How to Start a Business Book Club
Figure out where to meet., Decide how often to meet., Choose when to meet., Know how long you expect each meeting to take., Set some ground rules., Keep in touch., Offer refreshments.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Figure out where to meet.
You will likely want to keep the meetings professional, so personal locations like home should be avoided.
Conference rooms, whether at an office or in a library, are usually best for a business book club.
If you cannot secure a conference room, meeting in a coffee shop or restaurant that has space for large, talkative groups to meet are the next best thing. -
Step 2: Decide how often to meet.
Standard protocol is once a month.
Meeting more often may make it difficult for members to keep up on a reading schedule, but meeting less often can make it hard for members to focus and many may lose interest. , You must consider time and date.
Weekdays are generally better than weekends, since many people may feel hesitant about surrendering a portion of their Saturday or Sunday for book club.
You should meet in the early evening, around 7:00 PM, to give your members enough time to come home and grab something to eat before going to book club.
Meeting too late may make it difficult for them to get a full night’s sleep before getting up in the morning for work, though.
Stick with a consistent meeting date.
For instance, choosing the first Wednesday or the third Thursday of every month will make it easier for your members to remember the meeting date and schedule around it accordingly. , A standard length is about 60 minutes, but if you and your members are on a tight schedule, you might be able to shorten that to 30 minutes.
Conversely, if you want time to socialize or talk about non-club topics, you may want to schedule an optional 30 minutes for interested members to hang around and socialize after official meeting business is over. , Start with the basics.
You don’t need anything too extreme to keep your book club in working condition.
The most important rules are to read the book before each meeting and to actually show up to the meetings.
Members who are unable to show up to a meeting should let you know beforehand.
Members who plan to come to a meeting should show up on time.
Everyone should show respect for one another's opinions.
No one should use the business book club as a blatant excuse to pitch his or her business. , The business book club, much like the modern business world, benefits greatly from the use of technology.
Ask members for their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Each member should, at the very least, be able to communicate with one another via e-mail.
You can also consider setting up a blog, forum, or other website for your business book group to use for communication purposes.
These extra steps are not necessary, but they can be especially helpful for large or expanding groups. , They don’t need to be anything much.
Just about anyone will appreciate a pot of coffee and a box of donuts or a pizza and soft drinks.
At the start, the expense will rest on your shoulders.
Once your business book club gains momentum, however, you can ask other members if they might also be willing to bring something edible to share.
If your meetings happen in a place that already serves food, like a coffee shop or restaurant, offering your own refreshments is unnecessary. -
Step 3: Choose when to meet.
-
Step 4: Know how long you expect each meeting to take.
-
Step 5: Set some ground rules.
-
Step 6: Keep in touch.
-
Step 7: Offer refreshments.
Detailed Guide
You will likely want to keep the meetings professional, so personal locations like home should be avoided.
Conference rooms, whether at an office or in a library, are usually best for a business book club.
If you cannot secure a conference room, meeting in a coffee shop or restaurant that has space for large, talkative groups to meet are the next best thing.
Standard protocol is once a month.
Meeting more often may make it difficult for members to keep up on a reading schedule, but meeting less often can make it hard for members to focus and many may lose interest. , You must consider time and date.
Weekdays are generally better than weekends, since many people may feel hesitant about surrendering a portion of their Saturday or Sunday for book club.
You should meet in the early evening, around 7:00 PM, to give your members enough time to come home and grab something to eat before going to book club.
Meeting too late may make it difficult for them to get a full night’s sleep before getting up in the morning for work, though.
Stick with a consistent meeting date.
For instance, choosing the first Wednesday or the third Thursday of every month will make it easier for your members to remember the meeting date and schedule around it accordingly. , A standard length is about 60 minutes, but if you and your members are on a tight schedule, you might be able to shorten that to 30 minutes.
Conversely, if you want time to socialize or talk about non-club topics, you may want to schedule an optional 30 minutes for interested members to hang around and socialize after official meeting business is over. , Start with the basics.
You don’t need anything too extreme to keep your book club in working condition.
The most important rules are to read the book before each meeting and to actually show up to the meetings.
Members who are unable to show up to a meeting should let you know beforehand.
Members who plan to come to a meeting should show up on time.
Everyone should show respect for one another's opinions.
No one should use the business book club as a blatant excuse to pitch his or her business. , The business book club, much like the modern business world, benefits greatly from the use of technology.
Ask members for their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Each member should, at the very least, be able to communicate with one another via e-mail.
You can also consider setting up a blog, forum, or other website for your business book group to use for communication purposes.
These extra steps are not necessary, but they can be especially helpful for large or expanding groups. , They don’t need to be anything much.
Just about anyone will appreciate a pot of coffee and a box of donuts or a pizza and soft drinks.
At the start, the expense will rest on your shoulders.
Once your business book club gains momentum, however, you can ask other members if they might also be willing to bring something edible to share.
If your meetings happen in a place that already serves food, like a coffee shop or restaurant, offering your own refreshments is unnecessary.
About the Author
Richard Barnes
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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