Balloon Babes knows the value of over-delivering. Exceeding the customer expectation has put them ahead of their business goals. Courtesy Photo

CORNWALL – Katie Hope is the owner and founder of Balloon Babes, a very creative small business that is all about the many things you can do with balloons. She got her start in 2020 when the owner of an existing balloon business in Cornwall decided to retire. She decided that this was the opportunity she had been looking for and started making a plan.

“During COVID, there was a lot of Tick Tock going on, and there was a girl that was just strictly a balloon business. I thought, okay, that’s easy. That’s a lot less than what I thought, it was a lot less inventory. I could do that. I figured I would just sell to family and friends. I had another part time job on the side, and I felt they would work out really well together.”

Hope knew that if she didn’t want this to be just another side hustle she had to sit down and make a detailed business plan and then follow it.  “I made my business plan, did all my little forecasts and within the first three weeks, I had already made my three-month goal. It blew up!

An important part of the success of Balloon Babes is their tendency to over-deliver. There is no half-way with the creations they deliver. To succeed, a business needs to be remarkable, and Balloon Babes is that and more.

“One of my first clients asked me for an arch. When I showed up to deliver it, they looked at me like what the heck is this? Turns out all they had before was this like dinky thing called a string of pearls. It’s like 30 balloons and I ended up showing up with like 240 balloons and it’s going to last some six months or more, where the one they had before would only last about three or four days.

“That, I think, really put me on the map and then I just started bringing the organic garlands in and then the structures came so like the massive balloon heart, but I put up for the I Heart Cornwall campaign and things just really took off after that and it’s become an art more than just balloons on a string.”

Balloon Babes carries an incredible selection of products and has both air filled, and gas filled balloons. “An air-filled design is going to last so much longer than a helium filled design,” said Hope. “That’s because the helium escapes quicker, and I do everything possible to keep them up as long as possible. I think Happy Popcorn Company has had a garland in their store for like six months, no, I think they pushed the limit, I think it was more like eight or nine months. It wasn’t beautiful at the end, and I went in and I told them, I know you guys think it looks good, but we can do better.”

As you might expect, Hope gets some “unusual” requests for some of her designs. “I made a pickle for Schnitzels, his wife is a pickle fan,” said Hope, “And then there is the Poop emoji, I do have a balloon for that.”

You’ll often see her work in Cornwall Square. “Cornwall Square always gives me all kinds of freedom,” adds Hope. “I show him some fun things and he lets me kind of go all out to where I started creating these like massive things hanging from the ceiling now so those are like my other favourite ones because it’s something that Cornwall hasn’t seen before.

“I think it was a 10, no, I think it was probably a 12 -foot spider hanging from the ceiling. It’s cool because people will come up to me and ask, “Hey, did you do the spider?” and I’ll say, yes, that’s me.”

When asked what her plans are for the future, Hope admits she is still working on that. “I have not created my next vision yet,” she comments. “It’s just going to keep on blowing up!

“In July, I am going to do something called the Super Big Balloon Build in Canton, Ohio as one of the artists to go help with a charity event,” says Hope. “I will go there, and I think they’re doing 200,000 balloons? Basically, we will make an experience for people to like buy tickets and go for a walk through. In November, I’ve been invited back to a conference that’s held in Florida every year. And I’ve come back to kind of be a leader in training position there with them. It’s pretty exciting for me as well.”

Balloon Babes offer a wide range of services, things like arches, balloon walls, columns, and garlands, and you can get a sense of what is possible by visiting their website (balloonbabes.biz). You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.

If you’re looking for something remarkable, this might be the place to start!

 

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