Congratulations! You graduate!
Balloon HQ – Everything you ever wanted to know about latex and foil balloons for parties and entertainment.
We hope you enjoyed reading the Guide to Balloons and Ballooning and we hope you learned a lot of new tips and tricks of the trade. We’ve put untold hours of work into this site, and we would love to hear what you thought of it. Please take a moment and tell us.
This site was always intended to be free to everyone and we don’t forsee any change to that plan in the near or distant future. However, Balloon HQ has grown to the point that it takes a huge amount of time to maintain the site and keep the mailing lists running smoothly. We enjoy what we do and we want to continue sharing balloon-related information, but somehow we gotta pay the rent.
A great deal of thought went into determining just how we can justify our efforts. As an experienced street performer, Larry thought the solution to the problem was passing the hat. It’s fed him before, so why not now? We don’t like the idea of charging for the use of web sites. Let’s face it; if you find Balloon HQ while strolling along the infobahn, you’ll only stay if you like what you see. Well, that’s what street performing is all about. Everyone can watch, and no one has to feel obligated to stay or tip the performer.
So, the decision is yours. Your visit to Balloon HQ is anonymous. We don’t use the now infamous “browser cookies” to keep track of people, so there’s no way for us to know if you’re taking advantage of the information here or not. Of course, we’re nice guys and we won’t be offended if you come back a hundred times without tipping. However, if you choose to support our continuing efforts to make Balloon HQ the most comprehensive collection of toy and decorative balloon info on the net, your contributions will be greatly appreciated.
What can you give?
That depends on who you are, how you use this service, and what you feel you can give. Take a minute and figure out what Balloon HQ is worth to you. Is it worth the cost of a magazine subscription? Is it more useful than that cool balloon book or video you’ve been eyeing for a while? Does your business depend on the success of the entire balloon industry? Well then, here are some suggested ways you can contribute.
- Your thoughts – At the very least, we ask that you contribute your knowledge and ideas regarding balloons to everyone on the mailing lists. The free sharing and availability of information is really what keeps this going. If you’re not on the Balloon HQ mailing lists, sign up today!
- Your time – If you have a favorite chapter of the Guide that you want to make your own, contribute your time by helping to update or maintain it. If you are interested in becoming a BHQ volunteer, please read our Becoming A Balloon HQ Volunteer FAQ.
- Your spare change – Some busy individuals have sent old US presidents to assist us. If you too would like to make a monetary contribution via credit card (Mastercard, Visa, or Discover), you can do that securely online. But money isn’t the only thing that we’ll accept. Books and videos are also welcome. Unusual jokers from decks of playing cards are appreciated. Mark collects antique (and new 🙂 tools. Hardware and software that will help with the work we’re doing here would be really cool. Hey, you’re a balloon artist – be creative! Material contributions can be sent to:Balloon HQ, LLC
PO Box 23523
Rochester, NY 14692 - Your patronage – At the very least, please take a moment to visit our sponsor page which is your gateway to a wide variety of balloon-related products and services. And please remember to tell our sponsors that you appreciate their support of Balloon HQ.
- Matching funds – Tom Myers (of T. Myers Magic, a Balloon HQ sponsor) has graciously added a new item to his inventory called “BalloonHQ Support.” Each unit of BalloonHQ Support is only 50 cents and you can buy as many as you like when you order from Tom’s store. Every time you buy some, Tom buys a matching amount and gives it all to Balloon HQ.
- BHQ Membership – Many have chosen to show their support by becoming Balloon HQ Members. It’s like being a public television member except instead of pledge drives, we have hard drives. As a member you’ll get a BalloonHQ.com email and web address that will never change – this way you can look more professional to your clients without giving up the services and software you already use. Click on the link and read all the details!
- BHQ Sponsorship – Many balloon related businesses have chosen to become Balloon HQ Sponsors and offer larger sums of money, determined by what they can afford. In exchange, we offer banner ads and exposure to a huge number of balloon professionals on a daily basis. If you’d like information on how to become a sponsor, contact our Advertising Department. <!– If you'd be interested in getting a Balloon HQ shirt in return for your contribution, vist our shirt page. –>
Thank you and happy ballooning!
The Balloon HQ Editors, Larry, Mark and Sheena
MB 6/17/98
MB 7/24/98
MB 9/30/00