Bloom and Float Event Decor

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Executive Summary

Bloom and Float Event Decor is a balloon and event decorating business in Missouri. We design, build, deliver and set up balloon arches, organic garlands, balloon walls, columns and backdrops for weddings, birthdays, baby showers and corporate and grand opening events. Our clients are hosts and planners who want a decorated space that looks special in photos.

The problem is simple. Hosts want a polished look but do not have the time, tools or skill to build balloon installations, and results from rushed or inexperienced decorators vary. We offer a clear design plan, a set price and on-time setup and takedown.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of $85,420 in Year 1, growing to $259,500 by Year 5 as we add installers, event leads and repeat planners. We expect a loss of about $2,200 in Year 1 while we build our portfolio and bookings, then a profit from Year 2 (about $4,100), growing to about $30,900 by Year 5.

We need $38,000 in total. That covers $13,000 in startup costs (an air compressor and inflators, arch frames and backdrops, opening balloons and supplies, workshop space, insurance and branding) and a cash cushion for the first months. I am putting in $12,500 of my own money, and I am asking for a $22,500 SBA loan plus $3,000 from an investor or partner.

I am Kayla Thompson, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Bloom and Float Event Decor will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Missouri, owned by Kayla Thompson. An LLC is a business type that generally keeps your home and savings separate from the business's debts and lawsuits, although a lender may still ask for a personal guarantee. A business attorney or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can explain how it works in our state.

What we believe. A decoration should make the room feel special without becoming a safety or waste problem. We plan every install, secure it properly and take it down as agreed.

What we offer:
- Wedding and private event installations. Balloon arches, garlands, walls and table decor, designed to the host's colors.
- Corporate and grand opening events. Large installations for stores, offices and community events.
- Backdrops, rentals and small orders. Backdrop and frame rentals, balloon bouquets and small party kits.
- Later, as we grow: floral and fabric decor and photo booth partnerships. The numbers in this plan do not include these.

The space. We rent a small workshop or storage space to build and store frames and supplies. We budget $7,200 a year in Year 1, and the plan assumes this grows about 10% a year.

Licenses and insurance. We will register the LLC with the state, get a business license and an EIN (the business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov), and register for sales tax where required. We will carry general liability insurance that covers setup at venues, equipment insurance and workers' compensation once we hire, and give every client a written agreement. Many venues require proof of insurance and have rules on hanging items, so we check each venue before we plan a design.

Where things stand today. This plan is my starting point. Before I sign a lease or buy equipment, I will talk with at least 15 planners, venues and hosts about what they pay, and line up at least 8 events to build a portfolio. If the numbers do not match this plan, I will change the plan before I spend money.

Problem & Opportunity

Event decor is hard to do well on a deadline.

1. Skill and tools. Large balloon installations need frames, inflators and practice.
2. Time. Hosts are busy with the rest of the event.
3. Venue rules. Some venues limit what can be hung, taped or released.
4. Unreliable vendors. Late setup and loose installations can ruin an event.
5. Waste and safety. Balloons can pop and be a hazard to pets and wildlife if not handled properly.

How we will find out if people want this before we spend money. I will talk with at least 15 planners, venues and hosts about what they pay and want and line up at least 8 events. Our Year 1 plan needs about 96 private events, 32 corporate events and 105 small orders.

Products & Services

What we sell. We have three offerings, each priced simply.

1. Wedding and private event installations. The plan assumes an average of about $520 per event in Year 1, rising to about $600 by Year 5. Balloons, supplies and travel cost about $95 per event. We expect about 96 events in Year 1, growing to about 250 a year by Year 5.
2. Corporate and grand opening events. The plan assumes about $650 per event in Year 1, rising to about $750, with about $110 per event in direct costs. We expect about 32 events in Year 1, growing to about 82.
3. Backdrops, rentals and small orders. The plan assumes about $140 per order in Year 1, rising to about $160, with about $28 per order in supplies. We expect about 105 orders in Year 1, growing to about 300.

Our prices. A written quote based on size, colors and setup time, a deposit to hold the date and a clear takedown policy.

