One of the biggest frustrations I had when working in a large office environment was the dreaded required staff meetings that seemed to waste time and produce little results. How much time do you really need to spend talking about last year’s office party or next week’s staff luncheon? Ugh. However, the importance of meetings is obvious, as they can be quite productive and necessary, depending on your type of business or service. Calling and planning productive and successful business meetings takes time, and for those of us with home businesses, we have to go the extra mile to make sure they go off without a hitch and make a positive impression on all attendees. In case you’re a bit out of practice when it comes to planning them, I’ve put together a list of tips that can help you and your company look good and be productive at your next meeting: Remember an agenda. When you send out your invitations, make sure that you attach a draft of your agenda in order to help attendees be prepared. Make sure you are clear about the time involved, the focus of key issues, and express your appreciation for their participation. Pick an appropriate place. Since you work out of your home, you probably won’t have the space to meet in your office, not to mention the potential “weirdness” of having people over to a residence for a professional purpose. If it’s going to be casual, consider a breakfast or lunch meeting, but make sure you pick up the tab. Coffee houses are great options, and libraries often have wonderful meeting spaces. Check with other home business professionals to find out what venues are available in your community for such events. Get to the point. One of the most frustrating elements for attendees at any meeting is wasted time discussing pointless matters. At the meeting, provide a detailed agenda with time allotments for each subject. You can also simply state the time you will wrap-up, but allow a questions-and-answer time at the end. State up front that you will adjourn promptly, and give attendees a way to follow-up with you on their own should they need extra attention. Appoint a note-taker. Arrange ahead of time to have a colleague or friend take notes. It’s easy to forget what has been said when you’re running a meeting. Type up the minutes and send them out to all those that were at the meeting within the week. Include any direction or action that was discussed, along with important dates or areas of concern. Stay focused. There always seems to be a talkative type in the crowd who loves interjecting anecdotes or long-winded narratives. Try to steer the focus back to the purpose of the meeting and help everyone stay on track. Show appreciation. Remember to be grateful for those present at your meeting, and don’t hesitate in expressing your appreciation often. If it’s a small meeting, consider giving small tokens or gifts. These could even be in the form of business specials, discounts or freebies that can bring in more business at a later date. End on time. End the meeting at the time you said you would, no matter what. If further discussion is needed, arrange for a follow-up meeting or phone call. Take down the names and numbers of those who express particular interest or specific questions, and follow-up with them within 24 hours. There are many additional details to attend to when it comes to meetings. Should there be refreshments? What about name tags? All these questions are important to address, but if you follow the basic tips presented here, you are well on your way to a successful meeting. | 
