Entertainer Spotlight
Donna Cochrane
About Donna
Business Name: Miss Donna Balloons
Location: Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Miss Donna has been a children's entertainer for over 15 years and twisting balloons for more than 25 years. Her passion for the art is so great that she was married in a balloon wedding dress in an enchanted forest setting of more than 113,000 balloons - see the video here! Her fairytale wedding was also featured in The Very Best of 2018, page 14.
The Challenge Ahead
After more than 15 years in the balloon industry, Miss Donna had built a solid business of performances and entertaining with balloons. While she dabbled in event decor, in-person performances were her bread and butter. But that was soon to change!
With the pandemic of 2020, and the cancellation of all events where people came together to celebrate - whether large corporate event or small family gatherings - she found herself at a pivotal point in her career.
I didn’t want to give up my passion for working balloons. I wanted my business to survive this pandemic.
Donna Cochrane, Miss Donna Balloons
Because conditions and restrictions were fluctuating so frequently, she and her husband decided to not worry so much about what the future held, but rather on what they could do "now" to keep their business afloat. They reinvented their business and started offering balloon gift deliveries for birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions and just to cheer someone up.
At first, she found that she was working longer hours to make the same amount of income. "It took a while to get a better handle on what to charge as I had not really done this style of deliveries before," said Donna.
What started out as a way to keep money coming in became a game-changer for her. "During the process I found really enjoyed the chance to be more creative with my balloon skills and learned how to charge more appropriately for my creativity – which is what made me stand out from other balloon businesses around," she shared. No doubt, her ability to add unique twisted accents to her deliveries made her even more successful!
With everyone stuck at home, she enhanced her social media presence to continue reaching her existing clients, as well as new prospective clients.
Beyond Surviving
Not only were Donna and her husband able to keep their business running during the pandemic, they were able to create an extra dimension that will increase their revenue in the future. Entertainment bookings are picking back up, but they continue to offer deliveries for an additional source of income. Their clientele base is larger, with more exposure to her services.
Now I have people say ‘oh you do entertainment too?’ instead of the other way around!
Donna Cochrane, Miss Donna Balloons