Filed under: savvy tools
So, you might have noticed that it’s been awhile since our last post. Well, we’ve been a little busy and felt like a break might be in order. A lot has happened with Savvy Tools over the past year, and we thought it might be time for a change. We’re switching things up and moving to a new blog. Check us out at Savvy Lifestyle!
Filed under: savvy tools | Tags: business partners, LLC, partnerships, starting your own business
I’m proud to announce that on November 1, Savvy Tools will be an official business! We have decided to file with the State of Colorado as a Limited Liability Company (aka LLC). This wasn’t a quick and easy decision…believe it or not, we’ve been discussing our options and learning about the different types of entities for over 3 years! After careful consideration and a lot of conversations with lawyers and eachother, an LLC seemed to suit us best.
If you’re wanting to start your own business and not quite sure how, go to your Secretary of States Business Center’s website. It will teach you all you need to know about the different types of business organizations, trademarks, etc. We’ve learned that one of the most important things when creating a business is it’s Operating Agreement. This agreement is the foundation of your business and lists out how you intend to operate the company and is bound by the signatures of it’s partners. There are thousands of templates online to help get you started…all you have to do is be patient and committed!
Kelsey – Vail, CO
As we mentioned, we’ve been toying around with some ideas for our business cards. These are just to get us by for now. We’ll re-evaluate them when we’re ready to take on the entire company branding. As you can see, there are some double and some single sided options. Any thoughts or opinions you’d like to share with us about these ideas so far?
Rebecca_SF
Filed under: business, design, environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: business cards, FSC, green printer, letterhead, recycled paper, soy inks
We’ve crossed a milestone in our “little” endeavor and it’s about time we have our own business cards! We’ve been meeting a lot of new contacts recently and decided that writing our contact info on the back of reciepts found at the bottom of our purses isn’t the most professional. Little did we know, there are so many choices to choose from in the world of business cards…. one sided, 2 sided, inks, papers, colors, and of course the overall aesthetic of the card.
If you haven’t noticed in our previous posts, we all have what one might call a “greener” conscience. This being said, we’ve decided to go with a company called Greener Printer. This is an eco-friendly online printing company that produces everything recycled from business cards, letterhead, brochures, catalogs, posters, etc. They have 8 different papers to choose from, all of which are 100% recycled or post consumer materials and 4 that are Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. They also have the option of printing with soy or vegetable based inks…. This hardly breaks the surface of the company’s capabilites, environmental impact and green business practices.
I wanted to post the designs we’re leaning toward, but I’m not that computer savvy….hopefully we’ll have something for you to see soon!
Kelsey – Vail, CO
Filed under: savvy tools, Women + Tools | Tags: savvy tools, Women + Tools
I wanted to get some new shots of women with tools for our website, so I pulled together a quick photo shoot with the help of some fantastic friends. We borrowed a friend’s studio and had some fun. Check it out…
and just for fun…
Special thanks to Michael, Christina, Yunyi, and Adie. You guys were great!
Rebecca_SF
Filed under: savvy tools | Tags: colorado state unviersity mechanical engineering, savvy tools
I’ve often heard entrepreneurship compared to a roller coaster ride. We’ve barely begun the process and it already seems to be holding true. In our search for the right prototyping company, we began discussions with Colorado State University’s senior mechanical engineering class. Every year they partner with private businesses to provide real world projects for the students. The experience benefits the kids, there is the potential for job placement in many cases if the project goes well, and the businesses can benefit from the student’s enthusiasm and creative thinking. Some of their past projects have included race cars, sensors for space travel, and many bio-medical tools. It’s obviously a win-win situation for everyone involved and it seemed like the perfect fit for us.
We had hoped to be one of the partner businesses for this school year, but to our surprise, we found out 2 weeks ago that things didn’t pan out. C’est la vie. We’re pursuing the next lead and moving forward. At the very least, the prospect of the partnership helped us kick some things into high gear and get a lot done in a very short amount of time. Sometimes you need that little push to help you get over the next hill.
Rebecca_SF
These days, getting a website up is almost step one to starting a business. As designers, we all have a lot of ideas about what we wanted ours to look like, but with zero experience in programming, it seemed pretty daunting. So, we started out very, very simply. We called in some help from friends and family and we updated our site. You can now check us out at www.mysavvytools.com. It’s a work in progress. We’re learning some more basic software skills, improving the imagery and logos and you’ll be seeing continual changes from here on out. We’re trying to take things one step at a time…
_Rebecca, SF
Filed under: DIY, savvy tools | Tags: Be Jane, home improvement and women, savvy tools
I’m constantly googling women + tools, women + home improvement, etc. to find the latest news, trends etc. in the market. Just recently, I came across www.bejane.com– an online forum to help women with home improvement issues. It was started by Eden Jarrin & Heidi Baker (pictured above) to inspire women and give them the knowledge & confidence to achieve their goals at home and in life. You can get advice on just about any home improvement project you can think of and watch how-to videos for all sorts of things. Not only that, they have a whole section under lifestyles dedicated to going green with instructions on things like how to start composting. I think it would be hard to find another company with a mission more in sync with our own. As to be expected, the forums are filled with women lamenting about the lack of good tools appropriate to their needs. Hopefully, we’ll be able to provide those for them. We’re getting closer, but it’s definitely a long process. In the mean time, check out be jane and tackle your own DIY project.
Rebecca_SF
Filed under: design, environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: Design for Recycling, HP award, ISRI, scrap recycling
I’ve been doing a lot of research on recycled materials lately and came across the “Design for Recycling” Award. This award was created by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) a.k.a. the “voice” of scrap recycling industries. This spectacular award was created to recognize a company that considers end-of-life recyclability in the earliest stages of product design. So far, ISRI has only named 1 company to receive this award … and the winner is HP, which was in 2006.
Design for Recycling is not only an award, it is also a set of guidelines that ISRI has compiled for manufacturers and product designers to consider…
HP has developed standards that integrate clear design guidelines and checklists into every product’s design process to assess and improve recyclability.” Some of the design features include using modular design to allow components to be removed, upgraded, or replaced, eliminating glues and adhesives by using snap-in features, reducing the number and types of materials used, using single plastic polymers and using molded-in colors and finishes instead of paint, coatings, or plating.
Getting more manufacturers to design products for easy recycling could prove to be a very important step toward a green future. I can only dream that Savvy Tools will have the privilege to accept this award some day. Perhaps I’m a little too hopeful, but I don’t think the possibility is too far fetched. To start off, ISRI will consider any company or individual for this award if they practice only 1or 2 of the methods above. In the developemental stages of our product line, we have not only considered all of the points list above, but additional standards (similar to HP’s) for the tools as well as the packaging and our company letterhead. I could only hope that all companies start to follow suit.
Kelsey – Vail, CO
Filed under: environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: Apple, photovoltaic cells, solar mobile devices
According to Forbes & Inhabitat, Apple just filed a patent to add solar cells to their portable devices. Pretty interesting given Apple’s huge impact on the global market and their pretty pitiful environmental record so far. The iPhone and their laptops could be set up with photovoltaic cells stacked underneath the LCD screens. It also refers to etching logos into the PV cells and displaying the performance of the cells next to the battery bar or on the actual cells themselves.
I’m anxiously awaiting the outcome of their efforts. When apple does something, they usually do it right and it could revolutionize both the solar and the mobile device industry. As demand goes up and more products start incorporating it, the price will go down and the cells will get more sophisticated and efficient. This would be a big advantage to Savvy Tools since we’re using solar cells on our own universal charger and we’d rather not charge $200 for it.
Rebecca_ SF
five non blondes 
