#HOW TO SET UP A BALLOON DECORATION BUSINESS...

Balloon decoration is an exciting profession and a business that makes people happy. It's not only fun but you can make a profitable business out of it.

If you fancy balloon decoration as your next career then the first step is to go on a balloon decoration course. There are a number of balloon decoration courses available throughout the UK and around the world. 

The Balloon Training Academy run a NABAS Beginners Balloon Decoration Course which is designed to help those of you that are just starting out. Starting with the basics you are taught how to use specialised equipment safely, how to correctly tie and size balloons and inflate them using helium. It's a Certified course with practical hands on learning that is second to none.They also do event decoration courses. 

NABAS is the original and credible trade association for the party and promotional balloon industry in the UK, representing balloon decorators, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturer. Its members also include suppliers of balloon -related services such as accessories, inflators and balloon gas and is well worth joining. You can then have this authentication on your site. 

The association acts as the voice of the balloon industry, providing a comprehensive source of information and education for all industry concerns. They also offer ongoing business support, organising various events throughout the year where members can display their skills and make valuable business contacts. I found them a great help for my company and there shows are well worth a visit. 

Qualatex are one of the top suppliers of balloons and accessories and they also have training days and have a team of dedicated instructors who are constantly updating their course, working with the latest new products and techniques to give the best experience and build your confidence to expand your portfolio.If you don't think you have the time to go on one of these courses then another company Balloon Training have an online course you could take.

Once your up and running then it's time to get your name established. The best way to get known for weddings is to stand at a Wedding Show, of which there are many throughout the year. A bit of cold calling into your local pubs and Hotels can also bring you some business and maybe offer a free decoration for a Charity Event which could potentially bring you a lot more business. 

There are so many add on's to Balloon Decoration as it can cover so many avenues, from weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, valentines day, mothers day, new born, Christmas, you name it there is always something happening all the time. I found the balloon business easy to run around my children at home as I mainly decorated at weekends and while they were at school then if I had an event in the school holidays I would just take them along with me.

Other ideas leading on from your Balloon Decoration service could be the 'Hire' of chair covers, or top table garland. You could also sell wedding favours, and children's party theme events. And don't forget the endless list of theme nights which could be done at Hotel's or Community Halls. 

There are now balloons for every occasion from theme collections, to seasonal balloons like Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, and reunions. People are celebrating something all the time and once you get your business up and running you will find your referral work is all you will need to keep you going. During the Christmas period as I had said in my last post you could go into Christmas Tree Decoration Hire. If you train well and come up with some original ideas you can make a lot of money in the Balloon Decoration Business. 

  

SETTING UP AN #EVENT DECORATION BUSINESS ...

I started getting a bit restless at not being able to do more clients but thinking of something that I could do with my health related problems and also being home for the children was becoming a bit of a challenge. Then one day while chatting to one of my clients about my situation she jokingly said that I ought to go into the balloon business as you could not get anything lighter than a balloon. The seed was planted and I started finding out all I could about helium balloons for events. This was before you could just tap into 'Google' and find out anything you wanted to know.

The client who had given me the idea of a balloon business ran a successful local bridal shop. She also did balloon decorations for her brides weddings but was struggling to manage both. I think you can probably guess what happened next.

The deal was done and I went along with them to a few weddings to learn all about my new business. I went on a number of courses to learn even more about balloon decorating and the business well and truly took off (literally).

The balloon business went from strength to strength and I won some awards along the way -

• 1991 Runner up Nottingham Evening Post “Business Woman of the Year”
• 1996 Vice President of North Nottinghamshire Business Women's Network
• 1998 North Nottinghamshire Winner “Business Woman of the Year”

But the dark clouds were starting to roll in slowly but surely. I was in a serious amount of pain not only in my lumber spine but also in my cervical spine. I saw a specialist who advised another spinal surgery on my cervical spine using bone from my hip to fuse it together. So I had to plan well ahead when the best time would be for me to have the surgery.

This was difficult as I had brides booked for 1 and 2 years ahead for their weddings. But what I did have a great team behind me and with the help of them and my family I sailed through my third spinal surgery and it wasn't long before I was back in the saddle and back to normal. 

I expanded into Christmas Tree hire for the winter months as apart from the odd bookings for bunches of balloons for birthdays/anniversaries etc the business went much quieter over the winter period. 

