If you have just transformed from being a sole trader to forming your own company and owning your business premises, having a strong brand and employees, meeting clients at the local coffee shop will no longer cut it. When you decide on where to open your office, you will have to consider which spaces you will need and how to keep your employees and customers happy. Having your own meeting room has several benefits, but you have to give the design and planning some thought. Here’s some help to help you get started.
Location
The meeting room should be close to your own managerial office, and you need to set clear rules on who can use it and when. You might want to position it away from the noisiest area of the office, and in the corner of the building, so you can get loads of natural light. You should also consider the location of the kitchen and the restrooms before you plan the meeting room; you don’t want to be distracted when holding client meetings or brainstorming with your staff.
Style
Once you have established your own company, and you have a brand image, you will need to adjust the decor of the meeting room to your brand identity. It might be a good idea to engage with an interior designer to get the right balance between traditional and modern furniture. If there is one thing that will help you raise your profile, however, it is having mahogany conference tables in your meeting spaces.
Facilities
If you are likely to spend a couple of hours at meetings, or want to use the meeting room for delivering training or conferences, you should have the right facilities in there. From a coffee machine to having an automated blind and a roll up screen display, you have to think about what you will use the room for before designing it.
Conferencing and Collaboration Technology
You should also have to focus on technology that will help you run a productive business meeting, even if there are remote contractors or workers involved. If you can create a system that will allow you to talk to people from all around the world and stream your meeting to your stakeholders or investors, record the audio, you will be able to accommodate every current and future business needs.
Privacy
If there is one thing you have to pay extra attention to, it is the privacy of your meeting room. No matter if you are having an employee performance review, or are analyzing your quarterly financial performance, you don’t want people who should not be concerned to overlook your meeting. That is why privacy glass and blinds are necessary. You have to find a place in your office where there is little or no passing-by traffic, so you can keep your business information secure.
Adding a meeting room to your office will not only raise your business profile, but also allow you to meet with clients and business partners in a safe and supportive environment, fit for the purpose.
