The Meetings You SHOULD Have As A Small Business Owner

When you first start your small business, you will have a lot on your mind. There is much which require your attention and eventually you be able to delegate tasks to your staff. As you strive to grow your company, it’s important to touch base regularly with your staff, clients and vendors. Meetings help you proactively solve problems and will keep your business operating smoothly.

Staff Meetings

Your staff meetings are the most important. Your staff are the arms and legs of your business. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for how many meetings you should be having.

Your goal should be to communicate important information, upcoming events, procedures, collaborate on ideas and get feedback from your team.

Topics to include are:

• Goals Met – Celebrate team accomplishments and sales goals achieved to build a sense of morale. Encourage collaboration and thinking outside-the-box for new ways to improve on current metrics.
• Problem-Solving – Facing and conquering challenges as a group is a great teambuilding opportunity. Brainstorming is a great way to share ideas, gain respect and develop solutions together.
• Information Shared – Each group member has a unique set of skills and a perspective they bring to the table. Meetings allow for individuals to share knowledge which benefits the group.
• Facilitate Planning – In-person meetings are great for analyzing how your business strategy and your team are working. Having all the staff together in one room also helps you gather their feedback more easily, so you can develop plans for improvement and growth as a company.

Client Meetings

Client meetings are crucial to your success as a business. They allow you to build relationships with your customers and provide opportunities to gain perspective about your clients’ needs. But how often should you be meeting with your clients?

As a small business owner, you have the unique advantage of providing a personalized appeal that larger corporations can’t deliver. Use this to your advantage by checking in with clients in a friendly way, like stopping by with a personalized gift and discuss any needs they have with which you can help. Attend client-sponsored events, as well, to show your support for your customers. Be sure to engage your current customers at networking events, as well, to show you appreciate them.

By conducting more frequent, smaller meetings you can fine-tune issues as they arise and improve your strategy to build long-lasting business relationships which will help your company grow.

Vendor Meetings

Meetings with your vendor are crucial, particularly if you are a small business owner. Vendor meetings give you a chance to bring up issues in supply, product quality and competitive pricing.

One of your responsibilities as a business owner is to make sure you have a steady supply of the right products at the right price. A good relationship with your vendors will help you achieve this goal.

Having meetings as-needed with your vendor allows you to build a clear line of communication about your business needs regarding price point, quality and delivery. Keep in mind the vendor’s job is to sell their products, and these meetings can drag you into lengthy sales pitches for products you may not need. Keep a discerning ear open and the conversation on track to prevent unnecessary purchases.

Stay up-to-date with competitive prices on products or services your business uses. As an informed customer, you can negotiate better prices with your vendor and reap the rewards of additional savings. Building a good relationship with your vendor as a savvy consumer can lead you to better deals as your rep keeps you “in-the-know.”

Running a small business is a challenge on many fronts. Regular meetings are one of your best tools to tackle internal and external problems that will eventually arise. Learning how often to hold these meetings with clear objectives in mind will help you keep your business on the path to success.