Get a Room

We all know that a lot of business takes place in coffee shops. It’s convenient, cheap and there’s plenty of food and drink available. The WiFi is usually good, and most places don’t try to pressure you out if you stay a while. For working on your laptop with some headphones on, it can be fine, but have you ever had a client meeting or a client phone call at a coffee shop?

Have you thought about the confidentiality of what you’re talking about in that environment? I recently saw a financial adviser conducting a full review of a couple’s finances while sitting right next to me at a Panera. He had charts, graphs, and he spoke loudly. I was privy to their net worth, the value of their various accounts, and their performance over the last few quarters. I didn’t want to know those things, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t want me to know them either. I felt like saying ‘Get a room!,’ but I just moved to a different table.

Some time ago, when I was in a corporate job, I worked from home when I wasn’t on the road visiting clients. I was on conference calls all the time. But my daughter plays tuba, and she likes to practice it when she comes home–not great for client calls. Or the mailman stops by and rings the doorbell to deliver a package, or someone stops by to try to sell something, and the dogs start to bark. Not great ways to impress a client. One time my internet went out, and I used a internet-based phone, so I went to a local coffee shop for a conference call with a client. Not only did they have loud music playing, but every time they made a cappuccino, my client could hear the steamer making noise. I was embarrassed.

Sometimes you need to get a room. You need a quiet, professional place to conduct business, whether it’s in person or by phone, if you’re going to make the sale or impress the client. It could be a conference room or a day office, whichever meets your needs. Get a room.

We offer small and large conference rooms as well as a day office. All are available by the hour or by the day. If you need a room in North Charlotte, University City or Concord, give us a call.