Unconscious start of this God-given business

During one spontaneous talk while talking about future plans & goals, Mark & Lisa remembered that it was not in December 8, 2012 (Opening of Cebu Balloons & Feast of Immaculate Conception) that they first tried Balloon Decorations. Unknowingly, they already did their very first setup almost 2 years before they started this business venture.

First take at Balloon Decorations

Just like a first take on a photograph, you do not really know the output if it is good, so you take a few more shots and choose which one is better. For them, they considered their first take as a “mediocre” because it simply lacks the quality and finesse; but who would have thought that someday they would criticize their own work? Not them.

Table Balloons

It was in April 2011, the night before the Christening of their first-born child Stephen were they had their very first experience at balloon decoration and it looks ridiculous to them now. Their centerpieces were done using a shot-glass as base and the balloons they bought were for “water bombs”.

A few days before the Christening, they went to Hannah’s Party Needs, one of the biggest party needs suppliers in Cebu during that time (together with Sparkles Balloons, Wagas, Ballooney & Ritz Balloons), to purchase raw/un-inflated balloons, party supplies & 2 centerpieces. They opened the store’s catalog and found lots of wonderfully done decorations. They do not even have the idea about the different names of the designs – such as Balloon Pillars, Cake Arch, Ground Balloons, etc. Doing a similar business was on the last thing of their mind during that time as they had a full-time home-based job that can support the daily needs of the family. Lisa was a Project Manager while Mark was a Programmer. Because their job can be done anywhere, they also traveled around the Philippines and blog about their experiences – their income was more than enough to support the family’s daily needs and bills.

Centerpieces in Shot Glass

Because Mark has basic knowledge in photo-editing, he was able to do the tarpaulin design for his son and had it printed by a print shop in Guadalupe. Unconsciously, the tarpaulin designing business has become one of their assets today. After a couple of days searching for possible giveaways, Lisa decided to purchase a few mini feeding bottles from a Manila-based online seller. She also went to Colon to purchase some cheap hankies to put inside the miniature bottles. The tags were designed by Mark and printed on a cheap home copier.

Mini Bottle with Towel & Tags

Due to the lack of knowledge about balloon decors they were not able to determine what’s nice and what is not. They also brought a tire inflator to blow the balloons but they were unsuccessful. They borrowed a lifesaver inflator, which became a bit useful, but took them long minutes to inflate just one small balloon. So they decided to inflate some of the balloons by mouth.

Inflating the Balloons by Mouth

At around 6pm, the day before Stephen’s Christening, they went to Hannah’s to pick-up the nicely done bouquets. At about 7pm, they arrived at AA’s Barbeque in Guadalupe to start their balloon decorations. After almost 3 hours, with 2 extra manpower, the 4 of them were able to finish everything. They have several incredibly done centerpieces, wall balloons, and did the placement of the tarp & arrangement of the giveaways. It was the last thing on their mind that someday they would start Cebu Balloons, which would lead them to more businesses because of the opportunities that opened for them.

Just a few weeks after starting the balloon business, they ventured into personalized items. A few months later they started the Styro Standees using printed materials & then they joined a styro art workshop by Cebu’s best styrofoam designer, just this year. They also ventured into dessert buffet & cakes but accepted only limited orders because of the lack of time & manpower. They are now working on developing more small-size businesses that are related to their existing trade.

Aside from the person they termed as “heaven-sent” in their About Us page, they have seen and experience a number of instances, trials & miracles that can make them say that this venture is God-given. They are doing their best not to step on anyone along the way as they are making their own path to success and not simply become a “cookie cutter” in this industry.

The venue

It was an unconscious start of what seemingly will become the family’s main source of income in the next 5 to 10 years. If there’s a better opportunity for them to earn more without compromising the time they spend at home with their kids, they will surely grab it. No one knows what the future holds but as long as they are healthy, they can continue to make a living based on God’s perfect timing.