Windermere businesswoman Alison Magee-Barker is celebrating success only one year into her business after being declared the winner of the Professional Services category of the Enterprise Vision Awards on Friday night. Beating off stiff competition including leaders of well-established companies the judges told Alison she was a clear winner.
The award ceremony took place at the celebrated Blackpool Winter Gardens which over five hundred business women attended. Alison’s award was presented to her by Gail Heath from the Emeline Pankhurst Centre in Manchester.
Alison reflected on how she felt: “I am absolutely overwhelmed that only a year in business I was awarded this prestigious recognition. I was against strong competition and was thrilled at being nominated let alone becoming a finalist, so to win was beyond my wildest dreams!
“I am so happy as its the icing on the cake for my career to date. I would like to thank all the people who believed in me, my clients for being successful under my guidance and my husband, children and my parents who have supported me throughout my transition from an employee to a business owner.”
Alison runs AJ Lakes, hospitality and tourism consultancy company which specialises in future proofing businesses in the industry. Set up last year after thirty plus years working in hospitality, Alison is well-respected in the sector having been the guiding light behind successful campaigns including the short film ‘Celebrating Beatrix Potter’ for Beatrix Potter’s 150th Anniversary in 2016 that Alison wrote and directed.
Alison also led the sales and marketing winter campaign for the Lake District Hotels Association in the same year. Now working with a number of hospitality and tourism businesses to help them become ‘World Heritage ready’ Alison hopes the award will cement her success thus far.
Alison said: “It means the world to my business as it’s the recognition that I am going in the right direction and it confirms the hard work has paid off. It proves that my efforts in making sure my clients benefit from working with me is the right focus for my business.
“Even without the award I genuinely love what I do and I am so proud of all my clients but it’s always great to have an external recognition for your business, I think it helps potential clients make the decision to work with outside support easier. I’ll always be proud of the moment when the judges said I was the fairy godmother of the hospitality and tourism world!”
Alison Magee-Barker is one of four Cumbrian winners including Amy Onyango and Clare Mansfield of Felltarn Friends, Jules Natlacen of The Churchmouse at Barbon, and Samantha Gargett of Elton Finance.
