For years now our firm has had an annual retreat which we have found to be extremely helpful. As the author Shira Levine, Freelance Writer for American Express Open Forum suggests, retreats don’t have to be budget busters and, in fact, can be done locally and therefore cost effectively.
Typically, in the fall of each year, we will book a conference room at a neighborhood hotel for the day. Our retreat starts at 8 AM and ends at 5 PM with snacks and beverages provided throughout the day and of course we break for lunch. On some occasions we have closed the day with a firm provided dinner.
The primary goal of the retreat is to review how we did relative to the goals set at the prior year and to set goals for the upcoming calendar year. We set some very specific goals by function (Administrative, Marketing, Service and Housekeeping) and stay on track with a well thought out, written agenda.
Our retreats always include an outside facilitator who is responsible for leading us through the agenda. This individual is a professional who knows our firm and is a very astute and successful business person. The facilitator keeps things moving, on track and ensures everyone participates.
There is no question that an annual retreat, whether done locally or in another location that doesn’t max out your budget, is one of the best investments our firm and your businesses can make. Take a look at the link below for great suggestions on how to do get the most bang for the buck both locally and in other locations.
To read Shira’s Levine’s article “6 Tips for Planning A Corporate Retreat on a Budget” please click the following link 6 Tips For Planning A Retreat.
This article was written by Gary Field, CPA at Numerico, PC. Click here to view Numerico’s website.
