Sutton couple inflate earnings with balloon business amid recession (From Your Local Guardian)

Sutton couple inflate earnings with balloon business amid recession

9:00am Wednesday 18th March 2009 in Search By James Pepper

An imaginative couple have taken their recent redundancy as a unique business opportunity.

Sally and Charlie Clark, from Sutton, had been working together side by side in Mitcham for 25 years.

But in January, the company they were working for relocated offices to Rickmansworth and the couple were made redundant.

Considering the economic climate, they made a bold decision to start a balloon decorating company from their front room.

Inflate 2 Create Ltd celebrates happier times and aims to put smiles back on people faces.

Sally said: “We are hoping that in the recession no matter how bad things get people will always want to celebrate a special occasion by decorating a venue with creative designs in balloons.

"Are we mad, well maybe, but having met at the company we have just left and worked in the same office for the past 15 years and have been married for 21, we think we can pull this off. We took part in a training course in October and we have been watching a lot of training DVDs.”

The company has carried out several functions already and they are hoping business will really take off.

“If we succeed then it will prove we don't need a big company to work for and there is hope for anyone at any age to start something totally different. We have already managed to get a deal in a wedding brochure, Cloud 9, based in Cheam, so things are looking good. In fact, they came to us so word is spreading.”

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