There seems to be quite a bit of confusion about what a mini blind actually is, and this is not helped by the fact that many manufacturers are marketing blinds as mini blinds, simply because it’s the current catch phrase, when what they are selling are not, in fact, mini blinds. The one defining characteristic of a mini blind is the width of it’s slats. If you see a blind, and the width of it’s slats is larger than 25mm, then it is not a mini blind, it most likely a venetian blind. I think that part of the confusion stems from the fact that the United Kingdom don’t even use the term “mini blind”, they refer to any blind with horizontal slats as a venetian blind, regardless of the width of the slat.
There is also a misconception in the eyes of the general public that a mini blind is a poor mans blind, and is usually only used in cheap motels or backpacker hostels. This is also an untruth, and if you do a bit of research, you will find that there are in fact a large range of wood mini blinds that you can choose from, some of them extremely sophisticated and quite expensive.
The slats of a mini blind are joined together by lengths of string that run vertically down the length of the blind. Each slat has a cord that runs underneath it (sometimes referred to as a ladder cord). At the bottom of the blind is a rail that these cords attach to. As with venetian blinds, there are two separate moving functions available with a mini blind. One is that the slats tilt backwards and forwards, allowing you to choose how much sunlight is filtered through the blinds, and the other is the ability to lift the entire group of slats up and down, giving you an uninterrupted view out your window. 
There are also two different types of mechanisms available for these functions. One is cords that run down one side of your blind, and the other is what is commonly referred to as a “tilt wand”, which is a long stick that can be twisted to operate the slat tilting.
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Mini blinds continue to increase in popularity, and as I’ve said previously, there are now some high quality designs that you can purchase that are too good to be considered cheap mini blinds. The ideal situation for a mini blind is a smaller window. Having thinner slats on a larger window just does not look as effective. There are quite a few different materials that you can get mini blinds in as well, including vinyl mini blinds and aluminium mini blinds.