What Happened to Balloon Distractions After Shark Tank?
What is Balloon Distractions?
Balloon Distractions was a countrywide talent agency that placed outstanding entertainers in restaurants and other areas from Seattle to Miami to Houston.
Balloon Distractions was founded in 2003 by Ben Alexander to provide balloon artists for restaurants, parties, and events.
In exchange for a portion of the money collected by artists who obtained employment through the program, the firm provided a central booking service.
Who is the founder of Balloon Distractions?
In 2003, Ben Alexander launched the firm, which sends balloon artists to restaurants and other events. He has seven regional markets open in a franchise-like format.
Balloon artists from each market travel to events that “the home office” has organized. The corporation receives a portion of the reservations, and Alexander remains in his home market of Florida.
Ben’s goal is to spread his notion across the United States. He oversees the business side of things and provides corporate training; regional partners perform at the venues, market the concept in their region, and hire and train new employees.
The majority of the expenses are handled by Balloon Distractions, which also provides training. The entry cost for someone interested in beginning a franchise business is low. The company’s services are in high demand, with many customers arranging appointments on a weekly basis.
What Happened to Balloon Distractions on Shark Tank?
In episode 514, Ben Alexander delivers Balloon Distractions to the Sharks on January 17. Alexander was seeking for a Shark to help him acquire funds for expansion.
Ben entered the Shark Tank in seeking of a $250,000 investment in exchange for a 30% stake in his company, which worth $833,333.
He eagerly recounts his organization, which trains balloon artists to work in restaurants and other public places to entertain customers and children while they wait for their meals.
Kevin O’Leary was concerned that his enthusiasm may cause him to “suddenly explode,” but, as usual, Kevin O’Leary wants to discuss the firm’s figures.
Ben adds that they’ve been making more than $500,000 in sales every year for the previous few years, totaling more than $4 million.
The Sharks were concerned when he reveals that his sales have dropped from $650,000 to $500,000 as a result of the shifting economy and online criticism from the “clown community.”
He’s using “regional partners” to go into a region and recruit the genuine performers, who will then manage their own restaurant bookings.
The restaurants charge $40-60 per night for dinner, and the artist works for tips, wearing a button with a $5 note attached to indicate that he works for tips.
Ben wants to develop franchisees for his business. The franchise notion irritates Mark Cuban and threatens to drive him nuts.
Robert Herjavec agrees, telling Ben that he does not need franchises. He was infrastructure, and he needed to be managed. He professes to be a fantastic salesperson, but he hasn’t shown him how he can give them $250,000 and get a fantastic return, so he went out.
Ben was a “phenomenal salesman,” but not a “sales manager,” according to Barbara Corcoran. She gets out.
Lori Griener was unfamiliar with the notion of a business. She also exits.
According to Mark Cuban, the firm was “wrongly built.” He assigns Ben the task of finding “the best recent college graduate managerial talent he can locate” and puts him in charge of recruitment. He doesn’t believe Ben is prepared, therefore he’s out.
Kevin O’Leary agrees. He does not believe Ben’s firm structure was functional, and he does not believe he was prepared. He eventually exits.
Ben ultimately walked away from the pitch without a deal.
What Happened to Balloon Distractions After Shark Tank?
Ben leaves the Tank without a Shark deal, but he continues to work on his business. Social media has been silent as a result of Balloon Distractions.
The website looks to be up and running and a blog post mentions that Ben is taking a vacation from blogging to work on a book and focus on his “Life Leadership” activities.
The Sharks appear to have been accurate about this. It’s a business model that has irked some artists who perform at restaurant performances and other events since the idea of performing for tips is foreign to many of them.
In response to legal threats, some of the debates have deteriorated into online scuffles, with professional clowns and balloon artists making YouTube videos denouncing and insulting Balloon Distractions. In the long term, alienating the very individuals on whom a company relies for expertise looks to be a bad business strategy.
Ben’s lack of managerial experience was offset by his sales prowess, but will this be enough to keep this balloon company sustainable and thriving in the long run? It wasn’t enough. The company is no longer in business.
Balloon Distractions’ Net Worth
The firm’s value was $833,333 both during and after the pitch; however, the company is no longer in operation, hence the company’s net worth is unavailable.
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Balloon Distractions FAQs
Does Balloon Distractions still exist?
No, it does not. Balloon Distractions is no longer in business.
Is Balloon Distractions a scam?
No, it isn’t. Ben is known as a straight shooter who was working on a non-scummy company for which he made $4 million in sales the year before the show.
What did Balloon Distractions do?
It was a balloon decorating company that trained professional and amateur balloon artists to entertain customers at restaurants. Customers also had fun coordinating decorations for their parties.
Who were Balloon Distractions for?
The firm was for people who wanted to hire in-restaurant entertainers. Balloon Distractions was committed to providing top-quality entertainers and ensuring that their customers get their money’s worth.
What is the phone number for Balloon Distractions?
The number is unknown.
Where was Balloon Distractions based?
It was based in San Francisco, California.
How much did Balloon Distractions charge for its services?
The firm’s packages ranged from $40 to $60 per hour.
What is the website for Balloon Distractions?
The link is unknown; however, a cached version of the domain is available.
How Balloon Distractions did make money?
Balloon Distractions sales depended on commissions from restaurants and sales to customers.
Was Balloon Distractions in a recession?
No, it wasn’t. The company was a growing company that seemed to be doing well prior to the episode.
How was the business model of Balloon Distractions?
The firm’s business model was to train entertaining balloon artists who could perform at restaurants and other locations. The entertainers were independent contractors. They worked for tips only, and the company provided them with a uniform.
Who invested in Balloon Distractions?
No one invested in the company during or after the episode, as Ben did not secure a Shark deal.
What happened to Balloon Distractions after Shark Tank?
Ben left without a Shark investment, but he continued to work on his business.
What was Balloon Distractions guarantee?
The firm’s guarantee was that the entertainers were top-quality. This ensured that a customer got his money’s worth.
What were the payment methods of Balloon Distractions?
Customers could pay with cash, credit cards, and checks.
