Have you ever had so many meetings going on that you couldn't tell your left from your right, and you manage to overbook yourself? I know that has happened to me often, when I've forgotten to write an appointment down, logged the appointment on the wrong calendar date, or was in such a hurry that I didn't notate it at all. I realized that I needed some help, and I have been scouting for scheduling software that can be a lifesaver to my business, but also be cost effective to my budget.
I don't know if you've heard of Need to Meet, before. But it is a beta-mode software that can be a great tool for mompreneurs, especially those who have virtual teams. In my search, I decided to blog about it. The first thing I like about this software is that it's free. I love free stuff, and I love being able to manipulate new tools into my business toolbox to make my business run smoother.
Setting Up Your Meeting
Need to Meet is user-friendly. In a matter of a few steps, you can easily set up a meeting, add your team members and select several days and times. This is a great feature, in that, I know with my experience with working with event planners, they have a team of people who are always busy, and it gets challenging to schedule time for all members to chat virtually. The choices are easy for team members to select, and attendees get a customized URL to the meeting. Now, what I like about this, is that this helps keep tabs on your meeting set-ups, and who attended your meetings. If you have a transcriptionist for your meetings, this helps a great deal in getting things done more efficiently.Sharing Your Meeting
Sending out meeting invitations can be tedious. With Need to Meet, you can send out your invitations either through Need to Meet, or conveniently through your own email platform. This is a great feature in that it helps to streamline your email management, and if you already have your team members in a folder, all correspondence from your invitations go directly to that folder. It helps to manage your meeting even better. You also will receive notifications from your team members when they answer your invitation.Scheduling on Different Platforms
iPhones are today's new computers, and some apps still haven't caught on in being compatible with mobile devices. I live by my phone (although I don't have an iPhone), and I conduct a lot of business from my Wifi, so having this software that is compatible on mobile devices, even on Microsoft Outlook plug-in is an awesome feature. You can plan your meeting from your desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, or Smartphone, quick and easy.Running Your Meeting
Busy team members are often double-booked themselves, even when they are active in your online meeting. So, this software gives them the freedom to see all comments in one place. Now, if you have to have a one-on-one with a team member, there are privacy features available with the advanced plan that you can utilize to prevent other team members from seeing your comments with one team members. This can be handy when you have a co-facilitator and want to discuss agenda items a few minutes prior to the meeting, or to address some issues even during the meeting.Manage My Calendar
Need to Meet does integrate with your calendar, for the appointments to automatically add to your calendar, and it also can serve as an admin to show your calendar with team members to show them which meeting you're interacting with at which time. When you have multiple teams, and in search of finding the right date and time to plan for your business, you will enjoy having this premium plan feature.How Can This Help Me
This software is a great tool for most business owners. Wedding planners can use this when working with the Maid/Matron of Honor in planning events for the bride or working with vendors, PTA/PTO groups for planning executive board meetings and fundraiser activities, finance committees in planning budgets for your business model, and those in marketing working with clients on developing marketing strategies and campaigns. Just about anyone in business, profit or non-profit, can find this tool useful to streamlining order as well as providing great time management for their business. I'd love for you to try it, and share with me your opinion to using Need to Meet for your appointment scheduling.Don't forget to download your virtual agenda planner tip sheet right here.
