How to Start a Hot Air Balloon Business

Start a business that's an airborne version of a scuba diving touring business. If you've scuba dived or snorkeled, you've watched sea life pass beneath you. You've seen three dimensional images, from the top of corals, seaweeds and other ocean floor features. Hot air balloons offer people the same affect--only over our trees, cities and surroundings.

Instructions

1. Adopt a hot air balloon hobby. Start by creating and flying small hot air balloons. Go to the library and read as much as you can on hot air balloons. Learn the hot air balloon's history. Hot air balloon basics and history make good discussion topics with new customers. This hobby provides you with basic knowledge of hot air balloon physics.

2. Work for a hot air balloon business. Get a working knowledge of all the positions in the business, including management. If you're going to start a business, you're going to be the boss. Prior experience will prove its worth.

3. Review the hot air balloon industry. You don't want to be where there's a lot of hot air ballooning businesses. If your area doesn't have a hot air balloon business and it's known as a tourist spot, you're in good shape to start one.

4. Check your city's views on hot air ballooning. Contact other hot air balloon businesses and find out what their charging. Compare prices and see how the people in your city and surrounding areas react to a certain price.

5. Do your research. Estimate what it's going to cost you to start your business. Review local licensing and inspection requirements. Come up with a business and market plan. These will help you when you go to the bank for a loan.

6. Market your business. Your best bet is to hire a freelance copywriter, or an advertising agency, to advertise for you. The different between the two is that a freelance copywriter is like an advertising commando. They have the advantage of being able to tailor your advertisement in a way that makes it hard for your future customers to refuse your business.

Tips & Warnings

• Hire a research company to canvas your market to see if you'd be able to start a hot air balloon business in your area.

• Retain a freelance copywriter to figure out how your future customers tick. Unlike an advertising company that goes for art and attention, these guys will talk to your market and make your services irresistible.

• Read Bernard B. Kamoroff's "Small Time Operator." Mr. Kamoroff is a Certified Public Accountant who has experience keeping businesses out of trouble with the IRS.

• Contact your city's or county's small business development organization before you start a business.

Resources

• Go to this Small Business Administration website to learn more about starting businesses
• Internal Review Service website helps you negotiate the tax part of starting businesses
• Ebaloon.org's webpage talking about hot air ballooning history
• Hot air ballooning dot com information on how to get involved with hot air ballooning