When you’re trying to set up your business, the last thing on your mind might be where to hold your meetings. But if you’re intending to meet with clients on a regular basis, it might just be the big thing you need to create a good impression. Here are some key reasons why you might consider renting a room, and some suggestions for where to look first.
Start at home
Firstly, look at your own office. A lot of the time, this will make do – particularly if there are only one or two people visiting. However, there are a few key points you might want to consider first. Firstly, how clean if your environment? Meeting a new client in a dirty office is unlikely to create the best first impression. This issue is compounded if there is likely to be sensitive information within the office, either int eh form of documents lying about or conversations that can be overheard. These issues can be overcome with due care, but in a particularly small space, a meeting might not be appropriate.
Atmosphere is everything
Why might it be best to find a meeting room? For a start, it can help to create a professional atmosphere: your own office filled with clutter isn’t the best to show to a potential client. Similarly, if you’re having a large number of people around, a larger meeting space, in this case, might be more practical for your clients. Often hired meeting rooms will offer a separate space for breaks and refreshments for particularly long meetings.
It is also convenient if you are meeting a number of clients from different areas. Rather than meeting at your place of work you might choose a meeting room for a number of reasons. This might be to create a halfway point for your clients to meet if they live particularly far away; if everyone is coming from different locations, meeting rooms in a central and well-connected city such as London, Nottingham, Birmingham, or Manchester might be most convenient for people to congregate in.
Create a good impression
Depending on your purpose, it might also help to try and book a meeting room in order to create a good impression for your clients. Different meeting rooms might have different atmospheres or be located in different environments, and these can be suited to your purpose. A number of heritage centers often rent out rooms for events, functions, or conferences, so it is worth contacting venues you might be interested in to find out if they have availability. As a general rule, any large building with spacious rooms will often have venues that they are keen to rent out.
Ring up and see
It’s worth trying a number of different methods of communication to find a meeting room. Many local buildings will have one, and it’s often worth contacting them directly. It’s worth messaging a local community hall, church hall, or administrative building directly to check their availability: they might be able to liaise with you directly. Moreover, these buildings will often be in the local community, which allows you to save on transport costs if you are coming directly from your own business.
How to start your search?
With that said, what’s the best way to find a meeting room? There will often be a website specific to your location – for example, Nottingham –and there will be ones for every region. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, you might look specifically for something historical, thematic, or quirky. And, of course, if you have a certain place in mind, it never hurts to ask. A good first point of call might be checking their website, or if details can’t be found there, ringing them up and asking if they have any facilities available.