GREAT CLIENT MEETING SPOT!
February 17th, 2010
When you are a solopreneur or freelancer like myself, there comes a time when you have to meet with current or potential clients. Meeting at home can work for some business people IF you have the right set up, no rowdy kids or pets and the privacy and classy environment to make a good impression. For many people, that just isn’t the case. So where can you meet and what are the criteria for a good spot?
It is quite possible that you or your client will need to whip out a laptop and hook up to WiFi so that can be an easy way to eliminate potential meeting places. No WiFi? No meeting. Unless of course you have MiFi. Clearly you want some quiet and some privacy. One great suggestion from an article in Fast Company is to meet at a friend’s office. Maybe you know someone who still does corporate or who has office space that you can use for an hour or two.
One of the best choices are the community rooms at libraries and cafes like Panera Bread. These are usually free and you can reserve them in advance and they offer the quiet and privacy you need. They usually have free WiFi as well. If the meeting is more casual, you can simply do someplace like Starbucks, though I would avoid them during the immediate after-school hours.
Finally, there are meeting spaces for rent like Office Suites PLUS but they can be pricey. Best to save those for that really important client you are dying to snag and impress. They offer great amenities and services, though for each of these (like a projector if you are doing a PowerPoint presentation) there is an upcharge.
No office to meet in is one of the trade-offs of being self-employed, but it is increasingly common and more likely to become so as technology and the economy increase both the ease and likelihood of working for yourself.
Tags: Business, clients, Fast Company, freelancer, meeting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Panera Bread, solopreneur,
February 17th, 2010
When you are a solopreneur or freelancer like myself, there comes a time when you have to meet with current or potential clients. Meeting at home can work for some business people IF you have the right set up, no rowdy kids or pets and the privacy and classy environment to make a good impression. For many people, that just isn’t the case. So where can you meet and what are the criteria for a good spot?
It is quite possible that you or your client will need to whip out a laptop and hook up to WiFi so that can be an easy way to eliminate potential meeting places. No WiFi? No meeting. Unless of course you have MiFi. Clearly you want some quiet and some privacy. One great suggestion from an article in Fast Company is to meet at a friend’s office. Maybe you know someone who still does corporate or who has office space that you can use for an hour or two.
One of the best choices are the community rooms at libraries and cafes like Panera Bread. These are usually free and you can reserve them in advance and they offer the quiet and privacy you need. They usually have free WiFi as well. If the meeting is more casual, you can simply do someplace like Starbucks, though I would avoid them during the immediate after-school hours.
Finally, there are meeting spaces for rent like Office Suites PLUS but they can be pricey. Best to save those for that really important client you are dying to snag and impress. They offer great amenities and services, though for each of these (like a projector if you are doing a PowerPoint presentation) there is an upcharge.
No office to meet in is one of the trade-offs of being self-employed, but it is increasingly common and more likely to become so as technology and the economy increase both the ease and likelihood of working for yourself.
Tags: Business, clients, Fast Company, freelancer, meeting, Microsoft PowerPoint, Panera Bread, solopreneur,
