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Topics - Professor Play

#1
Balloon Chit Chat / Balloon Machine Advice...
April 29, 2012, 11:07:29 PM
Hi everybody.  I would love some advice, if any of you are willing to help out.  I have recently become pretty busy in the area where I work(Southern Illinois/United States.)  I am getting bigger and bigger events.  Though I have tried to tone down the complexity of the models I use I just cannot keep myself out of balloon machine mode.  Though I am looking at several possibilities for the restaurants and parties I work I am particularly looking to improve my entertaining levels at large events.

I wonder this, do most of you just accept that not everyone can have a balloon when the lines reach a certain point?  I have been toying with the idea of myself and my partner making mostly one balloon swords, animals, and a couple multiple balloon flowers for the majority of the crowds(like those wishing to move onto another activity.)  For those willing to stick around I would make some of my neater stuff...but they would have to participate in some activities(answering questions, singing songs, etc.)  I have a feeling this would work, but it is so nerve wrecking to try something new when you have already established yourself in another way!  I'm afraid I might just be trying to reinvent the wheel.  Should I just keep ballooning like I am, or slow myself down.  I would say I currently balloon for about 20(or a few more)kids per hour.  I feel like I am just blasting out balloon after balloon, with very little interaction(I have gotten a bit better at entertaining, but I am a bit of a perfectionist too.

Any advice?  How long do you all take per kid, or how many per hour?  Anything you'd be willing to share would be great.  Thank you....
#2
Welcome / Hello again...
March 15, 2012, 05:15:13 PM
Not sure if considered active, so figured I'd take time to reacquaint myself with everyone.  I am Professor Play.  I am a twister from the United States.  I have been twisting for about 6.5 years now, probably about 4 of them taking it quite seriously(before then, just a hobby.)  I do this full time, at least for now.  If business doesn't start rolling by May, it may be a different story!

I hope to learn to teach fun dances at parties as well this Summer....but to be honest...been addicted to ballooning for a while now....hard to take time away from it!

Nice talking.  Hope to share more.  Thanks....
#3
Balloon Tutorial & Help / Lava Girl
February 25, 2012, 04:49:46 AM
Hi guys.  I wondered if anyone here has ever seen or have ideas for a Lava Girl balloon?  My nieces birthday is coming up.  I will be attempting one tomorrow and hopefully get a decent photo and put it up here.  But any suggestions would be great!
#4
Balloon Chit Chat / Blessed and concerned
April 01, 2011, 08:35:55 PM
Hi all.  I am at a strange point in my ballooning (obsession, career?) bit.  Lately I have been getting a lot of calls for parties, events, a fair and a library show.  I have been doing this very part time up to now and have been charging pretty low(there isn't a lot of competition here for me to undercut.)  Well, we raised our prices and guess what...even more events.  I feel so blessed.

Here is the problem.  I work another part time job.  I started doing parties when this job was failing to get me 20 hours a week average!  I was floundering, on assistance and pretty unhappy with the path I was on.  I am in a union shop and so....my work ethic doesn't matter-all promotions and hours are decided by seniority!  So I was getting a lot of praise, even some pins for my name badge but I was making nothing at my job-and the hours were such to exclude a second job.  Yikes.

So, I'd been doing the parties for friends and family at a low rate and had been getting a lot of requests.  Even the store I worked in wanted me to do it for them(for an old lower rate that is-but ok, I've gotten many gigs from the exposure.)

Well, the weekend parties are starting to anger my current job.  They are telling me I cannot work some parties over the next few weeks.  This despite the fact that the last two weeks I have averaged 16 hours!  That is right, 16!  So, I have one party on the 9th for which I will make more in two hours of work than my entire work week!  I see a blessing being passed to me and an opportunity.  I also see many risks.  I have been busy mostly, but I have my down weeks(like this one-nothing until Wednesday of next week and then 3 events in a week.)I realize this business doesn't offer a lot of guarantees.  I know that my current job(and there aren't a lot of great ones in this area) doesn't offer a path to much more than a lot of heartache.  I like the people, I am good at the job but it will never support me.  

Sorry to ramble, but I wonder has anyone here faced anything similar?  Any advice would be most graciously accepted.  Thank you!
#5
Balloon Chit Chat / Event for senior citizens
March 29, 2011, 12:40:58 AM
Hi everyone.  I know I haven't properly introduced myself.  I promise to do so in the next couple days when everything here is calmed down.  I have been working to set up a volunteer situation at a wildlife rehab center and have had some ballooning events the last few weeks.

I was asked today-kind of last minute-to do some ballooning for the store I work at for their "Senior Wednesday" event.  I have done other events in the store and received great reviews...but this is different.  I've never done an event for an older crowd and am very unsure:

1. Will they even be interested in this sort of thing?
2.  What can I make for Seniors that they will enjoy?
 
I plan on doing some fancy flowers for the ladies, including roses in clear balloons, but beyond that I'm stumped-for other options for the ladies and for anything for the men?  Has anyone ever done an event like this?  Would you care to share your thoughts?  If it helps I believe I'd be considered an "intermediate" twister.  I can twist a lot of sculptures....but I cannot just look at something and make it right away...please, any ideas you have would be great!

Thank you....have a great Play day!