Small Business Profile - Mississauga's TUIT Tasks Home Handyman/Renovations Services
/In conversation with Mississauga entrepreneur Kristi Rajala
1. What exactly does your business do?
TUIT Tasks provides professional, skilled help with home owners to-do lists for home maintenance to full renovations. We help with things that you said you would build, fix, paint and assemble when you got a ROUND TUIT.
2. What inspired you to start your business?
This family went through some difficult times and we needed an opportunity to build something that made us feel good about our careers. After a job at the local hospital was contracted out leading to job loss, we wanted to show our children that building resilience is important. We asked ourselves what makes us happy, and what skillset do we have to pursue that happiness. Handy husband/Dad turned Handyman/General Contractor.
3. How has your business adapted to the new world?
Bitter or better, it’s a choice. We have opted to choose better. We know that people will continue to have a need for emergency home maintenance or renovation services. We opted to keep our children home for on-line schooling and only send Dan out to help home owners with a new regime of sanity conscious service standards. We are respectful of others personal safety as well as our home/family.
4. What are you most proud of from a business perspective?
The fact we marketed our family business as a family first business. We want people to know who we are at the root of our family. Same morals, ethics, values for our personal life that we apply to our professional life. We are also an animal rescue family. Our 10 year old son, Will, and his 17 year old sister, Jada, run a rescue called Good Will Good Karma. Our business is based on our commitment to good karma. TUIT Tasks and Good Will Good Karma work together to volunteer, educate and build a better future for local rescue animals. Example, we rebuild cat posts for the rescue cats and repair damage done to walls, trim, carpet as anxious rescue pups adjust to their new homes. Our children have raised and donated over $20,000 in donations and supplies to local rescues in last 3 years. Both also have earned their tool belts and can work alongside Daddy.
5. What's been the largest obstacle to overcome and how did you do it?
Finding tradespeople who have the work ethic we pride ourselves on. We want skilled trades but even more important, trustworthy, reliable, punctual and strong family values – also MUST LOVE DOGS (and cats) People trust us. We need professional skillsets and yet also strong, core personal skills. A very challenging task we regret. But we can confidently say we now have that team!
6. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Attitude of gratitude. Always be grateful for what you have now and get excited about the difference your business or product or service can make if done from a genuine place. Be kind. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are right! Give back to your community. Shop local, support local. (must add, adopt don’t shop) We do not need to compete in business. There is more than enough to go around. We need to support each other and build people up. It’s just good karma.
7. What message do you have for the community as we continue to navigate the global pandemic?
See opportunities to reconnect with yourself and those closest to you. Stay humble. Make home a happy place. Turn on some music. Open the blinds. Hang a bird feeder. Write a letter. Feel accomplished as you knock some things of your to-do list. Add personal care to your to-do list! Take moments to reflect on what is good about this change. What doors are opening instead of what has closed. Make new memories. Change your passwords to something that inspires you. Check on your neighbours. Make sure you laugh, often. If you want to see first-hand how this can help you navigate your life in a pandemic, visit our page on Facebook. TUIT Tasks and/or our rescue, Good Will Good Karma.
