Help needed

[Fast Eddie]

Folks I am getting a bit nervous I am currently unemployed and not having luck finding work. I know I need to Practice Practice Practice my balloon twisting butI am almost out of balloons.

What I need from you all are the best selling and easy to learn balloon twists to do, How many differant things must I learn to start doing this for income, Where and how to make money Twisting, How much to charge, and what definate colors to get. So far I am using and almost out of 100 count bag of Qualatex Traditional Assortment Balloons, Papa Jamz Suggested I get the Entertainer ones as they are less translucent and last longer. I do not have Clown cotume or make up, so Clothes wise what would work? Do I need permits and such?

I am not expecting to pay the bills with this, I am just wanting to earn money to continue my Learning of Clowning and all it entails with out taking money from the Bills I can barely pay now, So I do not have to put this dream on hold.

Sorry for the rambling just getting a tad concerned over my continuing to follow this dream.

Prayers Desired and welcomed.

Fast Eddie

[saphireSue]

If you're just going to do balloons for awhile, look at maybe a colorful vest, several sites carry them but you have some one to sew, you can get any colorful vest made. Same with apron for balloons, to get by for awhile. Approach resturants. some will pay an hourly rate [which include your cost of balloons] you give them out free, some will exchange services and you can work for tips. I've done it for tips and one resturante, I've never charge for balloon animal. Festivals its included in the fee for me to be there. Everybody has their niche, me I perfer to do a shows, only do balloons at birthdays and some festivals, same with face painting.

www.tmyers.com they have balloon cards , I've thought about doing this myself, but using my own pictures, but quick reference to the balloons and limiits request by customer to designs you know.

the legal stuff you'll have to find out on your own; depends on the area and their requirements. Were I am I was told as long as it's a service and I'm not selling merchandise I did not need a business license, but that was here it maybe different where you are. Some festival require you to buy a permit, but again that varies too.

[Timmy]

Im gonna have to go with Sue on this one. If your not going to do the full clown garb, then get yourself a colorful vest, or a good outfit with some attractive colors. Pockets pockets pockets, cant stress those enough!

As far as which twists to do, get the basics down to a muscle memory level. Once you can do them while talking and not really staring at the balloon totally while making it, then your getting good at it. If you can do the basic dog, then you can also do a cat,mouse,giraffe, elephant, rabbit, weiner dog, etc..... its all a matter of just changing the size of the certain body parts really. There are a few designs like this. Get the basics FIRST then try for the slightly harder stuff. You dont have to do really hard intricate designs to make kids happy, keep that in mind.

Always try to keep a variety of colors. The Entertainer assortment that Jamz suggests are very nice. Slightly older kids (teens) seem to like the neon like colors alot, especially if they are with their friends and hanging out. But all in all a good assortment like the entertainer is great. i also find that keeping extra green is good. At least in my area green is a popular color, and i use alot to make flower stems as well.

IF you are gonna approach resturants and the like, make sure you have proposals ready. Dont just show up and say "here I am!". Try to have a professional feel to you. It also helps to know who to talk to before you show up. People in "power" seem to respond better when you show that you know they are in charge...lol.

[saphireSue]

one other suggestion, if you can do the balloon you are most comfortable with first, do it first. I don't know about other people but what ever ballloon I do first, it seems every kid wants one, the same thing. simple dog with a leash, sometimes I try and talk them into some thing else so I can do more, for example a flower then it seems the next few all want flowers. Last birthday I did had a lau [sp] theme so I did the monkey in a palm tree, almost all of them wanted that, 2-3 flowers, 1 sword, but mostly everyone wanted the monkey. Atleast that's how it seems to go for me.

[BIPS]

I do something similar to this, what I like to call Suggestive Sculpting...

Some people like to make examples of their work and set them up for the children to pick from. Not me. I like to tell them what I make. I always start out with something simple, usually a sword, dog, flower, etc....

" You want a sword, a sword, or hey.....maybe a sword! "

If there is a heavy crowd, I stick with the simple stuff. As the crowd gets lighter, I can do more involved sculpting.