The Christmas Tree hire business took off well and we also decorated the trees for them which were mainly used in Hotels etc but the repeat business gave us a lot of work when things were quiet.

My health started to suffer (again) and I had to have further surgery to my lumber spine, using a new technique which involved having a cage put in my spine with nuts and bolts to support it all.

Sadly this time everything did not go according to plan, and I ended up needing surgery for a massive haematoma in my stomach and then ended up in hospital for nearly three months with an infection.

My children both had cars so they managed to hold the fort and work with my other to keep the business running. But it really affected my confidence and I really worried about things going wrong and felt I was really letting the brides down when I had assured them that I would be personally decorating their events.

My family saw me slipping and together decided to sit me down, and made a suggestion that maybe this was the time to retire. After ten years of seeing the business going from strength to strength and winnings lots of awards on the way I truly did NOT want to give it up, but deep down I knew it was the right thing to do.

Now the helium balloon business's do far more technical things with exploding confetti bombs and balloon sculptures and although I don't think it's as popular for weddings now as it was back then, decorating venues for events will always be a good business to work in. The list of different types of decorations you could go into is long and I will cover some others at a later date. 

As I have written before on most of my posts, a good business plan is essential and help with funding for something like this could be found through websites like Gov UK, or Business Angels, Crowd Cube, or UK Business Angels Association.  If you look you will find funding is available for new business start ups no matter what part of the country you live in. With the right pitch and business plan you could soon find help available.  Thinking of a catchy name for this sort of business is also essential. I called mine 'Bubbles Balloons' and was known as 'Bubbles' by most of my clients.

In the next post I will cover the basics to start an event decoration business.

HOW TO EARN UP TO 30K AS A #NAIL TECHNICIAN...

My Dress Agency went from strength to strength but my health didn't. I had to have emergency surgery for a prolapsed disc in my neck and was told I could not run the business any longer. A local lady bought the business which continued to grow. 

I couldn't sit still and tried to think of something that I could run from home so that it would fit it in with the children's school run and holidays.

I decided to go on a beauty course and learn how to do nail extensions which was the next up and coming trend. This was back in the late 80's when it was only just coming into fashion so I went to London and I learnt the trade and came back with the kit and certificate to get going with my new business. The course wasn't expensive and neither was the kit. The only other thing I needed to pay for was Public Liability Insurance. I didn't write a business plan for this business as I just thought I would see how things when with my health. The tax man already had me down as self employed so it was easy to fill in all the book keeping.

It wasn't long before I had a regular clientele coming regularly for their nail treatments. Word of mouth soon got me some new clients and I had all the contacts I had made through the dress agency. It fitted in perfectly with the children and all their activities.

The nail extension business is now absolutely massive but the latest craze is for gel nails instead of extensions. The kit that you need is simple and easy to buy and there are a number of courses you could go on. You must get public liability insurance in case of any injuries and make sure you train with a reputable company that gives you a certificate/diploma at the end of it.

Some great courses that I found are Essential Nails which say you can earn 30K a year as a nail technician. They run Diploma Courses from £219 which is the Gel Polish Course, you can then add on other courses as you go along and include pedicures. Nail Diploma Co  run online training courses from £199 for a complete Nail Technicians Diploma Award. There are 25 modules which you can study from your PC in your own time. The choice is vast and I would suggest you spend some time researching them all before deciding on one particular course. 

There are a number of great nail magazines.  Nails Magazine which has everything you could ever need or want to know about the nail business and what the latest fashion is for nails. It is an award winning publication with over 30 years industry experience. It covers the latest in a wide variety of topics, including Technique, Business, Style and Health stories. Scratch
is another great magazine to check out what's happening in the industry.

To become a nail technician, you will need to have creativity and patience. Customer service and people skills is important so you can talk to your customers. You are responsible for the grooming and appearance of your clients fingernails and toenails. Health and safety is extremely important and you will need to make sure that you use the correct chemicals within the industry to prevent any damage or infection to clients nails.

I found the job very rewarding and made some lovely friendships with my clients. Unfortunately on the way to do one of my clients nails I was involved in a car accident where I was hit from behind. At first I thought the pain was just whiplash and that it would settle down. But, just by way of a change, I had to slow down on my nail business in the hope my neck would settle down.

