Tom HallTom Critchley, managing director of temporary event accommodation supplier Caboose & Co, on his daily routine
What time do you usually start your day?
About 5:30am when my kids get me up
What do you typically have for breakfast?
Eggs, sausages, vegetables of some sort, a smoothie and a mug of de-caff coffee. My favourite meal of the day
What is the rest of your morning routine before you start work?
Either to the gym or some pilates, or the school run
What is the first thing you do to kickstart your working day?
Plan which are the key actions for the day
How do you prioritise your day’s activity?
That’s always difficult. Some things are urgent but less important, while somethings are best sorted earlier but are not pressing – it is always a balancing act. The key thing is to allocate a chunk of the day to get stuff done, otherwise new stuff coming in gets on top of you
Do you plan meetings or are they a waste of time?
I think face-to-face meetings are very important in business – they allow both sides to understand how the other does business. If you don’t plan meetings properly you can look unprofessional and/or not get all the info you need – then meetings are a waste of time
Do you have a working lunch or is it good to take a break?
I always tell myself to stop and take a breath but usually end up working through, or forgetting about it all together – hence the large breakfast!
When does your working day finish?
Being a business owner, it doesn’t really stop – I find evenings and early mornings are my time to think strategically. As long as we are not on an event, I’m quite good at closing the laptop at about 6pm to ensure I get in some family time
How do you prepare for the next day’s work?
On Monday’s I always plan my week, so keeping an eye on that plan each day ensures I’m ready for what’s coming next
Favourite piece of technology?
Bose Bluetooth headphones. Great for work calls and listening to books or podcasts when I’m on the move
How do you switch off?
I love playing with my two young boys, that helps me forget about work for a while
Best piece of advice you’ve received?
Pay your suppliers on time – they’ll work harder for you