A WOMAN who left her 17-year management career to buy a domestic cleaning services business covering the Keighley area is looking back on an excellent first year of trading.

Emma Cabry took on Merry Maids of Ilkley and Skipton, which also employs workers from Keighley, and has grown the franchise by over 27 per cent during the first year.

She has increased her staff and customer numbers by over 33 per cent and 47 per cent respectively.

Emma said: “It was a big decision to leave my career and go it alone but it’s been a huge success and I’m delighted to still be smiling 12 months later.

“I’ve had the support from the team around me and the opportunity to invest in local talent and bring in and train so many new staff too.

“My goal is to grow the business further and provide our services into more homes.

“I want to be in a position to give people a chance of employment.

“It’s a big thing to be trusted to move around our customers’ homes but our professionalism, trustworthiness and discretion is key to our success.”

Merry Maids is a franchise of ServiceMaster Ltd, which has been operating in the UK for over 55 years.