The Bright Balloon

Make Time

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74. Self-Employment | Hayley from Pop! Balloon Bar & Party Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Haley's adventure with balloons started when she added the service into her non-profit event planning, and as word spread about her skills, friends and family started reaching out for balloon requests.

Before she knew it, (and with a ton of confidence and savvy decisions) she became THE place in Spokane to provide balloons. Now, not only are her and her husband both self-employed, they've also gone on to employ several people as well.

Through the process, she's learned how to navigate the health insurance world on her own. From COBRA to HSAs to health care consultants, Haley shares some great advice on where to look when you don't have a full-time job supplying them to you.

We also talk about retirement planning, finances, branding and how to make some hard decisions. No matter where you're at with your business or what your plans might be for growth, I know you'll find some advice from this episode.

TIMESTAMPS:

5:06 – Haley's entry point into balloons

10:15 – when she brought in her employees

14:30 – what it's actually like to be self-employed

18:00 – how she approached purchasing health insurance

20:30 – thinking about retirement

25:00 – how she pays herself from her business

31:30 - knowing your brand

37:33 - advice for those afraid to move forward

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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73. The Laser Focused Solopreneur Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

People commonly ask me how I find the time to run my balloon business by myself, alongside my full-time job. And while I used to just take it as a compliment and go on with my day, I began to realize that those comments and questions were rooted in burnout.

So I decided I wanted to share everything I know about running a business efficiently. The Laser Focused Solopreneur is a video course that will walk you through several topics in each of the main ideas below:

L - limit

A - automate

S - standardize

E - eliminate

R - refine

Consider this course a filter that you can run your decisions through to make sure that they are working for you, your business and your life.

I sincerely hope that it will help you eliminate burnout and regain the excitement and freedom that you deserve!

TIMESTAMPS:

06:17 - what the course is & the three main sections

07:50 - how the course name came about

09:06 - preview of the "Limit" idea

14:04 - the investment

17:25 - why this course is a GPS for your business

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Leave a review on the podcast wherever you're listening to enter the drawing for a balloon decor bag & apron from Lilly of The Creative Heart Studio! Drawing is March 4th ('22).

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72. None of your business Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

I think we're all guilty of the comparison trap at times - I know I certainly am. "Look how well they're doing already when I've been doing this for years"... "There's no way I could ever make as many sales as them"... "Why is it so easy for them and not me?"...we've ALL been there! So in this episode, I'll talk about six different areas of business where we tend to compare ourselves, and then help you think through some things that you might be missing when all you see are the Instagram highlights. I really hope that this episode will help you shift your focus to the things that you want to accomplish in your business that will make you feel proud.

TIMESTAMPS:

06:52 - finances: sales and debt

09:52 - staffing

11:13 - the long-term plan of a business

12:20 - what's happening behind the scenes

13:52 - booked up and busy

17:08 - how businesses get started

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Leave a review on the podcast wherever you're listening to enter the drawing for a balloon decor bag & apron from Lilly of The Creative Heart Studio! Drawing is March 4th ('22).

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p lanner | c ourses | templates

71. Transitioning Your Business | Amy from It's My Party Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

This episode is unlike many episodes we've had before in that it is an honest conversation about the challenges we face as business owners. The pivots, the decisions, the long hours and the struggle... Amy and I talk about it all.

I really appreciate her candid comments about everything she's gone through in her business. From running a huge retail location, having employees on payroll, hitting multiple six-figures in sales to dialing back on hours, employees and availability.

If you find yourself struggling with what direction you want to take in your business, hearing about Amy's path might very well give you some clarity (maybe even courage) on where to go next.

