diff --git a/server/helpers_test.go b/server/helpers_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdbcc42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/helpers_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.ctrlz.es/mgdelacroix/birthdaybot/model"
+	"git.ctrlz.es/mgdelacroix/birthdaybot/notification"
+	"github.com/charmbracelet/log"
+	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+type TestHelper struct {
+	t                       *testing.T
+	ctrl                    *gomock.Controller
+	mockNotificationService *notification.MockNotificationService
+	mockWorker              *MockWorker
+	srv                     *Server
+}
+
+func testConfig(t *testing.T) *model.Config {
+	f, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "birthdaybot-")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, f.Close())
+	require.NoError(t, os.Remove(f.Name()))
+
+	return &model.Config{BirthdayFile: f.Name()}
+}
+
+func SetupTestHelper(t *testing.T) *TestHelper {
+	th := &TestHelper{t: t}
+	th.ctrl = gomock.NewController(t)
+
+	th.mockNotificationService = notification.NewMockNotificationService(th.ctrl)
+	notificationServices := []notification.NotificationService{th.mockNotificationService}
+
+	th.mockWorker = NewMockWorker(th.ctrl)
+	workers := []Worker{th.mockWorker}
+	th.mockWorker.EXPECT().Start().Times(1)
+	th.mockWorker.EXPECT().Stop().Times(1)
+
+	birthdays := []*model.Birthday{
+		{
+			Name:         "John",
+			Email:        "john@doe.com",
+			Phone:        "1234",
+			YearOfBirth:  2022,
+			MonthOfBirth: 1,
+			DayOfBirth:   1,
+		},
+	}
+
+	var err error
+	th.srv, err = New(
+		WithConfig(testConfig(t)),
+		WithLogger(log.New(os.Stderr)),
+		WithBirthdays(birthdays),
+		WithNotificationServices(notificationServices),
+		WithWorkers(workers),
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	th.srv.Start()
+
+	return th
+}
+
+func (th *TestHelper) TearDown() {
+	th.srv.Stop()
+	th.ctrl.Finish()
+}
diff --git a/server/options.go b/server/options.go
index 99a33cd..1d5b618 100644
--- a/server/options.go
+++ b/server/options.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package server
 
 import (
 	"git.ctrlz.es/mgdelacroix/birthdaybot/model"
+	"git.ctrlz.es/mgdelacroix/birthdaybot/notification"
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/log"
 )
 
@@ -20,3 +21,24 @@ func WithLogger(logger *log.Logger) Option {
 		return server
 	}
 }
+
+func WithBirthdays(birthdays []*model.Birthday) Option {
+	return func(server *Server) *Server {
+		server.birthdays = birthdays
+		return server
+	}
+}
+
+func WithNotificationServices(notificationServices []notification.NotificationService) Option {
+	return func(server *Server) *Server {
+		server.notificationServices = notificationServices
+		return server
+	}
+}
+
+func WithWorkers(workers []Worker) Option {
+	return func(server *Server) *Server {
+		server.workers = workers
+		return server
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 0921de7..955953e 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -10,12 +10,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/log"
 )
 
-var ErrNoNotificationServices = errors.New("there are no notification services configured")
+var (
+	ErrNoNotificationServices = errors.New("there are no notification services configured")
+	ErrNoLogger               = errors.New("there is no logger configured")
+	ErrNoConfig               = errors.New("configuration is required to create a server")
+)
 
 type Server struct {
 	Logger               *log.Logger
 	config               *model.Config
-	workers              []*Worker
+	workers              []Worker
 	birthdays            []*model.Birthday
 	notificationServices []notification.NotificationService
 }
@@ -44,33 +48,43 @@ func New(options ...Option) (*Server, error) {
 		srv = option(srv)
 	}
 
-	srv.Logger.Debug("parsing CSV file", "birthdayFile", srv.config.BirthdayFile)
-
-	birthdays, err := parser.ParseCSV(srv.config.BirthdayFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		srv.Logger.Error("cannot parse CSV file", "birthdayFile", srv.config.BirthdayFile, "error", err)
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse CSV file %s: %w", srv.config.BirthdayFile, err)
+	if srv.Logger == nil {
+		return nil, ErrNoLogger
 	}
 
-	srv.Logger.Debug("creating notification services from config")
-
-	notificationServices, err := createNotificationServices(srv.Logger, srv.config)
-	if err != nil {
-		srv.Logger.Error("error creating notification services", "error", err)
-		return nil, err
+	if srv.config == nil {
+		return nil, ErrNoConfig
 	}
 
-	srv.Logger.Info("creating server")
+	if len(srv.birthdays) == 0 {
+		srv.Logger.Debug("parsing CSV file", "birthdayFile", srv.config.BirthdayFile)
 
-	server := &Server{
-		Logger:               srv.Logger,
-		config:               srv.config,
-		birthdays:            birthdays,
-		notificationServices: notificationServices,
+		var err error
+		srv.birthdays, err = parser.ParseCSV(srv.config.BirthdayFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			srv.Logger.Error("cannot parse CSV file", "birthdayFile", srv.config.BirthdayFile, "error", err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse CSV file %s: %w", srv.config.BirthdayFile, err)
+		}
 	}
-	server.workers = []*Worker{NewWorker(server)}
 
