Monday, December 29, 2008

New business opportunity for women

Thinking about your New Year's Resolution? What to you see for yourself in 2009? Want more joy, success, and additional income?

Consider having your own small business.

TOMBOY TOOLS® is a tool and home improvement company for women, by women, providing a unique range of private-labelled hand tools for home improvement projects. Our primary business is to provide the highest quality tools and techniques to women, empowering them to become confident and competent homeowners through our In-Home Workshops - Tool Parties!

We are dedicated to empowering women, both in their pursuit of hands-on education as do-it-herself-ers, and for those seeking to grow their incomes through a successful home-based business. Contact me for more details on how you can start your own small business for only $199.00 + shipping/handling. Earn while you learn, enjoy terrific support and training, schedule your business to fit your life, no probation period, no territories, you earn full commission from day 1, and you decide how successful you want to become.

Women. Tools. Knowledge. Pass it on.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Announcing the 12 Days of Christmas....

Check out www.tomboytools.ca and enter... a winner will be drawn daily between Dec. 12-23! Great prizes to be had, full details on the website. Good luck!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

And there went October


Time seems to be blurring. Our weather is turning down-right chilly, most of the leaves have fallen, and we've already had our first winter storm (complete with power outages). October was busy with new products being unveiled, sales of our exclusive engraved Breast Cancer hammer, promotion of our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and Halloween. On that fun Friday, I unabashedly dressed up for my day-job office work as a landscaper! - wearing my Tomboy Tools kneepads, t-shirt, ballcap, canvas apron (loaded with our gardening tools), and carrying a watering can and a TT bucket with more fun tools and catalogues. There are SO many people that have never even heard of Tomboy Tools!

Oh, and did you happen to see our pink 13oz. hammer in Oprah's magazine?!?! Very nice.


Check out my website for more updates, photos, and the current specials.

k

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Want to have a party and wonder who to invite?

List 40 guests in 4 minutes

Why 40? Usually only half of those invited will be able to attend. By inviting 40 guests, you will ensure the success of your party. Sound difficult to do? Not really, give it a try!

Can you name:
• 4 Relatives
• 4 Friends
• 4 Co-Workers
• 4 Neighbours
• 4 Contacts from your Church
• 4 Social Group Contacts
• 4 Contacts through Children
• 4 Contacts from Places you do Business (Bank, Post Office, Fitness
• 4 Significant Other's Co-Workers
• 4 People to whom you send Holiday Cards

Remember, no one is ever insulted by an invitation! And a follow up phone call after your invitation and right before your party is usually best to ensure your party’s success!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Day 2: Petawawa Showcase

Saturday, September 13, 2008, and the early morning is dawning cloaked in fog. The Showcase, a major local consumer show, started yesterday in the Petawawa Civic Centre. Visitors came in a steady stream and perused the booths showing everything from foods, a Snowbird plane, hot tubs, HVAC equipment, travel services, financial planning, to military-related organizations and support.

My team-mate, Teresa, is based in Petawawa, and it made perfect sense for me to travel here to help her out - partly because I knew that running a booth over 3 days takes at least 2 people, but mostly because I wanted to help her make a successful splash in the area. With so many ladies being left behind to hold the fort while their guys are called away to military installations abroad, I forecast a burst of interest in Tomboy Tools this weekend.

Wouldn't it be nice to have one more support network available when your other half is away? Tomboy Tools can be a way to meet other women and give you a opportunity to find the resources needed to take care of your home. It can even be a great business that will fit with YOUR schedule. While offering people an opportunity to invest in great tools to help care for their home, you'll be helping others to network, share information, support each other, and gain self-confidence. We all do this for different reasons... and get paid for it! How nice is that?!

Today the Showcase runs from 10am to 6pm. Tomorrow it's from 10am to 5pm. And it's FREE to get in!

Come see Teresa and I in the Tomboy Tools booth! We have a wide selection of our tools on display, ready for you to try them out.

We hope to see you there!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Spring has arrived with a flurry of activity!

Wow, May 1st. Summer's around the corner and there's so much to do to get ready for it. It's the last push at school for the kids; extra-curricular activities have sprouted all over the calendar; the house, lawn and garden all look like they need a good shake & a brisk cleaning. Inside work, outside work, laundry on the clothesline (mmmmm, smells so good), and the hours on tech support trying to get the highspeed connection to the internet. **sigh** That was a tough one, but as of this morning, it seems to be working!!! YAY! enough of that dial-up!

With the weather turning milder, our thoughts turn to projects and home improvements. We inspect our homes to see what didn't survive the winter, and start drafting our 'to do' list. (or for some, a 'honey do' list!)

When considering materials and supplies, don't forget to review your tools. See if any are missing, or in need of replacement. Maybe it's time to invest in some new hand tools, or a power tool to get the job done.

Tomboy Tools has had a busy winter. The green catalogue has been replaced by a blue version that includes information for customers, hostesses, and potential consultants. Most of the information in the green catalogue is still valid - please check with your Home Consultant for updates.


