Marie Leonard

Westford

Mother of Renee, 11, and Keely, 8

Marie's Home Improvement

marieshomeimprovement.com 

"My father could make or fix anything. I was the youngest of four children, so I was the gofer and the holder when he was working on something," said Marie Leonard, explaining how she acquired skills that most people—men, especially—would envy. 

Leonard bills herself as a handywoman, doing what she calls "the honey-do list and small carpentry." A typical week might find her hanging a door, tiling a backsplash, rebuilding a staircase, repairing minor plumbing problems, and installing storm windows. 

Before establishing Marie's Home Improvement, Leonard held numerous professional roles with high-tech companies, including financial analyst, human resources consultant, and corporate trainer. 

"I got tired of that and realized I'd never followed my heart in choosing my carrer," she said. "I knew how to do a lot of repairs on my own house, so I decided to go out on my own as a fix-it person. If someone asks me to do something I've never done before, I go out and learn how to do it. I've cultivated a lot of contacts over the years—tilers, plumbers, electricians—so if I'm not sure what I'm doing, I call them for advice. I'll go to the hardware store and ask about a particular procedure while I'm buying the tools I need. My knowledge base has grown exponentially in the five years I've been in business." Leonard now even offers classes through local adult education programs, in which she demonstrates basic tools and common repair jobs such as fixing a leaky toilet or a loose doorknob. Last year, Leonard completed 109 jobs, "ranging in duration from a few hours to a few weeks," she said. The business has grown in sales a minimum of 10 percent per year since its inception in 2002. 

She estimates that her clientele is about 95 percent female, which she attributes to two factors. Some women make it an ideological priority to support other women's businesses, she said. Others—particularly older women living alone—feel safer having a female repair person come to their homes rather than a man they do not know.

Many of the tasks her clients hire her to do, Leonard said, are traditionally the province of husbands—but an increasing number of homeowners now are single 

women. Furthennore, a lot of husbands simply aren't interested in household repair, including her own. 

"I just got remarried last year," she said. "My husband is not terribly handy, and he's delighted that I know how to do all of this stuff. 

My first husband was not good at repairs either. So now he hires me to work on his house."

And there could be another handywoman in the making in the Leonard household. 

"My younger daughter is very interested in this kind of work," sald Leonard. "She really likes to watch what I'm doing and try to help." 

And as for the man she originally learned her skills from—her father? 

"He's retired now and building houses for Habitat for Humanity," Leonard said. "He's thrilled to see my business doing so well."