Shop Small Business One Day Sale

The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, American Express is asking millions of Americans to Shop Small at their favorite online and local establishments and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge.

Mini Masterpieces is offering 20% off any purchase during Small Business Saturday, save 25% if you use your American Express. It's our way of saying THANK YOU for supporting us these past eight years! We look forward to working with you for many more years to come!

Use code

LUVDIVAHOLIDAYS
AMEX Card Holders use code

DIVALUVSAMEX

Codes will only be honored for one day - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2011

Bosses Day is October 16th

Do you have a boss you actually like?

I must say over the course of my career I have had several bosses that I genuinely enjoyed working with and appreciated. One in particular actually cried when the company we worked for was sold and I was laid off; she was more upset than I was about my departure. We shared a mutual admiration and respect for one another and I genuinely felt my hard work was recognized. What a rare and wonderful gift it is to have mutual admiration and respect between employee and employer.

So you have a boss you like don't forget to tell them on Bosses Day!

The Customer is STILL King

There is an old saying that "Customer is King." Well, I have come to realize that today's world of instant gratification, customer service is not always a priority. Sometimes, I have trouble getting a sales associate to make direct eye contact, let alone sing a cheerful "What can I do for you today?" So when I come across great customer service I feel obligated to acknowledge it.

Customer Service Appreciation Week is coming up October 1- October 7th and if you have staff that deals consistently with the public, I encourage you to recognize those star members of your team. The work they do on the front lines of your organization is crucial to your success. They are the face of your business and the impact they have on your buying public can make a significant impact on your bottom line.

Their dedication to your company is what drives business. They make sure customers are satisfied, and if they aren't, they go above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy them. So thank your dedicated employees for handling any problems with the utmost grace and respect for your customers!

And who knows? The following week (October 16th) is Bosses Day...you might find a extra goodie on your desk too! Visit our website for great ideas on thank you and appreciation gifts!

Creativity Is WICKED!

This past weekend I saw the Broadway hit, WICKED with my sister here in Atlanta. It was AWESOME (I highly recommend that you treat yourself if it happens it make it to a venue near you)! I don’t know what I was expecting but the story is so incredibly creative, the music was fabulous and the acting superb. Of course, I glanced over at the promotional gifts on the way to my seat and noticed that those were equally creative with a great deal of care in the selection offered. The promotional apparel and accessories were eye catching; V-neck and burned out tees, BPA Free water bottles; everything practical and in line with current trends…but I digress.

What struck me most about this experience is the author and screenwriter’s ability to offer a completely new take on an idea already well established, that being the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz. This absolutely has business connections because it proves that just about any existing idea can be improved and expanded. So the next time, you need a new marketing idea, a unique gift for a client or a campaign to generate more leads, reach back into your arsenal and look at the gallery of successful ideas you have already implemented. Or, search the Internet to get ideas based on your end goal.

Discover a new way to tweak an existing idea that will lead to something fabulous for you and your audience!
Start at home when looking for new ideas…there’s no place like it.

September is Self Improvement Month

Truth be told, I think Self Improvement Month is a bit of a misnomer. The whole "celebration" lends itself to the idea that there is something wrong with us and we need September to fix it! Well, I'm going to give you a little gift in honor of this month. Four basic principles that apply not only in gift giving, but in giving of oneself.

I challenge you to take a break from the self-help stuff (Dr. Phil, winning friends and influencing others, Oprah you've kept on DVD, etc) and instead try some of these activities:

1. BELIEVE. It's such a simple concept, but getting up everyday and believing that you can do anything, be anything is the best gift you can give yourself. If you believe anything is possible, you've already knocked down every obstacle you'll face each day.
2. Have FAITH. Unwavering faith in yourself, your higher power and your ideas and goals will set you up for a win every time.
3. TRUST. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut feeling. There are so many times I've heard myself say, "I should have went with my first mind", which means whatever my gut told me to do first is this thing I should have done; but I second-guessed myself which almost always leads to regret. Trust your own inner voice.
4. HOPE. Last, but certainly not least is hope. Hope is the great motivator. It gives you the courage to try new things, to get out of your own way and team up with people of similar ideals that will help you succeed. No matter what the situation, if you say to yourself, "there is always tomorrow" you've got a fighting chance.
   

Enjoy the month of September by giving yourself a break. It's okay not to be perfect; imperfect people believe in themselves, have faith that they will improve everyday, trust themselves to follow the right path (even when they stumble) and hope for a better tomorrow. In the words, of my favorite Saturday Night Live character, Stuart Smalley, I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me. I think that makes me okay.

Ancestry: The Gift of Legacy

Ancestry: The Gift of Legacy
I was tremendously blessed to have my great grandmother in my life until I was about 19 years old. My one regret is that I did not take the time to record her history, our history, so that it could be shared with future generations. I recently joined Ancestry.com to try to reclaim some of my family history; it's been fun (and a lot of work!) to do some of the research but I have been yielding interesting results. I can't wait to share them with my family during this holiday season.

While visiting the gift shows, we found these clever prints that offer a way to beautifully showcase your family's roots. Our unique Personalized  Family Tree canvas prints would make an excellent anniversary or housewarming gift for your favorite folks. It is available in a Modern or Traditional Contemporary design, each featuring a tree image with room for up to 8 names as well as the family surname. We think it would also make a great gift for newlyweds, proud parents or grandparents.

What will be your legacy? Mine begins with Henrietta Burnley, aka Mama Henny. A beautiful, loving Great-grandmother who helped mold me into the person I've become. Happy Grandparent's Day, we love and miss you!

Oh the People You Will Meet....

I host First Monday, an evening networking event sponsored by an organization I belong to called Atlanta Women in Business. The philosophy of the group is broad, but at its core is the simple idea that "if we don't support one another, who will?" It is in this spirit, I share with you stories about a few stand out "diva-prenuers" I met during our session last night. If you know of someone that would benefit from their services, I want you to FORWARD their link. Passing along a gem of an idea is a good thing.

First, there is Bernadette Boas, founder of Shedding the Corporate Bitch. The name alone has you intrigued, no? Bernadette's business was literally born through her own personal struggle to shed her own inner "bitch." Her story has been an inspiration to others and launched what is sure to become a well recognized brand. Visit her website to read Chapter One of her new book, Shedding the Corporate Bitch: Shifting Your Bitches to Riches in Life and Business!

Next is Phyllis Walker, a threefold entrepreneur and award winning fine art photographer. She owns Hummingbird Studios and her journey from domestic violence survivor to fine art photographer will truly leave you inspired and believing you can do anything you set your mind to do. Her art is intricately woven within her profession and she shares these gifts with women of domestic violence through her non-profit organization, ESPERANZA, A Woman's Hope, Inc., which offers scholarships to survivors of abuse returning to school to gain new work skills in order to become financially independent.

And last but not least, I'm pleased to introduce Anita Paul, owner of The Write Image, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to helping budding and experienced authors tell their individual stories! "We all have a story to tell" Anita believes and it shows through her dedication and commitment to the written word. Let me just say as an aspiring author, I receive her newsletter and it's awesome! She writes and counsels with wit, intelligence and bulldog tenacity! Visit Anita in her personal web space, The Write Image.

Feel fee to share their stories with your Facebook friends!

Have you met anyone really interesting lately? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

Until next time...