After much research and testing, there are new tools and combination kits available.
The PINK BODY POCKET now comes in 2 varieties, one with the Torpedo Level, the other with the Ratcheting Screwdriver. Our line-up now includes a SPEED SQUARE, a FOLDING SAW, a PINK GARDEN BUCKET, a CSA-approved PINK HARDHAT, and la piece de resistance..... an 8v PINK LITHIUM-ION IMPACT DRIVER! This is the first pink power tool around, ever!

Our line-up of tools just keeps getting better and better. You've got to try them, to get the full impact of their ergonomic design, superior quality, and the simple fact that they've been designed with WOMEN in mind. Working with a good tool makes it easier on our body, and when we're not distracted by trying to handle an over-sized, over-powered, or over-weighted tool, we can have a lot of fun!

Please refer to my calendar (web.295.ca/events) and call me to book a time for YOUR tool party, and let's get you off to a great start. It's a fun way to learn about using tools safely, compare stories, pick up tips and tricks, and visit with other interesting women in a relaxed, low-pressure environment.

Turn the place you LIVE into the place you LOVE!
Karen D.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Spring is in the Air

At last, the snow is starting to melt and the daylight hours are creeping later into the evening. Very rejuvenating! Makes a gal want to jump into the deep end with a reno!

An impromptu, yet mandatory one has happened at home with new eave vents, insulation, vapour barrier, drywall and inexpensive laminate flooring to my office. Now with a pale buttery-lemon wall colour, it's the brightest room in the house, even with it's single north-facing window! Hopefully help will be available tonight to move the furniture back in and I can get everything out of the dining room!

Chalk up another project on the experience list: I finally had a chance to put my Tomboy Tools 2.5" sash brush to good use, cutting and painting casing, baseboards, and 1/4 round trim. All I can say is WOW!!! My old favourite brush is now relegated to crappy jobs like staining outdoor wood, or the glue pot.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Big Event on the Horizon

Excitement is in the air - only 9 days until the Ottawa Home and Garden Show! The Corporate Team will be in town for this 4-day event that runs from March 21 to 24 at the Lansdowne Park complex. The OHG website indicates that Tomboy Tools will occupy booth 3008B in the Exhibition Hall. Head down the first aisle on your left when you enter the Hall. Right next to the Habitat for Humanity booth!

I'm as excited as a bride-to-be - you know, figuring I'm prepared, with a good idea of what's in store, but knowing full-well that some unexpected fun stuff is likely too. I can't wait to introduce everyone to Tomboy Tools. What's not to like? Fun parties, awesome tools, great prices, and did I mention fun parties?

The news about Tomboy Tools is going to explode through the Ottawa area like a canon ball in a pool! Especially when people catch our founder, Lori Mitchell, on stage doing her presentation. Check out the EVENTS page of my website for more details: http://web.295.ca/karend1231 www.toolpartiesbykaren.com/events.html

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Karen D.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

You've come a long way, baby!

Today, I did a quick google.ca search for my "karen donaldson tomboy tools" and POW! there was my blog in the number 1 spot! The wave of interest in Eastern Ontario will be growing with the all the glowing media from recent home shows and interviews, so I'll be more diligent about posting news for the Ottawa area ladies!

Whowee, I've alot of catching up to write. It's now 3 months since I signed up, and in reflection, I've come a long way. There's been much to learn about the company, the tools, marketing techniques, and general small business stuff. I've held parties, had display tables in local Christmas craft fairs, got myself onto facebook.com, started using an awesome online invitation service, and even built my first website (web.295.ca/karend1231)!

I made sure everyone received their orders in time for Christmas, then settled back to enjoy my family over the holidays. And now it's January, and I'm ramping up for what I hope will be a busy year. I look at this fabulous opportunity to help women be more confident, self-sufficient, and knowledgeable... and have to remind myself to take one step at a time. I have so many ideas ... What I really could use is a little time to develop a plan. Hmmmm, my schedule seems open at around 2:30am. Right, then.

The Metcalfe Curling Club has generously permitted me to set up a display table so I can introduce their members to the Tomboy Tools line-up. Last night went very well, with several ladies signing up for our newsletter, some indicated their interest in an upcoming workshop that I'm planning, others want to buy tools, and even one lady proclaimed that anyone who knows her would agree that for years she'd been stating that she should be selling tools. I'll be following up with all of them in the VERY near future. It's so fun to see others getting excited about this stuff!

Upcoming are some private parties, and the Ottawa Home and Garden show (THAT's going to be a really big, interesting event!!!), and plans are underway for a workshop for gals interested in making concrete + mosaic tile garden stepping stones. If you're interested, send me an email at toolpartiesbykaren@gmail.com. And contact me if you're interested in having a party - their lots of fun. Check out my website for more info.

I'll sign off with one of the TT slogans:
Helping you turn the place you LIVE, into the place you LOVE.