commercial photographer – Page 2

January 26, 2017November 1, 2017

Mint Salon | Small Business Feature | Decatur IL

You guys!!!!! I’ve been waiting excitedly to share Mint Salon with you. I’m a bit biased toward this gorgeous salon since my hair stylist (aka hair artist/magician) Katie is there but I have to say I’ve heard over and over again how much my clients and friends love all the gals here. And brides, seriously there is NOT a more adorable salon for you and they have the state of the art SalonTouch Studio software that facilitates communicating your desires to the hairdresser, perfect for getting ready on your big day!

The Details: Mint Salon, Brook, Randi, Katie, Lydia and Ashely | In Business: 4 years

Hours: Vary per stylist on Tuesday through Saturday| Location: 363 S. Main St. Suite 409| Phone: Vary per stylist

Tell us about your business… What do you do? We are a locally owned salon offering hair-cuts, color, specialty styles, makeup, facial waxing, nails and pedicures.

What makes your business unique/special? We stay up to date on current trends and styles. Also our salon vibe is a vintage chic style.

See clearly the rest of Decatur knows how awesome this place is! Voted #1 in the Herald and Review Reader’s Choice 2015:

What item/service on your menu or in your shop do you just LOVE and think everyone needs? We LOVE a good blow out! It’s the perfect way to start off your weekend or to make it less work for you to style over the next couple days.

In what way have you gone above/beyond in the past for a customer? We offer classes and parties for friends to learn new tips & tricks. This also gives them the opportunity to socialize and have a little fun with their friends.

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? We have had numerous great/cool things that our clients have done for us over the years. From jobs for family members, gifts, and concert tickets! We love our Mint clients!

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? OPI nail polish and Kenra hair products are our go-to products that we could just not do without!

What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? Paco’s Sol Bistro and Donnie’s Pizza are our number one places to hangout and relax after a long week!

WHY did you choose to do what you do? We love people and love creating art out of hair.

When did you know you wanted to go into this business? From a young age I think we have all loved makeup, hair, and fashion. This is the best!

What are you passionate about outside of your business? Family, friends, music and of course a little shopping addiction as well.

Describe your PERFECT day… Brunch at the Blue Spoon, hanging at the pool with the family and some wine on the patio!

Introduce us to your STAFF…

Brook Banning– I’ve been doing hair for 14 years!! My reward and fav thing being a hair stylist is styling out the finished product of my cut and color! Outside of hair I absolutely love traveling so I can enjoy my favorite things like quality time with my kids, shopping, dancing, the beach and music!

Ashley Brown– I’ve been doing hair for almost 4 years. I love doing bright and fun colors. When I’m not at the salon, I like working on my new house and lounging with my animals.

Lydia Gentry-Nail tech at Mint Salon. I have been in the industry for 17 years. I have been at Mint since we opened 4 years ago. I love being the best part of my client’s day!!

Kara Williams– My favorite part of being a hairstylist is doing Upstyles such as weddings & proms. A little fun fact about me…I started college as a music major, so I love singing and enjoy a good family karaoke session.

Randi Johnston– I’ve been doing hair for 10 years and I love new color trends especially balayage and hair painting. When I’m not busy with my toddlers I love crafting, playing with makeup and decorating my house!

Katie Fucinari-Hair and makeup artist. I have been doing hair and makeup for ten years and specialize in bridal makeup. When I’m not in the salon I love to spend time with friends and family! Fun fact about me is I would love to own a old school muscle car!

See the latest news at:

http://www.mintsalondecatur.com/blog/

facebook.com/mintsalondecatur

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog

August 25, 2016November 10, 2017

Millie & Bo’s Pet Barkery | Small Business Feature

It’s time again for us to focus on another favorite local business in Decatur! This month we’re looking at someplace special for your fur babies, Millie & Bo’s Barkery. They have everything you need to spoil, treat and pamper your pooches (especially after a vet visit at Northgate Pet Clinic across the lot).

The Details: Charlene Fitzpatrick, Manager at Millie & Bo’s Pet Barkery | In Business: 14 years

Hours: T-F 9-5:30, Sat 9-3| Locations: 2890 N MLK Jr Drive, Decatur IL (located in Northgate Pet Plaza) | Phone: 217-872-1111

Tell us about your business…What do you do? Millie & Bo’s Barkery is an upscale dog bakery and boutique in Decatur, IL. We bake dog treats, sell unique dog toys, as well as greeting cards, and dog themed jewelry. We also have a large variety of dog-clothes in our store and we also offer unique gifts for that dog-lover in your life. We also sell dog food, including Fromm and Hill’s Science Diet.

