STEP 1: Know Your Outcome

Before going into the meeting, have a clear understanding of why you’re holding it and what you want to get out of it. Write down the meeting objectives -clearly and specifically- and then ongoing outcomes you’re aiming to result from there. For example, you may need to hold a meeting to run through some new regulations. It’s mandatory (although can be a little uninspiring), but if you have the objective to complete it and motivate your team in the process, you will start thinking outside the box for exactly how you can do that

Don’t be shy to also share your objectives with your team too; keeping everyone on the same page, with focus and drive, knowing exactly what they’re working towards and why. Where possible, get your team to also set their own personal targets, that you can then monitor and follow up on. For example, if you hold a group meeting for your sales team to boost figures there- get each member of staff to write down their own new targets going out of the meeting. You could even gather these, add them together and put them onto a progress board; encouraging teamwork and a little healthy competition.

STEP 2: Prepare Properly

Once you know what your goals are and the purpose of the meeting, you can start to formulate a proper plan. Don’t go in there blind, then be surprised why it doesn’t have the impact you want! Like all things in life, you get out what you put in. So to improve the effectiveness of your meetings, you have to take the time to prepare them properly.

How will you format your meeting? How will you kick it off with a bang?! Utilise videos, storytelling, quick quizzes, statements for discussion, questions, tasks- there’s so much you can do. How will you make your next meeting different? And how can you craft it to grab their attention early on, and then maintain it throughout?

STEP 3: Do Something Different

You want to be in the position where every time you call a staff meeting, your team don’t groan, but instead- get interested, unsure of what to expect! The only way to do this, is by continuously mixing things up!

High energy is essential, as is your delivery, but get creative with how you can get your messages across. How about breaking the meeting up with group brainstorming sessions, getting people moving from table to table? Or what about a ‘Speed Dating’ exercise to get staff sharing their thoughts/ feedback on a particular topic, bouncing ideas around, or have you ever tried ‘sticker voting’? This is a fun concept where you write different approaches/ techniques in different places, and your team put stickers next to the ideas they think they could work with. There are so many different things you can try- either by getting ideas from the internet, or creating your own.

The key here, is to simply do them. Don’t be afraid how well it will be received, because if you don’t try- you won’t know. But if you start to innovate around your meetings, you will not only get far better engagement within them, but also create a better company culture and lead your team to greater success!

Try it, and see the difference it makes. Think you’ve mastered the meetings?! Pop your engagement strategies in the comments box below- we’d love to hear them! And if you’re looking for meeting or conference rooms, don’t forget- we provide an impartial service to find the right space for you. See here.

The post Three Simple Steps to Get Better Results From Your Team Meetings appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

However, one of the biggest problems facing today’s entrepreneurs are the many distractions that can impact productivity and effectiveness during the crucial early stages of a new business.

According to Guy Clapperton writing for Forbes, many entrepreneurs and home workers face three major obstacles, which are adequate technology, over working and isolation. All making an impact on a person’s ability to work effectively.

Now, we are not advocating every new business owner takes a full time office to overcome these problems, but what we can do is highlight the many options that are available that could help improve productivity and at the same time, drastically improve the image of your business and new brand.

Co-working is the new Home Working

One of the easiest and most accessible solutions without breaking the bank in the early stages of any new business is a Co-working membership. Earlier this year we featured WeWork and their extraordinary rise in the UK. With new locations opening in 2016, they provide affordable membership options that solves two of the main disadvantages of home working. Firstly, it removes the problem with home Wi-Fi speeds. These locations have invested thousands of pounds in the latest technology to ensure all their members stay connected. The second problem they solve is the sense of isolation. WeWork provide networking and useful seminars every month as part of their membership. It’s a great way to get involved and meet other like-minded business owners with the same problems you have.

Bumping up the Company Image when you Need to

One of the easiest solutions to the old problem of meeting clients somewhere respectable and not just Starbucks, is meeting rooms. There is such a wide choice on offer everywhere that it’s easy to find a quick and easy solution to meet clients and business partners.

Meeting rooms are not as expensive as you might think. Most can be booked by the hour or day at very competitive rates and usually with short notice. So there really are quick and affordable options at every new business owner’s immediate disposal.

When a Home Office Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

Did you ever stop to think how your home address would look on your business cards? You’ve worked hard to establish your new brand and created opportunities to build your business at the same time as working from the end of your bed. But will your clients and customers spot you don’t have a proper place of work? Possibly.

Business image is an important part of the process of establishing brand loyalty. A good business address can really help to set you apart from your competition. Great locations also don’t cost the earth when you take a virtual office.

So what is a virtual office? Well it’s simply an office without the office. A virtual office provides all the visible aspects of having a full time office but without the space itself. Simply put its using a business address and call answering service to provide a professional outward appearance.