How it works for a client:
1. The client shares a date, venue, colors and a budget, and we send design ideas.
2. We confirm the design, the price and the venue rules in writing.
3. We build most of the piece in the workshop, deliver and install on time.
4. We take the decor down at the agreed time and dispose of balloons properly.

Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for balloons, supplies and travel. Our plan shows about 82% in Year 1. That money pays the team, workshop, insurance and other bills. Pay is counted separately, under payroll.

Market Analysis

Who will use us:
- Couples and hosts of birthdays, showers and graduations.
- Event planners and venues who need reliable decor vendors.
- Businesses with store openings, promotions and holiday events.

Where we will work. Within about 40 miles of the workshop.

How we sized the plan. Our Year 1 plan needs about 96 private events, 32 corporate events and 105 small orders, which one designer and one part-time installer can do. I will check the real numbers by talking to planners and venues before spending money.

Season. Spring, summer and the holidays are busy. The numbers show a yearly average.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices hosts have:
1. Other balloon decorators, many of whom are good, so design and reliability matter.
2. Florists and event decor companies.
3. Party stores with balloon bouquets.
4. Doing it themselves with a kit.

How we will win clients: a clear design plan, a written price, on-time setup and takedown, and careful handling of venue rules. These are promises we have to keep, and any competitor could make them too, so we will measure ourselves on them every week.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How clients will find us.
- Instagram and TikTok photos and videos of installations, posted with the client's permission.
- A simple website with a gallery, a price guide and a quote form.
- Planners and venues. Offer to be on their preferred vendor lists.
- Bridal and baby shower expos and local markets.
- A referral thank-you for clients who refer a friend.

Marketing budget. About $3,600 a year in Year 1 (about $300 a month), growing about 10% a year. The logo, website and portfolio photos are paid for from startup costs ($1,900).

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day.

The workshop. A work area with an air compressor and inflators, storage for balloons and frames, a packing area and a loading door.

A normal event:
1. Confirm the venue's rules, access time and power, and load the vehicle.
2. Arrive early, install frames and balloons securely and check each piece.
3. Photograph the work and hand off to the host.
4. Return at the agreed time to take down, collect frames and dispose of balloons.

Safety and the environment. We use secure frames, do not hang items from sprinklers or fire equipment, keep exits clear, never release balloons into the air and dispose of balloons in the trash. We tell clients that balloons are a choking hazard for small children and that popped latex should be picked up quickly. We follow venue rules on tape, nails and hanging.

Equipment. About $5,000 to start: an air compressor and inflators, frames and backdrop stands. We set aside about $1,500 a year after that for more frames and tools.

Running costs in Year 1: workshop and storage space about $7,200, vehicle fuel and maintenance about $3,600, marketing and photos about $3,600, insurance about $1,800, software and phone about $1,200, and accounting, licenses and legal about $1,800. That is $19,200 in all.

Payment. Clients pay a deposit to hold the date and the balance before the event. Corporate clients are invoiced and some pay in about 30 days.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Kayla Thompson, owner and lead designer. As owner I will design, quote, install and handle the money. I plan to pay myself $32,000 a year in salary.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.
- Installer (part-time): one in Year 1, two in Years 2 and 3 and three in Years 4 and 5, at about $17,000 a year each.
- Event lead (full-time): one in Years 3 and 4 and two in Year 5, at about $29,000 a year each.

We hire people who are reliable, creative and careful on ladders, train everyone on safety and venue rules and run background checks (with the person's permission and following the law) on anyone who works at venues.

