Northbrook’s Gift To Christmas

Millions of people toil a few days, or more, every year in order to make their homes look just right for the holidays. 

But a local entrepreneur, Dianne Weller, makes the holidays just right year round with her two online businesses, christmasornaments.com and ornamentshop.com. 

The first enterprise is self-explanatory. The second, however, is dedicated to those who seek ornaments that allow one to decorate with a personalized touch. And not just for the year end holidays, but in fall, on Halloween, Valentine’s Day and beyond. 

Weller got her start in the businesses 30 years ago, when she was selling her products in booths at fundraisers, Junior League events and not-for-profit shows.

“One year we did 25 shows, from coast to coast,” Weller said.

She now covers that entire territory 24/7 with the help of small business leader who  took her businesses online in 1999.

The ornament manufacturer runs her business from a office located in her Northbrook home, along with a few 2,000-square-foot warehouses in Lake County.

“You have to be a bit of an entrepreneur,” Weller suggests to people who want to start a business. “And a desire to grow, and have a concept that is interesting to consumers.”

Weller says her sites allow her to nourish her creativity and desire to help others.

Customer loyalty is vital for her business, Weller says, noting her customers come back every year. Their children change, they acquire new pets, and they fulfill new goals that they want to commemorate with an ornament. 

When Weller started her business, she and her husband lived in Lake Forest. But the couple moved to Northbrook because it offers more convenient access to the city, where her husband then worked. Because of the village’s centralized location and ample supply of prospective employees, Weller recommends Northbrook to anyone interested in starting a business. 

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