This great book 'The Complete Nail Technician (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority) is a must for your bookshelf.

HOW TO SET UP A #DRESS AGENCY BUSINESS...

I had an idea to open a Dress Agency from my home and did a lot of research into what was available in my area.  Getting a business plan is something you should consider before starting up your agency. A concise and clear business plan is important to your success and easily available online. Insurance for your stock is another important factor before you open your door to the general public.

Before we moved to the East Midlands I had worked in a friends Boutique and had made quite a few contacts through it so I decided to get in touch with everyone I knew to see if they had any clothes they would like me to sell for them.

I decided right from the beginning that I only wanted to sell good quality affordable clean 'pre-loved' designer labels to high end High Street brands. Every stock item I had was handpicked by me, assuring all my clothes and accessories were pristine and high quality.

We then converted a beautifully designed room downstairs into my Dress Agency Boutique with heavy duty rails around the room and two large full length mirrors. I offered a personalized, professional and friendly customer service.

I put a small business card size advert in my local newsletter and had an opening night which was an invitation only event. The opening night as a great success and I soon realized that I needed more stock so I put another advert in the local newsletter for good quality 2nd hand clothes.

It wasn't long before the business took off and I gradually had a regular clientele who loved certain designers and the minute I had any in would come straight round to try them on. I am quite sure that some of my customers would never have walked into a Dress Agency to look for clothes but because I ran it on an appointment only basis they became regular customers.

I just kept adding to my stock and started to include hats, bags, and accessories. I bought clear clothes covers (like you get on dry cleaning) and lovely hangers to give it the professional touch.

I also held a number of fashion shows for local charities which were always a roaring success, and gave me free publicity. Commission rates seem to work on a 50/50 basis but I was happy with 60/40 as my overheads were so low. Good quality second hand clothing will always sell well and your seller will keep supplying you with the clothes if they get a good return on them. With so many charity shops also selling good quality clothes nowadays you should never run out of stock.

Only hold your stock for a certain amount of time and have it written down on your terms and conditions. This should include that the seller must pick up unsold items by the date specified . If you don't put this in your conditions, you could end up with a lot of dead stock that is just filling your rails.

Secrets Dress Agency based in Weybridge has the most amazing website to inspire anyone to buy second hand designer wear and accessories. Another one I found called The Dress Agency  also has a very appealing website. You can certainly come up with a great name and website design just by browsing the internet.

You could have an eBay site and a Facebook page which opens your doors to so many more potential customers. I also researched nice quality buttons to sell as these were something that could update/alter any cardigan/jacket or coat.

Designer dress agencies are currently enjoying renewed popularity, both with label fans and those looking to buy quality pieces that won't be found on the high street. Vintage designer wear is also very fashionable with the younger generation.

There is a Dress Agency Directory online for you to easily research if there are any in your area. Listing your Dress Agency in this directory is completely FREE.

Finally, like with any new business, you must let the tax man know you are setting up your own business and keep your book keeping up to date.

HOW TO SET UP A JEWELLERY #PARTY PLAN BUSINESS PART TWO...

When I set my business up in the 1980's there was no website to put your business onto but now you need to set up a website, preferably one that you can add a shopping basked to so that you can sell some of your products online. You can have a FREE website at WIX where you can create your own stunning website. It may look a tad daunting at the beginning but if I can make one so can you. Before building your website check our your competitions from the list below of jewellery party plan businesses in the UK and abroad. 

Next go onto the internet and download a business plan, you can get some for FREE or head to your local council and look under Business Start Ups. There is a ton of free help out there so don't be frightened of asking for it. 

Once you have your business plan up and ready and you roughly know how much you can make out of your jewellery and you have a business name, business cards and website all in place then if you have no funding of your own to proceed then you can look for some help from someone else. 

There are a number of businesses that just help start ups with funding or can tell you where to go for funding. Some useful sites are The Federation of Small Businesses and The Business Advice Website and finally UK Business Angels Association.

Once you know how much funding and help you can get then you can decide how much stock to start off with and then you need to plan who your customers are going to be. With the advantage of the internet you can soon print off your own party invitation fliers which you can send to friends and hand out to anyone you know.