These services allow you to put the business address on your business card and website, creating the illusion that you have office space in the building, with your calls answered by a receptionist so you never have to miss another call or take a nuisance sales call.

Get the Balance Right

These three very flexible solutions can also be used together to create something that works for you. That could be an initial Co-working membership and the use of meeting rooms when you need them. Or continue to work from home using a virtual office address and use meeting rooms as and when you need to meet clients.

Whatever you decide the most important thing is to make sure you take in to account the cost of these services and the benefit they will bring to your new business. The obvious solution to carry on as you are may be why 50% of new businesses fail in the first couple of years according to Theo Paphitis.

About the Author

Stephen Moore is a writer and marketing consultant supporting businesses in the commercial property sector. Find out more about Stephen at Google+.

The post Entrepreneurs Can Escape their Home Office Prisons appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Planning to Work from Home Today?

Working from home is great right? No morning fight through the crowds to get on your train, flexibility to work when you want to and best of all, no office noise.

Working from home has many benefits. With the main one being the ability to mix work with family commitments. But your clients and customers expect you to still meet deadlines and appear professional. That’s why it’s important to have a reliable phone system you would expect from a full time office and a good mobile signal. Missing calls is one of the biggest single problems  when you are away from the office. Voice mail must have a professional message for the calls you miss. And make sure your land line has the same!

You also need to set some basic ground rules for home working. Ensure you have a dedicated space that allows you to shut away the noises and distractions a busy home can throw at you.

If you don’t have a home office, invest in a desk so you can work productively from an upstairs bedroom. You hear a lot these days about seating and posture and most companies provide support to ensure your monitor and chair are at the right height. A great ergonomic chair can ensure you don’t get backache. So remember the same rules about your work space in your office apply at home too.

Planning to Work on the Move Tomorrow?

With statistics suggesting a third of the UK workforce works on the go during the average week it’s important to remember you need the ability to work from a professional location for meetings. Free Wi-Fi is essential too. So always check it’s free and provides a reasonable service before setting down somewhere to work between clients.

Local cafes are often a popular choice but we all know they can be very noisy and you have no control on the distractions around you. And when you look around everyone else had the same idea. It can make working productively quite difficult. A quiet meeting room, which are widely available from a choice of providers should be ideal for a quick meeting, the coffee is great and many have an amazing view too.

If you are working during lengthy commutes to meetings it’s often difficult to get good Wi-Fi on public transport and often you may need to access documents on the go. Think about the benefits of cloud storage using a provider like Dropbox. You can then access large files no matter where you find yourself. And a portable Wi-Fi hub works wonders too and they are not that expensive.

So, remember some basic ground rules when you are working away from the office:

• Make sure you can take your important calls
• Access to important documents is vital in case you have no signal
• Your business image can be compromised without the tools to do the job
• Make sure your productivity doesn’t suffer because of distractions

Finally, don’t forget we can always help with remote working locations at Loc8 Commercial. Just give us a call to find out what solutions would be best for your needs.

The post Working Remotely is Not as Easy as You Think appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.

Located in prime territory just off Oxford Circus in Londons West End, HWH was previously considered a bit of a dud, as far as innovative workspaces go. They have undertaken major renovations with the idea that “it doesn’t have to be all work” and the building now boasts a gym with yoga, pilates and suspension training facilities, as well as a state-of-the-art sound system; showers, a “drying room” and lockers; and secure cycle storage. This was a smart choice; with many Londoners choosing to bike to work to save time and money on the morning commute, and space at a premium, tenants are sure to be appreciative.

Other “play” facilities will include a library, a 20-seater screening room and editing space, a café and a rumoured private apartment for power-naps. The Office Group’s trademark ClubRooms – drop-in offices, meeting rooms and lounges of various sizes – will be featured on the ground floor along with a member’s lounge, while the penthouse is one big, bookable meeting space for that extra impressive touch. Three different sizes of boardroom cover a range of décor styles to match the tone of your meeting. And – naturally – there’s also a Member’s Bar.

The offices cover the rest of the 76,000 sq ft and the serviced office provider has made excellent use of the once-maligned space, with private serviced offices fitting up to 100 people +. Each floor has its own kitchen, dining area and lounge, full IT and telephony are provided, and tenants have the option to rent either furnished or unfurnished spaces.
Although having the facilities all laid on for you is one of the perks of a serviced office, this dedication to wellbeing – both mental and physical – is unusually enthusiastic. The Office Group has taken an uninspiring building in a fantastic location and turned it into what is sure to become one of London’s hottest serviced premises come January 2015. Smart workers will be watching this space.
If you are looking for office space or meeting and conference rooms and want to discuss your options in more detail please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 020 3434 1667 or send us an email to enquiries@loc8commercial.com. We offer Free impartial advice covering the Serviced Office, Managed Office and Co-Working market in London and across the UK.

The post Henry Wood House: a brand new way to work appeared first on Loc8 Commercial Blog.