By Stefan Yablonski
Q: Why did you start this?
A: I have a young child; we were looking at getting birthday parties and stuff going for him and saw a need for in the market.
Q: What do you offer?
A: Only inflatables —bounce houses, water slides, things of that nature.
Q: Do you have other businesses?
A: I own real estate. I buy, remodel and sell; buy, remodel and rent. I have 17 apartments and one mixed use space we’re doing in Fulton.
Q: How’s business been?
A: It’s been great. We’re doing an expansion this winter. For 2026 we’ll be offering more inflatables as well as getting into larger events.
Q: How big is your staff?
A: For the party rental side of things, four people. I’m planning on doubling that for 2026.
Q: Did you have a prior job?
A: I was a northeast operations supervisor for a large company. That gave me the skill set to be able to manage my own business.
Q: How much did you invest in this?
A: My initial outlay between the delivery truck, trailer, inflatables all the stuff that goes along with it — I think was about $75,000.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone just starting out?
A: Research your market. Find a place that has a need. Get set up in a spot where you can financially make the investment and wait for it to pay itself back.
Q: Any challenges?
A: Staffing is always a challenge. We’re a seasonal business. We’ll have high school or college age kids looking for summer work. When kids get out of school, staffing’s easier to manage.
