Coronavirus and the balloon industry

February 21st was the day we were first informed of the Covid19 Coronavirus pandemic. I received my first cancelation for an event scheduled for the next day. It had been planned for a year! Within a few days, all of my bookings, all the way to the end of May, were canceled. It was a blow. A blow that affected everyone.

Now what?

I quickly understood that no amount of brooding or complaining would change the situation so I decided to make the most of it and started cleaning my shop and taking inventory of all of my products. After a few days, I was pretty much caught up and started on closets, front yard, etc. However, that got old pretty quickly and I was left wondering, “What else can I do?”.  A few days later through a series of events, I chatted with a local colleague of mine and she told me of her experience putting up balloons in her neighborhood with encouraging words/messages. The response she obtained was mind-blowing! She encouraged me to do something similar.  What the heck, I had lots of time and plenty of balloons!

Bringing Smiles with Balloons!

We all know how easily balloons can make people smile and here I was sitting on a goldmine of smile-makers! I followed my friend’s advice and started to put up balloon columns and simple displays in my front yard. Pretty soon I noticed people walking that I had never seen before yet they were all my neighbors! Folks would tell me that they would make it a point to walk to our cul-de-sac just to see what my “decor du jour” was!

Soon after I was made aware of a movement in the balloon industry called One Million Bubble of Hope. I only had a few days to prepare so I made my Bee display. From my office, I could see walkers stop and take selfies and best of all, smile!

In the news!

My husband helped me and we sent out a press release.  To my surprise, I was interviewed by two local TV channels, WVLT & WBIR! You can see both interviews on my homepage.

From that moment on, my business picked up! Important times in people’s lives are still happening and they want to celebrate – even while in isolation or under stay at home orders.

Now we have “drive-by parties” where folks stand in their front yard while friends and families drive by and wave and honk. These people want their special events highlighted with balloons! Students graduating aren’t having parties but they still want to show their joy in their accomplishments! No better, flashier way than with balloons!

Up until now, birthday or special deliveries had only been a small part of my business but with the present situation where this is the only kind of balloons requested, I’m happy to be out doing two or three deliveries a day. The joy my balloons bring is indescribable! How can I turn down an out of state Grammy wanting to send her 5-year-old grand-daughter an inexpensive gift? 

I have at my disposal everything I need to create small to large balloon displays that are guaranteed to bring smiles & joy in a time where there is a lot of despair, instability, and fear.

Sure, my business is my source of income but I also have to consider how blessed I am with all that I have. In these difficult times, if I can make someone smile, bring a little hope in someone’s life, profit can be put aside.

Don’t let Covid19 Coronavirus let you down. Remember, this too will pass.