Softcat's Martin Hellawell shook hands with all his employees, while QuantIQ's Stuart Fenton listens to music most of the day. We caught up with this duo, as well as eight other channel entrepreneurs, to find out what idiosyncrasies they feel are - or were - crucial to the success of their businesses
‘If I look like I'm in a trance on a train, then I'm probably daydreaming'
Entrepreneur: Hayley Roberts
Credentials: CEO of cybersecurity distributor Distology: 2015 - present
Quirks: Dog walking, working with a business coach, daydreaming
"I get up early and take my dog for a walk before doing anything else every day. It sounds simple, but research suggests that doing an activity such as walking is more productive when trying to process or generate an idea or to get organised.
"I see a business coach every quarter. She runs a change management business, has a psychology degree and even a past career in stand-up comedy. She helps me process some of the crazy ideas and plans I have for the business by asking questions relating to the bigger picture of where I want the business to get to. By focusing on ultimate goals, the day-to-day, week-to-week operational activities seem easier to process.
"This may be an unpopular opinion, but as a business owner and entrepreneur I believe it is important to daydream. Daydreaming, whether you are on a train or plane or just staring out of the window, really helps with creativity. I am on long train journeys every week but I never work on trains, not just because I get train sick but because I enjoy my mind drifting to visualising what I want the business and my own personal satisfaction to look like. This helps me set my own mission statement and goals for the short and long term. So if I look like I am in a trance on a train then this is what I am doing!"
Click onto the next page for Columbus UK's Mary Hunter's quirks...
