What some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs taught me about building better businesses
Caroline Bates reflects on The Times and Sunday Times Entrepreneurs Network Live in London.
Attending The Times and Sunday Times Entrepreneurs Network Live in London on 23 June was a valuable opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of running a business and hear from entrepreneurs, investors and leaders who have built, scaled and transformed companies across different sectors.
It was an energising event with insightful contributions from speakers including Trinny Woodall (of ‘Trinny and Susannah’ fame), Sahar Hashemi (co-founder of Coffee Republic) and Tim Warrillow (co-founder of Fever-Tree).
The discussions covered growth, innovation, investment, resilience, technology and leadership. Yet beneath the different stories and business journeys, there was one clear message that stood out to me: successful businesses never stop asking better questions.
They remain curious about their customers. They challenge assumptions. They adapt when markets change. They make decisions with confidence, but not complacency. And, perhaps most importantly, they stay focused on the value they are creating for the people they serve.
Why market research still matters
That message resonated strongly with me because it sits at the heart of effective market research.
Whether a business is developing a new product, entering a new market, investing in innovation or exploring an acquisition, the quality of its decisions depends on the quality of the evidence behind them. Instinct has its place in business, but instinct alone is rarely enough when the stakes are high.
The companies that consistently outperform their competitors tend to be those that seek to understand before they act. They listen carefully, test assumptions and make space for perspectives that may challenge their own thinking. They recognise that better insight reduces uncertainty and gives leaders greater confidence when making important commercial decisions.
That is where market research plays such a valuable role. However, asking better questions is only part of the equation. In research, the quality of the insight depends heavily on who you speak to. If the participants are not relevant, engaged or properly screened, even the best discussion guide or research design will struggle to deliver meaningful findings.
At FieldworkHub, we help organisations recruit high-quality participants for qualitative and quantitative research across the UK and international markets. That may involve speaking to consumers, business decision-makers, healthcare professionals, investors, technology users or highly specialised audiences.
Our role is to connect clients with the people whose experiences, behaviours and perspectives can genuinely inform better decisions. This matters because research is not simply about collecting opinions. It is about creating the conditions for useful conversations. When the right people are recruited, those conversations become richer, more relevant and more actionable. That gives clients the evidence they need to move forward with greater clarity.
Stay curious
At the event it was also interesting to hear how often artificial intelligence came into the discussions. AI is already changing how these businesses operate, and will continue to shape the future of work, decision-making and innovation.
But even as technology advances, businesses still need to understand people. AI can accelerate analysis. Technology can improve efficiency. But organisations still need to understand what their customers, users, stakeholders and decision-makers think, feel, need and value. That is why curiosity remains such a powerful competitive advantage.
For me, the ultimate takeaway from the day was simple: the businesses that keep growing are the ones that keep asking better questions and make sure they are asking them of the right people. That is as true for entrepreneurs who are just starting out as it is for established organisations making strategic decisions about their next stage of growth.
Thank you to everyone involved in organising such an inspiring event. I left with fresh ideas, renewed energy and a strong reminder that progress rarely comes from assuming we already know the answer. It comes from staying curious enough to keep asking better questions.
