THREE female entrepreneurs, who started their company out of a garden shed, have been nominated for a national business award.

Tracey Dunn, Ellie Blacher and Martine Reuben created MediAccounts – a service which offers fresh, efficient and personalised medical billing – in 2013.

They have since moved from sharing one desk and one laptop to working as part of a team of 12 out of an office in Harrow-on-the-Hill.

After overseeing a considerable rise over the past four years, they have been shortlisted in the London and South SME Growth category at the HSBC Forward Ladies Awards.

Ms Dunne, 44, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be selected as finalists for this prestigious award.

“We have worked so hard to create the best service possible and we have literally grown from word of mouth, as one doctor tells another of the impeccable service they are receiving.”

Ms Reuben, 42, explained how the three women decided to go into business together after raising around £100,000 for Moriah Jewish Day School when it was struggling.

She added that they wanted to act as role models for women and young girls and show them that they can achieve anything they want to if they put their minds to it.

“We realised that our skill sets worked well together during fundraising. I always say that we’re an unstoppable force and I think we’d have done well whatever we’d set out to do,” she said.

“We’d come from environments that were not so ‘woman-friendly’ and actually decided to enter an industry that is traditionally very male-dominated.

“We wanted to create a lovely working environment that was accessible for working mums – and working dads – and show that you can still have children and a career.”

She said that they wanted to do things a bit differently, to really focus on service and show their customers that doctors are far from faceless people.

And in spite of facing some initial ridicule, they have stuck to their principles, something Ms Reuben said will continue long into the future.

“We’ve proved that you can do it a different way and we always tell our school leavers, particularly young girls, that it really is up to you,” she said.

“We want to be known for our amazing service for each individual rather than targeting the mass market. But the world is our oyster.”

The HSBC Forward Ladies National Awards London and the South Regional Final takes place on 15 September.