I started with one friend and made sure she had a great gift and a percentage from the sale of the jewellery,  check out other party planning companies online to see what they offer their hostess and come up with a bigger and better offer. Some people will have a party just to get something free, so if you look after your Hostess she will look after you in return.

Some jewellery party plan businesses are Fingerpint Jewellery, Ice Jewellery, Miglio Jewellery,  Silpada, Stella & Dot, J. Bloom, and this website for overseas companies Jewellery & Acessories Party Plan.   

Your table is your shop, it will need to look spectacular to interest potential customers so check out sites like Pinterest to give you ideas on how to give it the WOW factor.

Your first party will be the most nerve racking but once you see people loving your stock (and they will) then you will soon have the confidence to get cracking with more. You MUST not forget to thank you hostess in front of all your potential customers and let them know what they could get if they have a party. Hopefully you will come home with at least another couple of parties booked.

Make sure you have the right stock ready for all the different celebrations we have during the year ie mothers day, valentines day etc as these can be your real money spinners especially at times like just before Christmas. Work as hard as you can over Christmas as it is well known in the retail trade how bad January and early February can be as everyone has spent up over Christmas. I used to spend January getting rid of my stock at wholesale prices and seeing what was coming into Fashion for the New Year. You could always sell job lots of unsold items at the end of the year on Ebay so that you at least get your money back for the stock you bought. 

Once you have been running for a while you will soon be needing to look else where for your stock. There are plenty of exhibitions going on throughout the year with the biggest at the NEC in the Spring. This one is well worth a visit even if you don't buy anything as you will see what everyone is selling and connect with other suppliers. Some of the biggest suppliers will probably have a big minimum order but you will find the smaller companies who will be quite happy to supply to an individual.

I hope by this stage you will be nearly up and running as my next posts will be how to expand and get BIG in the business. Good Luck and don't forget to keep every receipt for anything you buy from your tickets to the NEC to the petrol receipts for your business trips. I will write a separate article on how to keep your books. 

Finally, like with any new business, you must let the tax man know you are setting up your own business and keep your book keeping up to date. 

#HOW TO SET UP A FASHION JEWELLERY PARTY PLAN BUSINESS PART ONE...

My first business was back in the early 1980's when fashion jewellery was reaching its peak and available in lots of shops, but not supermarkets at that time.

I was desperate to bring a few extra pennies in while being full time mum to two very young children and wife to my hard working husband. Money was tight so I needed to think of a business which would cost me as little as possible. The idea of fashion jewellery popped into my head but where to buy the jewellery from at a very reasonable price was something I needed to research.

Yellow pages for your local area was all that was available then (pre computers) but I was sure that London would be the place to have the best choice of wholesalers and after researching it I managed to find out a street in London which had a number of wholesalers on it. One company Alish Wholesale  is based on White Church Lane, London E1, or Accessories World which is also in London. Both companies have access to buy online so the choice you have now is much easier and wider than mine was in that day. If you just pop in Costume Jewellery Wholesalers in Google the list will be endless.  

My twin (bless her) said she would lend me £100 and two return tickets to London for a day trip to visit the list of wholesalers I had. A hundred pounds back in that day was a lot of money, but my twin had faith in me and encouraged me to give it a try. We decided on a name on the train down to London - it was going to be called 'De-Luxe' jewellery!!

The street we walked down in London looked just like any normal shopping street which somehow surprised me. The choice was endless with rows upon rows of fashion jewellery with prices starting from £1. Some of the wholesalers had a minimum spend which was more than we had to spend, some others would not let me buy from them without a shop or at least invoices from my business.

Fortunately we found a couple of very obliging wholesalers who not only did not have a minimum spend but who also were prepared to spend time with us and tell us their best sellers and other pointers to help me get going.

The day flew but we left with about three white carrier bags each filled to the brim with fashion jewellery, from earrings and necklaces, to bracelets and brooches. I was sooooooooo excited I could hardly contain myself on the way home wishing the time away so that I could get everything out and start pricing them.

We made a list of every friend we both had ready to phone and ask if they would have a party for me. The diary was soon getting full and armed with a few yards of black velvet fabric I went to show my products at my first party.

It was a roaring success, I was able to give my twin £50 back after my first party and still had enough to buy some more stock.

It's such an easy business to set up yourself but if you are still not keen on trying that there are also a number of Jewellery Franchise Businesses available.