Know Your Worth: A Surefire Way to Increase Your Income

What I learned about people, entrepreneurship, and self-worth working as a balloon artist.

How much you earn is directly proportionate to how much you think you’re worth. To know your worth is to know your ability to make money.

I’ve been twisting balloons si nce2008. When I first started, I used, on average, 160 balloons to earn $100. That’s how it was for almost two years. Also, when people wanted to hire me to work for private events, I charged $50 an hour, and I was apologetic about it. These days, I make about $350 — $400 for 160 balloons used, and I charge $150 per hour for private events.

How did I do it?

It was a process of learning and applying what I knew and what I learned. I learned things about myself, about how the Universe operates, and about entrepreneurship.

What I learned about myself

My first breakthrough came on a Monday night in April. The restaurant where I worked was dead. Mondays are usually not busy, but this particular night was just plain dead. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant and definitely no children. My business depended on children wanting balloons and parents paying for them.

There was no sign of children or parents. There were only some couples, and it didn’t seem like I was going to make any money.

Then something interesting happened. On the P.A. system, Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll started to play, and I started bee-bopping along with it. The next thing I knew, I was talking to grown-ups about how I got into the balloon-twisting business and making hearts and flowers for them while picking up $5 tips instead of the usual $1 tips. I ended up making more money in three hours on that Monday than I usually did on Fridays when I worked four to five hours.

I learned two things that night: First, adults like balloons as much as kids do, and second, that when I am having fun, my customers can feel it, and it becomes an enjoyable experience for them. We all have ups and downs in life, and I always made more money when I was up than when I was down.

That night, I went from being a balloon artist to being an entertainer.

And we all know, entertainers make more money than artists.

What I learned about the Universe

I learned that people didn’t pay for the balloons. They paid for how I made them feel. On occasion, I also had people hand me money even though they didn’t get any balloons. They told me they appreciated what I did and enjoyed watching me work.

“You must so impress others that they will feel that in associating with you they will get increase for themselves.” ~ Wallace D Wattles, Science of Getting Rich

Then another exciting thing happened. Managers from other restaurants started inviting me to come to their restaurants because they said I would make more money there. I moved out of slow restaurants to busy restaurants and then from cheap restaurants to expensive restaurants.

There is only one Source. There are many channels through which it provides.

It was no longer profitable for me to go to birthday parties for $50 an hour. I raised my rates to $75 per hour with a minimum of 1.5 hours and then eventually to $150.00 per hour. I still work the same number of parties in a month, but when I started placing more value on my work, I found people who were willing to pay for it.

What I learned about entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is not the same thing as self-employment.

Self-employed people create jobs for themselves and trade time for money for the most part. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, provide work and opportunities for others, and they use ideas and leverage to make money, for the most part.

I was self-employed when I started twisting balloons. I had fired my boss and became my own boss. I was still trading time for money, but I knew that I wanted to grow my own business. I put out the intention into the Universe.

“When one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.” ~ H Scott Murray

One of my customers asked me if I can arrange for another balloon twister and two face painters for an event that his restaurant was organizing for the upcoming Mardi Gras. I said, yes. I earned a $150 referral fee of sorts from that event. I also built an ongoing relationship with that local restaurant chain, which provided many opportunities to earn income by referring other artists to their venues.

It also enabled me to build a network of other artists who use me for private events that they are invited to and need additional help. It created extra income that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity for on my own.

“See that you give them a use value greater than the cash value you are taking from them. Take an honest pride in doing this and let everybody know it, and you will have no lack of customers. People will go where they are given increase, and the supreme, which desires increase in all and which knows all, will move toward you men and women who have never heard of you. Your business will increase rapidly, and you will be surprised at the unexpected benefits which will come to you.” ~ Wallace D Wattles

Conclusion

I know I am not the best balloon artist in the world or even in my local area, but I know I make more money than some of my contemporaries who are better balloon artists. People don’t pay for what they get. They pay for how it makes them feel.

Entrepreneurship is all about being of service. When you help others feel better about themselves, you invariably receive the reward in the form of a prosperous business.

“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”

If you agree, you’ll like my free weekly emails. Get it here >>> Freedom Lifestyle