Fast Food Restaurants may be a good place to get your team to bond, but are they good for business meetings? The informal atmosphere, casual approach and ‘meal’ environment may make your team feel relaxed and open to new ideas, but will they be able to focus or will distractions keep them from paying attention? Join me on a journey into unusual meeting ideas.
Planning a business meeting is generally straight forward. You have your equipment, agenda and goals all to hand as your staff troop in for another company up-date, but what about those who work out in the field? Or what if you want to shake your team up a little to help them think outside the box? Are fast food restaurants a good a place to hold your business meeting instead of the main office?
Obviously fast food restaurants exist for one reason: to serve up fast food so that hunger is satisfied quickly. The cuisine is not too refined and the cost fairly cheap. Table service is not always an option and the surroundings reflect a universal company theme. The atmosphere is relaxed but not too chilled and they don’t want you to linger overly long. There is usually canned music of questionable quality and often a family atmosphere. To a fast food franchise owner, faster turn-over equals faster profits.
So, fast food restaurants – are they good for business meetings?
1) If you are in a mainstream business and planning to move some boundaries or offload new concepts on your staff, a fast food restaurant could be used to your advantage. You could do away with ‘traditional’ business meeting mode and ease your staff into the meeting with an appropriate ice-breaker.
Here are a few pointers to help with business meeting productivity:
* Choose a location far away from competitors! You don’t want to offer them a birds-eye view of your plans.
* Choose the quietest period. Eg. Wait until kids are at school and mums at the shops!
* Pre-warn the manager if your team is large. Make sure there are vegetarian options on offer.
* Find the furthest place away from the evil music!
* Use the franchise model and environment to make comparisons with your new concepts.
* Thank the manager for the use of the premises – especially if you wish to return.
* Enjoy the event! Make sure you take all necessary equipment (agenda, pens, paper etc) so that the meeting can start promptly and end on time.
2) If you are a home business owner or MLM affiliate and time is of the essence, fast food restaurants make an ideal place to slot in a quick, informal business meeting to catch up with your team. Choose a location within easy reach of your team and local schools to aid a quick getaway. Make sure you have assembled all new products and information so that discussions can get underway quickly and end promptly. Enjoy the event!
Business meetings are an unavoidable part of business life, but who said they have to be dull and boring? The trick is to find different locations to turn them into Enjoyable Events! To achieve this, increase your skill base to leave ‘boring’ behind. Learn new methods and strategies that will take your business way out of everyday league and even help you achieve multiple streams of income. That way you won’t be dependent on one business idea alone. I hope “Fast food restaurants – are they good for business meetings? is helpful.
