Media Release:

About Luke Berry and Toot'nTinkle

Luke Berry Biography
Thinking up 'stupid business ideas' while driving tractors on his family's farm in Gunnedah has worked out wonderfully well for young business entrepreneur Luke Berry. With an eye for business success, it's no wonder the 28 year old is jumping leaps and bounds with his Toot'nTinkle range of toilet training products for children. Toot being for boys and Tinkle for girls, by the way.

While practical and certainly not 'stupid', the toilet kit idea hasn't been an overnight hit. But after three years of hard work and persistence, Berry has developed and refined more than a dozen products, including toilet seats, potties, reward boards and toilet paper – all colour coded in blue and pink of course!

Toys R Us has been supportive in the past but the recent news chain department store Big W has picked up Berry's Ultimate Pack is an early indicator Berry is firmly cementing himself in the business world. The question still remains why on earth would a young single guy from country NSW design a kid's toilet training kit? Of all things! Well, there is a method in the madness.

"My friend Robert and I started our business Innovative Solutions Oceania (ISO) four years ago after securing the rights to an interactive form of advertising called 'Wizmark,' which essentially is a device we sold to pub owners to put into male toilets through which advertisers could record audio commercials and other information.

"We thought we were going to become millionaires but obviously it didn't work out that way. We sold a few thousand, however we couldn't stop drunken teenagers stealing the devices and taking them home to show their mates.

Toot' n Tinkle was born when a family friend wished there was something similar on the market which would encourage her young boys to use the toilet, as toilet training was proving difficult.

And from that one throwaway comment, Berry got to work.

It's the ability to hone in on the market's needs that surely is a crucial part of establishing a successful business in today's consumer driven society. Whilst having a passion and natural flair is fundamental, Berry attributes much of his knowledge to the one year business course he completed at Williams Business College.

"I moved to Sydney to study when I was 19 and then I joined the army – which was really helpful in teaching me about staying disciplined and focused in all areas of my life.

"I also was very lucky to have been involved in the start up of a software company called Marketboomer, which showed me the challenges you can face when setting up a new business.

"I loved my time there and learnt a lot about myself and how to get up and keep going after hitting brick walls. I am still a shareholder of Marketboomer which continues to operate in several countries."

Berry has also started two real estate businesses called Thirdi Property and NextHotSpot. His determination to make an impression on an international scale is also growing momentum after a coffee meeting with the Director of fashion store Barneys on a recent trip to New York.

"I'm also very lucky to have supportive mates," Berry says.

"When I needed to finance the Toot' n Tinkle production for the BIG W order one of my best mates decide to invest and another mate helps out with design.

It seems this is one guy you know is going to make it. With his rugged good looks and down to earth attitude it's definitely a case of 'you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy!'

"I love country life and I'm especially proud of my hometown Gunnedah, it's a place I'll always hold close to my heart.

"My family and friends mean the world to me so having them around is the best support I could ever ask for."

Toot'nTinkle Background
The idea of Toot'nTinkle is to make toilet training fun.

The Ultimate Kits contain Toot'n Tinkle's entire range of toilet training products, including:

• A Toot or Tinkle Potty
• A Toot or Tinkle toilet seat insert
• A Toot or Tinkle Reward board and magical heat sensitive potty sticker
• A Toot or Tinkle colouring set which includes badges, stickers, post cards, pencils and Toilet Training Certificate
• Two Toot or Tinkle toilet paper rolls
• Toot toilet training balls (for Toot ranges only)

Research conducted by Toot'nTinkle shows that parents want a complete system when they start toilet training with their little ones. Parents can quite easily spend hundreds of dollars on toilet training aides, so these Ultimate Packs are fantastic value at $49.95 (RRP) each. These kits are packed full of rewards and is perfect for first time parents or parents experiencing difficulties with toilet training.

Toot'nTinkle is an approved sponsor of the Children Hospital Foundations Australia.
For every order Berry receives from his retail partners Toot'nTinkle donates 5% of the wholesale price to the Children's Hospital Foundations Australia.

"Even though we are still small we wanted to implement this as part of our PR campaign and give something back to the community to thank them for our support," Berry said.

"Nikki Johnston, the national director of the foundation has been amazingly supportive understanding that while we still have to prove our worth, believing our brand has the potential to become a household name is great."

For more information, please visit the Toot'nTinkle website at www.tootntinkle.com and view Toot'nTinkle Toilet Training Tips and our Media Release.

Mum Zone Release Date: 2nd September 2008

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