As a parent of a 3-year-old and as a New England transplant, Karen Toussaint was looking for a directory where she could get information on area doctors, children's stores, and schools. Although she had the phone book at her disposal, it proved too big and cumbersome to look through all the time.
With her sister, who was also a new parent, Toussaint came up with the idea of having a phone book for parents. That was in 1992, and 14 years later the business she created out of making a phone directory for parents is still thriving.
"I really believe in what it does. It's not a business to me," the Vienna resident said.
Toussaint developed The Parent Pages to pair area parents of school-aged children with the many resources available for them in the region.
Although several publications in Northern Virginia already exist to serve area parents, many of them are periodicals that come out monthly or seasonally. Toussaint's directory acts like a phone book.
THE CURRENT edition contains information from adoption and amusement rentals to tennis and tutoring.
"They've got a consolidated resource that they can refer to," Toussaint said.
Published annually, The Parent Pages started out as a directory for Northern Virginia in 1992, but it grew to include the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland.
Parents can pick up The Parent Pages for free at area schools, libraries, doctor’s offices and real estate agents' offices, or wherever they're distributed throughout the year.
"It's just a real nice source that seems to focus on a real nice arena," said Grace McMullin of the Vienna-based Mindworks, a tutoring service.
While parents will occasionally call Toussaint to ask for an updated directory or congratulate her for the resource, they don't realize the directory is a one-woman effort. When Toussaint began working on the directory, she was surprised at the response of area businesses. For three weeks in 1992, she went from door to door looking for advertisers, and she discovered that businesses also liked the idea of having a single directory for parents.
Within two weeks, the business was up and running.
"Looking back, I don't know why it worked, but I have to say it was strength of conviction," Toussaint said.
Since then, Toussaint has continued to work on the directory out of her house, so she can be available for her son Jake, who is now 16.
TOUSSAINT'S BUSINESS garnered recognition from the National Women's Business Center in Washington, D.C., in May 2002, when it awarded her third place for its Entrepreneurial Visionary Award.
Toussaint's goals for The Parent Pages are to develop the Web site and expand distribution. With her most recent issue, The Parent Pages started using full color.
Toussaint's ultimate goal is to get The Parent Pages in every home in the Washington metropolitan area.
"She is one that is able to work with small companies and large companies," said McMullin, a parent who used the directory for planning her child's parties and for looking for a karate instructor.
"Knowing that she's in my haunts in Virginia, I know she's going to put out those books right where my clients are looking," McMullin said.
Linda Bobb, office manager for Springfield and Burke dentist Scott Leaf, agreed. Leaf's office has gotten several clients from its listing in The Parent Pages, and Toussaint also provides copies that can be distributed to parents.
"It's a wonderful resource for us to be able to share," said Bobb.
Like McMullin, Bobb has used the directory for herself, to find specialists for her son.
"Karen's great to work with," Bobb said.