What makes your business unique/special? Millie & Bo’s offers all-natural dog treats, most of which are made in-store. We also offer treats with frosting if you are looking for something a little extra-special for your pooch. We also offer unique products for your pooch, majority of which are made in the USA… and there’s a set of big hedgehog cages in case customers need some cuteness and a cheerful charge for a day.

In what way have you gone above and beyond in the past for a customer? We go above and beyond for customers by bringing in special order items that we don’t normally carry. We try to make sure we offer one-on-one service with all customers because we want everyone to love our store just as much as we do. We want to always make sure that our customers are happy when they leave our store.

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? Someone brought us homemade cookies at Christmas last year.

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? Why? I would say Beachy’s in Arthur because they supply us with all of our cooking necessities.

What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? Millie & Bo’s employees are frequent visitors at Coffee Connection for all of our lunch needs! And they also hand out our cookies to all of their visitors with dogs.

WHY did you choose to do what you do? My dream job came true at Millie & Bo’s. I started working as a baker here and then I was able to move into a managerial position. I love working with dogs and always being able to please my customers. And best of all, I get to bring some of my dogs to work!

When did you know you wanted to go into this business? Our goal at Millie & Bo’s is to provide fun in your pet’s life. Angee Baker is our owner and she started this business and named it after her two dogs at the time, Millie & Bo. Ten percent of our profits will always be given to animal care agencies!

What are you passionate about outside of your business? We are passionate about sponsoring and supporting dog-related events throughout Decatur, IL.

Describe your PERFECT day… A gratifying day is when we are able to have a lot of customers bring their dogs in!

Introduce us to your STAFF…

Charlene Fitzpatrick, Manager– Charlene has 9 dogs: 7 miniature dachshunds and 2 standard poodles. Charlene was also born and raised in Burbank, California.

Alexa Jones, Sales Associate/Baker– Alexa has two miniature Australian Shepherds named Redd and Blue. She attends Eastern Illinois University when she is not baking dog treats.

Nikki Macke, Sales Associate/Baker– Nikki has a lab mix named Murphy who she loves to take on long walks and she also enjoys spending time with her sons Adam and Max!

Gillian Jones, Sales Associate/Baker– Gillian is Alexa’s little sister and she will be playing volleyball at Parkland this fall.

*** They even have special pieces to help you remember your beloved pets once they’ve passed…

See the latest news at:

http://www.millieandbosbarkery.com/

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog

March 6, 2014

| Decatur IL Small Business | The Secret Garden Florist |

It’s SMALL BUSINESS FEATURE time! This month, I’m so excited to bring you one of Decatur’s finest florists, The Secret Garden. Lori & Michael are so much fun and are really big supporters of growth and development in our area (which y’all know I love). That’s actually how I reconnected with these two in time to bring you their feature this month; we ran into each other at Millikin’s Micro Business Roundtable event last month and with the cold weather out I figured they would be the perfect business to feature in March so we can get a little reminder of the spring beauty that is just around the corner! Well, enough from me, let’s hear from Lori!

the secret garden, decatur il florist, small businesses, small business owner, sarah jane photography, sjanephotography.com, sarah jane, sjp, small business feature, millikin small business, micro business network, mbn, micro business, millikin, flower arrangements, gift shop decatur il, central il florist, best florist, send flowers, flower delivery decatur il, florist, floral design

DON’T MISS THIS DEAL JUST FOR SJP READERS: MENTION “SJP” FOR 10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE IN MARCH!

The Details: Lori & Michael Barrett , Owners/Operators at The Secret Garden | In Business: 25 Years, Lori & Michael purchased the business in January 2010.

Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:30 – 5:00, Friday 8:30 – 6:00, Saturday 9:00 – 2:00, Closed Sunday | Location: 1215 E. Pershing Rd. | Phone: 217-875-9038

Tell us about your business… What do you do? We make people smile! The Secret Garden is unique in its variety of gifts and offerings. We carry an array of Fresh Flowers, Permanent Botanicals, Green and Blooming Plants, Collectibles, Gifts, Balloons, Tasty Treats, and so much more. You never know what you will find when you come into the Secret Garden. We delivery all of the items we sell to Decatur and the surrounding areas.

Can I just stop to say I LOVE the first sentence of Lori’s reply ‘We make people smile!” She goes on to tell you how they do that, but their focus is truly to make you smile and what better business model is there?!?

