How This Balloon Artist Built a $128K Party Rental Business

Karin Capellan stood in her yard, arranging balloons for a company party — an event she hosted just to get promotional photos. She had no paying clients, no experience, and no idea if this could become something real. But a few weeks later, a father on Facebook Marketplace hired her for a birthday party — and just like that, she was in business.

Her first rental? A $40 order for 20 chairs. Her first balloon décor job? A financial loss — but it planted the seed for what would become her signature service. Pricing was a guessing game, and she had no booking system in place. But as word spread and clients returned, she realized she had built something bigger than a side hustle.

Within a few years, K and J Party Rentals had grown from $26,000 to $128,000 in revenue, becoming a go-to provider for balloon artistry and event rentals. She built the business without relying on influencers or paid ads — just word-of-mouth, Google reviews, and social media. Now, she’s managing a six-figure business while still working full-time, proving that a simple idea — and a few folding chairs — can turn into something much bigger.

From Side Hustle to Thriving Business

Karin’s first real booking came just days after she made her initial investment: 100 folding chairs and 20 wooden tables. She didn’t have a website, a pricing model, or a formal booking system — just a Facebook Marketplace listing and a willingness to figure it out as she went.

Her first rental was a $40 order for 20 chairs. She hadn’t factored in delivery fees, and she later realized she had undercharged significantly. But it was enough to prove that there was demand.

Her first balloon décor gig, however, was a different story. A father from Facebook Marketplace needed balloon decorations for his children’s joint birthday party. Karin took the job but only charged for materials, making no profit. She later realized she had actually lost money on the event.

Without a portfolio of past work, she had to get creative. Before booking her first paid balloon job, she decorated her own yard for a company party, using those photos as promotional material.

That first set of images helped her start booking real clients.

She kept her pricing simple — charging just enough to cover costs — while relying on great visuals, even if they were just DIY displays from her yard. She moved quickly, responding to inquiries fast and following up to close the deal.

“That first customer took a chance on me,” she said. “I wasn’t the cheapest, and I wasn’t the most experienced, but I responded fast, I was eager, and I made it clear I’d go above and beyond.”

Once rentals and balloon jobs were coming in regularly, she quickly realized she needed better systems. Invoices, payment collection, and scheduling weren’t things she had considered when she first started.

“Customer service was the easy part,” she said. “But figuring out what to charge for my time while being fair to both myself and my clients was a challenge. I had no idea what was standard. I started asking others in the industry what systems they used, what was normal, and found my own way of doing things.”

Beyond pricing, the business itself was still a one-woman operation. She was the person handling deliveries and pick-ups, marketing on social media, and maintaining inventory. While difficult, she credits this hands-on approach with shaping her as an entrepreneur.

“This might be an unpopular opinion, but being hands-on with everything has definitely helped me grow. From cleaning and maintaining all of the inventory to delivering and picking up orders, as well as being the main online face of the business, it’s molded me into the business owner I am today.”

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Navigating Challenges and Learning From Mistakes

Even with steady growth, running a party rental business hasn’t been without its share of obstacles. From logistical nightmares to unexpected costs, Karin has learned to adapt on the fly.

One of her biggest challenges came when a venue gave her the wrong event time, leading to a delayed setup. “I had three events that day, and I had called all three venues in advance to confirm setup times,” she said. “For the third event, I was told it started at 5 PM. Turns out, it actually started at 3 PM.”

By the time the client called her, guests were already arriving, and her balloon décor was nowhere in sight.

“My heart sank,” she said. “After four years in business, I had never had something like this happen, and it was 100% on me. I should have confirmed directly with the client instead of relying on the venue’s information.”

She rushed to the venue to salvage the setup, but by the time she arrived, the party was already in full swing. Since then, she’s implemented a strict double-confirmation process with clients to prevent these kinds of issues.

Beyond scheduling, one of the biggest ongoing challenges has been storage and vehicle maintenance.

“We own over 400 chairs, 75+ tables, 10+ backdrop walls, and 35+ marquee letters,” Karin said. “Space is expensive, and it’s the easiest thing to run out of. We’ve had to be strategic — optimizing storage, rotating inventory, and planning deliveries efficiently to keep costs manageable.”

Then there’s the cost of running multiple delivery vehicles. Constant travel between venues means fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs add up quickly.

Cancellations are another unavoidable part of the business, but her policy has helped reduce financial loss.

“We started during the pandemic, so we’ve always had a cancellation policy: no refunds, but payments can be applied to future events if we have availability. This has helped us maintain cash flow while keeping policies fair for clients.”

Over time, she built a structured pricing model, learned what rentals had strong demand, and set up systems for client bookings and deposits. She also adjusted her inventory strategy, moving beyond impulse purchases and instead focusing on high-performing items that consistently booked out.

Every challenge became an opportunity to refine operations. Learning from mistakes — not avoiding them — is what allowed K and J Party Rentals to grow.

