10 Reasons Renting a Meeting Room Beats Going to Starbucks

Entrepreneurs and small business leaders often find themselves going from one meeting to the next. And while the local Starbucks—or equivalent coffee shops with meeting rooms—may be appropriate for some informal meetings with customers, partners, and employees, they aren’t suitable places for many meetings.

There are myriad reasons why entrepreneurs and small businesses should think twice before going to a local coffee shop for business meetings. I’ve certainly had my fill of business meetings at the local coffee shop, and too many were filled with interruptions, distractions, and lack of privacy. Rented meeting rooms provide a better alternative as places for meetings compared to coffee shops—and the continued growth of meeting room rentals is proof that more and more entrepreneurs and small businesses are discovering that to be true.

The following are 10 reasons why rented meeting space is a better choice than the local Starbucks or coffee shop:

1. First Impressions

First impressions have never been more important than in the digital era. Research shows individuals form a psychological construct of another individual or company in a matter of seconds. Asking customers and partners to meet you at a local coffee shop can convey the wrong professional—or lack thereof—experience. The list of reasons is many—long queues to order coffee and food, no table space, noisy venues, and eavesdropping pedestrians.

Compare this list with the experiences of rented meeting rooms. To start, their addresses are in professional locations. Then, upon arrival at the meeting room, attendees encounter a lobby greeter who directs them to the meeting room and answers questions about the facility such as parking, location of the restrooms, and other meeting room amenities.

2. Privacy

Coffee shops aren’t locations for conversations meant to be private—personal or professional. But with most business meetings involving private information (not to mention some involving healthcare, legal, and other confidential information), this creates serious issues. Even if you can locate a table far from other patrons, which usually isn’t possible and certainly cannot be determined beforehand, there are no assurances your conversation will not be overheard.

Rented meeting rooms offer full privacy and security. There are no nosy eavesdroppers sitting around the corner. Customers and partners are willing to talk more openly and candidly when they know what they say will not go beyond you and the others in the meeting.

3. Inspection Beforehand

If you’ve been to the coffee shop beforehand, then you may know the size of the space and location of the tables. But it is impossible to know which tables will be unoccupied—and if any will even be available when you and the other meeting attendees arrive. And if you’ve never been to the coffee shop before, then you likely have no idea what the space looks like.

Compare this with professional rented meeting space such as Davinci Meeting Rooms, and it is a completely different picture. You can review photos of the meeting room and a list of the business amenities and services that come with it—or can be added for an additional fee. Additionally,  when you’re on the go and unable to pull out your laptop to vet and book a meeting room, you can use the Davinci Meeting Rooms app—Apple iOS or Android.  

4. Presentation Tools

When you’re sitting in a coffee shop, whiteboards and other presentation tools don’t exist. These often are critical to collaboration. Plus, try huddling around a notepad or laptop for a few minutes, and everyone will be scheduling a visit to their chiropractor for later in the day.

Rented conference rooms come with the latest presentation tools. Whether you need whiteboards, overhead projectors, conference phones, or video conferencing, you’re covered.

5. Reliable, Fast, Secure Internet Access

Most coffee shops provide basic wireless Internet access. However, with the amount of traffic generated by all of the patrons in a coffee shop, which often includes bandwidth-intensive video, speeds can slow to a crawl and applications can easily disconnect. Further, the security risks of using unprotected public Wi-Fi from coffee shops and other locations such as airports and public transportation are often ranked as one of the highest security risks. Without the right security protocols in place, any connected device is at risk.

In contrast, wireless access points in rented meeting spaces are configured for businesses—not consumers. Dedicated bandwidth ensures that connectivity for video conferencing and online applications is fast and reliable. Most also rely on wireless access points that employ encryption and other security protocols that minimize the risk of threats.

6. Business Tools 

If you or any of your meeting attendees need office supplies or need to print or scan a document or send a fax at a coffee shop, they are out of luck. Fortunately, in the case of a rented meeting room, all of these—with administrative services—are available in real-time.

7. Administrative Services

Sometimes, depending on the nature of the meeting, secretarial services, notary and transcription services, support with mailing, faxing, and printing are needed. None of these exist at a coffee shop, but they are at the immediate disposal of you and your meeting attendees if you book a meeting room rental.

8. Catering

Coffee shops are great places for coffee, tea, or a snack, but for working meetings that require lunch or dinner, it will be a long wait if you’re meeting at a coffee shop. Rented meeting rooms, however, offer the option of catering, which enables you and other attendees to stay focused on the reason for the meeting without worrying about hunger being a distraction.

9. Comfort

Coffee shops are typically cramped spaces; tables are tightly packed and chairs are hard and uncomfortable. This isn’t the case with spacious rented meeting spaces that are equipped with comfortable chairs, clean restrooms, and other accouterments. Comfortable attendees often translate into productive, highly collaborative meetings.

10. Video Conferencing Tools

If not all attendees can attend the meeting in person, then they will need to do so virtually. Whether through audio or video, virtual attendance is impossible if the meeting is held in a coffee shop. Davinci meeting room rentals come with IP-enabled conference rooms and HD video conferencing systems, which make virtual collaboration a reality (not to mention having dedicated Internet bandwidth to handle video traffic). For example, in-person and virtual attendees can share their screens and initiate a live chat with other attendees.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why meeting rooms are arguably the best places to meet with clients compared to Starbucks or the local coffee shop. If you’re wondering where to rent a meeting room, check out our site to book a meeting room near you that fits your needs.

About Patrick Spencer

Patrick Spencer (Ph.D.) is the President and Founder of TIRO Communications that helps companies develop, build, and manage content, customer, advocacy, and demand-gen programs. Included in its offerings is TIRO Cognition Insights, a data analytics tool that enables B2C and B2B businesses to pinpoint what their customers and competitors’ customers are saying and to identify corresponding actionable product, services, competitive, sales, and marketing intelligence. LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn Website: www.tirocommunications.com