In the press

Inspirational Business: O2 Special Supplement - 25th January 2007

"I'd had enough of being let down by unreliable tradesmen"

'I was fed up with the politics and back-stabbing and I'd stopped being true to myself', says Kerrie Keeling, who at 29 decided she had had enough of working in investment banking. Like many entrepreneurs, Kerrie had always wanted to run her own business - but she had never been certain of what type of business to run. "I realised it narrowed down to two choices: I'm a trained scuba diver but didn't think that was useful in London, and I've always done my own repairs and been good at DIY."

After one particularly shoddy company had visited her home her decision was made. "I had had enough of being constantly let down by unreliable tradesmen who left my house in a tip with dirty mugs all over the kitchen and the loo seat up. Then they would still bully me into paying inflated prices for poor workmanship." She says it only took her a week to set up her company. "Coming from a financial background I was adverse to borrowing, so I paid just £60 for a basic website and borrowed my father's toolkit. I thought it would just be me driving around in my old car," she says. "My parents, far from being disappointed about me leaving a heady salary and bonus package fully embraced the idea. Dad bought me tools and DIY books, and both now work for me part-time - dad on accounts, mum booking in quotes."

What Kerrie didn't anticipate was how quickly word of mouth would spread. "Pretty soon I was being asked to quote for bigger jobs and I had to take on another woman to help. Within six months there were nine of us." Seeing that there was also a gap in the market for reliable plumbers and carpenters she began to recruit them. Now she has four vans, three cars and a staff of 18 - of whom three are men. "We don't have bricklayers so we can't build a house but we can do anything else," says Kerrie, who from the outset incorporated features that women particularly appreciate. "We often leave somebody's house cleaner than we found it. The intention is that you don't know we have been."

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID:

"Some people see a problem and complain - others see an opportunity, and Kerrie Keeling is just such a person. It's so inspiring to see someone in an established and successful career take a leap of faith and set up their own business on their own terms." KAREN DARBY, FOUNDER SIMPLYSWITCH.

"The best firms are those that answer a question. Why? Why do builders all have to be male and behave like men when it comes to cleanliness and tidiness? Why can't they be like women and display a woman's touch? This business answers a very simple question." CHRIS BLACKHURST, BUSINESS EDITOR, EVENING STANDARD.

"Kerrie sounds like a fascinating and strong-minded character who has brought a new approach to a long-established industry. I also love the fact that she started it with nothing and has grown her business so quickly." ADAM BALON, ONE OF THE FOUNDER'S AND "CHIEF SQUEEZER" OF INNOCENT DRINKS.

"Kerrie is a woman in a man's world - creating a business that both men and women admire. I've never come across builders who clean up after themselves...no wonder she has such a fantastic reputation." PETER RAMPLING, HEAD OF BUSINESS MARKETING, O2.