TIMESTAMPS:

4:30 - How Amy got started with balloons in 2009

8:05 - How payroll costs affected her business, and the shift she made as a result

13:05 - Her long-term plan

19:30 - Brainstorming a possible transition out of the former retail shop

25:10 - Recommended resources for self-reflection

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Amy's YouTube Diary: My Balloon Shop Life

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Support the show

70. 3 Tasks You Can Batch in Your Balloon Business Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

You've probably heard me talk about automation before, and what a huge difference it's made in my business. Well, I like to think of batching as the root of automation. So in this episode, I'm covering 3 areas where I batch tasks in my balloon business, Wisconsin Balloon Decor. From content, to inventory, to client communication... I'm sharing with you exactly how and when I batch each aspect. I'll also share whose systems I've adapted and tell you about the decisions and limitations I've implemented along the way to get to this place. I hope you'll grab one tip from this episode and take a look at your own business to see if you can make any small improvements! (I'm also so excited that my course, The Laser-Focused Solopreneur, is coming together, and inside, I'll be demonstrating these exact processes... stay tuned!)

TIMESTAMPS:

03:06 - batching your content (social media, newsletters, etc.)

11:13 - batching your ordering & inventory

17:54 - batching your client communication

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats

Later.com, Canva.com

Episode 34: The Creative Heart Studio with Lilly Jimenez

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Support the show

69. Book review - Chillpreneur Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

This book by Denise Duffield-Thomas really connected with me. In fact, I love everything she puts out.

Not only do I love the business mindset she encourages, but the book has tons of practical tips (like what to say in awkward pricing conversations, for example). She also does such a good job of connecting your home life with your business life, which I find so unique, and so valuable as a solopreneur.

In this episode, I'll describe some of my key takeaways, including how I'm implementing her "Keyless Life" approach, money decisions (both professional and personal), how to keep forward focus and how (and why) to believe in yourself as a business owner.

I believe this book has something in it for everybody, and I can't recommend it enough. Listen in to hear how it might help you!

TIMESTAMPS:

01:55 - why I abandoned my January read & who it is for instead

06:08 - how moving on from my January read helped me set my direction for my balloon business and The Bright Balloon Podcast

10:30 - "The Keyless Life"

15:13 - the money chapter

17:20 - the marketing chapter

24:17 - the sentimental chapter

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Chillpreneur, by Denise Duffield-Thomas

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68. 365 days of birthdays Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Let's talk about something everyone has... a birthday! And in our industry, we appeal to practically everybody. We aren't limited by the age of our customers like some other niches are (flowers and coffee, for example).

So let's talk about four ways you can run birthday balloon promotions in your business (plus one way you shouldn't), all while staying profitable and not losing your mind trying to keep up with hundreds of customers' birthdays.

TIMESTAMPS:

02:13 - what NOT to do for your birthday balloon promotion

02:52 - make it about your birthday

04:20 - fill your calendar with a short-term sale

06:11 - limit your birthday delivery products

08:52 - run a giveaway while expanding your reach & staying in control of the cost

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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67. Coming Up in Local Search | Jeff from Asset Lab Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

I first met Jeff at Balloon Boss Summit, where he was one of my favorite instructors because he simply knows... his... stuff! In this episode, he dishes out tons of online marketing tips... from local SEO, to website formatting, to making it easier for your customers to contact you. I took a ton more notes from our chat while editing the episode!

And he knows the balloon decor community, too. He's been working with businesses in our niche from all over the world for about five years.

Listen in, and I'm confident you will find at least one idea for a goal or area to improve on in your business.

TIMESTAMPS:

05:16 - About Jeff's business, Asset Lab

07:35 - What local search SEO is

13:02 - Three things you should do for your business ASAP

15:13 - Jeff's recommended number of Google Reviews before focusing elsewhere

25:13 - How you can get a report on your local competition

27:53 - Examples of good and bad ideas for your website

35:10 - Why to consider working with marketing experts

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Asset Lab & a Free Search Grid Report

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66. Tracking your lead sources | Nicole from Let Nicole Help Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

Today I'm talking about lead sources with my Digital Strategist, Nicole. She's giving us tips for not only how but why to track our lead sources (where our customers hear about our businesses).

It's a super straight-forward episode with action steps you can take today with the help of her free download.

TIMESTAMPS:

02:37 - how to set up your lead source collection method

05:04 - some basic options for lead source collection

05:30 - another automation tool we're a fan of

08:27 - what we can do with this data

11:03 - my opinion of your most important lead source

17:05 - recap

RESOURCES MENTIONED: