Tattoo flash 2 - a day in the life
Hello and welcome to the Balloon Ace tattoo studio.
Check out this month's tattoo flash for some Balloon Ace inspired ink!
A day in the life
For this month's blog the focus is on what it is like to run an online balloon shop and give you some insight into what goes on behind the scenes here at Balloon Ace.
As highlighted in last month's blog, Balloon Ace is a hobby business. It is one of our creative outlets and a place where we can honest and free expression. Our aim was, and still is, not financial motivation.
Geez, there are far easier ways to make money than selling balloons. Our reward is through the experiences that we have, the new skills that we learn and the people who we meet. We do say this from a place of privilege as our lives outside of Balloon Ace allow us to do what we do.
We are very fortunate to be able to do what we do and are thankful of our position. We are also truly appreciative of our customers, social media followers and fans.
We couldn't and wouldn't do what we do without any of you. Thank you!
So back to the grind, the life behind Balloon Ace!
You may think it's cushy running a balloon shop, you may even be thinking of running your own balloon related business in the future. Whilst running a balloon business is a rewarding venture 'there is no success without sacrifice!'. Long hours are required and you need to be well organised.
This blog intends to describe a 'typical day' here at Balloon Ace.
Balloon Ace is an early start! about 5:45am weekdays and 6:00am weekends is the time we wake up. Yes, it's a seven days a week job, 365 days a year.
When working for yourself down time is taken when you can and you need to be able to stay calm and focused to get through your daily activities. Discipline is a key attribute needed as distractions lead to procrastination which ultimately results in sloppy performance and poor customer service. Fortunately our background in business stems from our past in the corporate world where our key specialisms are legal (customer service claims and disputes) and construction engineering design / management (major projects).
There is a long and convoluted story about how we got from punk rock to our past careers and then to the 'here and now' but that is not the subject of this blog. We may embellish on this in the future but for now back to business!
Why the early start?
As an online shop selling all across the globe we get orders through the night. These orders need processing and the website inventory updated to make sure that we have the stock uploaded for the day to ensure that any new customers are not disappointed with 'out of stock messages'.
Once orders are processed the next step is using early morning solitude to draw up a tattoo design to be featured on our social media for our early morning story. As a failed art student, don't ask! drawing is a skill that was possessed many years ago only to be diminished by deteriorating eyesight common with growing older. Tattoo artwork is something we find interesting and therapeutic. The traditional styles are easier to replicate than some tattoo styles so typical tattoo artwork for our social media will take 30 minutes to draw up which isn't too bad.
Our house is a madhouse! having kids at school, college and university brings arguments and demands upon our finite resources such as the kitchen and the bathroom. Therefore, after the artwork is drawn up its time to retreat and energise for the day.
Now I said running a business was hard and demanding but it comes with its perks. When the kids get up and argue. I retreat to an hour of guitar playing. Yep! some good old punk rock to keep my aged fingers moving! It's also time for inventory management and ordering new stock.
Once the house has settled its time to do the school run followed by a leisurely walk to clear our minds.
After a 10km walk it's time to process any morning orders before going to the warehouse to start packing. This is why we have an 11:00am order cutoff. I said earlier that discipline is key. Orders are packed at the same time every weekday. Partly due to routine but mainly to guarantee great and efficient customer service. Balloon Ace is probably the only balloon shop who do same day weekday dispatch for orders.
Some balloon shops sit on your order for three to four days before dispatch. We know you are eager to get your balloons quickly and that's why we work efficiently and quickly. Commitment delivery! is the buzz word used by the corporate world for this practice.
Orders are packed wearing gloves to keep your balloons in as perfect condition as possible and also to keep our hands clean from any non-stick agents used during balloon manufacture. As a guitarist clean hands are super important!!!
All of our balloons are stored safely in a well organised and environmentally controlled environment. We buy new balloon stock little and often so we can ensure that all our balloons are super fresh!
All orders are picked and packed and checked using our own devised workflows for efficiency. You will see pen marks on your invoice. Each mark indicates that your order has passed though a stage of our internal QA/QC processes (Yes!, corporate work systems and processes have been adopted and implemented at Balloon Ace!).
Once orders are packed they are logged into the mailing system, scanned and then taken to the post office. This is the point when you receive your dispatch notification and you can start tracking.
We often get asked about our packaging. All orders are packed in recycled cardboard boxes. Depending upon your order size they are either U.K. large letter or U.K. small parcel size. All boxes are plain, brown and include no details of the contents, the return address is listed as B Ace. International orders include customs documentation on the exterior of the box with the contents usually being listed as 'Toy craft kit' which luckily has the same HS export coding as balloons. It is impossible to tell the contents from the packaging exterior, unless you are a previous customer who will be familiar with the look of our packing or you have x-ray vision!
Periodically we will be checking emails and our social media channels for comments and chats.
We collaborate with many different models and studios. People who we sponsor are know as BATs (Balloon Ace Team). The BATs are what we would call 'super fans'. Many of the BATs have supported us since we opened in 2019. Most were some of our early customers.
BATs are typically long term. We don't mess people about, it's not our style. Long term arrangements demonstrate our commitment to being the best and commitment to supporting the people who we collar with. However, don't despair if you are a new model or new studio. We also do 'mini collaborations' with non-BATs. Sometimes these 'mini collaborations' blossom into BATs.
At the time of writing this blog article Balloon Ace has produced more than 20 collaboration balloons with models and studios. This averages at four collaboration balloons per year. That's more collaboration balloons than all other balloon shops combined since time began. That is how committed we are to supporting the balloon community. More collaboration balloons are planned for the future. We will never stop!
Oops! Getting distracted again!
We are now at 12:00pm and it's been a blast! Busy, busy, busy with balloon things! but 12:00pm is time for more guitar! Who knew working for yourself got you so much guitar time? Count me in!
Sadly there's a catch!
Around 12:30pm is when things get serious. As mentioned before you don't sell balloons if you want to get rich. Balloon Ace needs to be funded somehow. Web domains, web hosting, storage costs, accounting fees, legal fees, insurance, professional membership fees, computer software, office supplies, bank fees etc. The costs all add up! It's not cheap by any means running an online business! Unless you are selling millions of balloons (which we are not) a balloon business needs external financial support. Most other balloon shops similar to Balloon Ace are modelled the same way.
It's a long hard slog running a side hustle like this. Great if you want to work 60-70 hours a week. Not so great if you want to be rich! Most balloon shops are run out of passion, like Balloon Ace as a hobby. Although some are big businesses pretending to be little shops. These are easy to spot as they charge corporate style prices.
Remember to support us little guys! We do it for you!
Back to the blog!
12:30pm is when the 'real job' starts. We are fortunate that we run another non-balloon related business together to 'pay the bills'. This is where our corporate past catches back up with us and we morph from balloon selling punk rockers into business professionals.
Our professional lives are another story and who knows we may divulge more details in a future blog? Our professional lives have inspired Balloon Ace and the what's and how's of how we operate. There is a very strong link between our two businesses.
6:00pm U.K. time is when we do our daily social media feature which allows a short break from non Balloon Ace activities.
Luckily the corporate life doesn't last forever. 9:30pm we are back at Balloon Ace processing orders and updating the website. Did I say we work long hours??
So that's it a typical Balloon Ace day. Depending on where you stand our day is either dull or it's awesome. We love our jobs! We think it's awesome!
As part of this blog we wanted to bring the balloon community and BATs closer to you. We have been lucky to interview our first ever official BAT, Miss Teal Tease!
Check it out below:
The Miss Teal Tease interview
Many thanks for taking the time to spare the time for this interview. As an ice breaker tell us a little bit about the real Miss Teal.
I'm 40 years old (at the time of the interview) and live in south east England. I work part time due to chronic health conditions/disability. I'm a self confessed geek and gamer girl. Looning is my favourite way to unwind in my spare time, as well as other alternative modeling. I am a semi-popper which means that I dont mind popping if requested, but I do prefer to deflate balloons. I have a supportive partner who helps me to create my content.
You have been a balloon model for many years, what attracted you into modelling with balloons?
I've now been doing it for over 6 years. A famous friend and looner got me into it, after he had been following my modelling for years, and suggested I would be good at it. I had always liked balloons and inflatable toys myself, but I had no idea about the looner community until then.
Balloon Ace was the first balloon company to actually ask me to team up and help advertise them a few years ago when they first started, and so I became the first official BAT.
What are the things that you like about performing and modelling with balloons?
I really love the look, feel and smell of balloons. I am lucky that I get to experience and try out all different types of balloon when I am creating balloon themed pics and videos. I love to have fun while performing, and I genuinely enjoy making others happy when they see and react to it. Its a good feeling to know that you are appreciated after spending a lot of time and effort creating content.
What are the things that you dislike about performing and modelling with balloons?
I do hate the unpredictability of some balloons. Unexpected pops are always annoying, especially when trying to take photos and videos. Some brands seem to be more stretchy or sturdy than others. I usually have a sense of when a balloon is about to pop as it goes very tight and hard, however I've had balloons pop in my face suddenly when blowing. I now feel a bit nervous about blow to popping in particular. Ive also had some painful welts on my inner thighs when doing sit to pop content, where the balloon has broken my skin. As a result I now always try to have clothing covering that area. After getting covid, I have found that my lung capacity is not what it used to be, so I do now also have trouble blowing the larger balloons by mouth. Therefore I have unfortunately had to reduce the amount of blow by mouth content I do, and instead use an electric pump.
Social media and various other online platforms have made balloon modelling more accessible to the wider masses to such an extent that numerous mainstream media channels have run features on balloon models. What are your thoughts on the impact of social media and performing with and/or modelling with balloons?
I think it is a positive thing that looning and balloon modelling has entered the mainstream media. It makes it less of a 'weird' or taboo thing, and as more of the general public are aware of it, it becomes more 'normal'. This means that a lot of previously secret looners can come out about it and feel less intimiated or embrassed, and truely embrace their personal tastes and interests. I believe social media has really helped with making balloons and inflatables more popular, and this in turn has helped models/influencers, and companies that make and sell the products. Social media really helps with buisness and popularity. More models and influencers are becoming interested in balloons, and it is important to realise that we are not in competition with each other in this community.
We hear about online stalkers and people who exhibit predatory behaviour to people making online content for social media. Do you worry about your personal safety from being so visible in the public eye?
It is always a risk when putting yourself in the public eye that you will get haters and stalkers, and sometimes there is not a lot you can do to stop this other than being careful with what you share. I try to emotionally distance myself from my customers/fans from being too personal or giving out real life details, while still always remaining polite and friendly. I don't chat by pm unless it is for sales (I apologise to my fans if this seems rude, but it is a personal boundry I set). If someone is rude/nasty to me or displaying odd behavior that makes me uncomfortable, I do block and report them. I also try to help warn other looner models if there is scammers or bullies online, we help each other as a community.
How do you cope with everyday people knowing about the type of modelling that you do?
Incidentally my parents do know what I do, and after explaining it to them they are very accepting of it. Some extended family members have been odd with me about it in the past. I have had some people at work find out before and think it's weird or funny. Im very lucky my partner completely understands and supports me. I am a very honest person, so if anyone I know finds out or mentions it to me, I am more than happy to explain it and hopefully stop any stigma.
Some people are afraid of balloons, be it the sound, smell, texture or unpredictability of balloons. With the amount of balloons that you work with, do you ever get scared?
Believe it or not, when I was a kid I used to have a balloon popping fear and used to hate it! Although I've always loved balloons themselves, I used to be scared of the loud bangs. I've got used to it over the years and desensitised myself. I do still flinch and jump at times, and I'm very wary of them popping near my eyes or hitting me.
If you have a balloon pop phobia my advice is to use ear defenders, earplugs or earphones so it doesn't make you jump as much if and when they pop. I also suggest wearing glasses or goggles for eye safety when blowing. Try to desensitize yourself by slowly spending more time with them and playing with them etc.
What are your favourite ways in which to use balloons?
I love to hug them, squeeze them, sit on them and bounce on the larger ones. I also sometimes let my inner child out and play with them such as batting them around the room or letting them deflate in a funny way. To be honest I love to have them in the room as they have a distinct nice smell to them and brighten up the room, I love just looking at them. I use any excuse to have balloons up in the house; special occasions such as birthdays, Easter, halloween and Christmas!
