Only 1% of balloon businesses show their prices: in our November 2026 audit of 421 US balloon businesses without a website, just 4 bios listed any starting price or minimum. So yes, you should show a starting price, because almost nobody else does and the clients who can afford you are trying to find out fast.
This post covers why decorators hide prices, what it costs them, and exactly how to word a starting price so it helps you instead of inviting haggling. It's one finding from our State of the Balloon Business 2026 report.
What the numbers say
From the same audit of 421 bios:
- 1% (4 of 421) show any starting price or minimum.
- 33% tell clients to book through DMs.
- 58% have no link at all in their bio.
Put those together and the typical client experience is: see a garland, tap the profile, find no price and no link, and send "how much?" into a DM. Meanwhile, pricing is also the top thing decorators ask each other about: 187 of 2,111 posts (8.9%) in a 445,000-member decorator group we analyzed were pricing questions. Pricing is stressful on both sides of the conversation.
Why decorators hide their prices
The reasons are understandable:
- "Every setup is custom." True, but clients aren't asking for an exact quote. They want to know if you're in their world.
- "Competitors will undercut me." They can already find your prices by DMing you. Hiding them mostly hides them from clients.
- "I'll scare people off." You'll scare off people who were never going to book at your price. That's the point.
- "I'm not sure what I charge yet." This one is real, and it's the one to fix first. See How to price balloon decor.
What hiding prices costs you
Every "how much?" DM takes your time to answer, and a lot of them come from people whose budget is a fraction of your work. Example: say you get 30 price DMs a month and spend 10 minutes on each (asking questions, explaining sizes, typing a number). That's 30 × 10 = 300 minutes, or 5 hours a month answering people who may never book.
If a starting price filters out even a third of the mismatches, you get roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes back every month (300 ÷ 3 = 100 minutes), and the inquiries that do come in already know your range.
There's a quieter cost, too. Clients who can afford you but don't want to message a stranger just to ask a price may simply book someone who made it easy.
How to show a starting price (without boxing yourself in)
A starting price isn't a full price list. It's an anchor: the lowest realistic number for a real setup you sell.
Step 1: Price your smallest real setup. Use your actual formula: materials + your time + setup + delivery + profit. Example: a 10-foot organic garland with 3 colors comes out to $280 delivered and installed in your area. Your starting price is "from $280", not "from $150 if you pick it up and hang it yourself".
Step 2: Say what it includes. "Garland installs from $280 (includes delivery within 15 miles + setup)." That kills the follow-up questions.
Step 3: Add a minimum if you have one. Group posts we analyzed mention premium decorators running $500 minimums. You don't have to copy that number, but a minimum tells clients the smallest job you'll leave the house for. More in Balloon decor minimum orders.
Step 4: Put it where clients look. Bio, booking page, and pinned highlight. One line in the bio is enough.
Starting-price wording you can copy
For your bio:
Garlands from $280 · Installs from $500 · Book your date ↓
For your booking page:
Most garland installs start at $280 and most full party setups start at $500, including delivery and setup within 15 miles. Every quote is custom to your date, venue and design. Send your details below and I'll get you an exact price.
For the "how much?" DM:
Thanks for asking! Garlands like this one start at $280, depending on length, colors and venue. If you send your date and venue here [link], I'll put together your exact quote.
(Use your own numbers. These are examples, not market prices.)
Why a starting price makes you look more professional
Clients judge your price by your process. A business that states "from $280, retainer to hold your date" sounds like it has done this before. In the same audit, only 5% of bios mentioned a deposit or retainer and only 3% said they were insured, so clear policies and a stated price put you ahead of almost every profile a client will compare you to. See The hobby look, by the numbers.
If you already have a price sheet, a starting price in your bio is just its first line. If you don't, build a balloon price sheet clients actually understand.
Frequently asked questions
How many balloon decorators show their prices?
In our November 2026 audit of 421 US balloon businesses without a website, only 4 (1%) showed any starting price or minimum in their Instagram bio. The rest left clients to ask by DM.
Should I put my balloon prices on Instagram?
Put a starting price, not a full price list. One line like "Garlands from $X" tells clients whether you fit their budget, cuts down on "how much?" DMs, and leaves room for custom quotes.
Won't showing prices let competitors undercut me?
Competitors can already get your prices by messaging you. A starting price mainly helps clients self-select. Clients who choose purely on the lowest price weren't likely to book you anyway, and the ones who value your work book faster when they can see you're in their range.
What should my starting price be?
Price your smallest real setup with your full formula (materials, time, setup, delivery and profit) and use that as your "from" price. Don't use a stripped-down pickup price as your anchor unless that's genuinely something you sell.