Meeting clients in the coffee shop isn’t good for your business – here’s why
Coffee shops, cafés and anywhere that offers free Wi-Fi are like the mecca for the small business owner on the go. They’ve become like virtual offices. But meeting in them isn’t always a good thing. And the habit of holding your next meeting over a flat white, could well be hurting your professional image, your communication with clients and, as a result, your bottom line.
Here are just 5 of the biggest reasons to change your approach to meetings and skip the coffee shops in the future.
1. Space and Comfort
Let’s face it, coffee shops aren’t the most comfortable places to meet. And they get busy. You can control the time and place you decide to meet your clients, but you can’t control who else will be there when you get there, or who will sit next to your table. Can you conduct a fruitful client meeting, surrounded by the housewives of Cheshire, prams, toddlers, the retired and their broadsheet newspapers, all taking up valuable space?
2. Noisy Neighbours
Coffee shops are noisy. That’s fine. They are supposed to be like that. But trying to conduct a meeting in a crowded coffee shop is about as helpful as trying to have an enlightened conversation at a rave. It’s hard to discuss the business details amongst the scraping chairs, screaming toddlers and chattering of other people’s conversations. There’s a reason all those “writers” on their MacBook’s have their headphones in.
3. Coffee Shop Wifi
It’s never as good as it should be. Wi-Fi at the coffee shop can move at snail’s pace! Or even worse, just doesn’t work at all. Then when you think you’ve got a signal, your laptop refuses to connect for some reason. This can be particularly frustrating when you’ve prepared the most amazing presentation full of supporting research, genius ideas and killer visual aids. Now all you have to back up your offer are your own words and a great deal of hope.
4. Confidentiality
There are parts of any business that are best discussed with confidentiality, and that simply can’t happen in a public space. Even without your own office space, there are better alternatives that don’t have nosey neighbours listening in. On top of this, meetings are awkward enough, especially with new clients. The last think you need are the host of difficult and awkward extras that having a meeting in a public venue will bring.
5. Credibility
Despite your best intentions, people will pass judgment on being asked to meet in a coffee shop. Plenty of business people do it, and people do close deals over coffee. But that doesn’t mean it’s a plus to your credibility and sometimes it can just look downright unprofessional.
What should you do?
You have so many other options. To run your meeting successfully, you need to be in control, calm and collected without the distractions. If you don’t have an office you’re not stuck. It’s easy, low-cost, and totally worth it to rent a conference or meeting room with the right tools, such as a white board, projector, reliable Wi-Fi and the proper atmosphere to impress your client.
A professional meeting room, conference space, or office rental can set the stage for those important meetings. If you work from home, remotely or out of virtual offices – a conference or meeting room rental such as those found at Ourworx can be an excellent, low-cost option that carries a lot of perks. You can be sure that you and your business will both benefit and it doesn’t have to break the bank either.
Ourworx Offer the Solution
Ourworx offer office and meeting room package options include short term, long term and one-time use – as well as flexible packages that are designed to suit small business needs.
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