When Kerrie Keeling left her job as an investment banker she thought she could either become a scuba diving instructor or a decorator. "I didn't need any start up funds to be a decorator as I could borrow my dad's toolkit and use my old car, so I thought I'd try it to earn some money short term while I decided what to do."

Four years, 20 staff and a £1.2m turnover later Kerrie says she wouldn't do anything else. a Woman's Touch has added a distinctive female tint to decorating and plumbing. all the paints, brushes and wrenches are in the hands of women.

It's a far cry from the broad canvas of the City where the brush strokes are in millions of pounds and talk of plumbing immediately provokes fears of information leaks.

After seven years at Citigroup as a relationship manager "I was sick of the politics. There were no female role models, and within a week of promotion to vice-president I decided to leave. I'd done a business studies degree and always wanted to run my own business but had no idea what."

Kerrie's first decorating job was for her old boss. "She was very fastidious and wouldn't stand for any nonsense in banking or in her private life. She was delighted when I painted her kitchen and I knew that if I succeeded with her I was in business."

The next job followed on, and since then she has only had two days without work for her team. "I decided to employ women because I'd had bad experiences with male workmen, arriving home to find mess everywhere, the loo seat up and a badly-done job. It was immediately apparent that there was a market for decent tradespeople, and customers expect a superior service and attention to detail from women."

Female plumbers are also more able to get into small spaces under the sink, although there are occasional problems. "it takes four of us to lift a heavy bath, whereas two men could do it."

Within a month Kerrie was being asked to decorate houses, and took on her first member of staff through a not-for-profit organisation called Women and Manual Trades which puts together employers and staff and offers free training.

Initially her team just did decorating but after a year she expanded. "Clients were asking me to recommend plumbers and electricians which I did but there were problems. I didn't make any money but got the blame when things went wrong, so I took on my own plasterers and plumbers - though I'm still looking for an electrician."

She did short courses in all the trades she offered. "I need to understand what I'm asking people to do, in order to give a fair quote."

In order to maintain flexibility in case of an industry downturn she employs seven staff, and the rest are subcontractors. Aged between 19 and 63, they range from school leavers with no qualifications to the decorating team's manager who has 19 years experience running her own business. Marketing has been mainly through word of mouth, though the company also advertises in the London Tradesmen's Directory where entries have to be recommended by three clients. Media publicity also helped, generated by winning the 2006 NatWest Everywoman Award and coming runner-up in the O₂ Evening Standards Award.

Recent contracts have included decorating Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at the Connaught Hotel. "We had to work from midnight to 6am. He's a hard man to please, but only complimentary F-words came out way!"

The business has grown organically but recently Kerrie got a loan for £20,000 from HSBC to expand. There are big plans for 2007. "We're starting a DIY training business which operates like Tupperware parties in your own home, and are planning a franchise operation."

Kerrie has also recently hired a PA. "It's the best thing I've done. For years I said I couldn't afford one, but now I can't afford to be without her."

Find out more about 'A Woman's Touch' here.

Article from the Daily Telegraph 3 March 2007.