Hi, this is a new venture for me, blogging, that is. I decided to follow a bit in the steps of a successful business, Velo Orange. Chris had started a few years ago selling a headset spacer for a bicycle bell to mount to in a cleaner, sharper fashion, and grew the business from that small item to a great business. A great website, good information hub, a constant source of fresh ideas and products. Bike frames, a fairly complete line of parts, and a blend of new designs in the spirit of some vintage and classic bicycle parts. Pretty cool growth from a headset spacer.
I had started this past spring selling on eBay a simple component useful to motorcyclists- a tool tube- basically a sturdy canister, good for an extra fuel bottle, some tools, or whatever. I packaged it with good stainless hardware, the stuff I'd be buying for my own motorcycles. I figured I'd sell a few, and be done with it. Apparently, there is a need and desire for this, I've sold enough since then to launch my business, thetooltube.com.
Not being a website designer, and not being able to update my site as readily as I'd like, I need a way to keep my customers current with new products, ideas, and related thoughts.
Currently the business resides in a corner of my garage, and travels to the living room to weigh packages and print postage. Delivery is sometimes handled by my kids, chasing the mailman down the street. I like getting stuff that I order quickly, so I try very hard to get customers orders out asap.
I now am carrying 3 different tool tube sizes, custom made liner bags, 2 sizes of fuel bottles, locking options. Soon to arrive are tool rolls, possibly custom mounting brackets. My catalog link is http://www.thetooltube.com/T3_Catalog.pdf.
I'm experimenting right now with another track for the business, a different market than the motorcycle/ snowmobile / sailboat enthusiasts I'm currently targeting. More on that as it develops.
I welcome ideas for improvements, related products, etc. I hope to post photos of customers tubes, and hopefully some related photos of their stomping grounds- My buyers are from Greece, Chile, Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Canada, Germany- I've been shipping all over- it's definitely time to put up a world map and plug in the pushpins for sales locations!
Devon
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