Having a mid life crisis. Hate my job but I have a family to support. Looking at every angle possible nd ballooning (being something I love) is something I am looking in to. So, my question is, can serious money be made or is it simply a job of passion (live for the moment stuff). I do have a mortgage and fmily to support. Please PM me if you would rather not discuss in public.
Thanks for looking
Stuart

I'm with you on this one. Desperate.

I have thought about it a lot too and I would love to bite the bullet and go for it but I can't take the risk at the moment, in a few years maybe. Although with the whole of council being put under notice of possible redundancy I might get a push to take that risk.  I think the other barrier for me is having a young daughter and I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

Kim

I'm lucky I see because I have retired from a lifetime of bookkeeping.  Although I liked my job, I much prefer ballooning and entertaining.  Maybe we all "need" more than we really need and could live on a smaller income, I know that since I retired I'm living on less but also have fewer expenses (fuel, clothes, lunches out etc).  It has been said on this or other forums, to try it while you are still working.  Book as much work as you possibly can and just feel out the market in your area to see if it could be self sustaining.

My children and I do this full time.
It was not exactly by choice and I do not know if it is something Dustin, Alayna or Alysa will do forever.

With that said, yes you can survive decently on an income as balloon entertainer.   It is hard work though.
I put at least 40 to 80 hours a week into my business.   At least I get to sort-of choose my hours and be quirky about what I wear and when I work.

My business pays the mortgage on one home and makes two car payments along with paying for 4 cell phones.  
My husband took a regular job 2.5 years ago and he pays all the bills from our newer home.  

Dustin nor Alayna do much more than go to the jobs and do their thing.   Dustin is making much more than most his friends his age.
The same is definitely true of Alayna, but she works much harder than Dustin.  Dustin is a little picky about work.

They each rent a place on their own to live, so yes, I guess they manage to live on what they make as performers.

I pay to office staff in total about $600 a week.  They each deserve to be paid that alone, but I do not make enough yet.  

I love making balloons, face painting and magic, but I hate the responsibility of needing to get enough work in to support 7 people.
Of course we have subcontractors who we give a small portion of the work to also but I do not feel the burden from them.
None of us live a glamorous life.   I am a very simple person with very simple needs.

Time to leave for a gig, but feel free to ask me more about how we do it and I will post more here later if anyone is interested.

Simply Shonna
Big Bear Head Addict

I am really appreciating the time you are all giving to comment on this. The advice and honesty is great. Keep em coming.
I think Millie, you are right about dipping the toe in the water. I am yet to go beyond family at the moment through fear of not being good enough. Probably in my head but...

Stuart,

Can I suggest that if serious you look at this another way?

1. You need to start by looking at how much money you need to earn to cover mortgage, bills, food, extras... and maybe pensions etc.

2. Once you know this you need to work out how many weekend ballooning jobs that equates to.

3. Once you have that figure then is that a number that you believe is realistic?

4. If there is a gap then you need some ideas of what you could do in the week balloon wise to generate some regular jobs (trade shows, corporates, schools, etc).

5. If there is still a gap then is there something else you could do alongside ballooning that would fill your week and make some money?

Hope this helps.
Martin.

Stuart it's tricky. I have been going for about two years. I have a full time job but just do a bit on the side. Usually one to two jobs each month. This covers cost, public liability insurance etc I would love to do this full time but it is a jump. As to whether your good enough, just remember most people are just use to seeing swords, dogs etc so when you turn up they will be impressed.. Rob

I was not good at balloons when I was forced into doing balloons full time.
I was DESPARATE!

Sometimes we do not know how or what to do to go full-time or to achieve our goals.   Desperation is a strong motivator.  

I hope you don't mind me sharing my story or desperation, but in 2004 my husband had a nervous breakdown.   He was unable to work and disappeared out of our lives basically for 2 years.  We went from a six digit income to zero over-night and we had very little in savings because we are the time of people who planned for the future.
I was left alone to figure out how to support 3 young children on my own and we were "asked" to leave Germany after living there for 12 years.  I had to relocate back to the States alone with my children with no job, no money and in a deep depression.   For six months I had to ask for food stamps and state provided assistance.  It was the hardest most morally degrading thing I ever had to do.   I was raised that you never ask for public assistance (Welfare) because it was for "losers" and "low-lives".  I did not have a supportive extended family to help me in the States. (I don't think this is the place to share about that....)

I am not saying my plan of action or methods would be the most advisable for most, but it worked for us.  To get started with a "Balloon/Entertainment Career", I contacted every agent and entertainment company that I could find and offered our services.   I searched for conventions to attend and local groups to join.   I basically forced my family and I into the "spot light" as much as I could.   If you look back at some of my work or even Dustin Queary's from 2005 and 2006, we where not that "awesome" compared to today's standards.  Okay, maybe my son Dustin Queary has always been a little awesome..... , but my skills were just "average".  

Since most local entertainment companies already had enough performers/entertainers/balloon twisters, I would take work all over the place for me and the kids.   Sometimes we would travel over 250miles (four to five hours) to do a gig for/with another twister I had met at various conventions like Twist and Shout or Diamond Jam.  (I sure miss Diamond Jam, Ed Chee did an amazing job with it.  
It took a couple of years for the local agents to start hiring us.

Working with agents has it drawbacks,  like not being able to promote yourself as well and earning less money per job, but when you are desperate for an income and way to get started full-time, it can help.

Again, we live in a modest home and do not drive expensive cars.   Our priorities in life our not necessarily practical or normal, but we are surviving in this bad economy.   In fact we have growth every year.   I wish I could tell you more about marketing, but I can't.  I wish I could tell you some more practical business ideas but I don't really know any.

All I have had is persistence and desperation. I was also lucky to have talented hard working kids.  Probably going to conventions and networking was the best thing for my business.  To be honest, I attended them even though I could not afford to go.