People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent who understands event businesses, a business attorney for a one-time review of the client agreement, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (2 to 4 months ahead): talk with at least 15 planners and venues and line up at least 8 events, register the LLC and get an EIN, open a business bank account, get insurance quotes, buy the compressor and frames, rent a small workshop, build a portfolio from practice events and have an attorney review the client agreement. Rent the workshop only after the first bookings are in hand.
- Year 1: open with the owner and one part-time installer, with about 96 private events, $85,420 in sales and a loss of about $2,200.
- Year 2: add a second installer, with about 125 private events, $117,600 in sales and a profit of about $4,100.
- Year 3: add our first full-time event lead, with about 175 private events, $169,400 in sales and a profit of about $12,900.
- Year 4: grow planner partnerships, with about 205 private events, $205,450 in sales and a profit of about $20,900.
- Year 5: grow to about 250 private events a year with a team of six, $259,500 in sales and a profit of about $30,900.
Growth depends on winning planner partnerships, earning reviews and keeping installs safe and on time, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: events booked, deposits, on-time setups, incidents, average event price, reviews and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $38,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $13,000, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $3,200 for air compressor, inflators, frames and arch kits, $1,800 for backdrop stands, hexagon frames and neon signs, $2,200 for opening balloons, garlands and supplies, $1,500 for workshop deposit and first month, $400 for business license and local permits, $1,000 for legal, contract and accounting setup, $1,900 for logo, website and portfolio photos, and $1,000 for first insurance payment.
- A cash cushion of about $22,700: the deepest hole our cash falls into while we build our portfolio and bookings (about $5,700) plus about 3 months of running costs (about $17,100). Lenders call this "working capital."
- Together that comes to about $35,700, rounded up to the nearest $500: $36,000.
We are raising $2,000 more than that, $38,000 in all, to leave extra room for loan payments in the first years and for busy-season supplies.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $12,500.
- Amount requested as a loan: $22,500.
- From an investor or partner: $3,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) small loan through a local bank or community lender, plus investor or partner money. SBA Microloans, which go up to $50,000 through nonprofit lenders, are another place to ask; their repayment times are usually shorter, so the monthly payment would be higher. Investor or partner money is not paid back with interest, but the person gets a share of the business. A family member, a friend, a local investor or a business partner could fill this part. Put any agreement in writing.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $2,200 in Year 1 while we build our portfolio and bookings, then a profit from Year 2 (about $4,100), growing to about $30,900 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan, and the lowest year-end balance is about $23,400, at the end of Year 2. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, so payments of about $333 a month (about $3,992 a year) are already included in our cash flow. We chose 12.75% as a cautious planning rate. Ask the lender for the real rate, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: our equipment as collateral (something the lender can claim if the loan is not repaid) and my personal guarantee (my promise to repay from my own money if the business cannot).

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start from a home workspace with a small kit, taking weekend events while keeping your current job. Startup can be roughly $2,000 to $4,000 for an inflator, frames, supplies and insurance. Get your own quotes.
- Phase 2: once you are booked most weekends, rent a workshop, hire a part-time installer and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or training certificates.
- A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Proof of insurance, or a quote.
- Your portfolio, price guide and client agreement.
- Proof of insurance, or quotes.
- Letters from planners or venues who would book you.
- Quotes for the compressor and frames.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Wedding and Private Event Installations: about $520 per event in Year 1, rising to $600; about $95 per event in direct costs, rising to $107; about 96 events in Year 1, growing to 250.
- Corporate and Grand Opening Events: about $650 per event in Year 1, rising to $750; about $110 per event in direct costs, rising to $126; about 32 events in Year 1, growing to 82.
- Backdrops, Rentals and Small Orders: about $140 per order in Year 1, rising to $160; about $28 per order in direct costs, rising to $32; about 105 orders in Year 1, growing to 300.
- Pay: Owner / Lead Designer $32,000 (1/1/1/1/1); Installer (part-time) $17,000 (1/2/2/3/3); Event Lead (full-time) $29,000 (0/0/1/1/2). The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5. Pay figures are yearly and include payroll taxes and workers' compensation.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: workshop and storage space $7,200, vehicle fuel and maintenance $3,600, marketing and photos $3,600, business insurance $1,800, software and phone $1,200, and accounting, licenses & legal $1,800. These grow between 5% and 12% a year as the business grows.
- Clients pay a deposit and the balance before the event, but corporate clients are invoiced. At the end of Year 1 about $6,834 (8% of Year 1 sales) is owed to us by those clients.
- Tax rate: 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs