For years I have wanted to go on a small business retreat. Don’t get me wrong, I love conferences. I love the connection, classes, and travel of industry events. However, as an introvert I often crave something a bit smaller and less hectic. There are several ways to approach a small business retreat. Here are a few tips to get you started planning your own.
What is Your Goal
Before planning your retreat, determine what you want out of it. Your goal will guide the rest of decisions that come after. For this season, I wanted to beef up my boudoir portfolio to be more inclusive. Boudoir is a new offering for my photography company and often I find that paying clients do not want to share their images on social media. Other future goals include ebooks, reworking some of our course offerings, and much more. So ask yourself, what big thing do you want to work on?
Size of your retreat
Once you have an idea of what your goal is, ask yourself if this will be a solo small business retreat or do you have a group of creatives with the same goal in mind. This time around, I found that three of my other friends also had the same goal. It made sense for us to gather together and not only do a portfolio build but to also spend time sharing business and photography knowledge with each other.
Where
The next step in planning a small business retreat is determining the location. As a photographer, I always recommend a location that is not only aesthetically pleasing but that feeds into connecting with your ideal client.
Extras
The whole point of a retreat is to remove yourself from the regular pace of life and focus in on that one goal. Ask yourself if you need rest, relaxation, or adventure. Some retreats include a wellness aspect while others do not. Do you want to cook or have meals provided? Do you want to explore the area you are visiting or stay in a quiet secluded space? Only you can answer that for what you need out of the retreat. For more on small business retreats, check out the private Facebook group here.
