BUSINESSWOMAN Hannah Doran believes that her job as an office junior in the legal world gave her the essential skills and experience for her successful administrative support agency.

Starting as a 17 year old school leaver, she had to work her way up from the bottom as the office junior. Although not always exciting, through working in all areas of law she developed first-hand knowledge of different operations and gained a detailed understanding of all aspects of the firm, just like a traditional apprentice.

And like an apprentice, she learned to do things properly. "We learned the importance of values like accuracy, promptness, courtesy, professionalism and confidentiality and that was a really good grounding," she said.

“Although to start with I was only making tea, photocopying and answering the phone I found it really exciting and it gave me my first real sense of professional direction. I worked hard and as I gained experience and confidence I was given more responsibility until eventually I was made a conveyancer with my own caseload."

She believes the opportunities she was given as a junior - to learn the business from the bottom up and then progress through merit – are no longer so widely available to today's school leavers. “The office junior position does not seem to exist anymore and that is a real shame," she said.

In 2011 she started her own business to fill a gap in the market – after having had children she had spent time temping and realised there was an overwhelming demand for competent, experienced support staff to help out businesses who for one reason or another found themselves temporarily understaffed.

Her business provides secretarial and administrative support services primarily to the legal profession. She leads a team of four who provide cover for businesses when staff are on holiday, on sick leave or when there is an unusually heavy workload.

"We can walk into any office and provide a professional and efficient service," she said, "While we are based around Northallerton we operate all over the area – from Harrogate to Middlesbrough, Yarm, Stokesley, Darlington, Bedale, Ripon and Thirsk. "

Delighted with the progress made she now hopes to expand the business. See hmdoran@hotmail.co.uk