AS A BUSINESS start-up you will be keen to be part of as many initiatives, projects and networks as possible, in the hope that they will bring business to your door.

However, before signing up to anything, think about what your own business aims and objectives are.

Arguably, the single biggest drain on small business efficiency is meetings.

These can often run back to back, taking on a life of their own and they have the power to take us away from the main business of the day, the work that puts money in the bank!

Before agreeing to attend a meeting check the agenda.

Does it include anything of specific relevance to your business? If not, should you attend? Perhaps you could cover a single item over the phone or by e-mail?

Before you agree to attend, check the specific objectives and outcomes of the meeting, do they meet your needs? Also, fix an end time, and be prepared to use it!

Where will the meeting be held? If you spend too much travel time ask yourself if it’s worth it.

Could you Skype into the meeting, or perhaps a conference call would work? Visit: skype.com/en/ For those meetings that simply have to take place make them lean, keeping attendance to a minimum number of people.

The more people that attend, the longer the meeting will run for, making it less likely that you will achieve your anticipated outcomes.

Make sure that the right people are in the room. If decision making is required, attendance should be decision makers only; deputies are often a random sample of people, with no real power, who have been pressed to attend to fill a gap.

ANGELA FITCH Federation of Small Business