We are also a full service wedding and event florist. Offering full wedding set up, tear down, rental, and on trend designs. For brides on a budget we offer package deals that cover all of their floral needs but help with keeping the costs low. For the DIY bride we offer bulk flowers. We order, inspect, and process the flowers for the Bride. Then they pick up the flowers and create their own wedding flowers.

What makes your business unique/special? We have 3 Illinois Certified Florists and 1 certified balloonist on Staff at The Secret Garden. This is a certification offered by the Illinois State Florist Association. After completing a series of courses and tests in design, care and handling, wedding and event work, funeral arrangements, and basic business skills the certificate is awarded. Our balloonist attended classes at Burton and Burton in Georgia. She studied techniques, trends, and tips to create balloon arches, sculptures, and more. Her ribbon can be seen on stage at Come Together Lets Walk in June.

What item or service on your menu or in your shop do you just LOVE and think everyone needs? Flowers of course! If everyone had flowers on their table in the morning or on their desk at work the world would be a happier place. You would not believe the power of a flower. It can comfort the grieving, give hope to the sick, fill a bride with joy, celebrate a moment in time, and make even the gloomiest of days bright.

“You would not believe the power of a flower.” – Lori

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? Bring their friends! We are always honored when folks come in and show off our store. They walk around like a tour guide and tell their friends how much they love our stuff. It’s humbling knowing that people love what we do as much as we do.

Amen sister! It really is an amazing feeling to have someone love your work as much as you do and love it enough to share it with friends and family.

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? Why? Our coolers! Our coolers are essential in keeping our flowers fresh and long lasting. When one goes down it always makes for a long day. Without our coolers we could not do what we do.

What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? Oh wow, this is a tough one. We work with so many it would be impossible to decide. We have partnered with local bakers, photographers, dress shops, and so much more. We believe that supporting small business is the best way to give back to the community. (You all know I agree 100% with that!)

Introduce us to your STAFF…
Carol ~ Shop manager and an Illinois Certified Professional Florist. Carol has worked at the shop for 15 years.

Sheryl ~ She is a Certified Balloonist and lead designer. Sheryl has worked at The Secret Garden for 20 years! Certified Balloonist?!?! My job is fun, but that sounds awesome! How on earth could you have a bad day as a certified balloonist?!?

The Amy’s ~ Amy H ~ Amy calls herself “lead grunt” she works for major holidays and some Saturdays. She does it all, phone, delivery, and some designing.

Amy G – Our newest staff member – She loves to spread smiles by delivering flowers. She is in training for a sales position and may someday become a designer.

Tell us about YOU… WHY did you choose to do what you do? Michael and I stumbled into this opportunity and fell in love with flowers. We enjoy working together and seeing our vision take shape.

When did you know you wanted to go into this business? We both worked for corporations in the past. In the evenings we would discuss our day and see the mistakes that big companies make. Not valuing their employees, poor planning, unrealistic goals. We always felt that if we went out on our own we could do things differently and become successful.

What are you passionate about outside of your business? Our kids! We have 3 and they keep us busy when we are not at work. Our “eldest” is in 10th grade at MacArthur, the “middle one” is 6th grade at Dennis and our “Boy” is in 3rd grade, also at Dennis.

Describe your PERFECT day… When you are surrounded by flowers it’s hard not to have good days just about every day. I think we will see a PERFECT day when we retire. We will be able to look back on our business, see the impact on other people’s lives, and know that we did what we set out to do… make people smile!

Well there you have it, a great look inside the shop of The Secret Garden. I highly suggest you make it a point to stop in and see them very soon! As you can see their store is beautiful. One of my favorite parts is the open view of the design area where while you’re browsing you can watch new designs and custom orders being made by these very skilled designers.

You’ll also want to like The Secret Garden Page on Facebook where you can get in on some amazing deals like their $5 Fridays, Birthday celebrations and Name Days!

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS: If you’d like to have your business featured on the SJP blog please visit the following link to download the information/questionnaire form which you can email back to mail@sjanephotography.com. We are now booking for 2014 features and showcase one business each month. Your feature includes FREE 20 minute location shoot by Sarah Jane Photography, blog and facebook feature and web images to use on your online spaces (facebook/website/etc). Our business features are now also being published monthly at www.redecatur.com!

Download the information here:https://www.dropbox.com/s/urr7zdkh64szon7/MarketingBusinessFeatures.doc