Tools for women

An update from the do-it-herself front: Tomboy Tools and Barbara K are tapping into the female half of the home improvement market.

In March of last year, we spotted Tomboy Tools‘ dedicated home improvement tools for women, and Home Depot’s home improvement night classes for girls and women, which were just two examples of how even the most conservative, male-dominated industries are discovering that there’s another 50% to their target audience. What happened since? Well, for one, we spotted Barbara Kavovit, (a.k.a. Barbara K), a former head of a major New York City construction firm, who right now seems to be Tomboy’s main competition. Her business in her own words: “do-it-yourself home repair and home improvement tool kits take away the ‘fear factor’ and empower women with clear and simple day to day household solutions.” Example? How about a 30-piece do-it-yourself kit that comes with a 84-page exclusive Barbara K Guide to Simple Home Repair? Meanwhile, Tomboy Tools is not resting on its laurels: the company actively promotes its Tomboy Tools Workshop, a Tupperware-style training and incentive program for independent Tomboy representatives. There’s a lot of construction going on in this space!

Opportunities