FEATURE we could ride out the storm , although no-one realised how bad the storm would be ,” she says . “ After a short period of uncertainty , life just carried on . The government has worked hard at keeping the property market moving and the demand for wills has continued , along with divorces , because people still fall out !”
In fact , the Jacksons headcount stands at 79 and is still growing , with two new apprentices due to start and another vacancy being advertised .
Jane passionately believes the key to overcoming the challenges of the past year has been effective communication . Nightly bulletins were introduced , as well as morale-boosting activities , such as lunchtime quizzes , and fortnightly “ Ask the Partners ” sessions on Zoom .
“ There was a lot of anxiety , so we upped the communication to reassure the staff , and didn ’ t sugarcoat anything . Everything was transparent ,” she says .
“ That open style of communication will continue after the pandemic – it ’ s one of the lessons we ’ ve learned from the lockdown . So will flexible-working , because we ’ ve seen that we can trust staff across all disciplines to work well from home .
“ Having said that , if you ’ d told me last March that the pandemic would last for more than a year , and that the business would have remained so successful , I ’ d have been amazed .”
Jane admits that winning the prestigious Tees Businesswoman of the Year award has been an emotional climax to an unforgettable year . The honour was presented at a virtual ceremony , organised by Tees Business , in association with Northern Skills Group , the apprenticeships and training arm of Middlesbrough College .
“ I was incredibly proud to receive it ,” she admits , “ And so touched by all the messages I received . I was also moved by how much it meant to my family .”
Her son , Philip , has followed his mother into law , specialising in public law and human rights , and does a lot of work to support refugees in London . Meanwhile , daughter Kathryn runs her own business in the capital , managing social media and photography for vegan food companies .
But as proud as she is of her accolade , Jane is also keen to stress that the award is shared by her colleagues : “ You can ’ t be a leader without a great team , and the reason we ’ ve been so successful at Jacksons is that we ’ ve all pulled together .”
It all adds up to an impressive track record since those tentative first steps in the North-East when , as a nervous young mum , she pushed a buggy through shopping centre doors that were kindly held open . She may never have made it to the European Union , but Teesside seemed far enough away at the time .
“ I even had to ask people to speak slowly at first because I didn ’ t understand the accent – but I do now !” she smiles .
And it ’ s clear that Teesside has learned to understand the qualities that have made Jane Armitage their Businesswoman of the Year .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 23