small business retreat: why you should plan one + how to prep
If you’ve ever thought about a business retreat but reconsidered because your business is “too small” or you’re a solopreneur, think again! Read on to see why and how a small business retreat can be so beneficial to your growth!
THE WHY
As a small business it can be a difficult decision to invest in a retreat but, if you’ve ever gone on vacation before you KNOW how good you feel coming back. Think of a small business retreat as a mini vacation that will ultimately boost productivity, re-inspire drive, allow for reflection and yes, even some fun! It is so important to separate yourself from the day to day every once in a while, get deep into strategies and make time for connection! Whether you’re a solopreneur, a company made up of two or a small biz, this all applies. Retreats are meant to allow your business to regroup and reinvigorate the passion for the work you do and you don’t have to spend huge amounts of money to accomplish this!
THE HOW
The goal of a small business retreat should be built around inspiration and ultimately, productivity and growth. How can you ensure that your retreat accomplishes goals and helps move your small business forward? It’s all in the planning! Here are five things you can focus on for your retreat:
Get away. A retreat wouldn’t be a retreat if it didn’t feel like you were truly getting away from the normal day to day. That being said you don’t need to fly to Ibiza and spend huge amounts in order to get away. Create a budget for your retreat and think out of the box. Is there a local hotel that would feel special to stay at. Can you plan a day trip or go somewhere within driving distance. Could you rent a home through vrbo or airbnb. The idea is to make it feel special and to choose a location that will help, not hinder accomplishing your retreat goals.
Plan ahead! Create an itinerary for each day so you aren’t wasting any time during the retreat trying to determine what to do and where to do it. Make any reservations needed in advance and stick to your itinerary as closely as you can. Create a timed agenda for each day and make it a goal to get to each item on your itinerary so you don’t leave feeling as though you didn’t accomplish everything you wanted to. If you’re in a small group, assign someone as a timekeeper to keep everyone focused and on track! Have things printed out or linked in the agenda so you don’t waste time looking for information. Planning ahead will make your retreat that much more successful!
Prep your retreat goals. A great place to start in planning is by determining what your retreat goals are. Remember that re-focusing and reviewing your business goals can be a great start. Think about what steps it will take to reach those goals and work that into your retreat! Try to hone in by picking goals that you really want to focus on during the retreat and ensure you’ll have time to get to each one. This could be PR, marketing, finances, new business development, brainstorming, etc. Create your itinerary around digging into these and be sure to plan time in for reflecting and looking at what is and isn’t currently working. With your planning you should be able to easily have things like spreadsheets, numbers and information at the ready so you can work through your retreat goals entirely. Make sure all in attendance have an overview of what you’ll be covering prior to your retreat so they can come prepared with materials if needed!
Adjust expectations. Make sure all in attendance know what to expect during and after the retreat. If you’re planning to walk away with a list of things to execute on and others are expecting a weekend of fun and bonding there will certainly be trouble. Be clear with your expectations in advance. If it is just you or a very small team of two or three, adjust expectations to what you can truly accomplish during the retreat. Focus on those retreat goals and be careful not to make things feel unachievable so when you walk away you feel accomplished, inspired and ready to be super productive when you return to your workday!
Fun and connection. Build in time for fun and opportunities for connection! This can be as simple as playing a board game with the group, treating everyone to a nice meal or even planning an experience to do together. Creating a bonding experience can be key to future wins and teamwork within the business. If you’re solo, treat yo-self! Get a massage, order room service, but be sure to treat yourself to a little something special so you feel ready to tackle work when you get back to reality!
OUT OF OFFICE
Get ready to set that out of office! If planning your own small business retreat feels too overwhelming remember there are so many opportunities, especially for small business owners to utilize an existing experience such as a small business or creative conference to escape, feel inspired, learn and dedicate time to focus on your business. Simply build off of that experience, create some time to hone in on those retreat goals and get ready to feel reinvigorated around your work because that is the ultimate goal!