Over the years you have used many types, shapes, brands of balloons. Have you got a favourite balloon?
There are too many for me to pick just one favourite! I love certain patterns such as marbled (each one is so unique!) striped, and star print. Shape wise I have always loved the long shape ones (like Q646s), and classic round. I like sizes 16 and 24 inch the best. My favourite balloon colours are crystal or pastel blue, green and purple. The brands I find work best for me are Belbal, Kalisan and Cattex.
Are there any of the now discontinued balloons which you would like to see reintroduced?
It is a real shame when you hear of companies discontinuing balloons, such as the recent announcement from Qualatex. I love Qualatex 16" some of their more unusual prints like stripes, stars, globe print and birthday, and of course the big out of production Q24s.
If other people are looking at getting into balloon modelling, are there any tips that you would give them?
It is a great fun thing to get in to, and anyone can do it! No matter your gender, age, size, orientation etc. You do not need to stick to any set of rules (bar those of social media of course), just do what you want, dont feel like you have to do anything you are uncomfortable with. You will find that the online looner community is very freindly and supportive, and is a safe space for your love of balloons. If you want to be noticed, you could start by following other looners, models, and balloon stores on social media and interacting with them. Make sure you tag any products or companies you use. Just make sure above all else, you have fun! :)
If people want to view your online content where are the best places to look?
I post regularly on Instagram under @misstealtease2 and on X @misstealtease, and you can also find my free videos on tiktok https://tiktok.com/@misstealtease and my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@misstealtease.
If you want exclusive photos and videos then join my Onlyfans for only $5 a month (no hidden fees) https://www.onlyfans.com/misstealtease, or buy my videos on Clips4sale https://www.clips4sale.com/studio/162193/miss-teal-tease.
Have you got any closing thoughts that you would like to share with us?
I would like to thank all the thousands of followers, fans and customers I have had over the years. A big thank you to all at Balloon Ace for the ongoing support and brilliant balloons. And a special thank you to my partner for helping me with creating all my looner content, putting up with my unusual antics, and as always the unending love and support.
Many thanks to Miss Teal Tease for taking the time to be interviewed for this blog series. Make sure you show Miss Teal some support using whatever means you can!
Balloon factoid
Balloons are loud when they pop right!
Did you know that the average volume of a pin popped balloon is 155dB? Popping a balloon by squeezing is 159dB and blown to pop balloons can reach an up to 168dB. (This is assuming the measuring instrument is touch the balloon at the time of popping).
Yes balloons are loud but those are just numbers. What does it all mean?
Decibels (dB) is a measure of sound levels using a logarithmic scale i.e. an increase of 10dB is equivalent to double the sound level. So 50dB is twice as loud as 40dB, 70dB is twice as loud as 60dB. Confusing right?
Sound levels reduce the further that you move away from the object making the sound. Therefore, if you move further away from a balloon popping is sounds quite. In number context sound levels reduce by 3dB each time you double the distance from the object making the sound.
So what does all the dB stuff mean in context?
A quiet room, say a bedroom at nighttime, would typically have a sound level of between 28 dB and 33dB. 0dB would be almost impossible to achieve but special rooms (anechoic chambers) have been constructed with a background sound level of minus 20dB. It is said that you can hear the blood pumping about your body because the room is so quiet.
So back to balloons! Is 168dB loud? Hell yes it is!! A 12 gauge shotgun has an average sound level of 167dB when fired.
Wow that's loud! This is why we always recommend that care should be taken when handling balloons. All balloons burst but you should always take precautions to protect your hearing (and eyes) in the instance of balloons bursting.
Until next month
Next month our plans are to include the following:
- More balloon related tattoo flash
- More balloon related factoids
- More musings from the team behind Balloon Ace
As always, we welcome everyone to participate and get involved at Balloon Ace. We exclude nobody!
As a reminder keep sending your photos with Balloon Ace balloons so that we can feature them on our BAT Punks Instagram.
Pump some punk rock into your balloons!
We are Balloon Ace!
Thanks
Nicky & Glen