-	return server, nil
+	if len(srv.notificationServices) == 0 {
+		srv.Logger.Debug("creating notification services from config")
+
+		var err error
+		srv.notificationServices, err = createNotificationServices(srv.Logger, srv.config)
+		if err != nil {
+			srv.Logger.Error("error creating notification services", "error", err)
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(srv.workers) == 0 {
+		srv.Logger.Info("creating server workers")
+
+		srv.workers = []Worker{NewSimpleWorker(srv)}
+	}
+
+	return srv, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Server) Start() {
diff --git a/server/server_test.go b/server/server_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c54a82b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/server_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestNotify(t *testing.T) {
+	th := SetupTestHelper(t)
+	defer th.TearDown()
+	t.Run("should correctly use the notification services to notify", func(t *testing.T) {
+		birthday := th.srv.birthdays[0]
+		th.mockNotificationService.
+			EXPECT().
+			Notify(birthday).
+			Return(nil).
+			Times(1)
+
+		err := th.srv.Notify(birthday)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("should return an error if a service fails", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mockErr := errors.New("failed to notify")
+		birthday := th.srv.birthdays[0]
+		th.mockNotificationService.
+			EXPECT().
+			Notify(birthday).
+			Return(mockErr).
+			Times(1)
+
+		err := th.srv.Notify(birthday)
+		require.ErrorIs(t, err, mockErr)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/server/worker.go b/server/worker.go
index 5b66c54..d9f03a8 100644
--- a/server/worker.go
+++ b/server/worker.go
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+//go:generate mockgen -source=worker.go -destination=worker_mock.go -package=server
 package server
 
 import (
@@ -7,15 +8,20 @@ import (
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/log"
 )
 
-type Worker struct {
+type Worker interface {
+	Start()
+	Stop()
+}
+
+type SimpleWorker struct {
 	server  *Server
 	logger  *log.Logger
 	stop    chan bool
 	stopped chan bool
 }
 
-func NewWorker(server *Server) *Worker {
-	return &Worker{
+func NewSimpleWorker(server *Server) *SimpleWorker {
+	return &SimpleWorker{
 		server:  server,
 		logger:  server.Logger,
 		stop:    make(chan bool, 1),
@@ -23,20 +29,20 @@ func NewWorker(server *Server) *Worker {
 	}
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) Start() {
+func (w *SimpleWorker) Start() {
 	w.logger.Info("starting worker")
 	go w.run()
 	w.logger.Info("worker started")
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) Stop() {
+func (w *SimpleWorker) Stop() {
 	w.logger.Info("stopping worker")
 	w.stop <- true
 	<-w.stopped
 	w.logger.Info("worker stopped")
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) notifyDay(year, month, day int) {
+func (w *SimpleWorker) notifyDay(year, month, day int) {
 	birthdays := model.FilterByDate(w.server.Birthdays(), year, month, day)
 	w.logger.Info("notifying for date", "birthdays", len(birthdays), "year", year, "month", month, "day", day)
 
@@ -46,7 +52,7 @@ func (w *Worker) notifyDay(year, month, day int) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (w *Worker) run() {
+func (w *SimpleWorker) run() {
 	// first we calculate the delta with 23:00
 	now := time.Now()
 	eleven := time.Date(now.Year(), now.Month(), now.Day(), 23, 0, 0, 0, now.Location())
diff --git a/server/worker_mock.go b/server/worker_mock.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b86ba02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/worker_mock.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// Code generated by MockGen. DO NOT EDIT.
+// Source: worker.go
+
+// Package server is a generated GoMock package.
+package server
+
+import (
+	reflect "reflect"
+
+	gomock "github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
+)
+
+// MockWorker is a mock of Worker interface.
+type MockWorker struct {
+	ctrl     *gomock.Controller
+	recorder *MockWorkerMockRecorder
+}
+
+// MockWorkerMockRecorder is the mock recorder for MockWorker.
+type MockWorkerMockRecorder struct {
+	mock *MockWorker
+}
+
+// NewMockWorker creates a new mock instance.
+func NewMockWorker(ctrl *gomock.Controller) *MockWorker {
+	mock := &MockWorker{ctrl: ctrl}
+	mock.recorder = &MockWorkerMockRecorder{mock}
+	return mock
+}
+
+// EXPECT returns an object that allows the caller to indicate expected use.
+func (m *MockWorker) EXPECT() *MockWorkerMockRecorder {
+	return m.recorder
+}
+
+// Start mocks base method.
+func (m *MockWorker) Start() {
+	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	m.ctrl.Call(m, "Start")
+}
+
+// Start indicates an expected call of Start.
+func (mr *MockWorkerMockRecorder) Start() *gomock.Call {
+	mr.mock.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "Start", reflect.TypeOf((*MockWorker)(nil).Start))
+}
+
+// Stop mocks base method.
+func (m *MockWorker) Stop() {
+	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	m.ctrl.Call(m, "Stop")
+}
+
+// Stop indicates an expected call of Stop.
+func (mr *MockWorkerMockRecorder) Stop() *gomock.Call {
+	mr.mock.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "Stop", reflect.TypeOf((*MockWorker)(nil).Stop))
+}