Black Friday Could Have Small Businesses Giving Thanks To Google and American Express

Small businesses rejoice!

- Are you a small business that would love to extend the reach of your business?
- Do you think your small business has a big story to tell?
- Are you handy enough to film a short video?

Well, then the current promotion being sponsored by Google and American Express is right up your alley.

Together, they have launched a program called, "My Business Story." Small businesses are encouraged to create a video which talks about the following:

- The role their business plays in their community
- The superb customer service they offer their clients
- An innovative angle that differentiates their small business from competitors

Tell your story on YouTube and you might just be one of 36 lucky winners to win a $5,000 online ad campaign (search, banners, videos) free of charge. Even better, your business will be featured on the front page of YouTube on 11/25, more commonly known in the shopping circles, as "Black Friday."

Now that's something to give thanks for.

Check out the details of this promotion at their website and on the video below and, be sure to get your entry in by 11/15.

Glee Says Be a Humanitarian ... Not a Sue

Alright, it's time for a confession ... I'm a Gleek. I love Glee. I really do. The characters are totally engaging to the point where I feel their pain, their happiness, their anger. Like the episode this past week when Kurt was being bullied. I actually teared up a bit, realizing how mean people can be just because someone is different ... too tall, too short, too heavy, too skinny, too gay, too smart, too naive. Chances are that most of us have been bullied at some point in our past.

That's what I truly like about Glee - that they are not afraid to tackle contemporary issues head on. Each week, they deliver a message to all of us. Yet, they do so in a way that we are totally entertained while being educated.

I really didn't need another reason to like Glee, but they provided me with one anyway when they teamed up with American Express in the Members Project. Not only is this effort truly humanitarian, but it is also a wonderfully executed campaign, which they have brought to life on Facebook, YouTube, television, banner ads, on a user-generated site, through a sweepstakes, and on their own web page.  The advertising is written, directed and produced by the Glee creative team and, not surprisingly, features all of the actors and actresses we have come to know and love. Ads are masterfully woven into previews of upcoming episodes, as well as during the show itself.

The goal?

To get every Gleek out there to work together to do good in their community. As they say in all their materials, "A small step can make a big difference."  At the time of this blog, 1,159 people had shared their stories.  Oops - change that to 1,160. I just added one of my volunteer stories to the site.

So, go out there and do something great. It doesn't have to be huge; it just has to be something that has the capacity to brighten one person's day ... even if only for a fleeting moment.

As I am often prone to saying:

Change the world ... one person at a time.