Meet the Artist: Kenneth L. Keith
A "Little" Business
Fitting the Pieces Together
Have you ever longed to create a "little business" that might entertain you in retirement while bringing in a bit of extra cash? I often dreamed of doing just that over decades of helping other people make their fortunes.
But when I was finally preparing to retire, I wondered what kind of business would be successful during the COVID pandemic. Not only successful, but also fun to create and manage. It didn't take long till I knew just what I wanted to do.
My "Bright Idea"
For the Love of Puzzles
There's so much that my husband, Joe, and I love about puzzles:
- They bring people together.
- They challenge our brains.
- They provide a safe space for conversation with kids even when they aren't feeling very chatty with their parents.
- They provide entertainment for family and friends at soup-and-puzzle parties.
- They create a meditative experience when done alone.
- They're usually made of environmentally friendly materials.
- They can be shared and reused until they're worn out; then they can be recycled (or even composted).
So, when it was time to figure out what my "bright idea" for a new business should be, puzzles were a natural fit.
It's Complicated
And Then Some...
Getting a puzzle business off the ground turned out to be complicated, expensive, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
The other day, a friend asked, "What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a puzzle business?"
"Don't do it!" I said, only half joking.
Starting a puzzle company takes a large investment of time and money — far more of both than I had initially imagined. It also takes persistence and a massive dose of faith that, when you leap, the net will appear.
Because, at some point, despite all the planning and negotiating and nail-biting and second-guessing and third-guessing, leaping becomes essential if you're ever going to create that first puzzle.
Committed to Quality
My Promise to You
TOOZLE is evolving daily, and some things will change for sure. But one thing I refuse to change is the commitment to quality. When you purchase a TOOZLE puzzle, I want you to be confident that you're getting your money's worth — and then some.
A spin around Amazon will show you that there are a lot of puzzles that cost far less than a TOOZLE. But the old adage holds true in puzzles as in anything else: You get what you pay for:
- TOOZLE puzzle pieces are thick, and the paper is firmly attached.
- Our boxes are sturdy and gift-able.
- Our posters are large so you can see where each piece goes.
- Our frameable collector's cards are unique (unless/until someone copies them).
- We provide STEAM content that might just spark an interest in you or your child to learn more about the puzzle topic.
Buy Local
Whenever You Can
Today, TOOZLE Puzzles are not only available for sale on this website and on Amazon, they're also in stores in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Corridor as well as in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin (and more to come). Please support the stores that are taking a chance on this small, woman-owned business. You can see the store locations on our Stores page.
Thank you!
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TOOZLE STEAM Puzzles is a woman-owned-and-operated small business based in Iowa City, Iowa.
