A North Yorkshire Yorkshire business is marking its 10th anniversary by helping boost the area's barn owl population.
Northallerton-based virtual assistant firm Business Owl, founded by Jen Workman in October 2016, has partnered with Make it Wild to sponsor a barn owl nesting box.
Ms Workman 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."
The box will give barn owls an alternative nesting site as development and changing land use reduce traditional habitats in old barns, buildings and mature trees.
Jen Workman (Image: Supplied)
Make it Wild founding director Helen Neave 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."
Ms Workman launched Business Owl after finding traditional business support too inflexible and tied to long-term employment commitments. She previously worked in the legal sector and is a qualified legal executive.
Since launching the business, she has supported more than 70 companies, many of them local.
The business has grown largely through word-of-mouth referrals and won an industry award before becoming a national finalist.
Ms Workman offered advice to people considering starting a business.
She said: "Working hard is essential in business, but working smarter will help you build resilience, which is necessary in the current economic climate.
"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 also warned of the less visible realities of running a business.
She said: "Running a business is often made to look easy on platforms like LinkedIn but it can be a lonely world.
"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."
Ms Workman is helping clients adapt to new laws and other changes affecting their businesses.
She said: "I’m currently supporting businesses whose time is being taken up by getting up to speed with new legislation.
"Not glamorous, but necessary.
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"Putting the support and resources in place to manage mandatory processes will pay off and put you in a strong place in the good and lean times."
As she marks a decade in business, Ms Workman remains focused on helping clients work efficiently.
She is urging them to focus on what matters instead of simply doing more.