How to make the most of virtual meetings for your small business? An Insight by Michael Osland

The pandemic outbreak has completely changed the business landscape. Today, companies who have solid financial backing are thinking twice before making an investment. It’s because the economic situation is still uncertain. Businesses are using new tools to ensure that they run smoothly and that the pandemic doesn’t pose a challenge to business continuity. It is here that most businesses have said yes to virtual meetings. And this tool is essential, especially for small businesses and start-ups that require frequent meetings to discuss business development and expansion.

Leverage virtual meetings for your small business – Views by Michael Osland

According to Authoritygeeks, Before the pandemic, most small businesses and start-ups got used to meeting physically at a chosen venue. It involved the travel cost, venue expenses, food expenses, and the cost of audio-visual equipment. Currently, small businesses rely on virtual meeting apps and software to practice social distancing and carry out necessary meetings. Not every employee is comfortable with this shift, and some emphasize on physical meetings.

But if you want to make your small business successful during such a testing phase, you need to count on virtual meetings. Here’s how to go about it:

Educate your employees

Employees take time to shift from one business process to the other. Similarly, the sudden shift to virtual meetings might leave the employees unprepared and slightly inhibited about its applications. Here small business owners and other managers need to highlight the relevance of virtual meetings. It is necessary to educate your employees about the virtual meeting tools and provide them with essential tutorials. Michael Osland says that once the employees realize that it’s an easy tool to use and it will help them maximize their productivity, they will get keen to use it.

Stay committed to the time

Since you can attend a virtual meeting from any part of the world, there is a chance of pre or postponing it. While this is perfect when something comes up or once in a while, it shouldn’t be the standard practice. If you keep delaying or rescheduling meetings, your employees will lose their interest. Also, they might take a clue from this pattern and start arriving late for the meetings or even miss it. Hence, it’s a good practice to select a meeting time and commit to it.

Allow each employee to share their views

One of the drawbacks of the virtual meeting tool is that it can’t replicate the human element present in physical meetings. Hence, you need to ensure that no employees feel isolated or ignored. Therefore, the person conducting the meeting should ensure that each employee shares their views on a given subject. It will make employees feel counted and valued. Once they feel counted, they will put their best suggestions in the meeting and get better involved, which is favorable for your small business.

We are living in a challenging time that poses several challenges for small businesses. Virtual meetings can speed up small business processes. And if you want to make the most of it, you can say follow the guidelines discussed above.