Some time ago I facilitated a VIP Planning Day for a small accounting practice. During the course of the day we reviewed the progress they had made since Planning Day we had the year before.

As we were reflecting on their achievements before planning the future, one of the partners made the comment on how crucial their weekly meetings were.

Originally when I first suggested they have regular weekly meetings, the same partner thought it was a waste of time as he was focussed on how much time it cost to have everyone stop work for that hour.

Being an accountant he was always focussed on chargeable hours and if they are all in a meeting for an hour they are potentially losing in excess of $1000.

However, he soon learned how beneficial these meetings were to the productivity and profit of their practice.Here's what he said :

"We use this time to discuss and implement systems, streamline and improve systems and procedures.

We feel that this is where we can resolve issues, gaining different perspectives and ideas, everyone has constructive input, we also brainstorm different ideas and create our newsletter.

We find that our meetings enable everyone to communicate openly, productivity is higher as we plan the following week, which is more cost effective and obviously time efficient.

The bottom line is these meetings keep the team happy as they feel their ideas are appreciated. It increases productivity and because we are more effective we make more money."

I had shown this client how to run these meetings effectively. They did not happen 'by chance'. You can follow these simple steps too...

1. Have an agenda circulated in advance to all attendees
2. Set timeframes for each item and have the most important one to discuss at the top.
3. Only have those people who need to be there attend.
4. Have a strong facilitator to keep the meeting on track.
5. Start and finish on time.
6. Have the meeting in a private area without distractions.
7. All mobile phones to be switched off.
8. Type up a summary of that meeting with who is to do what and by when and circulate it within 24 hours.
9. Follow up to ensure action items are done

It's very simple really. Regardless of whether you have face-face or 'virtual' meetings (by telephone or Skype), follow the same steps to get real results and never waste your time (or money)again at unproductive meetings.

Do you feel you've been wasting time attending meetings that aren't producing real results? Are you struggling with the overwhelm of getting everything done? Do you wish you were more productive and profitable in your business?

Then I urge you to take action and invest in a proven step-by-step system that will get you big results. Get a copy of The Productivity and Profit Home Study System". It includes everything you need to know to free up your time, organise your systems and master your marketing so you make much more money and get a life!

It's laid out in a very simple way: do step one of the system, and when you're done with that, move on to step two etc. It's so simple and yet so powerful, it's changed the lives of many solopreneurs and small business owners.

You can read the success stories and get your own copy at www.productivityqueen.com/profit.html (why be time poor and struggle in your business, when you can easily get much more done, make more money and have time off?

Got a comment about this article? Share your story with us at our Small Business Blog.

Lorraine Pirihi, The Productivity Queen is the creator of “The Productivity and Profit System” the complete one-on-one training program for solopreneurs and small businesses. She's a productivity expert, leading business coach, author and speaker with straight-shooter, no-fluff strategies that really work. Lorraine specialises in helping entrepreneurs to organise their time, master their marketing and stay on track with efficient systems so they make much more money and have a life!.

For your complimentary audio CD “How to Boost Your Productivity and Profits and Enjoy More Time Off” VALUED AT $47 for a limited time only. Go to www.productivityqueen.com