Jessica Wicks is one determined woman.

Together with a staggering 7.5m fellow workers – a quarter of the UK workforce – she is currently furloughed.

It was three weeks ago that the 29-year-old was given the news that her job as a marketing manager for a Dorset recruitment agency was being furloughed.

Since then she has:

• Launched a freelance marketing business.
• Created her own website.
• Offered free social media support to local charities.

Jessica said: “Being told I was going to be furloughed was tough, and I understand the business reasons behind it.

“But I’m not the kind of person who can sit still, so setting up my own business seemed to be the best thing I could do with my free time.

“I’ve been supporting businesses who have either furloughed their marketing teams or have had to, unfortunately, make them redundant, as they still need short-term support.

“I’m getting married next year, so when it came to choosing my business name and website I decided to go with my future surname, Ross.

“It might be a bit confusing but it’s usually a great conversation starter with clients.

“When we look back on this pandemic in years to come and people ask what I did while I was on furlough, I’ll be proud to say I created something brand new.”

Jessica’s website – www.jessicaross.co.uk – focuses on the marketing, social media, creative content and copywriting support available for local businesses seeking ad-hoc support.

“Marketing is usually the first department to see cuts in any kind of crisis, but the decisions that businesses make at the moment will affect how people see their company for years to come,” said Jessica.

She added: “You need to have insights and analysis of your marketing so that you can identify weak areas which need improvement and build them into your strategies.

“If there are any businesses in need of help with their marketing functions, or a charity that needs support, then please visit my website

“I’ll be only too happy to chat about the help available during this difficult time.”