Self-taught Brockton High grad finds her groove turning balloon artistry into biz venture
BROCKTON —– Balloons By Bre LLC, a floral and balloon arrangement business, started when a local woman decorated her daughter's baby shower in 2019. From that day on, it was a match made in heaven.
"I fell in love with balloons the second I was setting up my daughter's baby shower and realized I could do this. I started off decorating events for family and friends without charging them. Everyone around me encouraged me to start a business, so I did," Briuna Shoulders, owner of Balloons By Bre LLC, said.
Shoulders started her business, and then the pandemic hit. She was left wondering what she should do now? So many businesses running for decades were shut down, and many never opened back up again.
It left the entrepreneur questioning her next move.
Instead of quitting because of a health crisis, Shoulders adapted to her new environment and began a no contact garland balloon set up. Clients would be able to purchase a complete kit to set up their balloon garlands in the safety of their homes for their small gatherings.
After COVID restrictions were lifted, Shoulders was back setting up and planning events in person.
Currently, Shoulders gained popularity amongst clientele in Brockton and surrounding areas.
"Every weekend, I am completely booked out. I have three to four events on Friday and Saturday. It is a blessing to know people enjoy my work, and the excitement I bring to my clients is so worth it," Shoulders said.
The arrangement business offers a variety of decorations from balloon garlands, floral arrangements, stuffed balloon bouquets, letter balloons, balloon walls and balloon column arches.
Shoulders loves a good DIY and finds her inspiration from art and life. She runs her business from home with the help of her boyfriend, who assists her with every setup.
"I taught myself how to do balloon art from YouTube and other DIY creators. There is so much undiscovered knowledge from the internet," Shoulders said.
Some of the difficulties Shoulders faces in running a successful business is how overwhelming orders can get.
On Easter, the goal was to sell 25 easter baskets, but Shoulders was slammed with over 100 orders, she said.
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Shoulders bought an Easter bunny costume and had her boyfriend dress up as the Easter bunny to deliver the baskets to the kids.
"The excitement of the kids was breathtaking. I never knew it would be this much fun to watch the kids play with their baskets, and they believed Easter was real because of the bunny. It was such an amazing experience," Shoulders said.
One step Shoulders took to start her business was learning how to make balloon and floral arrangements from YouTube and other sites first. Second, she took to social media to heavily promote and advertise her business to friends and family.
"I would hand out business cards at every event, and while shopping at the mall, I will take any chance I get to promote myself and the business," Shoulders said.
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Shoulders created a simple business plan and began executing it. At first, she did not have lots of money and resources, but she did not let this fact discourage her.
"You do not need a lot to start a business. Just start off little by little and work your way up. That is how I slowly built my inventory and grew steadily. There is no rush," Shoulders said.
As the business grows, Shoulders hopes to pass it down to her kids one day.
Shoulders is a mother of two who graduated from Brockton High School in 2009. The biggest motivation for the entrepreneur is her kids and being able to pass down generational wealth with her business, Balloons By Bre.
"Are you learning every day? Are you growing every day? Are you being challenged every day? If you are, then that is the key to success!" Shoulders said. "The best advice I could give someone starting a business is no matter what obstacles you face, keep going and keep striving for greatness."
To inquire about events or arrangements, email balloonsbybri@gmail.com, and follow her on Instagram Ballonsbybre and Facebook BalloonsByBre.
Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @alishaspeakss and Instagram at Alishaatv. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Balloons by Bre: Briuna shoulders owns party decoration biz