Scaling Up: From $26K to $128K

What started as a side hustle to make extra income quickly turned into a six-figure business — without ads, influencers, or outside funding.

One of the biggest factors behind that growth wasn’t paid ads or influencer marketing — it was word-of-mouth and strong Google reviews.

Today, with over 120 five-star reviews, K and J Party Rentals stands out as a top event rental and balloon décor company in its area.

“There was no one big moment that changed everything,” Karin said. “It was a mix of doing great work, getting repeat business, and making sure our customers were happy enough to recommend us.”

But it wasn’t just great service that fueled growth. Karin also made small but strategic changes — like setting up automated follow-ups for past clients and consistently asking for Google reviews after successful events.

As positive reviews stacked up, so did inquiries, many of which came directly from local searches.

Even as demand grew, Karin never left her aviation career. The flexibility of her job allowed her to schedule time off around busy weekends, but managing both roles required careful planning.

“I’ve been in aviation for over 10 years, and with time comes seniority and flexibility,” she said. “I always give myself a buffer. If I have an event on Saturday, I won’t work on Friday in case of flight delays.”

Despite running a six-figure business, she never felt pressure to quit her job.

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Smart Growth: Expanding Without Losing Quality

With K and J Party Rentals bringing in steady revenue, the next challenge was figuring out how to scale without sacrificing service quality.

Karin had already learned that word-of-mouth and strong client relationships were her best marketing tools. But taking on more events meant streamlining operations while avoiding burnout.

“One of the hardest parts of growing has been knowing when to say no,” she said. “In the beginning, I wanted to take every job, but as demand increased, I had to set limits to make sure every event met our standards.”

Rather than blindly expanding inventory, Karin tracked rental demand carefully to make sure she was investing in the right areas.

Some items looked great online but rarely booked, while others — like marquee letters and balloon décor — were in constant demand.

Balloon décor remained one of her highest-margin services, but keeping up with orders required improving inventory management and booking systems. She had been handling orders manually, writing things down and sending out invoices one by one. Eventually, she switched to a CRM system to handle bookings, automate reminders, and track client details, which saved her hours of administrative work.

Beyond refining operations, Karin has also started thinking about expansion. One long-term goal is to open a dedicated event space — but high rental costs and zoning hurdles make it a challenge.

“Rent is very expensive in my area, and getting the right permits is a hurdle,” she said. “It’s not off the table, but it has to be the right timing.”

Another idea she’s exploring is a grab-and-go balloon bar, where customers could pick up pre-made balloon arrangements for smaller events. With Party City shutting down locations, she sees a growing need for quick, high-quality balloon services.

“With so many Party City locations closing, there’s definitely a gap in the market,” she said. “A balloon bar could be a great way to offer convenience while keeping costs low.”

For now, she’s focused on refining what’s already working while preparing for strategic growth.

Advice for Starting a Party Rental Business

For those inspired by Karin’s journey, here are a few key lessons from her success:

• Start small, but move quickly. Karin didn’t wait for the “perfect” moment — she launched with 100 chairs, took small jobs, and figured things out along the way.
• Pricing is a learning process. It took time for her to understand how to charge fairly while ensuring profitability. Don’t undervalue your time and expertise.
• Word-of-mouth beat paid ads. Karin’s business grew through referrals, strong Google reviews, and repeat clients — not expensive advertising campaigns.
• Invest in systems early. A simple booking system, CRM software, and automated follow-ups can save hours of work as you scale.
• Know when to say no. Growth is exciting, but not every job is worth taking if it stretches your resources too thin.

What’s Next for K and J Party Rentals?

With demand continuing to grow, Karin is focused on sustaining long-term success without sacrificing quality. While she’s scaled significantly over the past few years, she’s intentional about growing at a pace that keeps operations smooth and customer experience strong.

“At the rate we’re going, I expect the business to double in size,” she said. “Maybe even have a warehouse instead of storage units and hire some full-time help for the busy seasons. There’s always room to grow, but I want to do it the right way.”

One of the biggest shifts has been learning to delegate and streamline processes. In the early days, she handled everything herself — marketing, bookings, deliveries, and event setups. Now, she’s finding ways to bring in help while maintaining high standards.

“I’ve started outsourcing some of the setup work for balloon décor,” she said. “It frees up my time for higher-level planning, but I’m still very hands-on to make sure everything meets my standards.”

While many of her customers are one-time event hosts, a significant number come back year after year. Client retention has become a key focus, and she keeps in touch through email campaigns, personalized follow-ups, and annual Christmas cards to ensure K and J Party Rentals stays top of mind.

“I built this from nothing — just a few chairs, some balloons, and a lot of trial and error,” she said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the businesses that last aren’t just the ones that grow fast — they’re the ones that grow smart.”

She’s not in a rush. “Growth is great,” she said, “but only if you can keep the quality high. That’s what keeps people coming back.”

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