A Northallerton businesswoman is celebrating ten years of running her own company by helping to protect one of Yorkshire’s most iconic birds.
Jen Workman, who founded virtual assistance company Business Owl in October 2016, has marked the milestone by sponsoring a barn owl nesting box through local conservation organisation Make it Wild.
The initiative aims to provide a safe nesting site for barn owls, which can struggle to find suitable places to breed following the loss of traditional nesting sites in old barns, buildings and mature trees.
Jen, whose business holds Carbon Literate status, said the sponsorship was a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary while supporting local wildlife.
She said: “I see this as a practical way to create a memorable connection between the company’s identity and its environmental credentials including its status as Carbon Literate.”
Helen Neave, founding director of Make it Wild, welcomed the support.
She said: “We are grateful to Jen for choosing to celebrate her ten-year business milestone by sponsoring a Barn Owl Box with Make it Wild.
“These wonderful birds can struggle to find suitable habitat in which to breed and raise their young.
“We are confident this box will be occupied soon and will help this iconic species to thrive in this part of Yorkshire.”
Jen established Business Owl after spending many years working in the legal sector, where she gained legal executive qualifications and extensive administrative experience.
She spotted a gap in the market for flexible business support that did not require companies to employ additional staff.
Since launching, she has worked with more than 70 businesses, many of them local, with much of her work coming through word-of-mouth recommendations.
The company has also received regional recognition through an industry award and reached the final of a national competition.
Reflecting on the challenges of running a small business, Jen said the reality was often very different from the impression presented on social media.
“Running a business is often made to look easy on platforms like LinkedIn but it can be a lonely world,” she said.
“You don’t have cover whenever you take time off and you are responsible for every decision.
“Also, it’s almost impossible to get the workload balance just right and you need to keep the faith in quiet times that the work will build up again, while equally keeping the faith in busier times that a breather will come.”
Her advice to anyone considering starting a business is to concentrate on working smarter rather than simply working harder.
“Building a business is often over-glamourised, but what is less talked about is waking up in the morning and just doing the next right thing,” she said.
As Business Owl enters its second decade, Jen plans to continue helping clients improve their systems, manage administrative demands and focus on the work that matters most.
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