38 - The Big Balloon Build | Stuart Davies & Liz Romani
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It's officially been a full year since I've made two huge changes in my business: having a shop and buying a van!
In this episode, I'm running through all of the ways these decisions have impacted my business... including the domino affects.
Plus, I'll let you know which one I'd recommend you go for first if you can!
TIMESTAMPS:
02:46 - the pros and cons of having a shop
07:58 - a domino affect of having the shop
10:24 - the huge difference my van has made in my business
14:41 - domino affects of having the van
16:48 - how I decided to make these changes in the first place
18:59 - two changes I didn't make
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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In this week's episode, I'm catching up with Joe from Havin' a Party and we are talking about business growth and what some artists are doing as they outgrow their home-based businesses.
Joe will even help you hand pick your inventory so your brand and style are represented in your own Balloon Bar.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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Email marketing for my balloon business is always the thing that falls by the wayside... can you relate?
After feeling the relief of handing off email marketing for the podcast (then watching it grow in the way it has) I quickly knew I needed to find a similar solution for my balloon business.
And thanks to the help of some familiar podcast guests... we've made it happen!
In this week's episode, Jeff, Nicole and I talk about some important tips for effective email marketing, and how we've rolled those tips into our brand new collaboration: The Creative Current.
I'll be a subscriber, too, and can't wait to see what it does for my balloon business!
>> see an example of what we'll be sending!
TIMESTAMPS:
02:37 - why email marketing is important
06:02 - 3 rules to follow for effective email marketing
16:04 - what The Creative Current is
20:40 - you're a good fit for this if...
22:20 - how it works for you as a business owner
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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It was such a complete privilege to interview Amanda Rae, COO of 17hats, for this episode! We talk about all things owning a business... customer service, mindset, mental clutter and growth. She also solves a current problem of mine in real time!
I always say, 17hats is my employee of the month, every month and this episode will let you in on why that's the case.
Even if you don't use the platform I know you'll hear some nuggets that will help you clarify your processes and improve your relationships with your customers.
Thanks so much to Amanda Rae for taking the time to be on the podcast!
TIMESTAMPS:
03:22 - the 17hats development story
11:52 - where to start with a CRM
18:27 - mental clutter, focusing on your passion & going for it
23:21 - figuring out your processes & how they change over time
34:44 - underutilized features
44:55 - investing in your clients
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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I've been hearing about the idea of "red x month" for a while now and have been wondering how and when I would be able to try it. Then when I noticed my July calendar was somewhat setting me up for the experiment, I knew I had to go for it!
In this episode, I'll walk you through:
- what it is
- how I'm implementing it
- why I feel compelled to try it
- what steps you can take to make one of your own happen
- the challenges involved
- what I'm looking forward to by trying it
Follow along on Instagram as I give some updates on how it's going! And tell me... do you think you'll go for it?!
TIMESTAMPS:
02:21 - my initial reaction to the idea
06:16 - the rules I've set for myself in this experiment
09:20 - how much is enough?
14:49 - what steps you can take to implement your own "red x" time
20:57 - what I'm excited about with this experiment
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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