The surveys are in: 80 percent of women will plan a home improvement project in the next year; 60 percent of women say their skills are intermediate to expert and 25 percent say they do all or most home improvement projects themselves, according to market researcher Roper ASW.

It's pretty obvious women are just as likely as men -- if not more so -- to be do-it-yourself homeowners.

It stands to reason then that they also need the right tools for the job -- not tools made for men but finished in pink plastic.

We are talking real tools for real women who perform real home improvement projects.

Tomboy Tools Inc. recently relaunched it's online store to extol the virtues of not only the right tool for the right job, but the right tool for the right sex.

According to founders Sue A. Wilson, (president and CEO), Janet M. Rickstrew, (COO), Mary C. Tatum (Chief Technology Officer) and it's all female staff of women homeowners, the Denver-based company provides only tools that are ergonomically engineered with durable form and function, but are also an easy fit for a woman's smaller hand, are easy to store and perhaps most of all, are "NOT PINK," the company insists.

From a simple hammer to power tools, the company's most unique product is its combo sets or kits of tools that take the guesswork out of choosing the right set of tools for the right job. There's the "Beginners Dry Wall Kit," a "Plumbing Kit" and a "Woodworking Kit" among others.

All the tools and kits and other related items are sold online, but in another unique twist -- this one to selling tools -- all the tools, kits and related items are sold during Tupperware-like parties. The tool time parties called In-Home Workshops, come with a tool box of demonstrations and home improvement tips you can use even without purchasing TomBoy Tools' products.

The demonstrations offer show-and-tell education and a shot at some impromptu do-it-yourself activities as well as the opportunity to take the do-it-yourself approach to another level and become your own boss as an independent Workshop Trainer hosting tool parties.

With nearly 150 Workshop Trainers nationwide -- at least one is available in almost every state -- the company also publishes "Tomboy Tools Guide to Home Improvement"; it offers the Tool Talk online discussion forum; and Tom Boy Tips, a well-versed "Light Reading" area that's heavy on useful information.

The Web site's success taps into a trend found in another survey of women. Among 1,012 surveyed, 37 percent said they would prefer to spend their weekend leisure time working on a home improvement project, such as gardening or painting, rather than shopping in a mall (28 percent) or cooking/baking (25 percent).

The American Hardware Manufacturers Association survey also said women accounted for nearly 38 percent of all do-it-yourself product purchases last year.

That's a big chunk of what the Joint Center for Housing at Harvard University calls a $122.3 billion-a-year home improvement industry.

Published: October 16, 2003

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.