Direct seller Tomboy Tools has revamped its brand with a new name and logo, as well as expanded product categories and marketing initiatives. The company now operates under the name Project Home, with an approach reflected in its tag line, “Making your vision real.”
CEO Janet Rickstrew and CTO Mary Tatum founded Tomboy Tools in 2002 to supply women with tools designed specifically for them. The company’s unique offerings and home parties earned it a spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s 100 Brilliant Companies list in 2010. In October 2013, Tomboy Tools joined the CVSL Inc. family of companies, a lineup of direct selling brands that includes The Longaberger Company, Your Inspiration at Home, Agel and others. CVSL’s strategy of distinguishing itself through company acquisitions has brought rewards of significant growth. Just last week, CVSL reported second quarter 2014 results with a 19.5 percent increase in gross revenue compared to the second quarter of 2013. CVSL had gross revenue of $24.6 million, compared to gross revenue of $20.6 million in 2013.
The newly unveiled Project Home will offer the company’s signature pink Tomboy Tools under one of six product categories. The brand now encompasses Safety and Security, Beautification, Tool School, Organization, Outdoor and Maintenance. Project Home parties provide education and products tailored to one category, Rickstrew shared in an email to DSN.
The Beautification party, for example, addresses projects customers can do around the home to beautify their surroundings. “This would include painting—we offer several painting tools and a paint partner through which our sales consultants can sell and earn a commission—and projects such as changing or installing window coverings and changing cabinet knobs,” said Rickstrew. “Generally, we show which tools you need and how easy it can be. We combine tools with applications.”
“Do it yourself” projects of all kinds are increasingly ubiquitous, thanks in part to popular web service Pinterest. Dubbed a “visual discovery tool” by its creators, the site allows users to curate and share collections of visual bookmarks or “pins” from around the web. Rickstrew says Pinterest is already a popular tool with Project Home Consultants, and it’s a platform the company plans to tap into on a corporate level as well.
The new name and initiatives enable Project Home to reach a much larger market, and according to Rickstrew initial feedback from the company’s consultants has been enthusiastic. “Some women had no interest in picking up a tool on their own,” she said. “With the new categories, it resonates with a much larger group and expands into the all-inclusive home. I don’t believe there is anyone that doesn’t care about the safety and security of their family and home.”
