In the press

The Times - February 2008

My Big idea: A Woman's Touch

The thoughtless behaviour of builders was the catalyst for Kerrie Keeling to start her own female friendly building company

When we get the builders in, most of us expect a fair amount of tea making and that the chances of them putting the toilet seat down are virtually nil. But for Kerrie Keeling, a former investment banker, the thoughtless behaviour of her builders was the catalyst that made her leave a well-paid job in the City and start her own building company, A Woman’s Touch.

London-based Keeling grew up in Hampshire and studied business and Spanish at the University of Leeds. After leaving she started work at JP Morgan, the investment bank, before moving on to Citigroup. In 2003 she decided to leave the corporate life behind and start her own business: “My parents were worried at first, but they totally supported me,” she says. “I always used to love helping my dad with DIY when I was a kid and after the experiences I had with builders, I thought that there must be a gap in the market for a building company that is made up of mostly women. My dad gave me his tool kits that contained many tools his dad had made by hand.”

Keeling started off doing the work herself, but A Woman’s Touch grew quickly and she soon started to offer other trades. The company now turns over £1.2 million and employs 20 staff, 17 of whom are women. It has offices in Brighton, Wimbledon, Cambridge and Spain and plans further expansion. “The reception from our customers has always been very positive,” she says. “In fact, we get a lot of work from customer referrals.”

She ackowledges that there is a shortage of women working in the building industry and is keen to try to redress the balance by opening a college where women can gain building qualifications. “I’d love to offer women an opportunity to join the industry,” she says. “With the London Olympics in 2012 there will soon be an even bigger shortage of skilled workers. My company has proved that women make as competent tradespeople as men.”